US6748481B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Streaming information appliance with circular buffer for receiving and selectively reading blocks of streaming information
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 1999-04-06
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Granted: 2004-06-08
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Expires: 2019-04-06
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to a streaming information appliance for receiving and selectively reading blocks of streaming information. The information appliance includes a buffer, a writer module which receives blocks of streaming information and writes the blocks to the buffer at a write position, and a reader module which selectively reads the blocks from the buffer at a read position. An adjustment mechanism adjusts the relative positions of the read and write position.
Inventors
- 👤 William G. Parry
- 👤 Mingtzong Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:00
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/44; H04N21/44004; G; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/10; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/031; G11B27/034; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/105; G11B27/19; G11B27/28; G11B27/32; G11B27/322; G11B20/10527; G11B2020/1062; G11B2020/10629; G11B2020/10666
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 56
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A processor implemented method of handling streaming information for storage in a buffer, the method comprising: receiving streaming information; writing the streaming information to the buffer at a write position; reading the streaming information selectively from the buffer at a read position; and adjusting the read position with respect to the write position as a function of a user input and a distance between the write position and the read position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
71 words
A processor implemented method of handling streaming information for storage in a buffer, the method comprising: receiving streaming information; writing the streaming information to the buffer at a write position; reading the streaming information selectively from the buffer at a read position; and adjusting the read position with respect to the write position as a function of a user input and a distance between the write position and the read position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the buffer comprises a circular buffer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 2 and further comprising rendering the streaming information indicative of data blocks read from the circular buffer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the distance between the write position and the read position corresponds to a delay between writing the streaming information and rendering the streaming information.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the step of adjusting includes positioning the read position so that the delay is at least five minutes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step of adjusting includes positioning the read position so that the delay is at least thirty minutes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the step of adjusting includes positioning the read position so that the delay is at least one hour.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 3 wherein all streaming information rendered is stored in the circular buffer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the streaming information comprises multiple streams, and wherein the step of writing includes writing multiple streams and the step of reading includes reading information indicative of multiple streams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the streaming information comprises an audio stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the streaming information comprises a data stream.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the streaming information comprises a video stream.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
76 words
A processor implemented method of handling multiple broadcast channels for storage in a buffer, the method comprising: receiving streaming information; writing the streaming information to the buffer at a write position; reading the streaming information selectively from the buffer at a read position; receiving a signal from a user operated switch to select one of the multiple broadcast channels; and adjusting the read position to be adjacent to the write position when the switch is operated.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
76 words
A processor implemented method of handling multiple broadcast channels for storage in a buffer, the method comprising: receiving streaming information; writing the streaming information to the buffer at a write position; reading the streaming information selectively from the buffer at a read position; receiving a signal from a user operated switch to select one of the multiple broadcast channels; and adjusting the read position to be adjacent to the write position when the switch is operated.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the buffer comprises a circular buffer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 14 and further comprising rendering the streaming information indicative of data blocks read from the circular buffer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 15 wherein a distance between the write position and the read position corresponds to a delay between writing the streaming information and rendering the streaming information.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the delay is at least five minutes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the delay is at least thirty minutes.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the delay is at least one hour.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
90 words
An information appliance for receiving streaming information, the information appliance comprising: a buffer; a writer module which receives blocks of streaming information and writes the blocks to the buffer at a write position; a reader module adjustably positioned with respect to the writer module and adapted to selectively read the blocks from the buffer at a read position; and an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the read position with respect to the write position as a function of a user input and a distance between write position and the read position.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
90 words
An information appliance for receiving streaming information, the information appliance comprising: a buffer; a writer module which receives blocks of streaming information and writes the blocks to the buffer at a write position; a reader module adjustably positioned with respect to the writer module and adapted to selectively read the blocks from the buffer at a read position; and an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the read position with respect to the write position as a function of a user input and a distance between write position and the read position.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The information appliance of claim 20 wherein the buffer comprises a circular buffer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The information appliance of claim 21 and further comprising a rendering device coupled to the reader module to receive information indicative of blocks read from the circular buffer, the rendering device rendering the information to a user.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
50 words
The information appliance of claim 22 wherein the distance between the write position and the read position corresponds to a delay from when the writer module writes at least one of the blocks to when the rendering device renders the information corresponding to said at least one of the blocks.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The information appliance of claim 23 wherein the reader module is positionable to read from the circular buffer so that the delay is at least five minutes.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The information appliance of claim 24 wherein the reader module is positionable to read from the circular buffer so that the delay is at least thirty minutes.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The information appliance of claim 25 wherein the reader module is positionable to read from the circular buffer so that the delay is at least one hour.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
