Apparatus for distributing media files containing audio recordings and for distributing utility programs to implement media file players on remotely located client devices

Abstract

An audio program and message distribution system in which a host system organizes and transmits program segments to client subscriber locations. The host organizes the program segments by subject matter and creates scheduled programming in accordance with preferences associated with each subscriber. Program segments are associated with descriptive subject matter segments, and the subject matter segments may be used to generate both text and audio cataloging presentations to enable the user to more easily identify and select desirable programming. A playback unit at the subscriber location reproduces the program segments received from the host and includes mechanisms for interactively navigating among the program segments. A usage log is compiled to record the subscriber's use of the provided program materials, to return data to the host for billing, to adaptively modify the subscriber's preferences based on actual usage, and to send subscriber-generated comments and requests to the host for processing. Voice input and control mechanisms included in the player allow the user to perform hands-free navigation of the program materials and to dictate comments and messages which are returned to the host for retransmission to other subscribers. The program segments sent to each subscriber may include advertising materials which the user can selectively play to obtain credits against the subscriber fee. Parallel audio and text transcript files for at least selected programming enable subject matter searching and synchronization of the audio and text files. Speech synthesis may be used to convert transcript files into audio format. Image files may also be transmitted from the server for synchronized playback with the audio programming.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet, as said episodes become available, to each of a plurality of remotely located programmable client devices, said apparatus comprising:
 one or more data storage servers for storing:
 a. one or more media files representing each episode of said series of episodes as said one or more media files become available, each of said one or more media files including a compressed audio recording and each being stored at a storage location specified by a unique episode URL; 
 b. one or more utility programs that are executable by each of said remotely located programmable client devices; 
   one or more communication interfaces connected to the Internet for receiving requests received from said remotely located programmable client devices executing said one or more utility programs, and for responding to each given one of said requests by returning a data file identified by a URL specified by said given one of said requests to the requesting client device,   one or more processors coupled to said one or more data storage servers and to said one or more communications interfaces for:
 from time to time, as new episodes represented in said series of episodes become available, storing an updated version of a compilation file in said one or more data storage servers at a storage location identified by a predetermined URL, said updated version of said compilation file containing attribute data describing currently available episodes in said series of episodes, said attribute data for each given one of said currently available episodes including displayable text describing said given one of said currently available episodes and one or more episode URLs specifying the storage locations of one or more corresponding media files representing said given one of said currently available episodes; and 
 employing said one or more communication interfaces to: 
 (a) download said one or more utility programs for storage by and execution by each of said remotely located client devices, 
 (b) receive a request from a requesting programmable client device executing said one or more utility programs for the updated version of said compilation file located at said predetermined URL, 
 (c) download said updated version of said compilation file to said requesting programmable client device; and 
 (d) thereafter receive and respond to a request from said requesting programmable client device executing said one or more utility programs for one or more media files identified by one or more corresponding episode URLs included in the attribute data contained in said updated version of said compilation file. 
   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet as said episodes become available as set forth in  claim 1   wherein said one or more utility programs that are executable by a given one of said remotely located programmable client devices accepts ratings of program episodes from a user and uploads said ratings via said communications interface to said one or more data storage servers, and   wherein said one or more processors process said ratings to produce a catalog of available episodes having higher ratings and download said catalog to said given one of said remotely located programmable client devices for display by said one or more utility programs executed said given one of said remotely located client devices.   
     
     
         3 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each of said remotely located programmable client devices includes a display, means for accepting commands from a user, and audio output unit for reproducing the compressed audio recording contained in each of said media files in a form perceptible to a user, wherein said one or more utility programs executed by each of said remotely located programmable client devices:
 (1) displays said displayable text describing each of said currently available episodes, 
 (2) in response to a selection command accepted from said user, transmits a request for one or more designated media files identified by one or more corresponding episode URLs representing a selected one of said episodes identified by said selection command, and 
 (3) receives said designated media files via said one or more communication interfaces from said one or more data storage servers and employs said audio output unit to reproduce the compressed audio recording contained in each of said designated media files. 
 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet as set forth in  claim 3   wherein said one or more utility programs that are executable by a given one of said remotely located programmable client devices accepts ratings of program episodes from a user and uploads said ratings via said communications interface to said one or more data storage servers, and   wherein said one or more processors process wherein said one or more processors process said ratings to produce a catalog of available episodes having higher ratings and download said catalog to said given one of said remotely located programmable client devices for display by said one or more utility programs executed said given one of said remotely located client devices.   said ratings of program episodes to produce a catalog of available episodes having higher ratings and download said catalog to said given one of said remotely located programmable client devices for display by said one or more utility programs.   
     
