US 10609442

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 10609442:

US Patent Number: 10609442
Title: Method and apparatus for generating and annotating virtual clips associated with a playable media file [cite: The provided patent text]
Assignee: ART RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY LLC [cite: The provided patent text]
Inventors: David Hirschfeld, Mark Phelps, Theodore V. Haig, Barry Fernando [cite: The provided patent text]
Filing Date: April 5, 2017 (Application number US15/479,774) [cite: The provided patent text]
Issue Date: March 31, 2020 (Publication date) [cite: The provided patent text]
Abstract: A method and system for annotating playable media files is provided. A virtual clip is associated with first and second locations in the playable media file. These locations define a clip of the playable media file. The clip is displayed to a user, and a user input related to the virtual clip is received. The system determines if this input conforms to a predetermined format for taxonomy tags. If it does, one or more taxonomy tags are identified from the input and associated with the virtual clip in the user's account. [cite: The provided patent text]

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method for displaying information): This claim describes a method for displaying information related to a playable media file. It involves obtaining stored data that includes the media file's location and multiple "virtual clips." Each virtual clip identifies a start time within the media file and the user who created it. The method then accesses the media file, displays a graphical user interface (GUI) on a user's device (allowing user interaction), and receives an input from the user on a timeline displayed in the GUI. Based on this input, it determines a specific time in the media file, identifies relevant virtual clips, and updates the GUI to show a list of these displayable virtual clips.

• Independent Claim 12 (Method for marking a portion of interest): This claim outlines a method for marking a specific part of a playable media file. It starts with a recording device capturing a live event as a playable media file. While recording, the device receives a user input, but continues recording. From this input, a "temporal point of interest" in the recording is identified. A "temporal place marker" is then generated to index this point of interest and is electronically stored.

• Independent Claim 18 (Method of annotating a playable media file): This claim details a method for annotating a playable media file. It involves obtaining a virtual clip defined by a start and end location within the media file. This clip is then displayed on a user's device. The method receives a user input associated with the virtual clip and determines if this input matches a specific format for "taxonomy tags." If the format is correct, one or more taxonomy tags are identified from the input and are associated with the virtual clip in the user's account.

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Uncertainty Regarding CAFC 2026 Dockets:
Based on the provided search results from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, no specific dockets for patent US10609442 were found for the year 2026. The search returned general information about accessing case information and a list of scheduled cases for May 2026, none of which explicitly mention this patent number.