System and method for effectively presenting multimedia information materials
A server provides a database containing information segments, e.g., news video clips. Through a communications network, a user may access the database to retrieve selected video clips for viewing, e.g., on a personal computer, media player, television, etc. After selecting the video clips of interest, the user may manipulate the sequence of the selected video clips to be presented. To that end, the video clips are represented by indicators, and may be selected by storing the corresponding indicators in a buffer, such as a virtual “shopping cart.”The sequence of the indicators in the buffer may be rearranged to affect the order of the selected video clips represented thereby for personal viewing of the video clips.
1. A method for presenting to a user media segments in an order selected by the user, the method comprising:
displaying, in a first region of a first page shown on a display device, a plurality of first indicators each representative of a respective one of a plurality of information segments selected from a database during a search of the database;
receiving from the user selections of individual information segments from among the plurality of information segments represented by the displayed first indicators, each of the user selected information segments being represented by respective second indicators, the second indicators being different from the corresponding information segments and first indicators;
displaying simultaneously with at least one of the plurality of first indicators, in a second region of the first page different from the first region, a list comprising the second indicators corresponding to the user selected information segments, in response to the selection of each individual information segment, the second indicators being displayed in a sequence within the list corresponding to an order in which the information segments are selected;
displaying, on a second page shown on the display device, one or more additional first indicators each representative of a respective one of the plurality of information segments selected from the database during the search, in response to a selection by the user of an option, displayed on the first page, to display additional first indicators;
displaying the list including the selected second indicators on the second page simultaneously with the one or more additional first indicators;
allowing the user to select at least one additional information segment represented by the one or more additional first indicators;
displaying, within the list, at least one additional second indicator corresponding to the at least one selected additional information segment, the at least one additional second indicator being displayed in the sequence in a position corresponding to an order in which the at least one additional information segment is selected with respect to the selected information segments;
allowing the user to select an indicator from among the second indicators and the at least one additional second indicator in the list and change the position of the selected indicator with respect to the other second indicators and additional second indicators in the sequence; and
presenting the user selected information segments represented by the respective second indicators and additional second indicators in the sequence in the same order as the respective second indicators and additional second indicators in the sequence.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising loading the user selected information segments into a memory.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the memory is associated with a personal computer.
4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the memory is associated with a set-top box.
5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the memory is associated with a personal video recorder.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein presenting the user selected information segments includes playing, pausing, rewinding, or fast forwarding the user selected information segments.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user selected information segments include video clips.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of information segments in the database contains visual information.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of information segments in the database contains audio information.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of information segments in the database contains text information.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising presenting the user selected information segments on a computer.
12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising presenting the user selected information segments on a television.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the television interfaces with a set-top box.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the television interfaces with a personal video recorder.
15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising presenting the user selected information segments on a media player.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, in a third region of the first page, one or more graphical markers representing respective topics;
receiving from a user a selection of a graphical marker corresponding to a desired topic; and
displaying, in the first region, a second plurality of the stored information segments associated with the desired topic.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each first indicator displayed in the first region comprises at least a title and a summary of the information segment.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, on a third page shown on the display device, a play list comprising the second indicators and the at least one additional second indicator displayed in the list; and
presenting the user selected information segments represented by the respective second indicators and the at least one additional second indicator in the sequence in the same order as the respective second indicators and the at least one additional second indicator in the sequence.
19. The method of claim 18 , comprising:
allowing the user to select an indicator from among the second indicators and the at least one additional second indicator in the play list and change the position of the selected indicator with respect to the other second indicators and additional second indicators in the sequence prior to presenting the user selected information segments.
20. A method for providing a user with media segments in an order selected by the user, comprising:
storing a plurality of video files relating to a plurality of news topics in one or more databases;
displaying, in a first region of a first page shown on a display apparatus, one or more graphical markers representing respective news topics;
receiving from a user a selection of a graphical marker corresponding to a desired news topic;
searching the one or more databases to identify a plurality of video files associated with the desired news topic selected by a user;
displaying to the user, in a second region of the first page different from the first region, a respective descriptor of each of the identified video files;
allowing the user to select, for placement into a third region of the first page different from the first and second regions, individual ones of the displayed descriptors;
displaying in the third region, in response to each selection of a descriptor, a first indicator comprising at least a respective text indicative of the respective video file corresponding to the selected descriptor, the first indicators being displayed in a sequence corresponding to an order in which the descriptors are selected by the user;
displaying, on a second page shown on the display apparatus, second indicators corresponding to the first indicators, the second indicators being displayed in the sequence;
allowing the user to arrange selected ones of the second indicators to create a second sequence, the selected second indicators being shown in the second sequence on the second page; and
presenting the video files corresponding to the selected second indicators in accordance with the second sequence.
21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising loading the selected video files into a memory.
22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the memory is associated with a personal computer.
23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the memory is associated with a set-top box.
24. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the memory is associated with a personal video recorder.
25. The method according to claim 20 , wherein at least one of the video files in the database contains audio information.
26. The method according to claim 20 , wherein at least one of the video files in the database contains text information.