The information appliance of claim 22 wherein all streaming information rendered by the rendering device is stored in the circular buffer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
13 words
The information appliance of claim 21 wherein the circular buffer comprises RAM memory.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
The information appliance of claim 21 wherein the circular buffer comprises a hard disk.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
13 words
The information appliance of claim 21 wherein the streaming information comprises multiple streams.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
14 words
The information appliance of claim 30 wherein the streaming information comprises an audio stream.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
14 words
The information appliance of claim 30 wherein the streaming information comprises a data stream.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
14 words
The information appliance of claim 30 wherein the streaming information comprises a video stream.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
84 words
A computer readable medium including instructions readable by a computer appliance having a buffer which, when implemented, cause the computer appliance to handle streaming information by performing steps comprising: receiving streaming information; writing the streaming information to the buffer at a write position; reading the streaming information selectively from the buffer at a read position; and adjusting the read position with respect to the write position as a function of a user input and a distance between the write position and the read position.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
84 words
A computer readable medium including instructions readable by a computer appliance having a buffer which, when implemented, cause the computer appliance to handle streaming information by performing steps comprising: receiving streaming information; writing the streaming information to the buffer at a write position; reading the streaming information selectively from the buffer at a read position; and adjusting the read position with respect to the write position as a function of a user input and a distance between the write position and the read position.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
14 words
The computer readable medium of claim 34 wherein the buffer comprises a circular buffer.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
23 words
The computer readable medium of claim 35 and further comprising rendering the streaming information indicative of data blocks read from the circular buffer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
32 words
The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein the distance between the write position and the read position corresponds to a delay between writing the streaming information and rendering the streaming information.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein the step of adjusting includes positioning the readposition so that the delay is at least five minutes.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer readable medium of claim 38 wherein the step of adjusting includes positioning the readposition so that the delay is at least thirty minutes.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer readable medium of claim 39 wherein the step of adjusting includes positioning the read position so that the delay is at least one hour.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
18 words
The computer readable medium of claim 36 wherein all streaming information rendered is stored in the circular buffer.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer readable medium of claim 35 wherein the streaming information comprises multiple streams, and wherein the step of writing includes writing multiple streams and the step of reading includes reading information indicative of multiple streams.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer readable medium of claim 42 wherein the streaming information comprises an audio stream.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer readable medium of claim 42 wherein the streaming information comprises a data stream.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer readable medium of claim 42 wherein the streaming information comprises a video stream.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
126 words
An information appliance for receiving streaming information comprising multiple broadcast channels, the information appliance comprising: a buffer; a write module which receives blocks of, streaming information and writes the blocks to the buffer at a write position; a reader module adjustably positioned with respect to the writer module and adapted to selectively read the blocks from the buffer at a read position; a rendering device coupled to the reader module to receive information indicative of blocks read from the buffer, the rendering device rendering the information to a user; a switch operable by the user to select one of the multiple broadcast channels to be rendered; and an adjustment mechanism which automatically positions the read position adjacent to the write position upon operation of the switch.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
126 words
An information appliance for receiving streaming information comprising multiple broadcast channels, the information appliance comprising: a buffer; a write module which receives blocks of, streaming information and writes the blocks to the buffer at a write position; a reader module adjustably positioned with respect to the writer module and adapted to selectively read the blocks from the buffer at a read position; a rendering device coupled to the reader module to receive information indicative of blocks read from the buffer, the rendering device rendering the information to a user; a switch operable by the user to select one of the multiple broadcast channels to be rendered; and an adjustment mechanism which automatically positions the read position adjacent to the write position upon operation of the switch.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
13 words
The information appliance of claim 46 wherein the buffer comprises a circular buffer.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
51 words
The information appliance of claim 47 wherein a distance between the write position and the read position corresponds to a delay from when the writer module writes at least one of the blocks of information to when the rendering device renders information corresponding to said at least one of the blocks.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
27 words
The information appliance of claim 48 wherein the reader module is positionable to read from the circular buffer so that the delay is at least five minutes.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
27 words
The information appliance of claim 48 wherein the reader module is positionable to read from the circular buffer so that the delay is at least thirty minutes.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
28 words
The information appliance of claim 48 wherein the reader module is positionable to read from the circular buffer so that the device is delayed at least one hour.
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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) | 2007-06-08 | 2007-12-08 | 2008-06-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-06-08 | 2011-12-08 | 2012-06-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-06-08 | 2015-12-08 | 2016-06-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |