Method and apparatus for providing a customized selection of audio content over the internet

• US 20020002483A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Abram, Philip M., Gudorf, Gregory D., Tobin, Christopher M., Siegel, Brian M., Raymond, Brian, Iso, Kazuaki, Beckwitt, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network.

Claims

1. A method for providing selected media files from among a plurality of media files to a user over a packet-switched network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content;

retrieving from a database a user profile associated with said user, said user profile reflecting user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network;

ranking the plurality of media files based at least in part on the user profile;

selecting at least one highly ranked media file from among the ranked plurality of media files; and

forwarding said at least one highly ranked media file to the user over the packet-switched network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user profile includes a declared user profile specifying self-defined user preferences.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said user profile includes a behavior profile of the user based on online activity of the user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said behavior profile includes information identifying items displayed by the user during at least one online session.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of ranking the plurality of media files is performed in accordance with a keyword search of the behavior profile for preselected terms.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of ranking the plurality of media files includes the step of forming an association between keywords found in the behavior profile and predefined categories of media content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of ranking the plurality of media files is performed in accordance with a social filtering technique.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of updating the behavior profile based on online user activity subsequent to the forwarding step.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said media files are audio files.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said audio files include musical content.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said media files include informational content.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said packet-switched network is the Internet.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein said self-defined user preferences include predefined categories.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said predefined categories include musical categories.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said user profile includes a declared user profile specifying self-defined user preferences and a behavior profile of the user based on online activity of the user.

16. The method of claim 15 either said declared user profile or said behavior profile is a default profile.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said behavior profile is a default profile and said declared user profile includes prescribed conditions under which said behavior profile is to be adjusted in accordance with said declared user profile.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of selecting and forwarding to the user at least one advertisement based at least in part on the user profile.

19. The method of claim 3 wherein said online activity on which the behavior profile is based includes an identification of web pages visited by the user and files selected by the user.

20. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of repeating the ranking, selecting, and forwarding steps based on a behavior profile updated during a previous online session.

44. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a record of previous online activity of the user.

45. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of receiving a record of previous online activity of the user.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein said record is received from a cookie stored in an interface device of the user.

21. An online system for providing selected media files from among a plurality of media files to a user over a packet-switched network, said apparatus comprising:

a database that includes a user profile associated with said user and reflecting user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network;

a processor for ranking the plurality of media files based at least in part on the user profile and selecting at least one highly ranked media file from among the ranked plurality of media files; and

a server in communication with the packet-switched network for receiving a request from the user to receive media content and for forwarding said at least one highly ranked media file to the user over the packet-switched network.

22. The online system of claim 21 wherein said user profile includes a declared user profile specifying self-defined user preferences.

23. The online system of claim 21 wherein said user profile includes a behavior profile of the user based on online activity of the user.

24. The online system of claim 23 wherein said behavior profile includes information identifying items displayed by the user during at least one online session.

25. The online system of claim 21 wherein said processor ranks the plurality of media files in accordance with a keyword search of the behavior profile for preselected terms.

26. The online system of claim 21 wherein said processor ranks the plurality of media files by forming an association between keywords found in the behavior profile and predefined categories of media content.

27. The online system of claim 21 wherein said processor ranks the plurality of media files in accordance with a social filtering technique.

28. The online system of claim 23 wherein said behavior profile is updated based on online user activity subsequent to forwarding said at least one highly ranked media file to the user.

29. The online system of claim 21 wherein said media files are audio files.

30. The online system of claim 29 wherein said audio files include musical content.

31. The online system of claim 29 wherein said media files include informational content.

32. The online system of claim 21 wherein said packet-switched network is the Internet.

33. The online system of claim 22 wherein said self-defined user preferences include predefined categories.

34. The online system of claim 33 wherein said predefined categories include musical categories.

35. The online system of claim 21 wherein said user profile includes a declared user profile specifying self-defined user preferences and a behavior profile of the user based on online activity of the user.

36. The online system of claim 35 either said declared user profile or said behavior profile is a default profile.

37. The online system of claim 36 wherein said behavior profile is a default profile and said declared user profile includes prescribed conditions under which said behavior profile is to be adjusted in accordance with said declared user profile.

38. The online system of claim 21 further comprising an advertisement database storing a plurality of advertisements, said processor selects and forwards to the user at least one advertisement based at least in part on the user profile.

39. The online system of claim 23 wherein said online activity on which the behavior profile is based includes an identification of web pages visited by the user and files selected by the user.

40. The online system of claim 28 wherein said server is a web server.

41. The online system of claim 21 further comprising a media source database for storing said media files.

42. The online system of claim 41 wherein said media source database is located within said server.

43. The online system of claim 41 further comprising a data communications link coupling said media source database to said server.

47. A method for providing selected media files from among a plurality of media files to a user establishing communication with a host server over a packet-switched network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to establish communication with the host server;

retrieving from a database a user profile associated with said user, said user profile reflecting user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network;

ranking the plurality of media files based at least in part on the user profile;

selecting at least one highly ranked media file from among the ranked plurality of media files; and

forwarding said at least one highly ranked media file to the user over the packet-switched network.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said user profile includes a declared user profile specifying self-defined user preferences.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein said user profile includes a behavior profile of the user based on online activity of the user.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said behavior profile includes information identifying items displayed by the user during at least one online session.

51. The method of claim 47 wherein the step of ranking the plurality of media files is performed in accordance with a keyword search of the behavior profile for preselected terms.

52. The method of claim 47 wherein the step of ranking the plurality of media files includes the step of forming an association between keywords found in the behavior profile and predefined categories of media content.

53. The method of claim 47 wherein the step of ranking the plurality of media files is performed in accordance with a social filtering technique.

54. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of updating the behavior profile based on online user activity subsequent to the forwarding step.

55. The method of claim 47 wherein said media files are audio files.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein said audio files include musical content.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein said media files include informational content.

58. The method of claim 47 wherein said packet-switched network is the Internet.

59. The method of claim 48 wherein said self-defined user preferences include predefined categories.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein said predefined categories include musical categories.

61. The method of claim 47 wherein said user profile includes a declared user profile specifying self-defined user preferences and a behavior profile of the user based on online activity of the user.

62. The method of claim 47 further comprising the step of receiving a record of previous online activity of the user.

63. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of receiving a record of previous online activity of the user.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein said record is received from a cookie stored in an interface device of the user.

65. The method of claim 47 further comprising the step of receiving a purchase inquiry from the user.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein said purchase inquiry is for a product or service not associated with the media content.