Presentation of media content

Abstract

A media services interface for use in a readable medium playback device enables synchronization of disparate media playback, network directed playback of media, media playback control via displayed html/javascript file, logging of consumer identifier, media identifier, and playback device identifier in a cookie or log file. The media services comprises a command handler, a properties handler, an event generator, a cookie manager, a navigator state module, an identifier engine, an initialization module, and a bookmark manager. The command handler executes commands received from a connected network, a displayed html/javascript file, etc. The properties handler provides information relating to system states in response to queries including the status of any network connections. The event generator generates events in response to predetermined system occurrences. The cookie manager records information for later reading including the tracking of consumer identifier, playback device identifier, and read medium identifier triples. The navigator state module maintains information regarding the state of the playback device and the interaction with the readable medium. The identifier engine carries out determination of the identity of the readable medium. The initialization module controls system initialization. The bookmark manager generates bookmarks which preserve positions in the playback of the readable medium for later recall. Network sources can provide media content and issue commands which synchronize the playback of both network and readable medium originated content over multiple playback devices through the use of the synchronization abilities of the media services.

1 . An apparatus for reproducing AV data using a markup document in an interactive mode, comprising: a buffer which buffers the markup document; and a buffer manager which manages the buffer to preload the markup document and outputs buffering state information of the buffer in response to a report signal.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a content decoder which interprets the markup document and outputs the report signal, wherein the buffer manager informs the content decoder of the buffering state information of the buffer in response to the report signal.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using an application program interface (API).  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the API serves to notify the content decoder of whether preloading of the markup document succeeded or failed, or whether the markup document is still being loaded.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the API returns a value of 0 where the preloading of the markup document succeeded, returns a value of 1 where the preloading of the markup document failed, and returns a value of 2 where the markup document is still being loaded.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using an API, which includes at least one of a file path and an attribute of the markup document as a parameter.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using an [obj].is Cached (URL, resType) API, where the URL is a parameter indicating a file path of the markup document and the resType is a parameter indicating an attribute of the markup document.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the buffer manager informs the content decoder of a buffering state of the markup document utilizing an API.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a content decoder which interprets the markup document, wherein the buffer manager transfers the markup document from the buffer to the content decoder in response to a reproduce signal.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a content decoder which interprets the markup document, wherein the content decoder outputs a release signal to the buffer manager indicating that the markup document therein brought from the buffer, in response to a reproduce signal, is not in use.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the content decoder outputs the release signal to the buffer manager in response to the markup document no longer being displayed in a screen of a display device.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a content decoder which interprets the markup document, wherein the buffer manager deletes the markup document from the buffer in response to a discard signal output from the content decoder.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the content decoder generates the discard signal using a discard API.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using a progressNameOfFile API to determine a file name of the markup document currently being preloaded.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using a progressLengthOfFile API to determine how much of the markup document currently being preloaded has been preloaded.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using a remainLengthOfFile API to determine out how much of the markup document currently being preloaded is yet to be preloaded.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using a totalLoadingSize API to determine a total load of the markup document to be preloaded.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the content decoder generates the report signal using a remainLoadingSize API to determine how much of a total load of the markup document is yet to be preloaded.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus for controlling a buffer which buffers a markup document to reproduce AV data in an interactive mode, comprising a buffer manager which manages the buffer to preload the markup document and outputs information of the buffer including buffering information of the markup document, wherein the buffering information includes: information indicating that preloading of the markup document succeeded; information indicating that the preloading of the markup document failed; and information indicating that the preloading of the markup document is still be conducted.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the buffer manager outputs the information of the buffer using an application program interface.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the information of the buffer further includes information indicating whether a command to preload the markup document has been successfully received.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the information of the buffer further includes information indicating whether preloading of the markup document is completed.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing AV data using a markup document in an interactive mode, comprising: an AV buffer which buffers the AV data; an AV reproduction engine which decodes the AV data; an enhanced audio video (ENAV) buffer which preloads the markup document to reproduce the AV data in the interactive mode; an ENAV engine which identifies buffering state information of the markup document and decodes the markup document; and means for obtaining the markup document.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus uses a blocked I/O method in response to obtaining the markup document from a data storage medium and an unblocked I/O method in response to obtaining the markup document from a network.  
   
   
       25 . An apparatus for reproducing AV data using a markup document in an interactive mode, comprising: a buffer which buffers the markup document; a content decoder which interprets the markup document; and a buffer manager which manages the buffer to preload the markup document and informs the content decoder of whether preloading of the markup document is completed.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the buffer manager informs the content decoder of whether the preloading of the markup document is completed utilizing an application program interface (API).  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the buffer manager preloads the markup document into the buffer in response to a fetch signal.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising a content decoder which interprets the markup document and outputs the fetch signal, wherein the buffer manager informs the content decoder of whether a command to preload the markup document, included in the fetch signal, has been successfully received.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the content decoder generates the fetch signal using an API.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the buffer manager informs the content decoder of whether the command has been successfully received using the API.  
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 25  further comprising a content decoder which interprets the markup document, wherein the content decoder checks whether preloading of the markup document is completed using an API.  
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the API is an [obj].allDone API.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the [obj].allDone API returns a value of true to the content decoder where the preloading of the markup document is completed and returns a value of false to the content decoder where the preloading of the markup document is not completed.