Patent Abstract:
The present invention provides a general solution to presenting media interface and navigation tools for content provided from a plurality of sources. The invention maintains a user at a single site regardless of the source of the media content. This permits a consistent interface to be presented to the user. Because the user remains at the same site, differences in tiered membership may be tracked so that the user is only presented with content that the user is permitted to view. The invention uses a metadata language to characterize content so that viewer type, membership level, and other information can be maintained and used for an enjoyable viewing experience.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of organizing and playing data.  
           [0003]    Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that are subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.  
           [0004]    2. Background Art  
           [0005]    The personal computer has become a resource for entertainment as well as traditional data processing functionality. In many cases, the personal computer has replaced home stereo systems as a source of audio entertainment. Many users have replaced hard copies of books and magazines with e-copies of reading materials for review via a computer. Another popular use for personal computers is the presentation of media information and entertainment.  
           [0006]    Often, the providing of media entertainment, such as audio or video entertainment, occurs via a network, such as the internet. Certain web sites are known for the availability of video clips of movies and television programs, or audio program files, that a computer user can view, listen to, and possibly purchase. In some cases, television or radio networks provide web sites devoted to their own shows or to a single show. Many times a web site is designed to provide an “enhanced” experience in real time during the broadcast of a television program. Such enhanced features may include comprehensive statistics in the case of sporting events, commercial tie-in and purchase opportunities in the case of entertainment programs, play-along quizzes, or even competition during game shows.  
           [0007]    In some cases, additional media content is made available to internet users between broadcasts of programs to promote interest, loyalty, and viewing opportunities, when a program is not otherwise airing. There are a number of disadvantages with many of the current systems for obtaining such content via the internet as will be described below.  
           [0008]    A number of web sites purport to provide a central location where a variety of media can be obtained and experienced by a user on a personal computer via a network. A disadvantage with many of these sites is a failure to provide a consistent interface for content from different sources. Another disadvantage is the failure to provide to the user only content that is actually playable by the user. Often the user is prompted to mistakenly buy player capability that the user doesn&#39;t want or need.  
           [0009]    Certain web sites purport to provide a portal or central location for accessing media data and content from a variety of sources, including from different networks and internet media sources. A problem for a user on such a site is the inconsistency of the presented interface for different content. In a typical situation, a user may elect to view a content clip from a program from one of the broadcast networks. When the clip is selected, the user may actually be transferred to the network&#39;s own website for viewing of the clip.  
           [0010]    When the user is transferred, the entire interface for viewing clips is often changed to the interface supported by the source site. This diminishes the viewing experience for the user and requires the user to pay extra attention to where navigation and activation controls are located in order to effectively use the site for viewing of content.  
           [0011]    Another problem occurs when a user is part of a tiered membership or subscription service on a portal site. Lower tiers of membership may have restrictions on which content is available. When the portal switches the user to the content source site, the user may be presented with all possible content, even though the user is able to view only a subset of the listed content. This diminishes the user&#39;s experience because the user is made aware of a limited experience.  
           [0012]    Finally, the user may be referred to data that is not playable on the user&#39;s currently installed content player. The user may be presented with a list of available content that does not indicate which player is used or required to play the content. When a user selects a clip or content that requires a player that the user does not currently have, the user may be directed to a site where a new player can be obtained. Often these sites are confusing. A free player is often available but the user is urged to purchase a “professional” or “full featured” version of a player not really needed for the clip which the user wants to play. Often the user mistakenly purchases the “for purchase” player instead of simply accepting the free player.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The present invention provides a general solution to presenting media interface and navigation tools for content provided from a plurality of sources. The invention maintains a user at a single site regardless of the source of the media content. This permits a consistent interface to be presented to the user. Because the user remains at the same site, differences in tiered membership may be tracked so that the user is only presented with content that the user is permitted to play. The invention uses a metadata language to characterize content so that player type, membership level, and other information can be maintained and used for an enjoyable experience.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a website of one embodiment of the present invention in an initial state.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 illustrates a website of one embodiment of the present invention after a user menu selection.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 illustrates a website of one embodiment of the present invention after a show has been selected.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 illustrates a website of one embodiment of the present invention after an episode has been selected.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present invention in an initial state.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present invention after a user menu selection.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present invention after a show has been selected.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 illustrates a player of one embodiment of the present invention after an episode has been selected.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the operation of the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of the present invention being implemented as computer software in the form of computer readable code.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating the content invocation flow of one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a continuation of the content invocation flow diagram in FIG. 12.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating the confirmation of media playback capability.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating site-map hierarchy of one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0029]    A method and apparatus for presenting and playing content on a network is described. In the following description, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough description of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known features have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.  
