Media file synchronization

• US 9,077,784 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Fein, Gene, Merritt, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): BORROMEO, JUANITO C
• Application Number:
  US12/367,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 710/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4025 where none of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

The description generally relates to a system designed to synchronize the rendering of a media file between a master device and a sister device. The system is designed so that a media file is simultaneously rendered on a master device and a sister device beginning from identical temporal starting points.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing media, the method comprising:

receiving a data file at a first computing device configured to render media files, the data file being received from a second computing device, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file, wherein the temporal starting point includes a starting time within the media file and an elapsed time of the media file, wherein the elapsed time of the media file accounts for transmission delay in transmitting the media file from the second computing device to the first computing device;

storing the data file at the first computing device;

retrieving, at the first computing device, the media file identified by the media code;

rendering the media file by the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point;

playing the media file by the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point and simultaneously playing the media file at the second computing device beginning at the temporal starting point; and

wherein the data file does not include the media file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the media file identified by the media code comprises:

retrieving the media file from a remote network location; and

storing the media file on the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the temporal starting point, the modification of the temporal starting point being accomplished using a controller of the first computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file is selected from the group consisting of a text file, a data file, an audio file, a video file, and an audiovisual file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is selected from the group consisting of a home media server, a digital video server, a video receiver, a computer, a cellular telephone, a smart telephone, a personal digital assistant, a digital music player, a digital video player, a portable video player, a wireless handheld device, a mobile communication device, a vehicle navigation system, a vehicle media system, a laptop personal computer, a notebook, and a mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the elements, which includes receiving, storing, and rendering are performed by a media synchronization application having the capability of being updated remotely.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the media file includes a permission that allows the media file to be rendered on the first computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the permission is associated with a user of the first computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the media file fails to include the permission, the method further comprises arranging payment for the media file in order for the media file to be rendered on the first computing device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the media file identified by the media code comprises retrieving the media file from the first computing device.

23. The method of claim 2, further comprising arranging payment for the media file in order for the media file to be rendered on the first computing device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file is stored on the first computing device.

7. A method for synchronizing media, the method comprising:

sensing the presence of a first computing device, the first computing device comprising a computing device specifically configured to render media files;

creating a data file, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file, wherein the temporal starting point includes a starting time within the media file and an elapsed time of the media file, wherein the elapsed time of the media file accounts for transmission delay in transmitting the media file from a second computing device to the first computing device;

transmitting the data file from the second computing device to the first computing device to enable the first computing device to retrieve the media file identified by the media code and render the media file beginning at the temporal starting point, wherein the data file does not include the media file; and

playing the media file by the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point and simultaneously playing the media file at the second computing device beginning at the temporal starting point.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for synchronizing media, the instructions comprising:

sensing the presence of a first computing device, the first computing device comprising a computing device specifically configured to render media files;

creating a data file, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file, wherein the temporal starting point includes a starting time within the media file and an elapsed time of the media file, wherein the elapsed time of the media file accounts for transmission delay in transmitting the media file from a second computing device to the first computing device;

transmitting the data file from the second computing device to the first computing device to enable the first computing device to retrieve the media file identified by the media code and to render the media file beginning at the temporal starting point, wherein the data file does not include the media file; and

playing the media file by the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point and simultaneously playing the media file at the second computing device beginning at the temporal starting point.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for synchronizing media, the instructions comprising:

receiving a data file at a first computing device, the data file being received from a second computing device, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file, wherein the temporal starting point includes a starting point time within the media file and an elapsed time of the media file, wherein the elapsed time of the media file accounts for transmission delay in transmitting the media file from the second computing device to the first computing device;

storing the data file, wherein the data file does not include the media file;

retrieving the media file identified by the media code;

rendering the media file beginning at the temporal starting point; and

playing the media file by the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point and simultaneously playing the media file at the second computing device beginning at the temporal starting point.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving the media file over a network using a middleware server; and

storing the media file on the first computing device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising conditioning the media file to make the media file compatible with the first computing device, the conditioning of the media file being accomplished using a logic resident on a middleware server.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising modifying the temporal starting point, the modification of the temporal starting point being accomplished using a controller of the first computing device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein retrieving the media file further comprises:

searching for the media file; and

acquiring the media file.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the media file is one or more of a text file, a data file, an audio file, a video file, and/or an audiovisual file.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first computing device is one or more of a home media server, a digital video server, a video receiver, a computer, a cellular telephone, a smart telephone, a personal digital assistant, a digital music player, a digital video player, a portable video player, a wireless handheld device, a mobile communication device, a vehicle navigation system, a vehicle media system, a laptop personal computer, a notebook, and/or a mobile computing device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein one or more of the receiving, storing, and rendering are performed by a first computing device media synchronization application having the capability of being updated remotely.

17. A system effective to synchronize media, the system comprising:

a processor effective to receive a data file at a first computing device, the data file being received from a second computing device, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file, wherein the temporal starting point includes a starting time within the media file and an elapsed time of the media file, wherein the elapsed time of the media file accounts for transmission delay in transmitting the media file from the second computing device to the first computing device;

a memory effective to store the data file, wherein the data file does not include the media file;

the processor further effective to retrieve the media file identified by the media code;

the processor further effective to render the media file beginning at the temporal starting point; and

the processor further effective to play the media file at the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point simultaneously with a playing of the media file at the second computing device beginning at the temporal starting point.

18. A system effective to synchronize media, the system comprising:

a processor effective to sense the presence of a first computing device, the first computing device comprising a computing device specifically configured to render media files;

the processor further effective to create a data file, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file, wherein the temporal starting point includes a starting time within the media file and an elapsed time of the media file, wherein the elapsed time of the media file accounts for transmission delay in transmitting the media file from a second computing device to the first device, wherein the data file does not include the media file;

the processor further effective to transmit the data file from the second computing device to the first computing device to enable the first computing device to retrieve the media file identified by the media code and to render the media file beginning at the temporal starting point; and

the processor further effective to play the media file at the second computing device beginning at the temporal starting point simultaneously with a playing of the media file at the first computing device beginning at the temporal starting point.