Method and system for providing listener-requested music over a network

• US 20040019497A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pandora Media LLC (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reed, Erik, Volk, Andrew R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

A system and method for providing personalized music playback over a network. A user may cause a browser on his/her computer to connect to a server via which the user may tune to one of a plurality of radio stations by selecting a hypertext link for the desired radio station. After certain registration, login, and other administrative procedures are completed, the user may receive from the server a playlist of songs in the musical style of the radio station selected by the user. The playlist includes a plurality of unique identifiers for each song that indicate to the user'"'"'s media player, a location on the Internet from which the song may be streamingly transmitted to the media player for playback on the user'"'"'s computer. In addition to selecting a radio station and receiving a playlist, each registered user may submit requests for songs which that user desires to be included on a future playlist. For each radio station, requests from a plurality of users are aggregated over a predetermined time period to determine which songs are most requested. A user request for a song may be time-delayed or satisfied in real-time.

Claims

1. A method of providing content to a user over a network comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving input from the user, the input being related to content desired by the user over the network;

(b) analyzing the user input over a predetermined time period; and

(c) compiling a content playlist based on the analyzed user input.

2. A method as recited by claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(d) transmitting the content playlist to each of the plurality of users.

3. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of users has a computer having a media player installed thereon and operable in connection with a processor thereof, and wherein said method further comprises the step of providing computer software code to each of the plurality of users for receiving a plurality of Web pages and for receiving the content playlist, the computer software causing the media player to request and receive each of the plurality of content in the content playlist.

4. A method as recited by claim 1, further comprising filtering the content playlist prior to transmitting the content playlist to each of the plurality of users.

5. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises compiling a content playlist having a predetermined play duration.

6. A method as recited by claim 4, wherein the predetermined play duration is equal to or less than one hour.

7. A method as recited by claim 4, wherein the predetermined play duration is equal to or greater than one hour.

8. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the content is a plurality of songs and wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of unique identifiers for each of the plurality of songs in the playlist.

9. A method as recited by claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of unique identifiers includes a url identifying a location from which each of the plurality of songs may be streamed to each of the plurality of users.

10. A method as recited by claim 7, wherein the content is also an advertisement and wherein the playlist further comprises a unique identifier for the advertisement.

11. A method as recited by claim 9, wherein each of said unique identifier for the advertisement includes a url identifying a location from which the advertisement may be streamed to each of the plurality of users.

12. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein said step (d) comprises simultaneously transmitting the content playlist to each of the plurality of users.

13. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein said step (d) comprises transmitting the content playlist to each of the plurality of users for automatic playback by each user.

14. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of user input is a user request for a song.

15. A method as recited by claim 1, further comprising the step of continuously performing steps (a) through (d).

16. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein said step (c) is carried out upon expiration of the predetermined time period of said step (b).

18. A method as recited by claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of input is a user request for a song.

19. A method as recited by claim 16, further comprising the step of continuously performing steps (a) and (b).

20. A method as recited by claim 16, wherein said step (b) is carried out upon expiration of the predetermined time period of said step (a).

21. A method as recited by claim 16, wherein said step (b) comprises providing content to the user having a predetermined duration.

22. A method as recited by claim 20, wherein the predetermined duration is equal to or less than one hour.

23. A method as recited by claim 20, wherein the predetermined duration is equal to or greater than one hour.

24. A method as recited by claim 16, wherein the content is a playlist comprising a plurality of unique identifiers for identifying each of a plurality of songs.

25. A method as recited by claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of unique identifiers includes a url identifying a location from which each of the plurality of songs may be streamed to the user.

26. A method as recited by claim 23, wherein the playlist also comprises a unique identifier for identifying an advertisement.

27. A method as recited by claim 25, wherein said unique identifier for identifying the advertisement includes a url identifying a location from which the advertisement may be streamed to the user.

28. A method as recited by claim 16, wherein said step (b) comprises simultaneously providing content to each of the plurality of users.

29. A method as recited by claim 16, wherein said step (b) comprises providing the content to each of a plurality of users for automatic playback by each user.

31. A system as recited by claim 29, wherein said system further comprises a content server connectable to the network, said content server providing content to the user based on the content playlist.

32. A system as recited by claim 29, wherein said processor is further operable in connection with the software on said server for providing computer software code to each of the plurality of users for receiving a plurality of Web pages and for receiving the content playlist, the computer software causing a media player on each user'"'"'s computer to request and receive each of the plurality of content in the content playlist.

34. A system as recited by claim 29, wherein said processor is further operable in connection with the software on said server for compiling a content playlist comprising a plurality of unique identifiers for identifying each of a plurality of songs.

38. A system as recited by claim 29, wherein said server has a data storage device and wherein said system further comprises a plurality of databases stored on said data storage device.

17. A method of providing content to a user based upon input received from a plurality of users, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) aggregating the input received from the plurality of users for a predetermined time period; and

(b) providing content to the user based on the aggregated input.

30. A system for compiling a playlist of a plurality of content and for providing the playlist to a user having a computer connectable to a network, said system being connectable to the network and comprising:

a server having a processor operable in connection with software loaded on said server for;

providing a plurality of Web pages to each of a plurality of users;

receiving a plurality of input from each of the plurality of users, each input being related to specific content;

aggregating the plurality of input for the same specific content over a predetermined time period;

compiling a content playlist based on the aggregated input from the plurality of users; and

transmitting the content playlist to the user.

33. A system as recited by claim 30, wherein said processor is further operable in connection with the software on said server for providing computer software code to each of the plurality of users for receiving a plurality of Web pages and for receiving the content playlist, the computer software causing a media player on each user'"'"'s computer to request and receive each of the plurality of content in the content playlist from said content server.

35. A system as recited by claim 33, wherein each of said plurality of unique identifiers includes a url identifying a location from which each of the plurality of songs may be streamed to the user.

36. A system as recited by claim 33, wherein the playlist also comprises a unique identifier for identifying an advertisement.

37. A system as recited by claim 35, wherein said unique identifier for identifying the advertisement includes a url identifying a location from which the advertisement may be streamed to the user.

39. A system as recited by claim 37, wherein said plurality of databases include a song database, a user database, and a station database.

41. A method as recited by claim 39, wherein the user has a computer having a media player installed thereon and operable in connection with a processor thereof, and wherein said method further comprises the step of providing computer software code to the user for receiving the playlist and for causing the media player to request and receive each of the audio content on the playlist.

42. A method as recited by claim 39, wherein the audio content is a plurality of songs and wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of unique identifiers for each of the plurality of songs in the playlist.

43. A method as recited by claim 41, each unique identifier includes a url identifying a location from which each of the plurality of songs may be streamed to the user.

44. A method as recited by claim 41, wherein the audio content is also an advertisement and wherein the playlist further comprises a unique identifier for the advertisement.

45. A method as recited by claim 43, wherein each of said unique identifier for the advertisement includes a url identifying a location from which the advertisement may be streamed to each of the plurality of users.

46. A method as recited by claim 39, wherein said step (e) comprises simultaneously transmitting the playlist to a plurality of users.

47. A method as recited by claim 39, wherein said step (e) comprises transmitting the content playlist to a plurality of users for automatic playback by each user.

48. A method as recited by claim 39, further comprising the step of continuously performing steps (b) through (e).

40. A method of providing audio content over a network to a user comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of Web pages to the user;

(b) receiving a plurality of request for audio content from a plurality of users;

(c) aggregating the plurality of requests for audio content over a predetermined time period;

(d) compiling a playlist of certain of the plurality of requested audio content based on the aggregated plurality of requests; and

(e) transmitting the playlist to the user.