         [0030]    The present invention provides a consistent interface and user navigation system for media clips from all sources. In the following description, an example of organizing and playing viewable content, such as video content, is described. It is understood that the invention has equal application to audio media content as well. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the interface of the present invention. The invention contemplates a drill down approach to certain aspects of navigation with FIG. 1 illustrating the top or home level of navigation. The display includes two display areas  101  and  102 . Area  101  is referred to as an “editorial” area and can include show titles and logos, navigation tools, and other information. Region  102  is an area reserved for promotions and can include still or Flash type promotions or advertisements.  
         [0031]    An area  103  includes links to a number of categories or “channels” that the user can select to be presented with viewing choices falling within a particular genre or type. FIG. 1 illustrates a number of channels by way of example, including “Featured Today”  104 , News  105 , Sports  106 , Entertainment  107 , and Coming Soon  108 . By selecting one of these categories, the user is able to access another interface that provides choices related to the genre. Featured Today  104  is a channel that is suitable for breaking news or even for sponsored clips that may relate to a current film or to a broadcast event of the same or impending day. The selections may represent pre-recorded media or live broadcast media.  
         [0032]    The provision of choices of selected shows, news, and sports is indicated in region  117 . The show title, logo, or brand is indicated in regions  111  and  112 . Below each logo bar is an information region  115  and  116  respectively that provides program information to the user. This information includes the episode title and a brief description of the episode. It also includes a thumbnail image of the available show or clip in region  113  and  114 .  
         [0033]    A region  109  is also provided to the user that lists available content. The content may be sorted in a number of ways. In the example of FIG. 1, the content is listed as Most Popular, which may be based on any of a number of time periods, including by the day, the week, or even the hour. Also in the example of FIG. 1, the most popular clip listed may include a thumbnail  110  to provide additional information to the user of the available clip. The Most Popular listing may be with respect to all content, by channel, by category, or by any other suitable or desired population of media clips.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 2 illustrates the interface of the invention after the user has selected a channel. In the example shown, the user has selected the Entertainment  107  channel. This selection presents a slightly changed interface to the user with a channel indicator  201  displayed at the top of the editorial section  101 . In addition, region  117  now only presents show selections which correspond to the user&#39;s selection.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 3 illustrates the display of an embodiment of the invention when a user has selected a particular show. When a show is selected, the Editorial area  101  is divided into two areas  301 A and  301 B. Area  301 A displays a title, logo, or other indicator of the show selected and a text description of the show. Area  301 B displays a thumbnail  302  of the episodes that are available for the show that is selected for viewing, along with text having a short written description of the selected episode. In one embodiment of the invention, a number of other clips available for viewing are displayed below area  301 B and use a similar geography to display data, including a thumbnail image and text description. The channel selections  104 - 108  remain visible and available in region  103 , as does the Most Popular list in region  208 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 4 illustrates the display in an embodiment when the user selects an episode of a show. When this is selected the editorial section  301 B displays a plurality of chapter or clip selections of the selected episode such as selections  401 ,  402 , and  403 . The user can select one of the chapter selections for viewing in region  102  of this embodiment of the invention.  
         [0037]    A desired feature of one embodiment of the present invention is that a user is only presented with data that the user can actually view at the subscription level of which the user is a member. This distinguishes the invention from prior art schemes where the user may be presented with data that is not viewable based on the subscription level or even based on the player or connection speed of the user. One of the embodiments of the invention that makes this possible is that the data resides in a database on the website of the invention. Unlike prior art schemes that link to external data sources, the present invention maintains data locally.  
         [0038]    The present invention is able to customize content presentation because of the data structure of the database used for the local data storage. In one embodiment, data is stored using an XML template unique to the present invention. This allows metadata to be included which facilitates the sorting and presentation of data to the user, making a consistent interface and experience possible. In one embodiment, XML data is stored locally but some or all content is stored remotely and linked to a local site.  
         [0039]    The template below is an example of one embodiment of an XML datastore template used in the present invention. The template is for a “FEEDITEM” which is associated with a clip for viewing. XML documents may have multiple FEEDITEMS. It should be noted that items are not required to have all elements listed.  
                                                   &lt;CMSFEED&gt;           &lt;CONTACT EMAIL=“” TELEPHONE=“”&gt; &lt;/CONTACT&gt;           &lt;FEEDITEM TYPE=“” MEDIA=“” ID=“” SORTORDER=“”&gt;           &lt;TITLE&gt; &lt;/TITLE&gt;           &lt;DESCRIPTION&gt; &lt;/DESCRIPTION&gt;           &lt;DURATION&gt; &lt;/DURATION&gt;           &lt;VALIDTIME TZ=“”&gt; &lt;/VALIDTIME&gt;           &lt;EXPIRATIONTIME TZ=“”&gt; &lt;/EXPIRATIONTIME&gt;           &lt;BLACKOUT REGION=“”&gt; &lt;/BLACKOUT&gt;           &lt;STREAM BITRATE=“” FORMAT=“”&gt; &lt;/STREAM&gt;           &lt;AIRTIME TZ=“”&gt; &lt;/AIRTIME&gt;           &lt;IMAGE USE=“”&gt; &lt;/IMAGE&gt;           &lt;/FEEDITEM&gt;           &lt;/CMSFEED&gt;                      
 
         [0040]    XML Element Description  
         [0041]    The XML elements described here are by way of example only. Additional or fewer elements may be included without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0042]    CMSFEED is the container for XML content feeds to the present invention and contains a number of other XML elements.  
         [0043]    1. CONTACT xml Specs  
         [0044]    The CONTACT element contains the name of the contact at the content publisher who is responsible for the content feed. (example: “Joe Smith”)  
         [0045]    EMAIL: Email address of the person who is publishing this show. (example: “joesmith@yahoo-inc.com”)  
         [0046]    TELEPHONE: Telephone number of the person to who is publishing this show. (example: “800-555-1212”).  
         [0047]    2. FEEDITEM xml specs  
         [0048]    The FEEDITEM element holds the data for either a category or a clip.  
         [0049]    TYPE: This is the type of node being described. For the allowed values, “category” is a container for clips. Depending on the time of media being played in the invention, this could be equivalent to an episode of a TV show, or it could be used to represent another type of clips container.  
         [0050]    MEDIA: The type of media being described. This is only used for clips. “Video” refers to a video file. “Audio” refers to an audio-only file.  
         [0051]    ID: Pathname of the show. (example: “/episode1” or “/episode3/clip1”) Maximum length for this field is 50 characters. Valid values for this field: In one embodiment the ID only consists of letters and numbers [i.e. A-Z|a-z|0-9] and no symbols [i.e. no #,@, etc.] are allowed in the ID.  
         [0052]    SORTORDER: Valid values for this field include any number from 100 to 10000. In one embodiment of a list of clips or categories, the item with the highest number is displayed first, then the item with the second-highest number is displayed next, and so on. The difference in SORTORDER between each item is in multiples of 10 in this embodiment. It is understood that the sorting can be in reverse order as well and any suitable difference between items may be employed.  
         [0053]    3. TITLE xml specs  
         [0054]    This element is for the title of the piece of media. Referring briefly to FIG. 2, the title data is displayed in location  201  when it is category information and at location  320  in FIG. 3 when it is a show or clip title. In one embodiment, the maximum length of this field depends on the TYPE of FEEDITEM being described:  
         [0055]    For a “category” piece of media, the title length can be, e.g., up to 25 characters.  
