Web application for accessing media streams

• US 6,452,609 B1
• Filed: 11/06/1998
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Supertuner.com
• Inventors: Katinsky, Steve, Burress, Michael, Furtado, Jeffereson
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/187,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/219, 709/228, 709/229, 345/327, 345/342, 345/346, 345/716, 345/719, 345/723, 345/727, 345/733, 345/854
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms

Abstract

A web page has a player for playing media objects, a sequencer which displays a play list that defines an order in which media objects are played by the player, and a media access area for containing a plurality of graphical icons. Each graphical icon representing a media object, and the graphical icons can be manipulated by a user to modify the play list. For example, the media icons may be draged to the sequencer to add them to the sequencer.

Claims

1. A web page, comprising:

a player displayed in a first region of a web page for playing media objects;

a sequencer displayed in a non-overlapping second region of the web page which displays a play list that defines an order in which one or more media objects are played by the player; and

a media access area displayed in a non-overlapping third region of the web page, wherein the media access area contains a plurality of graphical icons, each graphical icon representing a media object sourcing streaming content, wherein the graphical icons can be manipulated by a user to modify the play list, and wherein the media access area and sequencer are displayed simultaneously in the second and third regions.

2. The web page of claim 1, wherein the graphical icon includes an indication of a media type of the media object.

3. The web page of claim 2, wherein the graphical icon further includes text describing content of the media object.

4. The web page of claim 1, wherein one or more of the graphical icons can be dragged from the media access area to the sequencer to add the media object represented by the graphical icon to the play list.

5. The web page of claim 1, wherein the sequencer can display one of multiple play lists.

6. The web page of claim 5, wherein the sequencer includes a tab for each play list, and the user can select one of the tabs to switch between the play lists.

7. The web page of claim 1, wherein the sequencer includes a play list box containing copies of the graphical icons representing each media object in the play list.

8. The web page of claim 7, wherein the sequencer includes a checkbox for each graphical icon in the play list, the checkbox controlling whether the player will play the graphical icon.

9. The web page of claim 7, wherein the sequencer includes a pop-up menu for each graphical icon in the play list, each pop-up menu providing information about the media object.

10. The web page of claim 1, wherein the sequencer and media access area are implemented with scripted DHTML.

11. The web page of claim 1, wherein the media access area includes an outline of subjects and the graphical icons are arranged in lists in the outline.

12. The web page of claim 11, wherein at least one level of the outline is expandable and collapsible.

13. The web page of claim 11, wherein the media access area includes a tab for each subject at a top level of the outline, and the user can switch between the subjects by selecting one of the tabs.

14. The web page of claim 11, wherein the media access area displays one of a plurality of outlines.

15. The web page of claim 14, wherein the media access area includes a tab for each outline, and the user can switch between the outlines by selecting one of the tabs.

16. The web page of claim 1, wherein the player includes a control panel and an image display window.

17. The web page of claim 16, wherein the image display window can be dragged across the web page.

18. The web page of claim 17, wherein the image display window includes a home button to return the image display window to a home position on the web page.

19. The web page of claim 16, wherein the image display window includes an image area and a handle, and the handle includes a button to hide the image area.

20. The web page of claim 16, wherein the image display window includes a size lock button to prevent the image display window from expanding beyond a default size.

21. The web page of claim 1, further comprising a site-driven area to display a banner.

22. The web page of claim 21, wherein the banner is synchronized with the media object being played by the player.

23. The web page of claim 21, further comprising a banner media object associated with the banner.

24. The web page of claim 23, wherein the user can change the play list to play the banner media object by manipulating the banner.

25. The web page of claim 24, wherein the user can drag the banner to the sequencer to add the banner media object to the play list.

26. The web page of claim 24, wherein the user can drag the banner to an image area of the player to play the banner media object.

27. The web page of claim 23, wherein the banner includes a pop-up menu to display information about the banner media object.

28. A method of operating a web page, comprising:

displaying multiple sources of streaming content to a user in a first area of a web page;

receiving user input to select a playing order for the sources of streaming content;

storing the playing order; and

displaying the playing order in a second area of the web page, wherein the multiple sources of streaming content and the playing order are simultaneously viewable in non-overlapping first and second areas;

receiving user input to start delivering the streaming content to the user; and

presenting the streaming content to the user in the stored playing order in a third area of the web page.