     
         5 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet, as said episodes become available, as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said one or more data storage servers further stores popularity data indicating the number of times said one or more media files representing each episode have been requested and wherein said one or more processors process said popularity data to produce a catalog listing of popular episodes that have been more frequently selected and download said catalog listing of popular episodes to said given one of said remotely located programmable client devices for display by said one or more utility programs executed said given one of said remotely located client devices. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet, as said episodes become available, set forth in  claim 1  wherein said
 said attribute data describing each of given one said episodes further includes a group identifier which designates the series of episodes to which said given one of said episodes belongs, and including displayable text describing each of said episodes and a media file URL identifying each of said media files, 
 said catalog listings compiled from said attribute data include listings identifying available episodes grouped by the series to which each episodes belongs. 
 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet, as said episodes become available, as set forth in  claim 6  wherein said attribute data further includes displayable text describing the said series of episodes to which said currently available episodes belong. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet, as said episodes become available, as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said one or more processors further receive a search request form a requesting remotely programmable client device, respond to said search request by transferring a catalog listing of selected episodes to said requesting remotely programmable client device. 
     
     
         9 . A programmable media player comprising, in combination:
 a display screen for displaying data to the user of said media player,   a digital storage unit,   one or more processors,   an audio output unit including at least one speaker or headset for reproducing compressed audio recordings in audible form perceptible to said user,   one or more communications ports coupled to said one or more processors for downloading data files from one or more remote file servers, said data files including:
 (1) one or more media files each containing a compressed audio recording, 
 (2) a compilation file identifying a collection of one or more of said media files, 
 (3) attribute data describing each given media file in said collection including:
 a. displayable text describing said given media file in said collection, and 
 b. a media file URL identifying the location on one of said remote file servers from which said given media file may be retrieved via the Internet, and 
 
 (4) one or more downloadable utility programs that are executable by said one or more processors to perform player functions, including:
 (a) retrieving said compilation file from one of said remote file servers and storing said compilation file in said digital storage unit, 
 (b) displaying a text description of each of said media files in said collection on said display screen, 
 (c) accepting a selection of one of a designated one of said media files in said collection from said user, 
 (d) if the designated one of said media files is not already stored in said digital storage unit, employing one of said communications ports to transmit a file request containing the media file URL of said designated one of said media files to one of said remote file servers and receiving and storing said designated one of said media files when received in response to said file request, and 
 (e) employing said audio output unit to reproduced the compressed audio recording contained in said designated one of said media files. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . A programmable media player as set forth in  claim 9   wherein said collection of one or more media files represents a series of episodes,   wherein said attribute data describing each given media file in said collection further includes a group identifier designating the series of episodes to which the episode represented by said given media belongs, and   wherein said player functions performed by said one or more utility programs further include, from time to time as new episodes in said series of episodes become available in said one remote file servers, performing an update operation comprising the steps of:
 (a) employing one of said communications ports to transmit a request for an updated version of said compilation file a predetermined compilation file URL, 
 (b) receiving said updated version of said compilation file via one of said communications ports and storing said updated version of said compilation file in said digital storage unit, and 
 (c) employing one of said communications ports to transmit a request for one or more media files that are identified by said updated version of said compilation file and that are not already stored in said digital storage unit. 
   
     
     
         11 . A programmable media player as set forth in  claim 9   wherein said compilation file includes sequencing data specifying an ordered sequence of the media files in said collection, and   wherein said player functions performed by said one or more processors executing said one or more downloadable utility programs further include employing said audio output unit to continuously reproduce the compressed audio recording in each of a succession of said media files in said collection in said ordered sequence specified by said sequencing data in the absence of a program selection command from said listener, and for discontinuing the reproduction of the currently playing digital compressed audio program file and instead continuing the reproduction at the beginning of a listener-selected one of said separate media files in said collection in response to a program selection command accepted form said user.   
     
