US 6,643,621 B1 · Methods and apparatus for referencing and processing audio information

Abstract

Mechanisms and techniques are provided which allow a server computer system, such as a web server, to generate information, such as a web page, which includes an audio resource locator (ARL) configured in accordance with the invention. The ARL includes a reference to audio data, an audio command,and an audio server reference that identifies an audio server computer system that can process the reference to audio data within the ARL according to the audio command within the ARL to producing output, which may be audio or another type of output. The server computer system can serve the information including the ARL to an originator of a request for such information, such as a browser on a client computer system. A client computer system configured with a browser can obtain the information containing the ARL and can reference the ARL which causes the client computer system to send a request to process audio data to the audio server specified in the ARL. The request includes the audio command and optionally an audio output format and the references to audio data in the ARL. An audio server computer system can receive and process such requests by obtaining the audio data identified by the reference(s) to audio data in the request and by obtaining the audio command specified in the request. The audio server computer system then produces output, conforming to the audio output format specified in the request, by processing the referenced audio data in accordance with the specified audio command, thereby offloading audio processing from the browser and the client computer system onto the audio server computer system. Once processed, the audio server computer system can return the output to the client computer system in a format compatible with the client computer system. The ARL of the invention can include complex audio processing command such as merge, compare, convert, mix, sample, concatenate, resample, offset and the like which the audio server computer system is capable of processing when a client references an ARL.

Claims51

Dependent claims

A method for serving information, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for information;
generating the information, wherein the information includes an audio resource locator that includes:
i) a reference to audio data;
ii) an audio command;
and
iii) an audio server reference that identifies an audio server that can process the reference to audio data within the audio resource locator according to the audio command within the audio resource locator to produce an output;
and
serving the information including the audio resource locator to the originator of the request for the information.

5 more elements

A server computer system comprising:

a processor;
a memory;
an input output mechanism;
and
an interconnection mechanism coupling the processor, the memory and the input output mechanism;
wherein the memory is encoded with logic instructions that, when performed on the processor, cause the server computer system to serve information by performing the operations of:
receiving a request for the information from the input output mechanism;
generating the information, wherein the information includes an audio resource locator that includes:
i) a reference to audio data;
ii) an audio command;
and
iii) an audio server reference that identifies an audio server that can process the reference to audio data within the audio resource locator according to the audio command within the audio resource locator to produce an output;
and
serving the information including the audio resource locator to the originator of the request for the information, via the input output mechanism.

11 more elements

A client computer system comprising:

a processor;
a memory;
an input output mechanism;
and
an interconnection mechanism coupling the processor, the memory and the input output mechanism;
wherein the memory is encoded with logic instructions that, when performed on the processor, cause the client computer system to obtain audio server output by performing the operations of:
receiving, via the input output mechanism, an audio resource locator that specifies:
i) a reference to audio data;
ii) an audio command;
and
iii) an audio server reference that identifies an audio server that can process the reference to audio data within the audio resource locator according to the audio command within the audio resource locator to produce an output;
invoking a reference to the audio resource locator to have the audio server produce the output by processing the reference to audio data according to the audio command specified in the audio resource locator;
and
receiving, from the audio server, the output produced in response to invoking the reference to the audio resource locator.

11 more elements

An audio server computer system comprising:

a processor;
a memory;
an input output mechanism;
and
an interconnection mechanism coupling the processor, the memory and the input output mechanism;
wherein the memory is encoded with logic instructions that, when performed on the processor, cause the audio server computer system to produce output by performing the operations of:
receiving, via the input output mechanism, a request to process audio data, the request including:
i) a reference to audio data;
ii) an audio command;p and
iii) an audio server reference that identifies the audio server;
processing the reference to audio data within the request according to the audio command within the request to produce an output;
and
serving the output to an originator of the request via the input output mechanism.

10 more elements

A computer program product having a computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon for serving information, such that the computer program logic, when performed on at least one processor within a computer system, causes the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a request for information;
generating the information, wherein the information includes an audio resource locator that includes:
i) a reference to audio data;
ii) an audio command;
and
iii) an audio server reference that identifies an audio server that can process the reference to audio data within the audio resource locator according to the audio command within the audio resource locator to produce an output;
and
serving the information including the audio resource locator to the originator of the request for the information.

5 more elements

computer program product having a computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon for obtaining audio server output, such that the computer program logic, when performed on at least one processor within a client computer system, causes the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

receiving an audio resource locator that specifies:
i) a reference to audio data;
ii) an audio command;
and
iii) an audio server reference that identifies an audio server that can process the reference to audio data within the audio resource locator according to the audio command within the audio resource locator to produce an output;
invoking a reference to the audio resource locator to have the audio server produce the output by processing the reference to audio data according to the audio command specified in the audio resource locator;
and
receiving, from the audio server, the output produced in response to invoking the reference to the audio resource locator.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatus for referencing and processing audio information

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatus for referencing and processing audio information

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims51