Patent ID: 7509178

Claim:
An audio program player comprising: a communications port for establishing a data communications link for downloading a plurality of separate digital compressed audio program files and a separate sequencing file from one or more server computers, a digital memory unit coupled to said communications port for persistently storing said separate digital compressed audio program files and said separate sequencing file, said sequencing file containing data specifying an ordered sequence of a collection of said separate digital compressed audio program files, an audio output unit including at least one speaker or headset for reproducing said audio program files in audible form perceptible to a listener, one or more manual controls for accepting commands from said listener, and a processor for continuously delivering a succession of said audio program files in said collection to said audio output unit in said ordered sequence specified by said sequencing file in the absence of a program selection command from said listener, and for discontinuing the reproduction of the currently playing audio program file and instead continuing the reproduction at the beginning of a listener-selected one of said audio program files in said collection in response to a program selection command from said listener.