         [0056]    For a “clip” piece of media, the title length can be, e.g., up to 50 characters.  
         [0057]    4. DESCRIPTION xml specs  
         [0058]    This element is a description of the clip. It is displayed in the metadata pane and on the website, such as at location  301 A in FIG. 3. The length of this field depends on the TYPE of FEEDITEM being described.  
         [0059]    For a “category” piece of media, the length can be, e.g., up to 75 characters.  
         [0060]    For a “clip” piece of media this field can be, e.g., up to 260 characters.  
         [0061]    5. DURATION xml specs  
         [0062]    This is the length of the clip. format: hh:mm:ss.  
         [0063]    6. VALIDTIME xml specs  
         [0064]    This is the date and time that the content will start being displayed on the invention site and will become available to subscribers. In some embodiments, this field is not required. Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM  
         [0065]    TZ: time zone of publish start and end times. Valid values: “CST”|“CDT”|“EST”|“EDT”|“MST”|“MDT”|“PST”|“PDT” 
         [0066]    7. EXPIRATIONTIME xml specs  
         [0067]    This is the date and time that the content will be automatically removed from the invention site, and will no longer be available to subscribers. This field is not required in all embodiments. Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM  
         [0068]    TZ: time zone of publish start and end times. Valid values: “CST”|“CDT”|“EST”|“EDT”|“MST”|“MDT”|“PST”|“PDT” 
         [0069]    8. BLACKOUT xml specs  
         [0070]    This makes it possible to “black out” a piece of content from users whose account information indicates they are in a specific DMA (Designated Market Area). This could, for example, be used for sporting events which cannot be rebroadcast in specific areas. Valid values for this field depend on the REGION setting: For DMA, an example of a valid value is “SAN FRANCISCO-OAK-SAN JOSE”, for ZIP (Zip code), an example of a valid value is “94089”. This element is optional.  
         [0071]    REGION: Sets system for selecting geographic areas to blackout. Valid values: “DMA”|“ZIP”.  
         [0072]    9. STREAM xml specs  
         [0073]    The invention can have multiple STREAM elements. However, for each FEEDITEM, the streams represented by these elements must have the same content. The only difference is the speed and media type. In one embodiment, a default value is such that each FEEDITEM clip has 6 streams (56 k windows media, 100 k windows media, 300 k windows media, 56 k real, 100 k real, 300 k real).  
         [0074]    FORMAT: Stream format. Valid values=“wm”|“asf”|“wmv”|“wma”|“rnv”|“rm”|“rna”|“ra” 
         [0075]    “wm” or “asf”=windows media file  
         [0076]    “wmv”=windows media video file  
         [0077]    “wma”=windows media audio-only file  
         [0078]    “mv” or “rm”=real networks video file  
         [0079]    “ma” or “ra”=real networks audio-only file  
         [0080]    BITRATE: Stream Speed. Valid values=“56”|“ 100 ”|“ 300 ” 
         [0081]    10. AIRTIME xml specs  
         [0082]    This element is the date and time that the clip was originally broadcast (if it was in fact broadcast). Format: mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM  
         [0083]    TZ: time zone of publish start and end times. Valid values: “CST”|“CDT|”|“EST”|“EDT”|“MST”|“MDT”|“PST”|“PDT” 
         [0084]    11. IMAGE xml specs  
         [0085]    This element is an image for a FEEDITEM. The size for this image is, for example, 120×90, and is in a format such as GIF, JPEG, or any other suitable format in one embodiment. The IMAGE can be displayed in regions  206 ,  207 ,  302 ,  401 ,  402 , or  403 , for example.  
         [0086]    USE: This describes how the content should be used. Each piece of media may, for example, have a “largethumb” and “smallthumb” associated with it—these images should be images from the piece of media. Valid values: “SMALLTHUMB”|“LARGETHUMB” 
         [0087]    SMALLTHUMB: The size for this image may be, e.g., 88×66, and it may be in JPEG, GIF, or any other suitable format.  
         [0088]    LARGETHUMB: The size for this image may be 120×90, and it may be in JPEG, GIF, or any other suitable format.  
