Method and system for accessing web pages based on playback of recordings

• US 7,680,902 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Roberts, Dale Tyson, Greenberg, Ann E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Viet
• Application Number:
  US11/841,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier

Abstract

Entertainment content complementary to a musical recording is delivered to a user'"'"'s computer by a computer network link. The user employs a browser to access the computer network. A plug-in for the browser is able to control an audio CD or other device for playing the musical recording. A script stored on the remote computer accessed over the network is downloaded. The script synchronizes the delivery of the complementary entertainment content with the play of the musical recording.

Claims

1. A method for associating local and remote data on a local computer connected to a network, the method comprising:

outputting remote data at the local computer based on playback of a recording by the local computer, the remote data obtained via the network from at least one storage location dynamically determined when the playback of the recording occurs using an identifier derived from table of contents information for the recording; and

obtaining the remote data using an at least partial pointer corresponding to the recording, the at least partial pointer obtained from the network by the local computer, wherein the remote data is display data representing a World Wide Web page, and wherein the at least partial pointer at least partially defines a uniform resource locator for the World Wide Web page.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

automatically executing a communication program for communication via the network and output of the remote data received from the network, when the recording is played;

determining at a remote computer at least one location, corresponding to the identifier, where the remote data is stored; and

automatically sending the remote data from the at least one location to the local computer via the network.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote data includes at least one of an image associated with the recording, animation associated with the recording, and a video associated with the recording.

6. A method as recited in claim 5,

wherein the recording is stored on a disc, and

wherein the remote data includes display data representing an album cover associated with the disc.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said outputting outputs the remote data including at least one name of a song included in the recording.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording is on a compact disc containing a plurality of tracks, and

wherein said outputting outputs the remote data including at least one title of a corresponding track on the compact disc.

3. A method for associating local and remote data on a local computer connected to a network, the method comprising:

using a processor to automatically execute on the local computer when a recording is played, a communication program for communication via the network to send information related to table of contents information for the recording;

dynamically determining, at a remote computer, at least one location where remote data is stored corresponding to an identifier derived from the information sent from the local computer;

automatically sending the remote data from the at least one location to the local computer via the network; and

outputting on the local computer the remote data in association with playback of the recording by the local computer, wherein the communication program is a web browser, the network is the Internet, and the remote data is display data representing at least part of one web page.

4. A method as recited in claim 3,

wherein the information used to determine the identifier includes table of contents information for the recording

wherein the recording is stored on a disc, and

wherein said executing and determining begins when the disc is inserted into a disc drive coupled with the local computer, regardless of whether the communication program has been initiated.

9. A method for associating remote and local data on a local device connected to a network, the method comprising:

deriving an identifier at the local device by numerically processing table of contents information for the recording;

automatically obtaining the remote data from the network by the local device using an at least partial pointer corresponding to the identifier;

outputting at the local device the remote data obtained from the network, based on access to the local data by the local device;

automatically executing a communication program for communication via the network and output of the remote data received from the network, when the local data is accessed; and

automatically requesting the remote data based on the identifier, wherein the communication program is a web browser, the network is the Internet, and the remote data is an internet resource.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising obtaining the remote data using at least one uniform resource locator corresponding to the identifier and based on the at least partial pointer obtained from the network by the local device.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the remote data is an Internet resource.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the remote data include an electronic file of digitally encoded audio.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the remote data include at least one of an image associated with the local data, animation associated with the local data, and a video associated with the local data.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the local data is an electronic file of digitally encoded audio, and

wherein the remote data include an album cover associated with the electronic file.

15. A method for associating remote and local data stored in a recording accessed by a local device connected to a network, the method comprising:

using a processor to automatically execute a program on the local device, when the local data are accessed to play the recording for a user of the local device, to obtain at least one pointer string, corresponding to the local data, from at least one database of local data identifiers derived from the local data and pointer strings stored on at least one remote device connected to the local device via the network;

obtaining the remote data via the network from a content provider based on the at least one pointer string;

outputting at the local device the remote data obtained from the network; and

maintaining in the at least one database an association between the local data identifiers and the pointer strings which at least partially define uniform resource locators of corresponding Internet resources for a plurality of items of local data provided by an organization,

wherein the recording is digital audio and the items of local data are electronic files of digital audio; and

wherein the at least one pointer string at least partially defines an address of a World Wide Web page maintained on behalf of at least one person who produced sound for the recording.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote data include at least one of an image of the at least one person, a video in which the at least one person appears and biographical information about the at least one person.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote data include an electronic file of digital audio.

18. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote data include an electronic file of digital audio.

19. A system coupled to a network and associating remote data with local data included in a recording to play back the recording, the system comprising:

a local device located at a first location, including

an access unit playing the recording for a user of the local device and accessing the local data;

a communication unit, coupled to said access unit, automatically obtaining, upon access to the local data by said access unit, the remote data from m. the network using at least one pointer string at least partially defining uniform resource locator corresponding to the local data; and

an output unit, coupled to said communication unit at the first location, outputting the remote data; and

a remote computer, coupled to said communication unit via the network and located at a second location remote from the first location, storing at least one database of recording identifiers and pointer strings, said communication unit obtaining the at least one pointer string from said remote computer, wherein the at least one database stored on said remote computer associates the recording identifiers with at least partial uniform resource locators of corresponding World Wide Web pages for a plurality of recordings released by an organization.

20. A system as recited in claim 19,

wherein said communication unit in said local device further sends to said remote computer information provided with the recording to play back the recording, and

wherein said remote computer determines, based on the information received from said local device, a recording identifier for the recording corresponding to the at least one pointer string.

21. A system as recited in claim 19,

wherein said local device further includes a processor generating a recording identifier for the recording based on information used to play back the recording, and

wherein said communication unit sends the recording identifier to the remote computer to obtain the at least one pointer string.

22. A system coupled to a network and associating remote data with local data included in a recording to play back the recording, the system comprising:

a local device located at a first location, including

an access unit playing the recording for a user of the local device and accessing the local data;

a communication unit, coupled to said access unit, automatically obtaining, upon access to the local data by said access unit, the remote data from the network using at least one pointer string at least partially defining uniform resource locator corresponding to the local data; and

an output unit, coupled to said communication unit at the first location, outputting the remote data; and

a remote computer, coupled to said communication unit via the network and located at a second location remote from the first location, storing at least one database of recording identifiers and pointer strings, said communication unit obtaining the at least one pointer string from said remote computer, wherein the at least one pointer string at least partially addresses a World Wide Web page maintained on behalf of at least one person who produced sound for the recording.