     
         12 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet to a programmable media player located at each of a plurality of client locations, each of said audio programmable media players comprising:
 (a) a client processor,   (b) a client data store, and   (c) a client display unit, and   (d) an audio output unit including at least one speaker or headset for reproducing digital audio recordings in audible form perceptible to said user,   said host server system comprising, in combination:   one or more data storage units for storing:
 (1) a plurality of media files each containing a digital audio recording representing episodes in a series of episodes 
 (2) attribute data describing each of said episodes including displayable text describing each of said episodes and a media file URL identifying each of said media files, 
 (3) one or more downloadable utility programs that are executable by said client processor in the programmable media player at each of said client locations for performing client functions requested by a user operating said programmable media player, said client functions including:
 a. downloading and displaying catalog listings from said host server system identifying episodes available from said host server system; 
 b. selecting a desired episode specified by said user from said catalog listings, 
 c. downloading one or more of media files representing said desired episode via the Internet from said host server system; and 
 d. reproducing media files representing said desired episode in a form perceptible to said user; and 
 
   one or more communication interfaces for receiving requests via the Internet from a requesting client location; and   one or more processors for performing server functions in response to one or more of said requests including:
 A. transferring one or more of said downloadable utility programs to said requesting client location for storage in the client data store in the programmable media player at said requesting client location for subsequent execution by the client processor in the programmable media player at said requesting client location to perform said client functions; 
 B. compiling said catalog listings from said attribute data in said data storage units and transferring said catalog listings to said requesting client location for display on the client display unit in the programmable media player at said requesting client location, and 
 C. transferring media files representing desired episodes selected by said user to said requesting client location for reproduction by said programmable media player at said requesting client location. 
   
     
     
         13 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 12   wherein said one or more utility programs that are executable by said client processor in the programmable media player at a given one of said client locations accept ratings of program episodes from a user and uploads said ratings via said communications interface to said one or more data storage servers, and   wherein said one or more processors process said ratings to produce a catalog of available episodes having higher ratings and download said catalog to said given one of said client locations given for display by said programmable media player at said given one of said client locations.   
     
     
         14 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said one or more downloaded utility programs that re executable by said client processor in the programmable media player ate each of said client location:
 (1) downloads and displays said displayable text describing one or more of said currently available episodes, 
 (2) in response to a selection command accepted from said user, transmits a request for one or more designated media files identified by one or more corresponding episode URLs, said designated media files representing a selected one of said episodes identified by said selection command, and 
 (3) receives said designated media files via said one or more communication interfaces from said one or more data storage servers and 
 (4) employs said audio output unit to reproduce the digital audio recording contained in each of said designated media files. 
 
     
     
         15 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 12   wherein said one or more utility programs that are executable by said client processor in the programmable media player at a given one of said client locations accept ratings of program episodes from a user and uploads said ratings via said communications interface to said one or more data storage servers, and   wherein said one or more processors process said ratings to produce a catalog of available episodes having higher ratings and download said catalog to said given one of said client locations given for display by said programmable media player at said given one of said client locations.   
     
     
         16 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said attribute data describing each of said episodes further includes popularity data indicating the number of times each of said episodes has been selected at said plurality of client locations and wherein one or more of said catalog listings identifies episodes selected based at least in part on said popularity data. 
     
     
         17 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 12   wherein said attribute data describing each of given one said episodes further includes a group identifier which designates the series of episodes to which said given one of said episodes belongs, and including displayable text describing each of said episodes and a media file URL identifying each of said media files, and   wherein said catalog listings compiled from said attribute data include listings identifying available episodes grouped by the series to which each episodes belongs.   
     
     
         18 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 17  wherein said attribute data further includes displayable text describing each series of episodes that is included in said listings identifying available episodes. 
     
     
         19 . A host server system for disseminating media files containing digital audio recordings via the Internet as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said client functions further include transmitting a search request to said host server system and wherein said server functions include responding to said search request by searching said attribute data stored in said one or more data storage units to locate and identify selected episodes that satisfy said search request and thereafter transferring a catalog listing of said selected digital episodes to the requesting audio player.