         [0089]    Content Provider Accounts  
         [0090]    A content provider that desires to interact with the site of the present invention has an assigned Content Management System (CMS) account with provider names and passwords. The providers can FTP (file transfer protocol) media files, images and XML feed documents using the template described above. The transferred media files, with the associated metadata according to the XML template, are then provided to a page generation tool and assembled into a window and accompanying channel modules. This process can be automated so that content can be published (assuming its availability date is current) almost instantly.  
         [0091]    The database is accessible by content providers and partners via password, allowing remote editing and updating of the content. For example, a clip can easily be removed from the site by changing the expiration time entry to a date that has already passed. Data content may also inherit metadata attributes from its category and from its associated show. For example, an external site link may be inherited by a clip (such as to an official site for a show). In addition, copyright information may be inherited at a show or category level as well. Clips are associated with a show and shows are associated with a category.  
         [0092]    [0092]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention showing an interface on a media player. A media playing window  501  is provided at an upper-left location of the player geography. The viewing window  501  includes a control bar  509  just below the viewing window with player controls, such as play, pause, top, progress bar, volume, etc. XML metadata associated with content can be mapped to areas of the player geography. Region  502  is an informational area reserved for a logo of the content provider. This could be a network, a show, a series, etc. Region  503  is another informational area reserved for a show logo graphic. Region  504  is reserved for a thumbnail of an available or selected clip. Regions  505  and  506  display the clip title metadata and airdate metadata, respectively. The metadata description text of the clip is displayed in region  507 . Region  508  is reserved for additional available clips and displays thumbnails in regions  510 ,  511 , and  512 , for example, along with associated title and/or description metadata.  
         [0093]    [0093]FIG. 6 illustrates the interface of the player after a user has signed in. The bottom portion of the display geography is now changed to add channel selections  602 - 607  to region  601 . In addition, Region  620  now displays a number of thumbnails of available clips such as thumbnails  621 - 624 . This region can be scrolled horizontally in one embodiment to permit the display of additional thumbnails of available clips.  
         [0094]    [0094]FIG. 7 illustrates the interface of the player when one of the channels in region  601  is selected. In this example, Entertainment Channel  604  has been selected. This causes a pull-down menu  701  to be displayed in the region adjacent to region  601  and displays available content for the selected channel. The example illustrates one of the advantages of the present invention. One of the selections, namely the NCAA Tournament  2003 , includes a following star symbol  702 . This indicates premium content and the user knows that this content is not available unless the user has a premium account. This is possible because of the local storage of content by the invention and the use of the XML metadata to store access levels which are required for certain content. In another embodiment, only available permitted content at the user level is shown, with premium or other unavailable content filtered out. This makes the viewing experience more desirable using the present invention. In one embodiment, the indication is not marked. When a user attempts to play content for which the user does not have access, the user may be redirected to a presentation that offers the ability to subscribe to the service.  
         [0095]    The player may be a third-party player which is “skinned” to provide the desired consistent interface. In other embodiments, the player is a purpose built player.  
         [0096]    [0096]FIG. 8 illustrates the interface when a show has been selected in region  701 . The title of the show is displayed in region  801  and thumbnails of available episodes are shown in regions  802 - 804 . In one embodiment, region  801  is scrollable so that all available episodes can be accessed via that region.  
         [0097]    The present invention includes additional information in a local database in addition to the metadata provided by a content provider. This information can also be XML metadata or it can be associated attributes of the database in any suitable form. This data includes subscription information such as active/inactive, and level of subscription (e.g., regular, premium, package, etc.).  
         [0098]    [0098]FIG. 9 is flow diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention in one embodiment. At step  901  a user makes a selection and the system then goes through a number of decision blocks  902 - 904  to determine the appropriate display update to provide. At step  902  it is determined if the user has selected a channel. If so, the display is updated at step  905  and provides a display such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7.  
