Taking a look at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, there has been a discovery of a patent application that illustrates Apple using cloud-computing to synchronize the playback of media between devices. The feature will allow users to continue where they ended their session in their media when moving end-usage from one device to another. There is also another file that explains the ability to grant users the function of tagging media from other sources, such as HD or satellite radio content.
The first file, dubbed Recapping Media Content? reveals the details of a software aspect that could continue the play back of an album, movie or television program from where it was halted on a computer, box-top media device (such as Apple TV), mobile media device or any other device at is compatible with the feature. The reading continues in describing the system as being capable of applying the aspect to both stateless (data stored on a volume other than the local device and streamed to that device) and locally stored content. The software would then continue to provide the enduser with a recap of the content they watched before it was paused. The recap is something like you would see a TV show do to help viewers recall the details of the last episode.
The patent states:
“Current media players do not provide a feature for recapping earlier media content according to a recapping control variable, then displaying descriptive information related to the recapped media content. Moreover, current media players do not provide a feature where the descriptive information related to the recapped media content may be text, images, audio or a combination thereof.”
Users could even alter preferences and other aspects to be synced across multiple devices by saving the data that has been set on one device and applying to the devices of the users choice.
In another application submitted, the company describes another cloud-based computing service within a software where users can discover new media on the Net and automatically receive tags to the content and then locate the content on a media purchasing service, such as iTunes, and buy the product accordingly. The patent file, in which they call Tagging Media Assets, Locations and Advertisements,? declares a variety of media oriented targets such as HD radio, satellite radio, downloaded content and streamed media where material could be tagged and identified in a number of categories, including basic information like URL, artist, album and even the origin where the content was made or oriented in.
Through GPS hardware, a user's location can be recorded and used for even more in-depth data recovery, such as a DJ playing the song on the radio station in your area, as the patent states.
“A tag associated with the data tag may be used to perform a number of different actions by a number of different systems. For example, a tag may be used to obtain additional information, advertisements, and/or access to (e.g., purchase, receive for free, etc.) media content.”
The content of the filings seems rather interesting, More so, it gives us some in site on what Cupertino is planning to do based on the moves they have made in the present. Both of these aspects seem ideal for the group acquired by Apple through the Lala buyout. Lala is a startup company that primarily deals with the streaming of content. Apple picked up the company for $88 million, which has led masses of experts to believe Apple has another cloud-based brainchild in the works, other than their created Genius feature in iTunes.
What's even more interesting is that Lala has posted to their website that the service is going to be discontinued on May 31 “ just a week before one of Apple's biggest shows of the year, WWDC. They continue stating that users of the service who have purchased items will be issued iTunes Store credit to compensate them for their item. Probably the most speculated future Apple has for Lala's talent is using it to incorporate the streaming of content from iTunes, a move that has been stated by Pete Kafka of MediaMemo as not expected anytime soon? being that Apple has been unable to reach an agreement with the record labels to incorporate the feature in the iTunes software.
The patent for the software is credited to Windy Chien, Robert Kondrk, Gary Stewart (for “Recapping Media Content”), Eric Oliver, Lawrence G. Bolton, Emily Clark Schubert, Jesse Lee Dorogusker and Donald J. Novotney (for “Tagging Media Assets, Locations and Advertisements?)
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