WO2014192004A1

WO2014192004A1 - A method and a system of playing picture and video in one playing format {ri an interactive media player

Info

Publication number: WO2014192004A1
Application number: PCT/IN2013/000343
Authority: WO
Inventors: Balagopalan Parvati
Original assignee: Balagopalan Parvati
Priority date: 2013-05-30
Filing date: 2013-05-30
Publication date: 2014-12-04

Abstract

The present invention relates to Multimedia and more particularly relates to a method and system for simultaneously viewing the picture and video pertaining to a particular event online. The present invention allows viewing an album created in which the pictures and videos are synced such that, when viewed it has the picture on one half and the video on the other. The video is an audio Visual clip that plays simultaneously with the picture, so that the viewing experience is unique and unprecedented.

Description

2013/000343

FORM 2

THE PATENT ACT 1970

(39 of 1970)

&

The Patents Rules, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(See section 10 and rule 13)

1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION : "A method and a system of playing picture and video in one playing format ^ an interactive media player"

2. APPLICANT

(a) NAME : Parvati Balagopalan

(b) NATIONALITY: Indian

(c) ADDRESS: 31/41 Harmony Condominium,

Aksa Village, Next to Resort Hotel,

Madh Island, Malad West,

Mumbai - 400 095,

Maharashtra, India

3. PREAMBLE: The following specification describes the invention.

i Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to interactive media player and more particularly relates to a method and system for simultaneously viewing the picture and video pertaining to a particular event.

Background of the Invention

Individuals in modern society often partake in momentous events for special occasion. Often these individuals wish to capture the events of these occasions on some form of media that may be viewed at a future time. One form of traditional media is picture or photograph. rganizing photos in albums is a customary practice, particularly after weddings and other special events have occurred. A photographic album or photo album is a collection of photographs, generally kept in a book. Some albums have compartments which the photos may be slipped into; other albums have heavy paper with an abrasive surface covered with clear plastic sheets, in which photos can be put.

Older style albums often were simply books of heavy paper which photos could be glued to or attached to with adhesive corners, or pages. Keeping photographs in albums may help to ensure that the pictures are somewhat protected from damage, and may keep all photos related to specific events in one centralized and accessible location. However, there may be no way to store video recordings of these corresponding events in a similar fashion. Consumers may wish to keep all photographs and videos relating to specific events in one place so that the videos and pictures may be viewed at one time. It is quite common for users to have both video and photo material that refer to the same event. Nowadays, more and more people capture audiovisual memories of their experiences, by means of digital devices with video and photo capturing. Technologies for audiovisual memories recording are more and more widespread and efficient. It is indeed common, nowadays, to find photo cameras with the ability to record short video sequences, or mobile phones with an embedded high-resolution photo and video cameras. Since the availability of these digital devices is so pervasive, as a matter of fact most users are accustomed to record both photo and video memories of the same events, or to receive them from one or more other persons who were also present at the event. Therefore it is quite common for a user to have video and photo material that refers to the same occasion, place and time. Further, many consumers send gifts for birthdays, graduations, and other occasions to loved ones. These gifts are often embellished with attractive wrapping and cards displaying thoughtful messages. However, these items may not be personal enough to truly show the sender's affections. Additionally, recipients may wish to see and hear their loved ones, which cannot be accomplished with conventional gifts and cards. A need exists for a simplified system whereby still and non-still photographs may be organized and readily viewable by individuals.

There are many sites that let people to upload and store / share video and pictures separately. Although the internet makes sharing of photo albums more accessible, this human element is restricted to text tagging only. As technology changes, camera have become digital, even mobile phones are equipped with cameras now, so there is an increased number of photographs and videos that are taken. There are many sites where people can upload, share and^" .play video or photographs separately eg. the Youtube player for video and photo storing and sharing sites like Flickr and Picasa. But no site has a player that combines both these elements in one screen. So there is a need to make this sharing of photos more personalized and intimate like no text captioning and tagging can do.

Summary of the Invention

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention is a method of playing picture and video in one playing format in an interactive media player, the method comprising: receiving a request from, a user for uploading at least one picture, receiving a request from the user -for recording a video on the interactive media player, wherein the recorded video pertaining to the uploaded picture and presenting the picture and video simultaneously to the user in the same platform on the interactive media player so that one can preserve the pictures and the memory pertaining to that particular pictures.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is an interactive media player designed to ombine the elements of picture and video in one playing format, the player comprising: a pciture folder for uploading at least one picture and a video box for uploading or recording the video corresponding to the uploaded picture, wherein the player combines and synchronizes the picture and the video to have a new experience in sharing and preserving memories.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention is a system of providing an interactive media player for playing picture and video in one playing format on a network, the system comprising: a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions operable to: receiving a request from a user for uploading at least one picture, receiving a request from the user for recording a video on the interactive media player, wherein the recorded video pertaining to the uploaded picture, presenting the picture and video simultaneously to the user in the same platform on the interactive media player so that one can preserve not just pictures but even the memory pertaining to that particular pictures and allowing the user to interact on the interactive media^player with other users.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

