Publishing, browsing and purchasing of groups of media items

• US 20050278377A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Verosub, Ellis M., Mirrashidi, Payam
• Granted Patent: US 7,860,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Improved techniques to create, browse and/or purchase media asset groups are disclosed. Media assets groups can be created by various persons and published to a digital assets manager. Thereafter, the media assets groups can be finalized and made available for on-line purchase. Once the media asset groups are made available for on-line purchase, users can browse and/or purchase the media asset groups at an on-line media store. One example of a media asset group (group of media items) is known as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks.

Claims

1. A method for creating a group of media assets to be made available on an on-line media asset store, said method comprising:

(a) interacting, at a client, with the on-line media asset store to create a particular group of media assets;

(b) interposing one or more sub-group indicators in the particular group of media assets to designate a plurality of sub-groups;

(c) providing, at the client, descriptive information for the particular group of media assets; and

(d) submitting the particular group of media assets with its descriptive information to be made available on the on-line media assets store.

2. A method as recited in claim 1., wherein the descriptive information includes text describing the sub-groups.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the text describing the one or more sub-groups includes one or labels for the sub-groups.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the media assets within each of the sub-groups are arranged in an order.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets within each of the sub-groups are arranged in an order.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets are audio tracks, and wherein the particular group of media assets is a playlist of at least the audio tracks.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets within at least two of the sub-groups are mutually exclusive from each other.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the media assets within another of the sub-groups are all the media assets from each of the other sub-groups.

9. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein prior to said submitting (d), said method further comprises:

sending the particular group of media assets to a digital asset manager for validation;

receiving a validated version of the particular group of media assets from the digital asset manager; and

displaying the validated version of the particular group of media assets,

wherein said submitting (d) submits the validated version of the particular group of media assets..

10. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein prior to said submitting (d), said method further comprises:

sending the particular group of media assets to a digital asset manager for validation;

receiving a validated version of the particular group of media assets from the digital asset manager;

displaying the validated version of the particular group of media assets; and

determining whether the validated version of the particular group of media assets is accepted,

wherein said submitting (d) at least informs the digital asset manager of acceptance of the validated version of the particular group of media assets..

11. A method for processing a group of media assets to be made available on an on-line media asset store, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a group of media assets to be made available on the on-line media asset store;

(b) determining availability from the on-line media asset store of each of the media assets in the group of media assets; and

(c) removing, from the group of media assets, those of the media assets determined to not be available from the on-line media asset store.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said removing (c) produces a modified group of media assets, and

wherein said method further comprises:

(d) providing the modified group of media assets to the requester.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

(e) subsequently receiving, from the requester, a final group of media assets and descriptive information for the final group of media assets.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said method further comprises:

(f) storing the final group of media assets and the descriptive information for the final group of media assets.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises:

(g) thereafter making the final group of media assets and the descriptive information for the final group of media assets available at the on-line digital asset store.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said determining (b) determines availability of each of the media assets in the group of media assets from the on-line media asset store.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the media assets are audio tracks and the group of media assets is a playlist.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said determining (b) determines whether each of the media assets in the group of media assets is available to be sold or licensed individually from its original group.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the media assets are audio tracks, the group of media assets is a playlist, and the original group is an album.

20. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said determining (b) determines availability of each of the media assets in the group of media assets based on license restrictions pertaining to the media assets.

21. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said determining (b) determines availability of each of the media assets in the group of media assets from the on-line media asset store.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said determining (b) determines whether each of the media assets in the group of media assets is available to be sold or licensed individually from its original group.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the media assets are audio tracks, the group of media assets is a playlist, and the original group is an album.

24. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said determining (b) determines availability of each of the media assets in the group of media assets based on license restrictions pertaining to the media assets.

25. A graphical user interface for assisting a user to locate media assets of interest from an on-line media store, said graphical user interface comprising:

a window displayed on a display device associated with a computing device, said window concurrently including at least a first sub-window and a second sub-window,

wherein said first sub-window displays information pertaining to a group of media assets, and

wherein said second sub-window displays a list of at least a portion of the media assets in the group of media assets.

26. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein said first sub-window includes a buy all button for the group of media assets, and the selection of the buy all button for the group of media assets initiates purchase of all the media assets within the list.

27. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein said first sub-window includes a buy all button for the group of media assets, and the selection of the buy all button for the group of media assets causes one-click purchase of all the media assets within the list.

28. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the group of media assets is a playlist, and wherein the information displayed in said first sub-window includes descriptive information about the playlist.

29. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein the descriptive information displayed in said first sub-window includes a graphical image associated with the playlist.

30. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein the descriptive information displayed in said first sub-window includes an artist indication for an artist associated with the playlist and a hyperlink to additional information pertaining to the artist.

31. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein the descriptive information displayed in said first sub-window includes a theme indication for a theme associated with the playlist.

32. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein the descriptive information displayed in said first sub-window includes a genre indication for a genre associated with the playlist.

33. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein the descriptive information displayed in said first sub-window includes a release date for the playlist and a number of media assets in the playlist.

34. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein the media assets in the playlist are audio tracks for songs.

35. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the list includes a buy button for each of the media assets in the group of media assets, the buy button allowing for one-click purchase of the associated media asset.

36. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein said first sub-window uses hyperlinks to access related media assets, and wherein said second sub-window uses a table or a row and column format to display the list of the media assets in the group of media assets.

37. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the first information is descriptive information pertaining to media items.

38. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 33, wherein the list further includes a specific item hyperlink presented for each of the media assets being listed in the group of media assets.

39. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein said window further includes a source window that is concurrently displayed with said first sub-window and said second sub-window.

40. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25, wherein said window further comprises a plurality of user-selectable display elements, each of the user-selectable display elements is associated with a different one of a plurality of sub-groups for the group of media items.

41. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25,

wherein group of media items includes a plurality of sub-groups, and

wherein on selection of a first of the user-selectable display elements, the list displayed in said second sub-window includes those of the media items that are part of a first of the sub-groups of the group of media items.

42. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 41, wherein on selection of a second of the user-selectable display elements, the list displayed in said second sub-window includes those of the media items that are part of a second of the sub-groups of the group of media items.

43. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein the media items that are part of the second of the sub-groups of the group of media items are completely different than the media items that are part of the first of the sub-groups of the group of media items.

44. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein on selection of a third of the user-selectable display elements, the list displayed in said second sub-window includes all the media items that are part of the group of media items.

45. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 25,

wherein group of media items includes a plurality of sub-groupings, and

wherein, on selection of a different one of the sub-groupings, displaying in the second sub-window, the media assets in the group of media assets that are associated with the selected sub-groupings without display other of the media assets in the group of media assets that are associated with other of the sub-groupings.

46. A graphical user interface for assisting a user in making a media asset group having a plurality of media assets available on an on-line media store, said graphical user interface comprising:

a window displayed on a display device associated with a computing device, said window concurrently including at least a first sub-window and a second sub-window,

wherein said first sub-window displays a plurality of user interface components that enable the user to enter information pertaining to the media asset group, and

wherein said second sub-window displays a list of at least a portion of the media assets in the media asset group.

47. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 46, wherein the media asset group includes a plurality of sub-groups.

48. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 47, wherein the list of at least a portion of the media assets in the group of media assets includes a least one separator track to distinguish tracks between different sub-groups.

49. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 47, wherein the user interface components for said first sub-window are provided separately for each of the sub-groups.

50. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 49, wherein the user interface components enable the user to enter a name for each of the sub-groups, and a textual description for each of the sub-groups.

51. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 46,

wherein the media asset group includes a plurality of sub-groups and a complete group,

wherein the user interface components for said first sub-window are provided separately for each of the sub-groups as well as for the complete group, and

wherein the user interface components enable the user to enter a name for each of the sub-groups and the complete group, and a textual description for each of the sub-groups and the complete group.

52. A graphical user interface for assisting a user in making a media asset group having a plurality of media assets available on an on-line media store, said graphical user interface comprising:

a window displayed on a display device associated with a computing device, said window being associated with making the media asset group,

wherein the media asset group includes a plurality of sub-groups, and

wherein said window includes at least a first region that displays a plurality of user interface components that enable a user to enter information for each of the sub-groups of the media asset group.

53. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 52, wherein the user interface components enable the user to enter a name for each of the sub-groups and the complete group, and a textual description for each of the sub-groups and the complete group.

54. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 53, wherein the user interface components enable the user to enter one or more of a name, type and release date for the media asset group.

55. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 52,

wherein the media asset group further includes a complete group,

wherein the user interface components for said window are provided separately for each of the sub-groups as well as for the complete group, and

wherein the user interface components enable the user to enter a name for each of the sub-groups and the complete group, and a textual description for each of the sub-groups and the complete group.

56. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for creating a group of media assets to be made available on an on-line media asset store, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for interacting with the on-line media asset store to create a particular group of media assets;

computer program code for interposing one or more sub-group indicators in the particular group of media assets to designate a plurality of sub-groups;

computer program code for receiving descriptive information for the particular group of media assets; and

computer program code for submitting the particular group of media assets with its descriptive information to be made available on the on-line media assets store.