         [0099]    At step  903  it is determined if the user has selected a show. If so, the display is updated at step  906  and provides a display on the site such as shown in FIG. 3 or on the player such as shown in FIG. 8. At step  904  it is determined if the user has selected an episode. If so, the site display is updated such as shown in FIG. 4 and the player is updated such as is shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0100]    [0100]FIG. 10 illustrates some of the operation of an embodiment of the invention when a channel is selected. At step  1001  the user has selected a channel. At step  1002  the system updates the display by placing the name of the selected channel in region  201  for the site. For the player, the display provides a pull down menu  701 . At step  1003  a “Most Popular” display region  208  is provided at the site. For the player, the database is examined so that premium shows in the list can be identified by a marker, such as “star”  702 .  
         [0101]    In another embodiment of the invention, it is possible to create playlists related to user preferences. These lists can be either automatically generated based on content provider relationships, or editorially.  
         [0102]    Content Invocation  
         [0103]    [0103]FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate the operation of content invocation in one embodiment of the invention. At step  1201  of FIG. 12, the user invokes a content uniform resource locator (URL) by clicking on a clip link from the browser, activating a bookmarked URL, or by a variety of other means. Once the content URL is invoked, at a logic gate (step  1202 ) it is determined whether the user&#39;s computer is configured to be able to accept cookies. If it is determined that the user&#39;s computer is unable to accept cookies, the browser redirects to a standard error message, which may request that the user configure his computer to accept cookies.  
         [0104]    If it is determined that the user&#39;s computer is able to accept cookies, at a logic gate (step  1203 ) it is determined whether the operating software (OS) and browser platforms on the user&#39;s computer are acceptable. For example, an acceptable OS platform could be Windows and an acceptable browser platform could be Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher. If it is determined that the platforms are not acceptable, the browser page redirects to a platform error message, which may inform the user that the platforms running on his computer are not compatible with the website&#39;s platform(s). Otherwise, if it is determined that the platforms are acceptable, at a logic gate (step  1204 ) it is determined whether the user chooses to view sample marketing content. If it is determined that the user chooses to view sample marketing content, the process will proceed to step  1205  where the player will be invoked to operate at State A, which may be defined to play sample marketing content only.  
         [0105]    However, if it is determined that the user does not choose to view sample marketing content, at a logic gate (step  1206 ) it is determined whether the user has signed into the website. If it is determined that the user has not signed-in, the browser page redirects to a sign-in error message, which may tell the user that he must sign into the website to view the content. However, if it is determined that the user has signed-in, at a logic gate (step  1207 ) it is determined whether the webpage identification (I.D.) is still fresh. If it determined that the I.D. is not fresh, the browser page redirects to an expiration error message, which may advise the user that the session has expired and request the user to sign-in again.  
         [0106]    Otherwise, if the I.D. is determined to be fresh, at a logic gate (step  1301 , FIG. 13) it is determined whether there is an existing clip that corresponds to the requested clip I.D. number. If it is determined that the clip I.D. does not have a corresponding existing clip, the browser redirects to a clip error message, which may advise the user that there is no existing clip that matches his requested clip I.D. number. Otherwise, if it is determined that the requested clip I.D. has a clip available, at a logic gate (step  1302 ) it is determined whether the user, according to his subscription level, has the ability to access this particular clip.  
         [0107]    If it is determined that the user does not have access to the clip, at a logic gate (step  1303 ) it is determined whether the clip&#39;s show has a valid I.D. number. If it is determined that the show I.D. number is not valid, the browser redirects to a show error message, which may advise the user that there is no existing show that corresponds to his requested show I.D. number. However, if it is determined that the show I.D. number is valid, at a logic gate (step  1304 ) it is determined whether the clip&#39;s episode has a valid I.D. number.  
         [0108]    If it is determined that the episode I.D. number is not valid, the browser redirects to an episode error message, which may advise the user that there is no existing episode that corresponds to his requested episode I.D. number. Otherwise, if it is determined that the episode I.D. number is valid, at a logic gate (step  1306 ) it is determined whether the user, according to his subscription level, has access to view special promotional content. If it is determined that the user does not have access to view special promotional content, the browser redirects to a content error message, which may notify the user that the clip is not available because of the user&#39;s current subscription level and advise the user that the clip will be available to him if he subscribes to a higher subscription level. If it is determined that the user is able to view the special promotional content, the process will proceed to step  1309  where the player will be invoked to operate at State D. State D may be defined to be a particular content mode.  
