Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for generating a suggested list of media items based upon a seed

• US 20060230065A1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• 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 7,533,091 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: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for suggesting a list of media items to a user. The method comprises presenting a user with a selection element for gathering a seed for generating a list of media items related to the seed. The method further receives a seed selection from the user and identifies one or more characteristics of the seed. The method further generates a suggested list of media items with characteristics corresponding to the one or more characteristics of the seed. The method additionally presents the user with the suggested list of media items and a choice of selecting media items or groups of media items in the suggested list. A system for executing the method comprises a user interface, a processor, and a data source for generating the suggested list by evaluating characteristics of the media items to similar find media items.

Claims

1. A method for suggesting a list of media items to a user, said method comprising:

presenting a user with a selection element for gathering a seed for generating a list of media items related to the seed;

receiving a seed selection from the user;

identifying one or more characteristics of said seed; and

generating a suggested list of media items with characteristics corresponding to the one or more characteristics of said seed, wherein said generating comprises determining a score for said seed, determining a score for each media item in a candidate list of media items, and selecting at least one media item from said candidate list based upon the relationship between the score of the seed and the score of the at least one media item.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the user with the suggested list of media items and a choice of selecting a media item or a group of media items in the suggested list, each of said presented media items remaining unselected by the system until selected by the user.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a user selection of at least one media item from the suggested list.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising presenting the user with a playlist comprising said at least one media item selected from the suggested list.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said presenting the user with the suggested list further comprises presenting a selection element associated with at least one of a media item, an artist, and an album name currently displayed on a user interface.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said presenting the user with the selection element further comprises presenting the selection element associated with at least one of a media item, an artist, and an album name currently displayed in a playlist on a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving the seed selection comprises receiving at least one of a media item, an artist, an album name, and another media identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said receiving the seed selection comprises receiving a selection of at least one of a media item, an artist, an album name, and another media identifier currently displayed in at least one of a playlist, a pull-down menu, a dialog box, and a search result on a user interface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining a score for said seed comprises at least one of

evaluating at least two characteristics of a media item when said seed when is said media item;

evaluating at least two characteristics of media items on an album when said seed is said album; and

evaluating at least two characteristics of media items performed by an artist when said seed is said artist; and

wherein said determining further comprises

calculating said seed score based upon the evaluation of said characteristics; and

wherein said determining a score for each media item in the candidate list comprises evaluating at least two characteristics of each media item in the candidate list and calculating said score for each media item based upon the evaluation of said characteristics.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said generating a suggested list of media items further comprises selecting media items from the candidate list having scores closest to the score of said seed.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said characteristics may comprise at least one of the audio characteristics of rhythm time, rhythm type, style, sub-genre, vocal voices, flavor, mood, emotion, density, weight, musical consonance, melodic movement, tempo, and rhythm activity.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said evaluating at least two characteristics of media items on an album when said seed is said album further comprises averaging the scores of each media item on the album in said candidate list of media items to create said seed score;

and

said evaluating at least two characteristics of media items performed by an artist when said seed is said artist further comprises averaging the scores of each media item performed by said artist in said candidate list of media items to create said seed score.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the user with the suggested list of media items and presenting the user with the score for said seed and the scores for each media item in said candidate list of media items.

14. A system for facilitating a user in generating a suggested list of one or more media items, said system comprising:

a data source containing a library of media items;

a user interface adapted for receiving a seed selection from a user; and

a processor adapted for identifying one or more characteristics of the seed and for identifying one or more characteristics of each of said media items of said library, said processor further adapted for determining a score for said seed based upon said one or more characteristics and for determining a score for each of said media items of said library based upon said one or more characteristics, said processor further adapted for generating a suggested list of media items from the library with characteristics corresponding to the one or more characteristics of said seed based upon said score of said seed and said score of each of said media items of said library.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said user interface is further adapted for presenting the user with the suggested list of media items and providing a selection element for user selection of one or more media items from the suggested list, each of said presented media items remaining unselected by the system until selected by the user.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said user interface presents a selection element to the user, said selection element comprising at least one of a pull-down menu, a pop-up menu, a check box, and a button.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for suggesting a list of one or more media items to a user, said computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

presenting instructions for presenting a user with a selection element for gathering a seed for generating a list of media items related to the seed;

receiving instructions for receiving a seed selection from the user;

identifying instructions for identifying one or more characteristics of said seed; and

generating instructions for generating a suggested list of media items with characteristics corresponding to the one or more characteristics of said seed, wherein said generating instructions comprise determining instructions for determining a score for said seed, determining instructions for determining a score for each media item in a candidate list of media items, and selecting instructions for selecting at least one media item from said candidate list based upon the relationship between the score of the seed and the score of the at least one media item.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise:

presenting instructions for presenting the user with the suggested list of media items and a choice of selecting media items or groups of media items in the suggested list, each of said presented media items remaining neither unselected by the system until selected by the user;

receiving instructions for receiving a user selection of at least one media item from the suggested list; and

presenting instructions for presenting the user with a playlist comprising said at least one media item selected from the suggested list.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein said generating instructions of said computer-executable instructions further comprise:

determining instructions for determining a score for said seed,

determining instructions for determining a score for each media item in a candidate list of media items, and

selecting instructions for selecting at least one media item from said candidate list based upon the relationship between the score of the seed and the score of the at least one media item.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said determining instructions for determining a score for said seed comprise at least one of

evaluating instructions for evaluating at least two characteristics of a media item when said seed when is said media item;

evaluating instructions for evaluating at least two characteristics of media items on an album when said seed is said album; and

evaluating instructions for evaluating at least two characteristics of media items performed by an artist when said seed is said artist; and

wherein said determining instructions for determining a score for said seed further comprises

calculating instructions for calculating said seed score based upon the evaluation of said characteristics; and

wherein said determining instructions for determining a score for each media item in the candidate list comprise evaluating instructions for evaluating at least two characteristics of each media item in the candidate list and calculating instructions for calculating said score for each media item based upon the evaluation of said characteristics.