System and method for creating and posting media lists for purposes of subsequent playback

• US 8,015,263 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Post Media Systems LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Trio Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Bartholomew, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/272,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-229, 709200-203, 715/704, 715/712
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating and posting media is provided. For example, the invention allows a user to quickly create, signal process, encode, and transfer media files to a server for storage, posting, distribution, and retrieval. Thus, media such as audio, video, display, photo, spreadsheet, Web Clips, and HTML pages can be combined into a media file for uploading to a server and accessed from listings posted at web sites. In accordance with embodiments, a user downloads and installs a plug-in at the user'"'"'s client computer. The user then registers and logs onto the server to perform various tasks. For example, the user can create a combined audio and photo media file at the client computer, in accordance with server based control parameters received from the system server. The plug-in then allows the user to perform digital signal processing and encoding of the media file at the client computer. After the file is encoded, it may be uploaded to a server for storage, posting, distribution, and retrieval. A file management system provides copies and listings of the file to other servers and web sites as permitted. Thus, other user having access to the database or web site lists via other client computers may select the file for retrieval. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an information management system provides file and file list rankings based upon selection or click through of files and file listings.

Claims

1. A system for sharing audio content for playback comprising:

a first computer comprising a first processor, a first communications interface controllable by the first processor, and a first memory, the first memory comprising program code executable by the first processor for performing the following steps;

providing one or more references to media data to a server computer for sharing the media data for distribution, the media data comprising one or more references to audio data, and a set of media attributes;

receiving an ordered list from the server computer, the ordered list comprising a plurality of references to media data, including the a reference to the media data;

displaying the ordered list;

accepting selection of a list item containing a reference to the media data;

in response to the selection of the list item, downloading and storing the media data and the audio data referenced by the media data;

obtaining notification of changes to the media data, and in response to the notification, automatically downloading and storing the media data and the audio data;

record the audio data, encode the audio data in a format suitable for transfer to the server, and store the audio data on the first computer for subsequent retrieval; and

retrieve the audio data and transfer the audio data to the server.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the program code further causes the first processor to perform the following steps:

creating a distribution list containing a reference to the audio data for purposes of distribution of the audio data; and

sending the audio data to another computer according to the distribution list.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second computer comprising a second processor, a second communications interface controllable by the second processor for communicating with the first computer, and a second memory, the second memory comprising program code executable by the second processor for performing the following steps:

receiving and storing the audio data; and

playing the audio data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second program code causes the second computer to play the audio data while offline.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the data further comprises one or more references to video data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the program code further causes the first computer to create the media data and provide the media data to the server for sharing the media data for distribution.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the program code further causes the first computer to modify the media data and provide the modified media data to the server computer for providing notification of a change to the audio data.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the program code further causes the first computer to create the ordered list and transfer the ordered list to the server for storage and distribution.

9. A system for sharing audio content for playback comprising:

a first computer comprising a first processor, a first communications interface controllable by the first processor, and a first memory, the first memory comprising program code executable by the first processor for performing the following steps;

receiving one or more references to media data via the communications interface, said media data comprising one or more references to audio data, and a set of display parameters;

receiving a request to share said media data for distribution;

in response to receiving the request to share, adding said reference to said media data to an ordered list; and

providing said ordered list to another computer via the communications interface;

a second computer comprising a second processor, a second communications interface controllable by the second processor, and a second memory, the second memory comprising program code executable by the second processor for performing the following steps;

receiving said ordered list from said first computer;

displaying said ordered list using said display parameters;

accepting selection of a list item containing said reference to said media data;

in response to said selection of said list item, downloading and storing said media data and audio data referenced by said media data;

obtaining notification of changes to said media data, and in response to said notification, downloading and storing said media data and said audio data; and

creating a distribution list containing said reference to said media data for purposes of distribution of said media data and said audio data; and

sending said audio data to another computer according to said distribution list; and

a third computer comprising a third processor, a third communications interface controllable by the third processor, and a third memory, the third memory comprising program code executable by the third processor for performing the following steps;

receiving and storing said audio data; and

playing said audio data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said third program code causes said third computer to play said audio data while offline.

11. A system for sharing audio content for playback comprising:

a first computer comprising a first processor, a first communications interface controllable by the first processor, and a first memory, the first memory comprising first program code executable by the first processor for performing the following steps;

receiving media data via the communications interface;

receiving a request to share the media data for distribution;

in response to receiving the request to share, adding one or more references to the media data to a first ordered list, wherein the first ordered list is under the control of a first account;

publishing the first ordered list to a second account, wherein the publishing comprises;

receiving an authorization by the second account to publish the first ordered list to the second account,

adding a reference to the media data to a second ordered list, wherein the second ordered list is under control of the second account, and

updating the second ordered list automatically in response to changes in the first ordered list; and

providing second code executable by a second computer to cause the second computer to perform the following steps;

receiving selection data from the first computer;

displaying the selection data;

accepting selection of an item containing a reference to the media data;

in response to the selection of the item, downloading and storing the media data and audio data referenced by the media data;

obtaining notification of changes to the media data, and in response to the notification, downloading and storing the media data and the audio data;

creating a distribution list containing a reference to the media data for distribution of the media data; and

sending the media data to a third computer according to the distribution list.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first program code further causes the first computer to alter the contents of an ordered list according to a set of criteria.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first program code further causes the first computer to alter the contents of an ordered list according to a set of behaviors.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the first program code further causes the first computer to alter the contents of an ordered list according to a set of criteria and behaviors.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the first program code further causes the first computer to order the reference to the media data in an ordered list based on a ranking.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the ranking is based on usage of the media data.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the first program code further causes the first computer to notify the second computer when the media data is available for retrieval.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the notification that the media data is available is sent via an email message containing a link to the media data.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the first ordered list comprises one or more references to the media data, and a set of media attributes associated with the media data, wherein the first ordered list is stored as a logical entity, and wherein the first ordered list is capable of being retrieved as an atomic unit using a reference.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the media data comprises one or more of audio data, video data, photographic data, textual data, database data, web content data, programming code data and references to media content.