Apple Inc.

Mike Wiese

Jeffrey L Robbin

Anne Jones

Thomas E Dowdy

David Heller

Patrice Olivier Gautier

Stephen Anderson Davis

David Lawrence Neumann

Dave Heller

Peter K Wagner

Max Muller

Ellis Marshall Verosub

Robert H Kondrk

Timothy Benjamin Martin

Alexandrea Anderson

Thomas K Burkholder

Steve P Jobs

Bruno Posokhow

Oliver Krevet

Charles Clinton Lloyd

Tammy Tova Abraham

Improved podcasts and techniques that facilitate their use are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, a client application can subscribe to podcasts and then automatically monitor the podcasts for updates to be downloaded. In the event that user interest in a podcast becomes inadequate, downloading of further updates can be restricted. According to another aspect, a podcast can be subscribed to through use of a portable subscription file. According to still another aspect, podcast feeds can be enhanced to include segment elements and other metadata.

Techniques and systems for supporting podcasting

Methods and systems for network-based purchase and distribution of media are disclosed. The purchase and distribution of media by these methods and systems are not only secure but also controlled. The security restricts access to media within media files during downloads as well as while stored at a server and/or client. For example, a potential purchaser can search and browse through numerous media items on-line that are available for purchase. The potential purchaser can thereafter purchase one or more media items on-line with great ease. Upon purchasing a media item, the content for the media item can be downloaded over the network to the purchaser. The content for the media item is then encrypted for the purchaser's use and stored on the purchaser's machine. Thereafter, the purchaser can make use of the media item (e.g., play the media item). Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and/or purchasing numerous media items are also disclosed.

Network based purchase and distribution of media

Methods and systems for submitting media to a media distribution site are disclosed. The submission of media to the media distribution site is able to be performed by numerous submitters in a uniform and computer-assisted manner. The submitted media can then be encoded in a largely automated manner at the media distribution site into a suitable digital form and then made available for online purchase and distribution.

Method and system for submitting media for network-based purchase and distribution

Improved techniques that facilitate the use of podcasts are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, organizing, searching, browsing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, tags are embedded into syndication feeds (e.g., RSS feeds) that may be made available for distribution by an online media store to facilitate the management of podcasts. In accordance with one embodiment, an explicit tag may be embedded at the feed and/or episode level to indicate that the feed and/or episode includes explicit content. In accordance with another embodiment, a duration tag may be embedded at the episode level to indicate an estimated duration associated with the episode. Upon downloading the episode, the duration may be replaced by the actual duration of the episode. In accordance with yet another embodiment, a new feed-URL tag may be embedded in a syndication feed to identify a new URL at which the feed is to be accessed.

Podcast organization and usage at a computing device

Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and/or purchasing media items are disclosed. The graphical user interfaces are particularly useful for a system that provides purchase and distribution of media in a client-server environment.

Graphical user interface for browsing, searching and presenting media items

Improved techniques and graphical user interfaces for presenting a media item on a computing device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the media item is a video. A video information window can provide a user with information concerning the video and can enable the user to play at least a portion of the video on request. When the video is to be played, the video information window can expand to present a video playback region in which the video is provided when played. The video can be provided with high resolution and appropriate frame size.

Techniques and graphical user interfaces for preview of media items

Techniques for interacting with an online media store to obtain a media asset bundle, such as a digital boxset, are disclosed. These techniques involve, for instance, browsing for a media asset bundle that includes at least one non-playable media asset, purchasing the media asset bundle, obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle, determining if a presentation request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle, and presenting the requested media asset. Further, these techniques involve playing the media assets in a media asset bundle by selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle, determining whether the media asset is playable or non-playable, presenting the media asset using an appropriate media asset viewer if it is playable, not playing (skipping) the media asset if it is non-playable, and selecting/playing other media assets in the media asset bundle until no more media assets are available to be played.

Online purchase of digital media bundles

Improved techniques that facilitate the use of podcasts are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, organizing, searching, browsing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, tags are embedded into syndication feeds (e.g., RSS feeds) that may be made available for distribution by an online media store to facilitate the management of podcasts. Such tags can include a block tag that may be embedded into a syndication feed to indicate whether the feed is to be blocked from being included in the online media store. According to another aspect, management of podcasts may be facilitated by other mechanisms. In accordance with one embodiment, a user may challenge the ownership of a podcast to block or remove a podcast from the online media store. In accordance with another embodiment, images may be stored to allow efficient retrieval of the corresponding episode(s) of a podcast.

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Mike Wiese