Before undertaking the detailed description of the invention below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and "comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term "or," is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases "associated with" and "associated therewith," as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term "controller" means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined- words and phrases:. Brief description of the drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers designate like objects, and in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an interactive media player in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a screen shot of the interface of an exemplary Internet browser of an embedded universal media player in accordance with this invention - - Figure 3 shows a flowchart of a method of playing picture and video in - one playing format in an interactive media player in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and may have not been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figure may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures. Detail description of the Invention

In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as particular architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. That is, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. AW -^■■ statements- herei reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure. Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that block diagrams herein can represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitry embodying the principles of the technology. Similarly, it will be, appreciated that any flow charts, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and- the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown. The functions of the various elements including functional blocks labeled or described as "computer", "processor" or "controller" may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing 5 software in the form of coded instructions stored. on computer readable medium.

A computer is generally understood to comprise one or more processors, and the terms computer and processor may be employed interchangeably herein. When provided by a computer or processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated computer or processor, by a single shared computer or0 processor, or, fc>y a plurality of individual computers or processors, some of which may be shared or distributed. Such functions are to be understood as being , computer-implemented and. thus machine-implemented. Moreover, use of the : ~ term "processor" or "controlleF^-shall also-be^ construed to-refer-to-other hardware capable of performing such functions and/or executing software, and may5 include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, reduced instruction set processor, hardware (e.g., digital or analog) circuitry, and (where appropriate) state machines capable of performing such functions.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a media player 102, in accordance with one0 embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the media player 102 includes a processor 106 (e.g., CPU or microprocessor) configured to execute instructions and to carry out operations associated with the media player. For example, using instructions retrieved for example from memory, the processor 106 may control the reception fen and manipulation of input and output data between5 components of the media player. In most cases, the processor executes instruction under the control of an operating system or other software. The processor can be a single-chip processor or can be implemented with multiple components. The processor operatively coupled to a Battery 1 14.

In most cases, the processor together with an operating system operates to execute computer code and produce and use data. The computer code and data may reside within a program storage block that is operatively coupled to the processor. Program storage block generally provides a place to hold data that is being used by the system. By way of example, the program storage block may include Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random-Access Memory (RAM), hard disk drive, flash memory and/or the like. As is generally well known, RAM is used by the processor as a general storage area and as scratch-pad memory, and can also be used to store input data and processed data. ROM can be used to store instructions or program code followed by the processor as well as other data. Hard disk drives can be used to store various types of data and can permit fast access to large amounts of stored data. The computer code and data could also reside on a removable program medium and loaded or installed onto the computer system when needed.

In one embodiment, program storage block 108 is configured to store a picture, an video program, an audio program etc. The video program may include video lists associated with the recorded videos stored in the storage block. The videos may be accessed through a user interface operatively coupled o the processor. The user interface 1 10 may include a display for visually displaying the video lists (as part of a GUI interface) and a touch pad or buttons for selecting a video to be played or reviewing and/or customizing the video lists, i.e. , the user may quickly and conveniently review the lists and make changes or selections thereto. The user interface allows the user of the media players to initiate actions on the media players and provides the user with output associated with using the media players (e.g., audio, video, images, etc.). The user interface may be widely varied. By way of example, the user interface may include switches, buttons, keys, dials, trackballs, joysticks, touch pads, touch screens, displays, microphones, speakers, cameras, and the like.

The media player also includes an input/output (I/O) controller 1 12 that is operatively coupled to the processor 06. The (I/O) controller may be integrated with the processor or it may be a separate component as shown. The I/O controller is generally configured to control interactions with one or more media devices that can be coupled to the media player. The I/O controller generally operates by exchanging data (and/or power) between the media player and the other external devices 1 14 that desire to communicate with the media player using a connector 1 16. In some cases, the external devices may be connected to the I/O controller through wired connections and in other cases the external devices may be connected to the I/O controller through wireless connections. In the illustrated embodiment, the external device is capable of being connected to the I/O controller through a wired connection.

