Dynamic identification of a new set of media items responsive to an input mediaset

• US 20060173910A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Strands Incorporated (CRIBIS Holding SRL)
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,693,887 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: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for creating a list of media items that are similar to an input mediaset comprising at lease one input media item, optionally together with at least one input parameter that constrains the output in scope or number of items. Media items include music, videos, pictures and other such items that can be associated or grouped together by a human into a list or mediaset. The mediaset is formed by a human applying virtually any objective and/or subjective criteria. Those criteria need not be made explicit; a relation among the selected items is implicit in the list per se. Alternatively, objective criteria such as metadata can be used.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically generating a set of media items related to an input set of media items comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an input mediaset;

(b) comparing the input mediaset to a database of predetermined mediasets and identifying a set of those previously recorded mediasets that are similar to the input mediaset;

(c) merging all the identified predetermined mediasets into a single ranked list of media items; and

(d) creating an output set of media items by selecting one or more media items from the ranked list. and delivering the output set of media items.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the items in the input mediaset were selected by one or more persons so as to form the input mediaset.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein the input mediaset have been at least partially ordered as deemed appropriate by a human.

4. The method in claim 1, wherein the output set of media items is ordered consistent with the said ranked list.

5. The method in claim 1, wherein said outputting the output set of media items includes selecting a randomized subset of the top items of the ranked list and displaying the selected subset to the user.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the database of mediasets resides on a network server, and the merging and creating an output set occurs on that network server.

7. The method in claim 1, wherein the database of mediasets resides on or coupled to a network server, and the merging and selection operations occur on a client computer operated by a user.

8. The method in claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more input parameters that are used to restrict the output set of media.

9. The method in claim 8, wherein at least one parameter is specified by the user.

10. The method in claim 1, wherein said creating an output set includes filtering the items of the ranked list according to a predefined parameter.

11. The method in claim 10 wherein the predefined parameter is specified by the user.

12. The method in claim 10, wherein the predefined parameter includes one of an artist, album, genre, or sub-genre.

13. The method in claim 1, and further comprising storing the input mediaset in the said database.

14. The method in claim 1, wherein the media items include music songs and tracks.

15. The method in claim 1, wherein the media items include video items.

16. The method in claim 1, wherein such media items include images.

17. A computer readable medium bearing computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 1.

18. A method for dynamically generating a set of media items related to an input set of media items comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an input mediaset;

(b) comparing the input mediaset to a database of predetermined mediasets and identifying a set of those previously recorded mediasets that are similar to the input mediaset;

(c) merging all the identified predetermined mediasets into a single ranked list of media items; and

(d) creating an output set of media items by selecting one or more media items from the ranked list. and delivering the output set of media items;

wherein the items in the input mediaset were selected by one or more persons as related by a common characteristic; and

further wherein

each item of the input mediaset has a first level of abstraction and said comparing step includes first mapping at least one item of the input mediaset to a second level of abstraction higher than the first level of abstraction.

19. The method in claim 18, wherein the input mediaset includes a music item corresponding to a specific recording track, and said mapping step includes mapping that music item to a corresponding song title and artist.

20. The method in claim 18, wherein the input mediaset includes a music item corresponding to a specific recording track, and said mapping step includes mapping that music item to a corresponding song title without limitation to a particular artist.

21. A system for dynamically generating a recommended set of media items comprising:

(a) a mediaset processing system component that stores and organizes mediasets;

(b) a query processing system component that takes as input a mediaset, and in cooperation with the mediaset processing system, produces a set of said previously stored mediasets that are similar to the input set;

(c) a merge processing system component that, in cooperation with the query processing system, merges all the sets in the selected set into a single ranked ordering of media items according to a predefined merge function; and

(d) a selection processing system that selects a plurality of media items from the top of the ranked list from the merge processing systems and outputs a list of those items.

22. The system in claim 21, further comprising means to display the output list to a user.

23. The system in claim 21, where one or more of said components reside on a user-operated computer and the other components of the system are distributed across network servers.

24. The system in claim 21, where the selection processing system employs randomization as one factor in selecting items.

25. The system in claim 21, in which input to the selection processing system includes a set of parameters applicable to further restrict the set of selected items on the output list.

26. The system in claim 21, in which the selection processing system first filters items according to at least one predetermined parameter.

27. The system in claim 26, where the parameter is one of a selected artist, album, genre, or sub-genre.

28. The system in claim 21, further comprising a processing system that collects mediasets from the media players of users across a network and submits them to the mediaset processing system for storage.

