1273results about "Multimedia data browsing/visualisation" patented technology

A wireless media player and a related system and methodology are disclosed. One aspect of the wireless media player system pertains to a virtual connector system, apparatus, and method for the automatic establishment of wireless connectivity with other electronic devices. In one embodiment, the media player device employs the use of integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to exchange communication settings, media capability, and other parameters with an external device that also has integrated RFID technology. The automatic exchange of settings and other information via a proximity-based RFID data exchange allows a media player to quickly establish a secure communication link with another device via a commonly supported wireless protocol such as Ultra Wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of using the captured media capability of the connecting device to customize certain menu options and software parameters in the media player.

Methods and systems that improve the way media is played, sorted, modified, stored and cataloged on a portable media player are disclosed. One aspect relates to an image based browser that allows a user to navigate through and select images that are related to media items.

An improved method and apparatus for organizing, sorting, navigating and selecting for use, one or more multimedia content items available from one or more varied types of multimedia content sources, based on a multimedia content user's characteristics, preferences and entitlements, and multimedia content item attributes and characteristics. In a first aspect of the invention, a method and architecture (FIG. 11) are disclosed which uses an information structure hierarchy of parameter sets and included parameters and their associated information fields contained therein to facilitate identification, description, location and characterization of multimedia content items, multimedia content sources, and user characterizing information. In a second aspect of the invention, a method and architecture are disclosed for sorting multimedia content items by applying sorting criteria expressed in the type and format of the multimedia content item, multimedia content source and user identification, description, location and characteristics information (FIGS. 9, 10), at the time of content creation, distribution and delivery through a multimedia content source and at the time multimedia content is selected by a multimedia content user (FIG. 8), for the purposes of identifying and presenting those items appropriate for a particular multimedia content user. In a third aspect of the invention, a method and architecture are disclosed for displaying on a television or computer screen connected to a multimedia terminal, a plurality of video windows containing a menu and visual rendering (FIG. 12) of only those multimedia content items identified as appropriate for the particular multimedia content user, based on the sorting criteria. In a fourth aspect of the invention, a method and architecture are disclosed for navigating the plurality of display windows (FIGS. 14 through 19) for the purposes of selecting a multimedia content for use by the particular multimedia content user.

A method, performed by software executing on the processor of a portable music playback device, that automatically files tracks according to hierarchical structure of categories to organize tracks in a logical order. A user interface is utilized to change the hierarchy, view track names, and select tracks for playback or other operations.

A system and a method control media rendering in a network using a mobile device. The system and the method manage, control and / or render media in a home network using remote access and / or a remote user interface. The system and the method enable a user to control media rendering from multiple storage devices and / or multiple servers connected to the home network using the mobile device. The system and the method enable a user to control media rendering on multiple rendering devices connected to the home network using the mobile device. The system and the method have a control element hosted on a fixed, non-mobile device connected directly to the home network or connected to the home network as a stand-alone device.

The multimedia content browsing system for small mobile devices smoothly blends three key tasks: querying the multimedia contents by keywords, exploring the search results by viewing keyframes of the multimedia contents, and playing a stream of the multimedia contents, e.g., videos or video segments. Videos can be stored in a segment-based multimedia content database, which is designed to support the browsing, retrieval, and reuse of videos. A layered imaging model is introduced where each layer may have its own transparent value set individually, continuously, and interactively, and the layers can overlap on top of each other when rendered on the screen. Since a small mobile device alone may not have enough resources to handle the entire task of multimedia content browsing, a scalable architecture can be adopted to break up the task among the small mobile device, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), and a resource-rich computing device.

A user interface for displaying and playing multimedia contents is capable of allowing the user to easily recognize information about multimedia contents at a glance, and allowing the user to more easily retrieve desired information, through an image pre-play function. An apparatus includes the user interface, and a control method for the apparatus are includes displaying a sorting item of a multimedia content, and arranging file information included in the sorting item and having the form of a playable image.

