Patent ID: 8744993

Claim:
A method for summarizing a single digital media file, the method comprising: storing a plurality of available partial summaries in memory, the stored partial summaries including a plurality of levels of detail, wherein each available partial summary is a summarized recap of content of a portion of the media file in one of the levels of detail, each portion defined by two points of access in the media file comprising a plurality of access points; receiving an instruction to provide a user with an assembled summary of the media file between one or more specified points of access, wherein an output device currently used by the user is identified; executing software stored in memory by a processor to: identify one or more portions between the specified points of access, select one or more available partial summaries from the plurality of available partial summaries stored in memory, the selection based on the identified portions between the specified points of access and the output device identified as being currently used by the user, and assemble the selected summaries to generate the assembled summary of the media file; and providing the assembled summary to the user via the output device.