Methods and systems for generating a subgroup of one or more media items from a library of media items

• US 20060212478A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Plastina, Daniel, Novak, Michael J., Cain, Jonathan Marshall
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,388 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 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

A method for generating a subgroup of one or more media items from a library of media items. The method monitors user playback control actions during a playback experience with the library on a media player. The method chooses a selecting filter based upon the monitored user playback control action and generates a subgroup of media items selected from the library of media items by applying the selecting filter to the library of media items. The method may further order the subgroup of media items. A system also generates a subgroup of one or more media items from a library of media items. The system comprises a processor for monitoring a user playback control action during a playback experience with the library, a selecting filter adapted to generate a subgroup of media items from the library of media items, and a user interface adapted for presenting the user with the subgroup of media items for playing on a media player.

Claims

1. A method for generating a subgroup of one or more media items from a library of media items, said method comprising:

monitoring a user playback control action during a playback experience with the library;

choosing a selecting filter based upon the monitored user playback control action; and

generating a subgroup of media items selected from the library of media items by applying the selecting filter to the library of media items.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

choosing an ordering filter based upon the monitored user playback control action; and

ordering said subgroup of media items by applying the chosen ordering filter to the subgroup of media items.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising playing the subgroup of media items on a media player, and wherein said generating and said ordering occur during said playing of the subgroup.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising presenting the user with the subgroup of media items during said playing of the subgroup and modifying the presented subgroup during said playing based upon the monitored user playback control action.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the choosing a selecting filter and the choosing an ordering filter is based upon at least one of a past playback experience and a present playback experience.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said choosing a selecting filter comprises choosing one filter based upon the combination of two or more monitored user playback control actions, and wherein said choosing an ordering filter comprises choosing one filter based upon the combination of two or more monitored user playback control actions.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said choosing a selecting filter based upon the monitored user playback control action comprises at least one of adding one or more filters, removing one or more filters, and modifying one or more filters;

and

wherein said choosing an ordering filter based upon the monitored user playback control action comprises at least one of adding one or more filters, removing one or more filters, and modifying one or more filters.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said monitoring a user playback control action comprises monitoring direct user control actions and indirect user control actions, said direct actions comprise one or more of:

pressing “

PLAY”

on a user interface without the media player running;

pausing a playing media item;

muting a playing media item;

skipping to the next media item;

seeking to the end of a media item;

seeking to the beginning of a media item;

skipping to a previous media item;

stopping the media player while playing a media file;

closing the media player,

skipping two media items by the same artist;

skipping three media items by the same artist;

skipping a media item from a single album twice;

skipping a media item from a single album three times;

lowering the rating of a media item;

raising the rating of a media item;

lowering the rating of two media items from the same artist or album;

raising the rating of two media items from the same artist or album;

rating a previously unrated song; and

wherein said indirect actions comprise one or more of;

minimizing the media player;

maintaining the media player on top of a user interface;

selecting to view media items now playing;

browsing the library of media items;

adding a media item to the playlist while another media item is playing;

browsing media item merchants through the user interface while playing media items;

changing a visualization associated with the media player;

displaying a Metadata view for the currently playing media item;

raising media player volume within five seconds of the beginning of a media item;

lowering media player volume within five seconds of the beginning of a media item;

playcount increments past top 10% of media items;

playcount increments past top 25% of media items;

playcount increments past top 50% of media items;

adding a media item to the subgroup;

burning a media item to a redbook CD;

initiating user control actions at least N times in a time interval T;

creating a relatively small library with relatively many genres;

creating a relatively large library with relatively few genres;

creating a relatively large library with relatively many genres; and

initiating user actions at least X times in time S.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said choosing a selecting filter comprises choosing one or more of the following filters:

album-based;

avoid speech/comedy,

bias by current date;

bias by day of week;

bias by favorite;

bias by household favorites;

bias by manual user avoidance;

bias by manual user selection;

bias by play popularity;

bias by time of day,

burning;

does not sound like;

exclude holiday music;

greatest hits mode—

album;

greatest hits mode—

artist;

library compendium CDs;

library samplers;

not recently played;

same energy;

same era;

same genre;

same mood;

skip 1 star rated;

skip parental rating;

skip sound-bytes;

songs not device-based;

sounds like;

user action bias filter, and

wherein said choosing an ordering filter comprises choosing one or more of the following filters;

artistic filter;

kid filter A;

kid filter B;

kid filter C;

kid filter D;

library preview;

balance artists;

bias by current time;

discography order;

don'"'"'t follow with similar media item;

double-shots;

follow with similar;

follow with similar era;

follow WithNextTrackOnAlbum;

not recently played;

not recently played artist;

old-vs-New;

pure shuffle;

random shuffle;

release year, and

tempo match.

10. A system for generating a subgroup of one or more media items from a library of media items, said system comprising:

a processor for monitoring a user playback control action during a playback experience with the library;

a selecting filter adapted to generate a subgroup of media items from the library of media items, said processor choosing the selecting filter based upon the monitored user playback control action; and

a user interface adapted for presenting the user with the subgroup of media items for playing on a media player.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

an ordering filter adapted to order said subgroup of media items, said processor choosing the ordering filter based upon the monitored user playback control action.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the playback experience monitored by the processor for user playback control action is at least one of a past playback experience and a present playback experience.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said selecting filter comprises one or more filters, said ordering filter comprises one or more filters, and said processor adds, removes, or modifies at least one of said one or more selecting filters and said one or more ordering filters based upon the monitored user playback control action.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said user interface is adapted for presenting the user with a selection element for providing feedback to the system regarding one or more of a media item, an artist, an album, and a genre, said processor adding, removing, or modifying at least one of said one or more selecting filters and said one or more ordering filters based upon the feedback provided by the user.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said selection element is associated on the user interface with at least one of a currently playing media item, a media item scheduled to be played, and a media item included in the library but not included in the subgroup.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said selection element is one or more of:

play this more;

play soundslike;

don'"'"'t play right now;

never play this;

play more by this artist;

play next;

play this more; and

play this less.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein said user interface is further adapted for presenting the user with the subgroup of media items during said playing of the subgroup, and said processor is adapted for modifying the presented subgroup during said playing based upon the monitored user playback control action.

18. A method for ordering a subgroup of one or more media items from a library of media items, said method comprising:

monitoring a user playback control action during a playback experience with the library;

choosing an ordering filter based upon the monitored user playback control action; and

ordering the subgroup of media items from the library of media items by applying the ordering filter to the subgroup of media items.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

choosing a selection filter based upon the monitored user playback control action; and

generating the subgroup of media items selected from the library of media items by applying the selecting filter to the library of media items.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising presenting the user with the subgroup of media items during said playing of the subgroup and modifying the presented subgroup during said playing based upon the monitored user playback control action.