System and method for media search and playback

Abstract

A playback system is provided to located and playback streaming media from network resources. The playback system includes a search module that signals a query to a network site, and receives in return a search result. The search result identifies one or more links that are selectable to open media files. A media player couples to the search module to automatically play back streaming media contained in media files located by the search result.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A media playback system comprising: 
 a search module that signals a user-query to a first network site to receive a search result, and in response to receiving the search result, identifies a first link contained in the search result that is selectable to open media files; and    a media player coupled to the search module to automatically play back streaming media contained in a first media file of the first link contained in the search result.    
     
     
         2 . The media play back system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module includes a parser to parse the search result for the first link.  
     
     
         3 . The media playback system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module searches a media directory comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a network site for accessing a media file, the search module retrieving from the media directory at least a first address for the first network site based on the user-query.  
     
     
         4 . The media playback system of  claim 3 , wherein the search module searches the media directory via an HTTP interface.  
     
     
         5 . The media playback system of  claim 1 , further comprising a user-interface to receive the user-query, and to signal the user-query to the search module.  
     
     
         6 . The media playback system of  claim 5 , wherein the search module signals the user-query to the first network site including one or more search fields for determining the search result.  
     
     
         7 . The media playback system of  claim 6 , wherein the search module signals the user-query to the first network site including one or more search fields, the one or more search fields being selected from the group of search fields consisting of an artist name, a media title, a genre of media, or a type of media file.  
     
     
         8 . The media playback system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module includes a web browser component, and the search module accesses a first web site in response to the user-query.  
     
     
         9 . The media playback system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module signals the user-query to the first network site to identify the first link contained in the search result for opening media files containing audio digital recordings.  
     
     
         10 . The media playback system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module signals the user-query to the first network site to identify the first link contained in the search result for opening media files containing video and/or audio digital recordings.  
     
     
         11 . The media playback system of  claim 1 , wherein the search module signals the user-query to a search engine of the first network site in the form of a uniform resource locator.  
     
     
         12 . A media playback system operated on a terminal coupled to a network, the media playback system comprising: 
 a search module that signals a user-query to a plurality of network sites to receive a plurality of search results, and in response to receiving the plurality of search results, identifies a plurality of links that are selectable to open media files; and    a media player coupled to the search module to automatically access and load the media files of the plurality of links.    
     
     
         13 . The media playback system of  claim 12 , wherein the search module identifies a first link from a first network site, and a second link from a second network site, and wherein the media player automatically accesses and loads a first media file of the first link, and a second media file of the second link, so as to continuously and sequentially playback streaming media from the first link and the second link.  
     
     
         14 . The media playback system of  claim 13 , wherein the first network site has a first domain address, and the second network site has a second domain address that is different than the first domain address.  
     
     
         15 . The media playback system of  claim 12 , wherein the search module formulates the search query into a network query directed to one or more of the network sites.  
     
     
         16 . The media playback system of  claim 12 , wherein the search module formulates the search query into a plurality of network queries, each of the plurality of network queries being directed on one of the plurality of network sites.  
     
     
         17 . The media playback system of claim of  claim 15 , wherein the search module formulates each network query so as to include a uniform resource locator including metadata information specific to the corresponding network sites.  
     
     
         18 . The media player of  claim 17 , wherein the search module formulates each network query into the uniform resource locator, including an address to the corresponding network site, and arguments to search for streaming media on the corresponding network site.  
     
     
         19 . The media playback system of  claim 12 , wherein the search module signals the search results to a playlist module, the playlist module arranging the plurality of links from the search results into a designated order, each of the plurality of links providing a network address for a corresponding media file, the playlist module signaling the plurality of links to the media player in the designated order.  
     
     
         20 . The media playback system of  claim 12 , further comprising a user-interface to receive the user-query.