Publishing, browsing, rating and purchasing of groups of media items

• US 20060015378A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Gautier, Patrice, Verosub, Ellis M., Mirrashidi, Payam, Pandey, Anurag
• Application Number:
  US11/114,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• 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, rate and/or purchase media asset groups are disclosed. Media assets groups can be created by various users 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, rate 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) obtaining a proposed media asset group for a plurality of media assets, at least a plurality of the media assets having an media asset illustration associated therewith;

(b) producing a media asset group illustration based on two or more of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group; and

(c) associating the media asset group illustration to the media asset group.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media asset group illustration is a mosaic.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said producing (b) comprises:

(b1) determining a fill pattern for the media asset group illustration; and

(b2) creating the media asset group illustration by arranging the two or more of the media asset illustrations according to the fill pattern, wherein each of the two or more media asset illustrations represents only a part of the media asset group illustration.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said determining (b1) determined the fill pattern based on the number of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said producing (b) comprises:

(b1) determining a fill pattern for the media asset group illustration, the fill pattern being dependent on the number of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group;

(b2) determining a number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern;

(b3) prioritizing the media asset illustrations;

(b4) selecting the number of the media asset illustrations from the two or more of the media asset illustrations based on the prioritization; and

(b4) creating the media asset group illustration by arranging the selected media asset illustrations according to the fill pattern, wherein each of the selected media asset-illustrations represents only a part of the media asset group illustration.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the fill pattern has a fill order, and wherein the select media asset illustrations are inserted into the media asset group illustration in accordance with the fill order, with the highest priority one of the selected media asset illustration being first inserted into the media asset group illustration.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein when the number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern exceeds the media asset illustrations, remaining opening in the fill pattern are open.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein when the number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern exceeds the media asset illustrations, remaining opening in the fill pattern contain some portion of a partially translucent version of at least one of the media asset illustrations.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein a color to be applied to some portion of the media asset group illustration can be automatically from one or more of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group.

10. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein when the number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern exceeds the media asset illustrations, remaining opening in the fill pattern are open.

11. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein when the number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern exceeds the number of the media asset illustrations, any remaining opening in the fill pattern contains some portion of a partially translucent version of at least one of the media asset illustrations.

12. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein a color to be applied to some portion of the media asset group illustration can be automatically from one or more of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said producing (b) comprises:

(b1) determining a fill pattern for the media asset group illustration, the fill pattern being dependent on the number of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group;

(b2) determining a number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern;

(b3) prioritizing the media asset illustrations;

(b4) selecting the number of the media asset illustrations from the two or more of the media asset illustrations based on the prioritization; and

(b5) creating the media asset group illustration by (i) applying a partially translucent version of one of the selected media asset illustrations to the media asset group illustration as a background image, and (ii) arranging the selected media asset illustrations according to the fill pattern, wherein each of the selected media asset illustrations represent only a part of the media asset group illustration.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the number of the media asset illustrations to be included in the fill pattern exceeds the number of the media asset illustrations, any remaining opening in the fill pattern contains some portion of the partially translucent version of the one of the selected media asset illustrations.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the fill pattern has a fill order, and wherein the select media asset illustrations are inserted into the media asset group illustration in accordance with the fill order, with the highest priority one of the selected media asset illustration being first inserted into the media asset group illustration.

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

creating a proposed media asset group for a plurality of media assets;

processing the proposed media asset group to produce a validated media asset group that references only those of the media assets determined to be available at a network media server;

producing a media asset illustration for association to the validated media asset group; and

associating the produced media asset illustration to the validated media asset group.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the produced media asset illustration is a mosaic.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said producing comprises:

determining a fill pattern for the produced media asset illustration; and

creating the produced media asset illustration by arranging the two or more of the media asset illustrations according to the fill pattern, wherein each of the two or more media asset illustrations represents only a part of the produced media asset illustration.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said determining determines the fill pattern based on the number of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group;

20. 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 receiving a proposed media asset group for a plurality of media assets, at least a plurality of the media assets having an media asset illustration associated therewith;

computer program code for producing a media asset group illustration based on two or more of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group; and

computer program code for associating the media asset group illustration to the media asset group.

21. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the media asset group illustration is a mosaic.

22. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for rendering the media asset group with the associated media asset group illustration available for browsing and purchasing on an on-line media store.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer program code for producing comprises:

computer program code for determining a fill pattern for the media asset group illustration; and

computer program code for creating the media asset group illustration by arranging the two or more of the media asset illustrations according to the fill pattern, wherein each of the two or more media asset illustrations represents only a part of the media asset group illustration.

24. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein said computer program code for determining determines the fill pattern based on the number of the media asset illustrations associated with the media assets of the media asset group.

25. A method for rating media asset groups available on an on-line media asset store, said method comprising:

(a) causing a media asset group to be displayed for a user, the media asset group pertaining to a plurality of media assets;

(b) receiving a user rating indication; and

(c) updating a media asset group rating in accordance with the user rating.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein said updating (c) of the media asset group rating imposes a decay factor to discount older user ratings.