Method and apparatus for providing bookmarks when listening to previously recorded audio programs
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorBruce Lowell Hanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An audio service monitors the progress of a user as he or she proceeds through the service. The location in the service at the time of termination is detected and correlated with user and service identification information. As a result, a bookmark is created which enables the user to later resume the service at the point of prior termination.
Claims30
A method of facilitating a user's review of previously recorded audio program material over at least two review sessions, the audio program material having been communicated to the user over a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring a user's progress in the user's review of audio program material during a first review session;
- and
- when the user terminates the first review session, storing in a memory associated with the audio program material an indication of the user's progress in reviewing the audio program material during said first review session, wherein said stored indication can be utilized in a second review session subsequent to the termination of said first review session.
A method of facilitating a user's review of previously recorded audio program material over at least two review sessions, the audio program material having been communicated to the user over a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring a user's progress in the user's review of audio program material, said monitoring performed during a first audio program review session;
- when the user terminates the first audio program review session, storing in a memory associated with the audio program material an indication of the user's progress in reviewing the audio program material during said first audio program review session;
- in a second audio program review session subsequent to the termination of said first audio program review session, playing said audio program material to said user beginning from a position within said material based on said stored indication.
A method of creating a bookmark for use with an audio service that provides previously recorded sequential audio information comprising the steps of:
- associating a user code with a user of the audio service;
- monitoring a present location of the user in a sequence of audio information in an access to the audio service;
- detecting a termination of the access to the audio service;
- creating a termination code defining the present location of the user in said sequence at the time the termination is detected;
- correlating the user code and the terminatng code;
- and
- storing the result of said correlating step in a memory associated with the audio service for later use.
A method of providing audio services using a bookmark comprising the steps of:
- generating a menu of a plurality of audio services;
- detecting a selection of one of said plurality of audio services;
- transmitting previously recorded audio information from the selected audio service;
- monitoring a user's position in the selected audio service as the corresponding audio information is transmitted;
- detecting a termination of the selected audio service that occurs prior to completion of said service;
- creating and storing in a memory associated with at least one of said plurality of audio services a bookmark that identifies a user, the selected service and the user's position in the selected service at the time of termination;
- subsequently accessing said bookmark;
- and
- returning the user to the location of the selected service based on said bookmark.
An audio information service platform for providing previously recorded audio information over at least two review sessions comprising:
- an audio content database;
- a personal profile database;
- a program playback module coupled to said audio content database;
- a playback position monitor coupled to said program playback module;
- and
- a service controller utilizing a user identifier, and storing an audio content identifier and a playback position identifier with said user identifier in said personal profile database in response to termination of a first review session, wherein said playback position identifier indicates a user's progress in reviewing audio information during said first review session and can be utilized in a second review session subsequent to the termination of said first review session.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.