         [0109]    At the previously discussed logic gate located at step  1302 , if it is determined that the user does have access to the clip, at a logic gate (step  1305 ) it is determined whether the user, according to his subscription level, has access to view special promotional content. If it is determined that the user does not have access to view special promotional content, the process will proceed to step  1308  where the player will be invoked to operate at State C. Otherwise, if it is determined that the user does have access to view special promotional content, the process will proceed to step  1307  where the player will be invoked to operate at State B. States B and C may be defined to be specific content modes.  
         [0110]    After successful content invocation, the embodiment may undergo a logic sequence to confirm media playback capability. One possible logic process is depicted in FIG. 14. Once content has been invoked (step  1401 ), at a logic gate (step  1402 ) it is determined whether the user&#39;s computer has the necessary clip media player code. This decision is made by determining if the user&#39;s computer has specific software installed, e.g., Real or WinMP. If it is determined that the necessary software has not been installed onto the user&#39;s computer, the browser redirects to a software error message, which may advise the user that he will need to install specific software onto his computer in order to view the content. Otherwise, if it is determined that the necessary software has been installed onto the user&#39;s computer, the process proceeds to step  1403  where the audio/video content will be played normally.  
         [0111]    Webpage Site Map  
         [0112]    An embodiment of the present invention can be represented by a webpage hierarchy site map. FIG. 15 depicts one possible site map hierarchy for a content invocation structure.  
         [0113]    [0113]FIG. 15 illustrates the path of web pages that a user navigates through in order to invoke audio/video clip content. Page  1501  represents the website home page, which allows the user to make a number of various choices. The pages on level  1502  illustrate the different options that the user can choose from. Some of the choices presented in this embodiment are type of genre (page  1503 ), “coming soon” listings (page  1504 ), “my shows” channel (page  1505 ), an account summary (page  1506 ), and a demonstration of website features tour (page  1507 ). Page  1508 , which is also located on level  1502 , is triggered if the user has not signed-in properly or does not have an existing account. If page  1508  is triggered, the browser redirects to a sign-in error message, which will advise the user that he will need to either attempt to sign-in again or subscribe to the website in order to view the content.  
         [0114]    If the user selects a type of genre in page  1503 , the website will transfer the user to a lower-level on the site map (page  1509 ). At page  1509  the user is presented with a listing of available shows to choose from. Once the user selects a show to watch, the website will transfer the user to a lower-level on the site map (page  1510 ), which lists the available episodes for that particular show. After a user selects an episode from the listing on page  1510 , the process will proceed to step  1511  where the player will be invoked to operate.  
         [0115]    Embodiment of a Computer Execution Environment  
         [0116]    An embodiment of the invention can be implemented as computer software in the form of computer readable code executed in a desktop general purpose computing environment such as environment  1100  illustrated in FIG. 11, or in the form of bytecode class files running in such an environment. A keyboard  1110  and mouse  1111  are coupled to a bi-directional system bus  1118 . The keyboard and mouse are for introducing user input to a computer  1101  and communicating that user input to processor  1113 .  
         [0117]    Computer  1101  may also include a communication interface  1120  coupled to bus  1118 . Communication interface  1120  provides a two-way data communication coupling via a network link  1121  to a local network  1122 . For example, if communication interface  1120  is a modem, communication interface  1120  provides a data communication connection to the corresponding type of telephone line, which comprises part of network link  1121 . If communication interface  1120  is a local area network (LAN) card, communication interface  1120  provides a data communication connection via network link  1121  to a compatible LAN. Wireless links are also possible. In any such implementation, communication interface  1120  sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, which carry digital data streams representing various types of information.  
