Patent Application
20080109550
Media devices are in common use among a broad base of users. Radio and television have provided entertainment for generations of users. Portable transistor radios of the 1960s began a trend to smaller and more robust personal media devices including very small devices storing all digital content on both rotating and non-rotating media. Streaming media is available over both wireless and wired networks and may be displayed on cellular telephones and other portable media devices.
Attempts to create community using streaming content may be useful but are also transitory. Once the session is over, a user has no record of content shared or participants. From a marketing perspective, when media content is received and enjoyed, but purchase information is not recorded, an opportunity for a sale may be lost. Similarly, when a user consistently shares media that matches a recipient's tastes, a record of the user's identity may be desirable.
A media streaming session, or disk jockey session, between a source device and one or more receiving devices may generate an encounter object, used to identify and record the event. The encounter object may include information about the transmission itself, such as a date and time when the media object was transmitted and the source and destination media players involved. The encounter object may also include metadata about the media object, such as genre, album, title, and artist, if the media object is a song. The DJ session may also support user interaction, such as sharing library listings, suggesting next plays (requests), and polls. The encounter object may be also be used in the enforcement for use in synchronizing a portable device with a host partner device, for example, metadata about a media object may be included in the encounter object and, after synchronizing with a host, the metadata may be used to identify a song or video for purchase. Similarly, an encounter object created when receiving a 3-day/3-play media object may be used to prevent streaming of the object to other devices.
a-b are illustrations of a portable media device user interface; and
The media device 100 may also include additional storage 108 (removable and/or non-removable) including, but not limited to, magnetic or optical disks or tape or any other memory that can be easily rewritten, may keep data for long periods of time when power is removed, and may allow quick and efficient access to data. Such additional storage is illustrated in
The processing unit 102 may be any processing unit 102 capable of executing computer code to decode media data from a compressed format into a useable form fast enough such that music and video may be played continuously without skips or jumps. When in a portable media device, it may also be useful if the processor 102 efficiently uses power to increase the life of the power source. The processing unit 102 may also be used to execute code to support a user interface and external communications.
The user interface 106 may include one or more displays 114 for both displaying control information and displaying viewable media. The display 114 may be a color LCD screen that fits inside the device 100. User input(s) 116 may include either manual buttons, soft buttons, or a combination of both. Soft buttons may be used when the display 114 includes a touch screen capability. Manual buttons may include re-definable keys with programmable legends.
A security module 122 may be coupled to the processor. The security module 122 may be used to store cryptographic keys used in digital rights management (DRM). The security module 122 may also have specialized hardware or processors for performing cryptographic calculations, such as stream decryption, without burdening the processor 102. Lastly, the security module 122 may include secure memory for storing record data associated with limited use rights for received media objects. The security module 122 may also include a tamper resistant clock 124 for determining expiration periods on licenses. Management of limited use rights for media objects is discussed in more detail below.
The media device 100 may also contain a communications port 126 that allow the device 100 to communicate with external entities 128, such as network endpoints, other media devices, network access points, or a computer used for synchronization. The communication port 126 is an example of communication media. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein includes both storage media and communication media.
A variety of functions, implemented in logic or software, may be used to support both inbound and outbound DJ sessions. Such functions may include a communication module 130, inbound and outbound session modules 132, a playback module 134, a transmission module 136, inbound 138 and outbound 140 content management modules for creating records regarding streaming content sessions. Additionally, a session user interface 142, incorporating a special user interface and text communication modules may support user interaction related to initiating and supporting DJ sessions, including communication between connected users during a DJ session.
The power source may be a battery that may be rechargeable. The power source may also be a standard battery or an input from a power converter.
In operation, a user may connect to external entities 124 through a variety of network types to include local and wide area networks using any number of communication protocols and standards. For example, a media device may connect to a network implementing any of the Ethernet, ARCNet, FDDI, IEEE 1394, Token Ring, or TCP/IP standards. Additionally, the media device 100 may also connect via a wireless connection, such as an IEEE 802.11 wireless connection. Media devices may connect to each other through a central access point or in an ad hoc fashion. Once connected, the devices may share and transfer data files including media content. A user may receive a media object, including, for example, music, videos, photo slide shows, presentation graphics, real-time translations, closed captioning, or similar information over the communication port 126. In one embodiment, the media object may be sent over an ad-hoc wireless network from the external device 128. To illustrate, the media object may have been purchased for use on the external device 124 and the user of the external device 124 may be entitled to full and unlimited access to that media object using that device. The user of the external device may wish to stream the media object to a user of the media device 100, as well as to other device users, to create a shared experience among connected device users.
While connected, media device 100 may not only transfer files or media content, but may also stream data for immediate, one-time consumption. Streaming data in this fashion, especially streaming audio or video content may be referred to as a disk jockey (DJ) session. A streaming session may be one-to-one, or may be a multicast, that is, one-to-many. Both inbound and outbound DJ sessions may be supported, that is, media content may be sourced from the media device 100 and streamed to a receiving device or may be received from a source device. An encounter object, akin to a journal entry, may be used to record media events, such as streaming session. The encounter object may be a source of information for user convenience services, such as the ability to review titles of songs received or the names of connected devices when songs were streamed. Audio, video, slide shows, photographs or photo albums, presentation graphics, closed captioning, or other objects may also be streamed. The encounter object may also be used to provide metadata about the streamed objects, such as the publisher of a media object, a website where the media object may be obtained, or both.
In addition to streaming content between devices, additional opportunities to create and enhance community among the participants may be offered. For example, at block 412, a list of available media may be forwarded to participants. In response, the DJ may receive a list of suggestions or requests. The requests may be stored in the order received and presented to the DJ for consideration.
In another embodiment, recently streamed media may be rated by participants, as indicated at block 416. When compiled, the ratings may be distributed to participants at block 418.
At block 512, the participant may receive a list of possible songs for playing, in one embodiment, it may be a list of media on the DJ session source device. In another embodiment, the list of available media may include media from all participating devices. At block 514, the participant may identify and forward a media element as a suggestion or request. At block 516, the participant may send a rating for any media content previously received during the DJ session.
Much of the inventive functionality and many of the inventive principles are best implemented with or in software programs or instructions and integrated circuits (ICs) such as application specific ICs. It is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation. Therefore, in the interest of brevity and minimization of any risk of obscuring the principles and concepts in accordance to the present invention, further discussion of such software and ICs, if any, will be limited to the essentials with respect to the principles and concepts of the preferred embodiments.
The ability to share media between connected devices and to further build community by sharing lists, requests, and ratings gives the users of a media device not only the ability to play music, media, or games but to interact as not previously possible. The use of internal mechanisms, such as the creation of encounter objects allows users to recall such community-building events after the event has passed.
Although the forgoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the scope of the patent is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment because describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
Thus, many modifications and variations may be made in the techniques and structures described and illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that the methods and apparatus described herein are illustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the claims.