FIG. 2 is a screen shot of the interface 200 of an exemplary Internet browser of an embedded universal media player in accordance with this invention. The embedded universal media player interface is located in the frame area of the Internet browser interface. The frame of an Internet browser interface is the portion of the interface that is persistent, i.e., normally shown. Other areas normally change as the Internet browser browses Internet sites. Preferably, the embedded universal media player interface provides a user with a single interface having common control buttons such as play, stop, volume, next, and previous. The embedding of a universal media player in a Web browser allows a user to navigate between different sources of media without requiring the download of separate media players for each of the media sources having a different media format. The user interface provides a unique format which combines and synchronizes the elements of picture and video in one playing format, so that people can view them together on one screen. The user interface provides the picture and video together to create a fiew experience in sharing and preserving memories

Figure 3 shows a flowchart of a method 300 of playing picture and video in one playing format in_„an jnteractiye media . player, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. At step 310, the method receives a request from a user for uploading at least one picture.

At step 320, the method receives a request from the user for recording a video on the interactive media player, wherein the recorded video pertaining to the uploaded picture. This video can be uploaded or recorded directly into the video box from the player itself using device (computer/mobile phone) camera.

The method enables user to upload their pictures and record video pertaining to the pictures, so that user can preserve not only just pictures but even the memory pertaining to those particular pictures. At step 330, the method presents the picture and video simultaneously to the user in the same platform on the interactive media player so that one can preserve the pictures and the memory pertaining to that particular picture. The method combines and synchronizes the elements of picture and video in one playing format, so that people can view them together on one screen. The method plays out the picture and video together to create a new experience in sharing and preserving memories. Further, the method allows viewing an album created in which the pictures and videos are synced such that, when viewed it has the picture on one^half and the video on the other. The video may be an audio visual clip that plays simultaneously with the picture, so that the viewing experience is unique and unprecedented. The method able to recount experiences with picture and video which a user want to share or just store to view many years later even when a user have forgotten some of those wonderful details.

In an example embodiment, a person creates an album of his son's birthday party who is turning one and then he uploads it online on the site to preserve memories related to that function. The uploaded album can be viewed by his son even when he is sixty with video comments with his late great grandmother wish for him.

In this fast faced world the method creates a channel of communication between generations and intra-generation which dissolves distances and retains the human touch in our sharing of pictures which are just objects without the memory that is has captured. For example suppose a person having a picture (in black and white) of his parents wedding. When they got married their marriage pandap~(¾anopy) caught on fire and there is a picture of them standing together and looking up scared- father's arms around his mother. When his mother showed that picture to him she told it was the first time that they touched, since it was an arranged marriage they hardly had even met. For him that story made the picture special and without having the video related to that picture is interesting but not special. Anthropologically, sociologically pictures helps to understand and with the present invention helps to understand it better and preserve it forever.

FIGS. 1 -3 are merely representational and are not drawn to scale. Certain portions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. FIGS. 1 -3 illustrate various embodiments of the invention that- can be understood and appropriately carried out by those of ordinary skill in the art.

While various embodiments have been illustrated and described, as noted above, changes can be made without departing from the disclosure. The accompanying drawings that form a part hereof show by way of illustration, and not of limitation, various embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments jnay be utilized and derived therefrom.

This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and deschbed herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the various embodiments shown. Furthermore, although the various embodiments have described redundant signal transmission systems, it is understood that the various embodiments may be employed in a variety of known electronic systems and devices without modification. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the above description.

Claims

I Claim:

1. A method of playing picture and video in one playing format in an interactive media player, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user for uploading at least one picture;

receiving a request from the user for recording a video on the interactive media player, wherein the recorded video pertaining to the uploaded picture; and presenting the picture and video simultaneously to the user in the same platform on the interactive media player so that one can preserv¾ the pictures and the memory pertaining to that particular pictures.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recorded video is an audio visual clip that plays simultaneously with the picture so that the viewing experience is unique and unprecedented.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

allowing the user to interact on the interactive media player with other users.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recorded videos are synced with the corresponding pictures where the picture on one half and the video on the other, and wherein the pictures and the corresponding recorded videos are of a wedding event, birthday event, graduation event, family event, and/or a greeting.

5. An interactive media player designed to combine the elements of picture and video in one playing format, the player comprising:

a picture folder for uploading at least one picture; and

a video box for uploading or recording the video corresponding to the uploaded picture,

wherein the player combines and synchronizes the picture and the video to have a new experience in sharing and preserving memories.

6. A system of providing an interactive media player for playing picture and video in one playing format on a network, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions operable to:

receiving a request from a user for uploading at least one picture; receiving a request from the user for recording a video on the interactive media playe r, wherein the recorded video pertaining to the uploaded picture;

presenting the picture and video simultaneously to the user same platform on the interactive media player so that one can preserve not just pictures but even the memory pertaining to that particular pictures; and

allowing the user to interact on the interactive media player with other users.