System and method for sharing playlists

• US 20050251807A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dedicated Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dryden Enterprises LLC
• Inventors: Weel, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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: 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: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A system for sharing playlists utilizes a network, such as the Internet. A player device other than a general purpose computer, such as a dedicated media player or a remote control for a dedicated media player, is in communication with the server over the network. The player device is configured to receive a playlist, queue the playlist, display the playlist, and play a selection from the playlist. A user profile may be used to identify playlists that are likely to contain selections of interest to the user.

Claims

1. A system for sharing playlists, the system comprising a dedicated media player that is configured to receive a playlist from a centralized server running on the Internet and to display the playlist.

2. A system for sharing playlists, the system comprising:

a network;

a player device comprising at least one of a media player and a remote control for a media player;

a server storing the playlists of users;

wherein the player device is in communication with the network and the player device is configured to receive a playlist, store the playlist, display the playlist, and play a selection from the playlist; and

wherein the player device is not a general purpose computer.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device is at least one of a music player, a video player, a remote control for a music player and a remote control for a video player.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device is at least partially defined by at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

an MP3 player;

a cellular telephone;

a set top box;

a stereo;

a television;

a car stereo,

a video monitor; and

a video storage player device.

6. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device is a portable player device that is configured to receive streaming audio.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device comprises a network adapter.

8. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device comprises a wireless network adapter.

9. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device comprises an LCD display for displaying the playlist.

10. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device is configured to facilitate searching for playlists.

11. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a server upon which a plurality of playlists are stored and the player device is configured to receive playlists from the server.

12. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of other player devices upon which a plurality of playlists are stored and the music player is configured to receive playlists from the other player devices.

13. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the player device is configured to store a plurality of different playlists.

14. A player device comprising at least one of a dedicated media player and a remote control for a dedicated media player, the player device further comprising a receiving circuit for receiving a playlist and a display for displaying the playlist.

15. The player device as recited in claim 14, wherein the receiving circuit comprises a network adapter.

16. The player device as recited in claim 14, wherein the receiving circuit comprises a wireless network adapter.

17. The player device as recited in claim 14, wherein the display comprises an LCD display.

18. A server comprising a plurality of playlists, the server being configured to communicate a selected playlist to a player device that is not a general purpose computer.

19. A method for sharing playlists, the method comprising communicating a playlist to a player device comprising at least one of a dedicated media player and a remote control for the dedicated media player.

20. A method for sharing playlists, the method comprising communicating a playlist to a player device that is not a general purpose computer.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the player device is at least one of a dedicated media player and a remote control for a dedicated media player.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the player device is at least one of a music player, a video player, a remote control for a music player and a remote control for a video player.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the player device is defined by at least one item selected from group consisting of:

an MP3 player;

a cellular telephone;

a set top box;

a stereo;

a television;

a car stereo;

a video monitor; and

a video storage player device.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the playlist is communicated from a server.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the playlist is communicated from another player device.

26. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising defining a user profile for a recipient of the playlist and matching the user profile to a user profile of another person, wherein the communicated playlist is the playlist of the other person.

27. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising defining a user profile for a recipient of the playlist and matching the user profile to a user profile of another person, wherein the communicated playlist is the playlist of the other person and wherein the profile includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

type of music listened to;

at least one artist;

at least one selection;

at least one instrument;

at least one record company;

a region;

a country;

a state;

a city;

an age;

a school; and

an ethnicity.

28. A method of defining a playlist, the method comprising defining a user profile, the user profile being used to determine selections that may be enjoyed by a user.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the user profile is compared to user profiles of others to determine a match, a playlist of another for which a match is determined being used to define the playlist for the user.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the user profile is used to define a statistical aggregate of other users and the playlist is determined by the statistical aggregate.

31. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the user profile comprises a list of selections enjoyed by the user and a frequency of which these selections are played.

32. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the user profile comprises a list of selections enjoyed by the user and a rating of the selections by the user.

33. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the user profile comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

type of music listened to;

a user'"'"'s age;

at least one artist;

at least one selection;

at least one instrument;

at least one record company;

a region;

a country;

a state;

a city;

a school; and

an ethnicity.

34. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising defining a period of time and using the period of time to determine which selections were popular then, the playlist comprising at least some of these selections.

35. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising defining a playlist which comprises at least some selections that were popular during approximately the last week.

36. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising defining a playlist which comprises at least some selections that were popular during approximately the last month.

37. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising defining a playlist which comprises at least some selections that were popular during approximately the last year.

38. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising updating the playlist by adding selections that have been added to the playlist of another.

39. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising editing the playlist to add or remove selections therefrom.

40. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising automatically adding selections to the playlist that are played in excess of a predetermined rate by the player.

41. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising automatically removing selections from the playlist that are played less than a predetermined rate by the player.

42. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising designating at least one selection on a playlist as private, wherein any selections of the playlist that are designated as private are not shared with others.

43. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising removing selections from the playlist that are not compatible with the player.

44. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising removing selections from the playlist that are not compatible with the location.

45. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising designating at least one selection on a playlist as preferred to indicate that this selection is particularly enjoyable for the user.

46. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of audio selections.

47. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of video selections.

48. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of game selections.

49. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of software selections.

50. A method for managing media content on a network, the method comprising using information about a user'"'"'s previous playing to define a playlist and communicating the playlist to a player device other than a general purpose computer with which the playlist can be stored, displayed, and selections made for playing therefrom.

51. A method for defining a playlist, the method comprising finding at least one other person with similar tastes and communicating a list of selections played by the other user to a player device other than a general purpose computer.

52. The method as recited in claim 51, further comprising updating the playlist by communicating an updated list of selections played by the other person to the player device.

53. A method for defining a playlist for a user, the method comprising finding at least one other person with similar tastes by matching a profile of the user to a profile of the other person.

54. The method as recited in claim 53, further comprising updating the playlist by communicating an updated list of selections played by the other person to a player device of the user.

55. A data structure comprising a playlist defined by a method comprising communicating the playlist to a player device that is not a general purpose computer.

56. A data structure comprising a playlist defined by a method comprising defining a user profile and using the user profile to determine selections that may be enjoyed by a user.

57. A computer readable media having stored thereon a data structure comprising a playlist defined by a method comprising communicating the playlist to a player device that is not a general purpose computer.

58. A computer readable media having stored thereon a data structure comprising a playlist defined by a method comprising defining a user profile and using the user profile to determine selections that may be enjoyed by a user.

59. A computer readable media having stored thereon a method for defining a playlist, wherein the method comprises communicating the playlist to a player device that is not a general purpose computer.

60. A computer readable media having stored thereon a method for defining a playlist, wherein the method comprises defining a user profile and using the user profile to determine selections that may be enjoyed by a user.