1246results 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.

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.

Systems and methods according to the present invention provide graphical user interfaces coupled with an optionally free-space control device for collection of the basic control primitives of point, click, scroll, hover and zoom which permit for easy and rapid selection of media items, e.g., movies, songs etc., from large or small collections. The remote control maps natural hand movements and gestures into relevant commands while the graphical display uses images, zooming for increased/decreased levels of detail and continuity of GUI objects to provide easy navigation among the media items by a user.

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.

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 computer operating system and media player are provided in which an integrated desktop environment is provided wherein a separate window is not necessary to operate the media player or perform other functionalities. In one embodiment, the media player controls are situated in a particular location on the desktop while the remainder of the desktop is available for internet, media player, e-commerce or other functionalities without opening separate windows. A cache memory management system also is provided in which free memory regions are used for the storage of data available for purchase or usage.

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.

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.

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.