Abstract An audio-on-demand communication system provides real-time playback of audio data transferred via telephone lines or other communication links. One or more audio servers include memory banks which store compressed audio data. At the request of a user at a subscriber PC, an audio server transmits the compressed audio data over the communication link to the subscriber PC. The subscriber PC receives and decompresses the transmitted audio data in less than real-time using only the processing power of the CPU within the subscriber PC. According to one aspect of the present invention, high quality audio data compressed according to lossless compression techniques is transmitted together with normal quality audio data. According to another aspect of the present invention, metadata, or extra data, such as text, captions, still images, etc., is transmitted with audio data and is simultaneously displayed with corresponding audio data. The audio-on-demand system also provides a table of contents indicating significant divisions in the audio clip to be played and allows the user immediate access to audio data at the listed divisions. According to a further aspect of the present invention, servers and subscriber PCs are dynamically allocated based upon geographic location to provide the highest possible quality in the communication link.
An audio data player comprising: a CPU; a computer readable storage device storing a data structure including a significant segment of an audio clip along with small portions of a plurality of predetermined segments of audio data; and playback software executed by said CPU to access said data structure and play said significant segment, said playback software responsive to user input to stop playing said significant segment and to begin playing one of said plurality of predetermined segments.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
An audio data player comprising: a CPU; a computer readable storage device storing a data structure including a significant segment of an audio clip along with small portions of a plurality of predetermined segments of audio data; and playback software executed by said CPU to access said data structure and play said significant segment, said playback software responsive to user input to stop playing said significant segment and to begin playing one of said plurality of predetermined segments.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
49 words
A method of providing audio-on-demand comprising the steps of: storing an audio clip on a computer-readable storage medium at a first location; and transmitting a significant segment of said audio clip along with small portions of a plurality of predetermined segments of said audio clip to a second location.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
49 words
A method of providing audio-on-demand comprising the steps of: storing an audio clip on a computer-readable storage medium at a first location; and transmitting a significant segment of said audio clip along with small portions of a plurality of predetermined segments of said audio clip to a second location.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of providing audio-on-demand as defined in claim 2, wherein said predetermined segments of said audio clip comprise significant divisions within said audio clip.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of providing audio-on-demand as defined in claim 3, wherein said significant segment of said audio clip corresponds to a book or other material having chapters and wherein said predetermined segments of audio data correspond to chapters.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of providing audio-on-demand as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising the steps of: compressing data representing said audio clip at a ratio sufficient to transmit said audio clip at least fast enough to permit a receiving PC to generate continuous sound during receipt of said compressed data representing said audio clip.