Various aspects and embodiments are directed to a streamlined computer device and a graphical user interface that organizes interface elements into views of computer content for presentation to a user. Various views of digital media content permits users to easily and efficiently access various digital media content. Different views are used to provide an interface that is responsive to configurations of the device and responsive to activity being performed by the user. Aspects include permitting the user to maintain and manage digital media content libraries. According to some embodiments, the libraries comprise user digital media content and references digital media content. Functionality provided to a user can be tailored to the type of content displayed, accessed and / or managed. According to various aspects, methods and systems are provided for accessing and managing digital media libraries on a streamlined computing device with a plurality selectable I / O profiles. According to some embodiments, the methods may include displaying a GUI on a device, wherein the GUI comprises at least a plurality of views of digital media content, providing for transition between the plurality of views in response to selection of an I / O profile and in response to activation of a view selector component by a user, executing an association with the at least one of the plurality of visual representations with digital media content in response to selection, transitioning a display on the computing device to a view of the digital media content, and providing for display of user digital media content and referenced digital media content in the view of the digital media content.

Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and / or purchasing media items are also disclosed. The methods and graphical user interfaces are particularly useful for a system that provides purchase and distribution of media in a client-server environment. The graphical user interfaces can be presented to a user at a client (client machine). In one embodiment, the methods and graphical user interfaces can assist users in locating media to be browsed, previewed or purchased. The media can, for example, be audio, video and / or image data. The methods and graphical user interfaces are particularly useful for reviewing, browsing, previewing and / or purchasing classical music.

A data terminal includes a digital camera for capturing an image and data processing / storage / encoding means for processing the image information, together with an internal server for creating a web site at the terminal displaying the image. As a result high resolution image information is immediately accessible to authorized users and instantly recorded.

The present invention provides an easy to use web-based system for enabling multiple-user social browsing of underlying video / DEVSA media content. A plurality of user interfaces are employed linked with one or more underlying programming modules and controlling algorithms. A data model is similarly supported and used for managing complex social commenting and details regarding a particular video set of interest. An interest intensity measurement and mapping system and mode are provided for increased use.

According to the invention, a content download system for downloading a content file and additional content using a window is disclosed. The content download system includes a content site, a content provider and a third party. The content site presents the window that displays the download progress of the content file, presents the additional content while the content file is downloaded, and allows selection of the additional content. The content provider serves as an origin server for the content file. The third party receives information on the content file and provides the additional content.

Improved techniques that facilitate use of podcasts are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and / or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, a client application can facilitate discovery of a podcast of interest from a plurality of podcasts, subscribe to the podcast of interest, and provide subsequent management of the podcast of interest. The management of the podcast of interest can include acquiring updated podcast data with little or no user interaction required. According to another aspect, some or all podcasts locally available to a client application can be copied (e.g., synchronized) with a portable media device so that the podcasts can be conveniently available and played by either the client application or the portable media device.

A system and a method use an application on a mobile device to transfer internet media content to a rendering device in a home network. The application may use an HTML rendering engine to display a web page to a user of the mobile device, and the web page may have controls for accessing the internet media content. The application may receive a user interaction signal which may indicate that a user invoked one of the controls for accessing the internet media content. In response, the application may initiate transfer of the internet media content to the rendering device in the home network and / or may queue the internet media content for later playback using the rendering device.

Improved techniques to utilize and manage a group of media items (or media assets) on a computing device are disclosed. The group of media items can be utilized and managed at a host computer for the host computer as well as a media device (e.g., media player) that can couple to the host computer. One popular example of a group of media items is know as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks. One aspect pertains to providing a persistent media device playlist at a host computer. Another aspect pertains to imposing capacity limits to a playlist, such as a media device playlist. Still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that enables a user to trade-off storage capacity of a media device between media asset storage and data storage. Yet still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that assists a user with selecting media items to fill a group of media items.

The present invention provides a unique method and user interface that facilitates accessing and browsing objects in which a user begins with a center object (e.g., one or a few focal objects) displayed on a screen and related objects are populated on the screen as well. The related objects can be further organized into clusters whereby each cluster or grouping of objects expands on a particular attribute of the center object. The attributes correspond to metadata. Thus, the objects are populated based upon the metadata of the center object. According to one aspect, the user can access one or more specific objects having a plurality of attributes and then relax at least one of the attributes to see what other objects share at least one attribute with the center object. According to another aspect, the object having the closest match to a search request can be centrally displayed with other close matches arranged by their respective metadata.

A system and a method render internet multimedia content in a network using an application to render the internet multimedia content and / or locally stored multimedia content on one or more rendering devices in the network. The application may provide web browser functions, such as, for example, receiving, processing, decoding and / or rendering the internet multimedia content. The application may have an enhanced user interface which may enable a user to select the internet multimedia content and a rendering device in the network, send the internet multimedia content to the rendering device and / or control rendering of the internet multimedia content on the rendering device.