         [0118]    Network link  1121  typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link  1121  may provide a connection through local network  1122  to local server computer  1123  or to data equipment operated by ISP  1124 . ISP  1124  in turn provides data communication services through the world wide packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet”  1125 . Local network  1122  and Internet  1125  both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, which carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link  1121  and through communication interface  1120 , which carry the digital data to and from computer  1100 , are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information.  
         [0119]    Processor  1113  may reside wholly on client computer  1101  or wholly on server  1026  or processor  1113  may have its computational power distributed between computer  1001  and server  1126 . In the case where processor  1113  resides wholly on server  1126 , the results of the computations performed by processor  1113  are transmitted to computer  1101  via Internet  1125 , Internet Service Provider (ISP)  1124 , local network  1122  and communication interface  1120 . In this way, computer  1101  is able to display the results of the computation to a user in the form of output. Other suitable input devices may be used in addition to, or in place of, the mouse  1111  and keyboard  1110 . I/O (input/output) unit  1119  coupled to bi-directional system bus  1118  represents such I/O elements as a printer, A/V (audio/video) I/O, etc.  
         [0120]    Computer  1101  includes a video memory  1114 , main memory  1115  and mass storage  1112 , all coupled to bi-directional system bus  1118  along with keyboard  1110 , mouse  1111  and processor  1113 .  
         [0121]    As with processor  1113 , in various computing environments, main memory  1115  and mass storage  1112 , can reside wholly on server  1126  or computer  1101 , or they may be distributed between the two. Examples of systems where processor  1113 , main memory  1115 , and mass storage  1112  are distributed between computer  1101  and server  1126  include the thin-client computing architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc., the palm pilot computing device, Internet ready cellular phones, and other Internet computing devices.  
         [0122]    The mass storage  1112  may include both fixed and removable media, such as magnetic, optical or magnetic optical storage systems or any other available mass storage technology. Bus  1118  may contain, for example, thirty-two address lines for addressing video memory  1114  or main memory  1115 . The system bus  1118  also includes, for example, a 32-bit data bus for transferring data between and among the components, such as processor  1113 , main memory  1115 , video memory  1114 , and mass storage  1112 . Alternatively, multiplex data/address lines may be used instead of separate data and address lines.  
         [0123]    In one embodiment of the invention, the processor  1113  is a microprocessor manufactured by Motorola, such as the 680×0 processor or a microprocessor manufactured by Intel, such as the 80×86 or Pentium processor, or a SPARC microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc. However, any other suitable microprocessor or microcomputer may be utilized. Main memory  1115  is comprised of dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Video memory  1114  is a dual-ported video random access memory. One port of the video memory  1114  is coupled to video amplifier  1116 . The video amplifier  1116  is used to drive the cathode ray tube (CRT) raster monitor  1117 . Video amplifier  1116  is well known in the art and may be implemented by any suitable apparatus. This circuitry converts pixel data stored in video memory  1114  to a raster signal suitable for use by monitor  1117 . Monitor  1117  is a type of monitor suitable for displaying graphic images.  
         [0124]    Computer  1101  can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link  1121 , and communication interface  1120 . In the Internet example, remote server computer  1126  might transmit a requested code for an application program through Internet  1125 , ISP  1124 , local network  1122  and communication interface  1120 . The received code may be executed by processor  1113  as it is received, and/or stored in mass storage  1112 , or other non-volatile storage for later execution. In this manner, computer  1100  may obtain application code in the form of a carrier wave. Alternatively, remote server computer  1126  may execute applications using processor  1113 , and utilize mass storage  1112 , and/or video memory  1115 . The results of the execution at server  1126  are then transmitted through Internet  1125 , ISP  1124 , local network  1122 , and communication interface  1120 . In this example, computer  1101  performs only input and output functions.  
         [0125]    Application code may be embodied in any form of computer program product. A computer program product comprises a medium configured to store or transport computer readable code, or in which computer readable code may be embedded. Some examples of computer program products are CD-ROM disks, ROM cards, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, computer hard drives, servers on a network, and carrier waves.  
         [0126]    The computer systems described above are for purposes of example only. An embodiment of the invention may be implemented in any type of computer system or programming or processing environment.  
         [0127]    Thus an environment for display of content has been described.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6