US6457052B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for providing multimedia buffering capabilities based on assignment weights
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1998-06-23
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Granted: 2002-09-24
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Expires: 2018-06-23
Abstract
Abstract Multimedia content is provided based on a set of assignment weights. A portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object are buffered. The portion of multimedia content of the first multimedia object and the portion of multimedia content of the second multimedia object are accepted. The portion of multimedia content of the first multimedia object corresponds to the first assignment weight; the portion of multimedia content of the second multimedia object corresponds to the second assignment weight. The portion of multimedia content of the first multimedia object and the portion of multimedia content of the second multimedia object are stored.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Edward Markowitz
- 👤 Steven Howard Nurenberg
- 👤 Kenneth H. Rosen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 08:06
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/80; H04L65/1066; H04L65/1101; H04L65/60; H04L65/61; H04L65/612; H04L67/00; H04L67/2866; H04L67/30; H04L67/306; H04L67/50; H04L67/56; H04L67/568; H04L67/5681; H04L67/5682; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99937
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for providing multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, comprising: (a) determining a first assignment weight associated with a first multimedia object and a second assignment weight associated with a second multimedia object, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) sending a portion of the first multimedia object and a portion of the second multimedia object based on the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight, respectively, to a port.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for providing multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, comprising: (a) determining a first assignment weight associated with a first multimedia object and a second assignment weight associated with a second multimedia object, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) sending a portion of the first multimedia object and a portion of the second multimedia object based on the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight, respectively, to a port.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight determined in step (a) are determined based on a profile of a user to which the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object was sent in step (b).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight determined in step (a) are determined based on a multiple user profile.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight determined in step (a) are determined based on numerically weighted preferences of the first multimedia object and the second multimedia object.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
106 words
A method for buffering multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, comprising: (a) accepting a portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object, the portion of the first multimedia object being based on the first assignment weight, the portion of the second multimedia object being based on the second assignment weight, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) storing the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object at a memory location.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
106 words
A method for buffering multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, comprising: (a) accepting a portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object, the portion of the first multimedia object being based on the first assignment weight, the portion of the second multimedia object being based on the second assignment weight, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) storing the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object at a memory location.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising: (c) determining the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising: (c) determining the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object based on a profile of a user which accepted in step (a) the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising: (c) determining the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object based on a multiple user profile.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising: (c) determining the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object based on numerically weighted preferences of the first multimedia object and the second multimedia object.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising: (c) streaming the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising: (c) receiving a selection from a user for one multimedia object from the group of the first multimedia object and the second multimedia object; and (d) presenting the multimedia content of the multimedia object selected in said receiving step (c).
Claim 14
Independent Claim
158 words
An apparatus for buffering multimedia content of a first multimedia object and a second multimedia object from a plurality of multimedia objects, comprising: a processor; a memory storing assignment instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to: (a) determine a first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and a second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; (b) send a portion of the first multimedia object and a portion of the second multimedia object based on the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight, respectively, to a port; and said port to be coupled to a communication network and through which the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object are received, said memory and said port being coupled to said processor.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
158 words
An apparatus for buffering multimedia content of a first multimedia object and a second multimedia object from a plurality of multimedia objects, comprising: a processor; a memory storing assignment instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to: (a) determine a first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and a second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; (b) send a portion of the first multimedia object and a portion of the second multimedia object based on the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight, respectively, to a port; and said port to be coupled to a communication network and through which the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object are received, said memory and said port being coupled to said processor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight determined in step (a) are determined based on a profile of a user to which the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object were sent in step (b).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight determined in step (a) are determined based on a multiple user profile.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight determined in step (a) are determined based on numerically weighted preferences of the first multimedia object and the second multimedia object.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
159 words
An apparatus for buffering multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, comprising: a processor; a memory storing assignment instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to: (a) accept a portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object, the portion of the first multimedia object being based on a first assignment weight, the portion of the second multimedia object being based on a second assignment weight, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; (b) store the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object in said memory; and a port to be coupled to a communication network and through which the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object are received, said memory and said port being coupled to said processor.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
159 words
An apparatus for buffering multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, comprising: a processor; a memory storing assignment instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to: (a) accept a portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object, the portion of the first multimedia object being based on a first assignment weight, the portion of the second multimedia object being based on a second assignment weight, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; (b) store the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object in said memory; and a port to be coupled to a communication network and through which the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object are received, said memory and said port being coupled to said processor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the assignment instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: (c) determine the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the assignment instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: (c) determine the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object based on a profile of a user accepting the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object in step (a).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the assignment instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: (c) determine the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object based on a multiple user profile.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the assignment instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: (c) determine the first assignment weight associated with the first multimedia object and the second assignment weight associated with the second multimedia object based on numerically weighted preferences of the first multimedia object and the second multimedia object.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the assignment instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: (c) stream the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the assignment instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: (c) receive a selection from a user for one multimedia object from a group of the first multimedia object and the second multimedia object, (d) present the multimedia content of the multimedia object selected in said receiving step (c).
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
117 words
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, the method comprising: (a) determining a first assignment weight associated with a first multimedia object and a second assignment weight associated with a second multimedia object, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) sending a portion of the first multimedia object and a portion of the second multimedia object based on the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight, respectively, to a port.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
117 words
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, the method comprising: (a) determining a first assignment weight associated with a first multimedia object and a second assignment weight associated with a second multimedia object, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) sending a portion of the first multimedia object and a portion of the second multimedia object based on the first assignment weight and the second assignment weight, respectively, to a port.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
128 words
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for buffering multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, the method comprising: (a) accepting a portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object, the portion of the first multimedia object being based on the first assignment weight, the portion of the second multimedia object being based on the second assignment weight, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) storing the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object at a memory location.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
128 words
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for buffering multimedia content based on a plurality of assignment weights, the method comprising: (a) accepting a portion of a first multimedia object and a portion of a second multimedia object, the portion of the first multimedia object being based on the first assignment weight, the portion of the second multimedia object being based on the second assignment weight, at least one assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights differing from at least one other assignment weight from the plurality of assignment weights; and (b) storing the portion of the first multimedia object and the portion of the second multimedia object at a memory location.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-23 | 2006-03-25 | 2006-09-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-23 | 2010-03-25 | 2010-09-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-23 | 2014-03-25 | 2014-09-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |