Managing playback of media content with location data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10089059-B1
Application number	US-201514673751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Various systems, processes, and techniques may be used to manage media content playback. In particular implementations, systems and processes may include the ability to generate audio output from media content at a user device and detect an indication to move from a current location in the audio output. The systems and processes may also include the ability to determine a number of location indicators for the audio output, the location indicators associated with different locations in the audio output, select one of the location indicators, and generate audio output beginning near the selected location indicator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user device for managing audio playback of media content, the user device comprising:
a network interface adapted to receive the media content over a communication network;
a data store configured to store the media content and location data, the location data including at least a first timestamp associated with a first location in the media content and a second timestamp associated with a second location in the media content;
a touch screen adapted to receive input; and
a processing unit adapted to communicate with the data store and configured to at least:
output first audio representing a first portion of the media content;
detect an indication to move from a third location in the media content to a fourth location in the media content, the fourth location in the media content being at least one of before or after the third location in the in the media content;
determine, based at least in part on detecting the indication, that the first timestamp is within a time range of the third location, the first location in the media content being the at least one of before or after the third location in the media content, and the first timestamp being associated with a first location type, the first location type being associated with a first priority;
determine, based at least in part on detecting the indication, that the second timestamp is within the time range of the third location, the second location in the media content being the at least one of before or after the third location in the media content, and the second timestamp being associated with a second location type, the second location type being associated with a second priority;
select the first timestamp based at least in part on the first priority and the second priority;
identify a second portion of the media content using the first timestamp; and
output second audio representing the second portion the media content.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
detect an indication to establish a marker for a text portion of the media content;
determine a fifth location in the media content corresponding to the text portion; and
generate a third timestamp associated with the text portion.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
determine a fifth location in the media content that is within a predetermined time range from the first timestamp and at which a grammatical break occurs in text associated with the media content,
wherein the second portion of the media content begins at the fifth location.

4. A system for managing media content playback, the system comprising:
a data store configured to at least store media content; and
a processing unit adapted to communicate with the data store and configured to at least:
cause output of first audio representing a first portion of the media content;
detect an indication to move from a first location in the media content to a second location in the media content, the second location in the media content being at least one of before or after the first location in the media content;
determine, based at least in part on detecting the indication, a first location indicator associated with a third location in the media content, the third location in the media content being the at least one of before or after the first location in the media content, and the first location indicator being associated with a first location type that includes a first priority;
determine, based at least in part on detecting the indication, a second location indicator associated with a fourth location in the media content, the fourth location in the media content being the at least one of before or after the first location in the media content, and the second location indicator being associated with a second location type that includes a second priority;
based at least in part on the first priority and the second priority, select the first location indicator associated with the third location; and
cause, based at least in part on the first location indicator, output of second audio representing a second portion of the media content.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
determine that the first location indicator is within a predefined time range of the first location,
wherein to select the first location indicator is further based at least in part on the first location indicator being within the predefined time range from the first location.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first location type and the second location type include one or more of locations identified by a system user, locations identified by third parties, and locations identified from analyzing text associated with the media content.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to adjust a priority ranking for the first location type and the second location type based at least in part on a context of the media content for the first location.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein to select the first location indicator is further based at least in part on user preferences for location types.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
generate a user interface that presents a number of location options, the number of location options including at least the third location and the fourth location; and
detect input indicating the third location;
wherein to select the first location indicator is further based at least in part on the input.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
determine a fifth location in the media content that is within a predetermined time range from the first location indicator and at which a grammatical break occurs in text associated with the media content; and
identify the second portion of the media content based at least in part on the second portion of the media content beginning at the fifth location.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
detect an additional indication to establish a marker for a portion of text associated with the media content;
determine a fifth location in the media content corresponding to the portion of text; and
generate a third location indicator associated with the portion of text and an associated location type.

12. A method for managing media content playback at a user device, the method comprising:
outputting first audio representing a first portion of media content;
detecting an indication to move from a first location in the media content to a second location in the media content, the second location in the media content being at least one of before or after the first location in the media content;
determining, based at least in part on detecting the indication, a first location indicator associated with a third location in the media content, the third location in the media content being the at least one of before or after the first location in the media content, and the first location indicator being associated with a first location type that includes a first priority;
determining, based at least in part on detecting the indication, a second location indicator associated with a fourth location in the media content, the fourth location in the media content being the at least one of before or after the first location in the media content and the second location indicator being associated with a second location type that includes a second priority;
based at least in part on the first priority and the second priority, selecting the fi

Assignees

• Audible Inc

Inventors

• Taneja Shiranchal
• Palanisamy Priya
• Kohli Amit
• Battaglia Scott Richard
• Hoffmann Jed
• Sriburadej Thomsun

Classifications

• G06F16/686

  using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G06F17/30752

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title