Systems and methods for on-demand purchasing and distribution of products associated with a television program (“assets”) to consumers, such as music, telephone ringtones, videos, CDs, DVDs, coupons, and other products. An asset tag insertion system inserts an asset tag into a television signal; the asset tag identifies an asset associated with a television program represented by the television signal. A settop box program is responsive to an asset tag contained in a television signal for extracting the asset tag and displaying information corresponding to the asset tag to a viewer. The settop box program is further responsive to a command from the viewer for a purchase or other transaction involving the asset, for generating an order command corresponding to an order for the asset. The settop box program is further responsive to communicate the order command to an order management system, which delivers the asset to the purchaser.

The present invention relates to a system and method to allow multiple users to collaborate on tasks and interact in a shared space session within a network in real-time; using a media application to manage media-layers. Each media-layer serves as a container for multimedia programs or plug-ins. The invention allows which media-layer to display via organization metaphors and filtering criteria. When multiple users are logged into the same shared space, each user can invoke and observe modifications to media-layers with the browser based or client based application. All events are synchronized among all users in that shared space, where the system is a communication conduit. The media-layers in the shared space maintains spatial and temporal correlation by a media application stage manager tool and described as a collection file descriptor such as an XML file. The ability to invoke events that affect media-layers can be supported in a synched or non synched mode on demand.

A system and methods for providing digital content on mobile devices is described. User interfaces and methods for requesting, presentation, communication and storage of digital content are also described.

According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a system and method for supplementing a multimedia work with content from the Internet. The instant method utilizes a combined multimedia editing and browsing functionality in one multimedia editing program. The instant invention will make it possible for casual users to be able to extract multimedia data from a website and include that data in a project. Multimedia content that is not supported by the editing component will be automatically converted to a format that is supported.

A data terminal includes a digital camera for capturing an image and data processing / storage / encoding means for processing the image information, together with an internal server for creating a web site at the terminal displaying the image. As a result high resolution image information is immediately accessible to authorized users and instantly recorded.

In various embodiments, a media player or portable media device can enable a user to navigate and discover content or other media assets. The media player may analyze broadcasts and other content streams to determine currently playing and forthcoming content. The media player may switch from one source of content to another to find content that matches user preferences or criteria. The media player may generate playlists based on the matching content, and switch between sources of the matching content automatically. In some embodiments, the media player may receive user input to browse content using a navigation stream. Content associated with stations within the navigation stream may be output. As if the user were tuning a radio dial, the media player may determine what content to played back for each station. The media player may procure content and generate playlists to represent each station focus on by the user.

A method and system for media navigation. A descriptor hierarchy may be accessed. The descriptor hierarchy may include at least one category list. One or more media descriptors may be accessed for a plurality of media items. The plurality of media items may be accessible from a plurality of sources. The one or more media descriptors may be mapped to the at least one category list. The navigation may be processed through a user interface to enable selection of the plurality of media items from the plurality of sources.

In a multimedia call center (MMCC) operating through an operating system, a client-specific self-help wizard is provided for active clients and updated periodically with information related to client transaction history with the MMCC. A connected client is presented by the wizard with a selective media function through which the client may a select a media type for interaction and help, and the MMCC will then re-contact the client through the selected media. The client, for example, may select IP or COST telephony, and the MMCC will place a call to the client to a number or IP address listed for the client, and interactivity will then be through an interactive voice response unit. Help information specific to a client is updated in the client's wizard periodically according to ongoing transaction history with the MMCC. The wizard may also monitor client activity with the wizard and make reports available to various persons.

Techniques for sharing data with other application programs are disclosed. The techniques allow data sharing between different application programs on a computer system. For instance, a second application program can access data provided by a first application program without needing the first application program to be operating or executing on the computer system. In one embodiment, an application operates to publish its data for external use by other application programs. The data is, for example, database data maintained by the application program. The data can be published for external use by producing a data communication file that contains at least a portion of the data. In one implementation, the data communication file contains the data being published for external use in a markup language representation. The techniques are particularly well suited for application programs that utilize databases to store media information pertaining to media items. The media information can include properties of the media items as well as links to storage locations for corresponding media content files that store the media content. The media content is, for example, one or more of audio, images or video.