Technique of generating a composite media stream

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing information. According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least two data segments are collected. Each data segment is collected from a media stream, and each media stream is located at a different media source. Then, a composite media stream is generated by joining together each of the collected data segments. In another embodiment, the data segment is an audio data segment. The above-described invention has utility for allowing a user/listener to search for an Internet radio station by listening to a composite media stream.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method of providing information, comprising: 
 collecting at least two data segments, wherein each data segment is collected from a media stream, and wherein each media stream emanates from a different media source; and    generating a composite media stream by joining together each of the collected data segments.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the generated composite media stream to a user.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 receiving a request for one of the media streams from the user, wherein the media stream is associated with one of the data segments; and    connecting the user to the media source that transmits the requested media stream.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each data segment is an audio data segment.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each data segment is comprised of both data and identification information.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the identification information comprises multimedia information.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each data segment has a fixed time duration.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein collecting the data segment further comprises collecting the data segment from a user-defined category of media streams.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream is a live media stream.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream is an archived media stream.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein collecting the data segments comprises: 
 for each media source, 
 fetching identification information about the media stream from a database;  
 using the fetched identification information to locate the media stream;  
 collecting the data segment from the located media stream;  
 affixing the identification information to the collected data segment; and  
 digitizing the data segment and the identification information.  
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein generating the composite media stream further comprises: 
 maintaining each digitized data segment and identification information for a fixed time duration before switching to another data segment.    
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for providing information, comprising: 
 a computer; and    said computer having a controller that (a) collects at least two data segments, wherein each data segment is collected from a media stream, and wherein each media stream emanates from a different media source, and (b) generates a composite media stream by joining together each of the collected data segments.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the controller transmits the generated composite media stream to a user.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the controller receives a request for one of the media streams from the user, wherein the media stream is associated with one of the data segments, and the controller connects the user to the media source that transmits the requested media stream.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each data segment is an audio data segment.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each data segment is comprised of both data and identification information.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the identification information comprises multimedia information.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each data segment has a fixed time duration.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein collecting the data segment further comprises collecting the data segment from a user-defined category of media streams.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the media stream is a live media stream.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the media stream is an archived media stream.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 for each media source,    said controller collects the data segments by fetching identification information about the media stream from a database, uses the fetched identification information to locate the media stream, collects the data segment from the located media stream, and affixes the identification information to the collected data segment; and    said controller is connected to an encoder which digitizes the collected data segment and the identification information.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the controller generates the composite media stream by maintaining each digitized data segment and identification information for a fixed time duration before switching to another data segment.  
     
     
         25 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps of providing information, comprising: 
 collecting at least two data segments, wherein each data segment is collected from a media stream, and wherein each wherein each media stream emanates from a different media source; and    generating a composite media stream by joining together each of the collected data segments.    
     
     
         26 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , further comprising transmitting the generated composite media stream to a user.  
     
     
         27 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 receiving a request for one of the media streams from the user, wherein the media stream is associated with one of the data segments; and    connecting the user to the media source that transmits the requested media stream.    
     
     
         28 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein each data segment is an audio data segments.  
     
     
         29 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein each data segment is comprised of both data and identification information.  
     
     
         30 . The article of manufacture of  claim 29 , wherein the identification information comprises multimedia information.  
     
     
         31 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein each of the data segments have a fixed time duration.  
     
     
         32 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein collecting the data segment further comprises collecting the data segment from a user-defined category of media streams.  
     
     
         33 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein the media stream is a live media stream.  
     
     
         34 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein the media stream is an archived media stream.  
     
     
         35 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein collecting the data segments comprises: 
 for each media source, 
 fetching identification information about the media stream from a database;  
 using the fetched identification information to locate the media stream;  
 collecting the data segment from the located media stream; affixing the identification information to the collected data segment; and  
 digitizing the data segment and the identification information.  
   
     
     
         36 . The article of manufacture of  claim 35 , wherein generating the composite media stream further comprises: 
 maintaining each digitized data segment and identification information for a fixed time duration before switching to another data segment.