Rule constraining stream assembly at client-side media player
AssigneeiHeart Media Management Services, Inc.
InventorRichard D. Wooden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A streaming server receives a request to provide a requested media stream to a client-side media player. The client-side media player is capable of assembling portions of different media streams into a single playout stream and outputting the single playout stream to a user interface. In response to receiving the request, the streaming server transmits the requested media stream to the client-side media player. The streaming server also transmits a stream provider rule, which constrains assembly of the single playout stream by the client-side media player.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a client-side media player, user preferences and stream provider rules, wherein the stream provider rules:
- are unrelated to the user preferences, and
- establish rules for stream play and options for intermixing streams;
- receiving, at the client-side media player, a plurality of different media streams, wherein each of the plurality of different media streams includes a separately customized sequence of media items;
- at the client-side media player, sequencing the plurality of different media streams into a single playout stream based on the user preferences and the stream provider rules;
- and
- outputting the single playout stream to a user interface.
A client-side device comprising:
- one or more processors;
- a network device coupled to said one or more processors for communication with a network;
- a memory device coupled to said one or more processors;
- program instructions residing in the memory device, the program instructions configured to implement a method including:
- receiving, at a client-side media player, user preferences and stream provider rules, wherein the stream provider rules:
- are unrelated to the user preferences, and
- establish rules for stream play and options for intermixing streams;
- receiving, at the client-side media player, a plurality of different media streams, wherein at least one of the plurality of different media streams includes a separately customized sequence of media items;
- at the client-side media player, sequencing the plurality of different media streams into a single playout stream based on the user preferences and the stream provider rules;
- and
- outputting the single playout stream to a user interface.
A digital program product comprising:
- a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium;
- and
- program instructions residing in said non-transitory machine-readable storage medium configured to:
- receive, at a client-side media player, user preferences and stream provider rules, wherein the stream provider rules:
- are unrelated to the user preferences, and
- establish rules for stream play and options for intermixing streams;
- receive, at the client-side media player, a plurality of different media streams, wherein at least one of the plurality of different media streams includes a separately customized sequence of media items;
- at the client-side media player, sequence the plurality of different media streams into a single playout stream based on the user preferences and the stream provider rules;
- and
- output the single playout stream to a user interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.