29. A system in claim 28, where the media players of users are monitored, and updates to mediasets or new mediasets are automatically communicated to the mediaset processing system.

30. A method for dynamically generating a set of media items related to an input set of media items comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an input mediaset defined by one or more persons;

(b) accessing a database of predetermined mediasets;

(c) identifying a set of those previously recorded mediasets that are similar to the input mediaset;

(d) merging all the identified predetermined mediasets into a single ranked list of media items; and

(e) creating an output set of media items by selecting one or more media items from the ranked list.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein said identifying a set of those previously recorded mediasets that are similar to the input mediaset comprises:

for each item of the input mediaset, searching the database to find a matching item in at least one of the predetermined mediasets; and

retrieving all of the database mediasets that include at least one item that matches an input mediaset item, thereby forming the identified predetermined mediasets.

32. A method according to claim 30 including computing a discrimination weight for each item in the input mediaset.

33. A method according to claim 30 wherein said merging all the identified predetermined mediasets into a single ranked list of media items includes:

for each of the identified predetermined mediasets, computing a metric of its similarity to the input mediaset.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein said computing a metric of similarity to the input mediaset comprises:

computing a discrimination weight for each item in the input mediaset; and

for each of the identified predetermined mediasets, computing the metric of its similarity to the input mediaset as a function of the discrimination weights of the media items co-occurring in the input mediaset and the predetermined mediaset.

35. A method according to claim 33 wherein said merging all the identified predetermined mediasets into a single ranked list of media items includes:

assembling a list of all media items that occur in the identified predetermined mediasets but do not occur in the input mediaset; and

computing an item rank weight for each item on the assembled list.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein said computing an item rank weight comprises:

determining in which of the retrieved mediasets the item occurs; and

calculating the item rank weight as a function of the similarity metrics of the retrieved mediasets in which the item occurs to the input mediaset.

37. A method according to claim 30 and further comprising adding the input mediaset to the database.

38. A service for use in connection with sale or licensing of music items, the service comprising the steps of:

receiving from a user an input list of music items selected by the user;

accessing a database comprising a plurality of previously stored lists of music items;

identifying at least one music item among the music items listed in the previously stored lists of music items that does not appear on the input list and has a predefined similarity to the input list of music items; and

recommending the identified music item to the user by inclusion on an output list of recommended music items.

39. A service according to claim 38 wherein:

the service is implemented on a computer; and

the service is provided to the user electronically via a user interface.

40. A service according to claim 39 wherein said identifying step includes:

identifying a set of the previously stored lists of music items that are similar to the input list;

merging all the identified stored lists of music items into a single ranked list of music items; and

creating the said output list by selecting one or more music items from the ranked list.

41. A service according to claim 40 wherein said identifying a set of those stored lists that are similar to the input list comprises:

for each item of the input list, searching the database to find a matching item in at least one of the stored lists; and

retrieving all of the database stored lists that include at least one item that matches an input list item, thereby forming the set of stored lists of music items that are similar to the input list.

42. A service according to claim 40 including computing a discrimination weight for each item in the input list.

43. A service according to claim 40 wherein said merging all the identified stored lists into a single ranked list of music items includes:

for each of the identified stored lists, computing a metric of its similarity to the input list.

44. A service according to claim 43 wherein said computing a metric of similarity to the input list comprises:

computing a discrimination weight for each music item in the input list; and

for each of the identified stored lists, computing the metric of its similarity to the input list as a function of the discrimination weights of the music items co-occurring in the input list and the identified stored lists.

45. A service according to claim 43 wherein said merging all the identified stored lists into a single ranked list of music items includes:

forming a list of all music items that occur in the identified stored lists but do not occur in the input list; and

computing an item rank weight for each item on the formed list.

46. A service according to claim 45 wherein said computing an item rank weight comprises:

determining in which of the retrieved stored lists the music item occurs; and

calculating the item rank weight as a sum of the similarity metrics of the retrieved stored lists in which the item occurs to the input list.

47. A service according to claim 39 and further comprising adding the input list to the stored lists.

48. A kiosk for distributing digital music items comprising:

means for receiving from a user an input list of one or more music items selected by the user;

means for accessing a database comprising a plurality of previously stored lists of music items;

computer means for identifying at least one music item among the music items listed in the previously stored lists of music items that does not appear on the input list and has a predefined similarity to the input list of music items; and

output means for recommending the identified music item to the user.

49. A kiosk for distributing digital music according to claim 48 wherein the database is located remote from the kiosk and is accessed via a network.

50. A kiosk for distributing digital music according to claim 48 wherein the computer means is located remote from the kiosk and is accessed via a network.