Playlist downloading for digital entertainment network

• US 20050251566A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lecrew Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dryden Enterprises LLC
• Inventors: Weel, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method for playing music includes displaying a list of playlists names, selecting one of the displayed playlists names, sending at least one attribute of a playlist corresponding to the selected playlist name to a playlist server, receiving a playlist from the playlist server wherein the received playlist corresponds to the attribute(s), selecting at least one song from the received playlist, sending information representative of the selected song to a content server, receiving the selected song from the content server, and playing the selected song(s). Requesting a playlist on the first device based on attributes, sending the same attributes to a second device having the second device request the playlist and start playing.

Claims

1. A method for playing music, the method comprising:

displaying a list of playlists names;

selecting one of the displayed playlists names;

sending at least one attribute of a playlist corresponding to the selected playlist name to a playlist server;

receiving a playlist from the playlist server, the received playlist corresponding to the attribute(s);

selecting at least one song from the received playlist;

sending information representative of the selected song(s) to a content server;

receiving the selected song from the content server; and

playing the selected song(s).

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the playlist names are displayed on a first device, a playlist name is selected on the first device, the attribute(s) are sent from the first device, the playlist is received by the first device, the song is selected from the first device, and the song is played on the first device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the playlist names are displayed on a first device, a playlist name is selected on the first device, the attribute(s) are sent from the first device, the playlist is received by the first device, the song is selected from the first device, and the song is played on a second device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting a second device from the first device and wherein the playlist names are displayed on a first device, a playlist name is selected on the first device, the attribute(s) are sent from the first device, the playlist is received by the first device, the song is selected from the first device, and the song is played on a second device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a handheld portable device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a palmtop computer.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises an MP3 player.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a remote control for a second device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a remote control for a second device and the second device comprises a music rendering device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second device upon which the selected song(s) are played.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting one of the displayed playlist names and selecting a song from the playlist are performed using a touchscreen.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein communicating attributes of a playlist to a playlist server comprises communicating a name of a playlist to a playlist server.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein communicating attributes of a playlist to a playlist server comprises communicating at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of:

type of music listened to;

at least one artist;

at least one album

at least one song;

at least one selection;

at least one instrument;

at least one record company;

a region;

a country;

a state;

a city;

a school; and

a year range;

users favorites;

a genre;

a search criteria; and

an ethnicity.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending at least one attribute of a playlist to a playlist server and receiving a playlist from the playlist server comprises communicating the attribute(s) and the playlist via a network.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending at least one attribute of a playlist to a playlist server and receiving a playlist from the playlist server comprises communicating the attribute(s) and the playlist via a wide area network.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending at least one attribute of a playlist to a playlist server and receiving a playlist from the playlist server comprises communicating the attribute(s) and the playlist via the Internet.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting at least one song from the playlist comprises selecting a plurality of songs from the playlist and playing the selected song(s) comprises playing the plurality of songs.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting at least one song from the playlist comprises selecting a plurality of songs from the playlist and playing the selected song(s) comprises playing the plurality of songs in the order selected.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting at least one song from the playlist comprises selecting a plurality of songs from the playlist and playing the selected song(s) comprises playing the plurality of songs in an order other than the order selected.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting at least one song from the playlist comprises selecting a plurality of songs from the playlist and playing the selected song(s) comprises playing the plurality of songs in random order.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising automatically providing a playlist recommendation based upon listening habits of a listener.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising automatically providing a playlist recommendation based upon listening habits of a listener, the playlist recommendation comprising a playlist of another listener.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising automatically providing a playlist recommendation based upon listening habits of a listener, the playlist recommendation comprising a list of currently popular songs within a single genre.

24. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising adjusting at least one parameter on a first device for a song that is being played on a second device, the first device having had a playlist downloaded thereto from the Internet and the second device having had the song downloaded thereto from the Internet, the parameter(s) being selected from the group comprising:

volume;

tone; and

balance.

25. A method for playing music, the method comprising obtaining a playlist for a first device via the Internet, selecting a song from the playlist, using the first device to cause a second device to play the selected song, and wherein the second device obtains the song from the Internet.

26. A method for obtaining a playlist, the method comprising sending at least one attribute of the playlist from a handheld portable device to a playlist server and receiving a playlist from the playlist server.

27. A method for playing music, the method comprising:

displaying a list of playlist names on a first device;

selecting one of the displayed playlist names from the first device;

sending at least one attribute of a playlist corresponding to the selected playlist name from the first device to a playlist server;

receiving a playlist from the playlist server, the received playlist corresponding to the attribute(s) and being received by the first device;

selecting at least one song from the playlist on the first device;

sending information representative of the selected song from the first device to a content server;

receiving the selected song at the first device from the content server; and

playing the selected song(s) on the first device.

28. A method for playing music, the method comprising:

displaying a list of playlist names on a first device;

selecting one of the displayed playlist names from the first device;

sending at least one attribute of a playlist corresponding to the selected playlist name from the first device to a the second device;

having the second device send the playlist attributes to the content server and receiving a playlist from the playlist server, the received playlist corresponding to the attribute(s) and being received by the first device;

selecting a second device;

selecting at least one song from the playlist on the first device;

sending information representative of the selected song from the first device to the second device;

sending information representative of the selected song from the second device to a content server;

receiving the selected song at the second device from the content server; and

playing the selected song(s) on the second device.

29. A device for playing music, the device comprising:

a display for displaying a list of playlist names and song names and also for facilitating selection thereof;

a network transceiver for facilitating communication between the device and other devices on the network;

wherein the device is configured to facilitate;

displaying a list of playlist names on the display;

selecting one of the displayed playlist names;

sending at least one attribute of a playlist corresponding to the selected playlist name to a playlist server via the network transceiver;

receiving a playlist from the playlist server via the network transceiver, the received playlist corresponding to the attribute(s);

selecting at least one song from the playlist;

sending information representative of the selected song to a content server;

receiving the selected song from the content server; and

playing the selected song(s).

30. A device for playing music, the device comprising:

a network transceiver;

wherein the device is configured to facilitate;

receiving information representative of a song from another device;

sending of the information representative of the song to a content server via the network transceiver;

receiving of the song from the content server; and

playing of the song.

31. A playlist server comprising:

a memory within which a plurality of playlists are stored;

a network transceiver;

wherein the playlist server is configured to facilitate;

receiving at least one attribute of a playlist via the network transceiver;

identifying a playlist based upon the attribute(s); and

sending of the playlist to a device via the transceiver.

32. The playlist server as recited in claim 31, wherein the playlist server is further configured to facilitate serving of content.

33. A method for providing music, the method comprising:

receiving at least one attribute of a selected playlist at a playlist server; and

transmitting a playlist that corresponds to the attribute(s) from the playlist server to a first device.

34. A system for playing music, the system comprising:

a first device configured to display names of playlists and names of songs and to facilitate selection of the playlists and songs;

a playlist server configured to receive at least one attribute of a playlist from the first device and to send a playlist corresponding the received attribute(s) to the first device;

a content server configured to receive information representative of at least one song from the first device and to send corresponding songs to the first device; and

at least one second device configured to send attributes of a playlist to the playlist server, to send information representative of songs to a content server, to receive a playlist from the playlist server, and to receive songs from the content server.