Method and system for exploring similarities

• US 10,521,452 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Beaupre, Todd, Chand, Jagdish
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Level, Barbara M
• Application Number:
  US15/142,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/01 Automatic library building
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 : Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 : Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 : applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 : Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 : Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 : The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 : Multimedia

Abstract

A method and computer readable medium for exploring similar users and items of a media service. In one aspect, a user can explore for similar users iteratively. In one aspect, a user interface is generated that displays a user selectable indicia representing a similar member function for allowing a user to search a media service for at least one other user which has a degree of similarity with respect to the searching user. In another aspect, a method facilitates the search of such a similar user within a media service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, by an apparatus, a list of friends on a first graphical user interface (GUI) of a media player application;

receiving, by the apparatus, a first input on the first GUI for selecting a first friend from the list of friends;

displaying, by the apparatus, a profile page comprising a first playlist associated with the first friend in response to receiving the first input, wherein the first playlist comprises a plurality of identifiers that each identifies a content file;

receiving, by the apparatus, a second input for adding a first identifier of the plurality of identifiers to a second playlist associated with a user of the apparatus, wherein the first identifier identifies a first content file;

adding, by the apparatus, the first identifier identifying the first content file to the second playlist in response to receiving the second input;

displaying, by the apparatus, the second playlist;

receiving, by the apparatus, a third input for playing the first content file identified by the first identifier from the second playlist;

playing, by the apparatus, the first content file stored on the apparatus in response to the third input when the first content file is stored on the apparatus; and

streaming, by the apparatus, the first content file from a server and playing, by the apparatus, the first content file in response to the third input when the first content file is stored on the server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the apparatus, to a network a message comprising content identifiers of content files stored at the apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content file is located by the media player application on the apparatus when the first content file is stored on the apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content file is located by the media player application on the server when the first content file is stored on the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile page further comprises songs that the first friend has been listening to lately.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the second playlist; and

publishing the second playlist to other users via a network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sharing a second content file with other users via the media player application.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a fourth input indicating a like or a dislike of the user for a song.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a list of recommended songs that are based upon preference information of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a list of albums similar to a particular album.

11. A device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to be configured to;

display a list of friends on a first graphical user interface (GUI) of a media player application;

receive a first input on the first GUI for selecting a first friend from the list of friends;

display a profile page comprising a first playlist associated with the first friend in response to receiving the first input, wherein the first playlist comprises a plurality of identifiers that each identifies a content file;

receive a second input for adding a first identifier of the plurality of identifiers to a second playlist associated with a user of the device, wherein the first identifier identifies a first content file;

add the first identifier identifying the first content file to the second playlist in response to receiving the second input;

display the second playlist;

receive a third input for playing the first content file identified by the first identifier from the second playlist;

play the first content file stored on the device in response to the third input when the first content file is stored on the device; and

stream the first content file from a server and play the first content file in response to the third input when the first content file is stored on the server.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores programming instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to send to a network a message comprising content identifiers of content files stored at the device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the first content file is associated with a time-based digital rights management (DRM) that expires after a certain amount of time.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the list of friends comprises one or more friends from a communication program.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the first identifier identifies a network location at which the first content file resides.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the first playlist is elected to be published to other users by the first friend.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the memory further stores programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to share a second content file with other users via the media player application.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to receive a fourth input indicating a like or dislike of the user for a song.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores programming instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to receive a list of recommended songs that are based upon preference information of the user.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:

displaying a list of friends on a first graphical user interface (GUI) of a media player application;

receiving a first input on the first GUI for selecting a first friend from the list of friends;

displaying a profile page comprising a first playlist associated with the first friend in response to receiving the first input, wherein the first playlist comprises a plurality of identifiers that each identifies a content file;

receiving a second input for adding a first identifier of the plurality of identifiers to a second playlist associated with a user of the apparatus, wherein the first identifier identifies a first content file;

adding the first identifier identifying the first content file to the second playlist in response to receiving the second input;

displaying the second playlist;

receiving a third input for playing the first content file identified by the first identifier from the second playlist;

playing the first content file stored on the apparatus in response to the third input when the first content file is stored on the apparatus; and

streaming the first content file from a server, and playing, by the apparatus, the first content file in response to the third input when the first content file is stored on the server.