Device and method for monitoring, rating and/or tuning to an audio content channel

• US 20070008956A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: msystems Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Pomerantz, Itzhak, Teicher, Mordechai, Moran, Dov
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Devices, methods and computer-readable code for simultaneously monitoring the content of at least two streaming audio content channels are disclosed. In some embodiments, the monitored content is analyzed, and one or more features of the monitored content channels are computed, including but not limited to music classification features, content genre features, and spoken content features. These computed features may be used, for example, to compute a rating or score for each monitored audio channel, for example, a rating computed relative to user listening preferences, expressed, for example, in preference rules. In some embodiments, the presently disclosed device includes a channel selector for automatically tuning, for example, to a channel assigned a higher rating at a given time. Alternatively or additionally, content rating scores may be displayed to a user who manually selects and tunes to an audio content channel.

Claims

1. ) Apparatus for content tuning comprising:

a) a multi-channel monitor operative to concurrently monitor a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content;

b) a content analyzer operative to analyze streaming content of said monitored content channels; and

c) a channel selector for tuning to one of;

i) a said channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said analysis; and

ii) pre-stored audio content.

2. ) Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said channel selector is operative to switch from a presently-played station to a different station in accordance with said results of said analysis.

3. ) Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said multi-channel monitor is operative to monitor at least one said streaming content channel selected from the group consisting of a conventional radio station, an internet radio station and a satellite radio station.

4. ) Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

d) an archive engine for archiving audio content of a monitored channel to generate archived content,

and wherein said pre-stored audio content includes said archived content.

5. ) Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said channel selector is operative to select said selected content channel in accordance with a set of pre-determined preference rules.

6. ) Apparatus of claim 5 wherein said channel selector is operative such that said pre-determined preference rules are applicable both to said content channel and to said pre-stored audio content.

7. ) Apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

d) a rule input interface for receiving rule specification data specifying at least in part at least one said pre-determined preference rule.

8. ) Apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one said rule relates to a history of tuned content.

9. ) Apparatus of claim 5 wherein said content analyzer is operative to compute respective sets of audio content features of said respective streaming content of said each channel, and to assign a respective rating to each said monitored channel in accordance with said pre-determined preference rules and in accordance with said computed respective set of audio content features, and wherein said channel selector is operative to effect said selection in accordance with said assign respective rating.

10. ) Apparatus of claim 9 where said content analyzer is operative to periodically update one or more said ratings.

11. ) Apparatus of claim 9 wherein said channel selector is operative to switch from a presently-played station to a different station if a current rating of said different station exceeds a rating of said presently played station.

12. ) Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said content analyzer is operative to extract at least one feature of said streaming content selected from the group consisting of a music feature and a speech feature.

13. ) A method for content tuning comprising:

a) concurrently monitoring a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content;

b) computing respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels; and

c) tuning to one of;

i) a said channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said analysis; and

ii) pre-stored audio content.

14. ) An audio content processing device that is operative to:

a) monitor the content of at least two streaming audio content channels simultaneously; and

b) compute respective ratings for each said monitored content channel.

15. ) The device of claim 14 where the device is further operative to

c) display to a user data indicative of computed ratings.

16. ) A method for rating audio content comprising:

a) concurrently monitoring a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content;

b) computing respective ratings of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels.

17. ) An audio content feature extraction device that is operative to:

a) monitor the content of at least two streaming audio content channels simultaneously; and

b) compute, for each said monitored content channel, a respective set of audio content features,

wherein each said respective set of audio content features includes at least one of a music feature, and a speech feature.

18. ) The device of claim 17 wherein said speech feature is selected from the group consisting of an spoken text feature, a sung text feature, a foreign language feature, an accent feature, an identity of a speaker, an identity of a singer, and a text-content feature.

19. ) The device of claim 17 wherein said music feature is selected from the group consisting of a music metric feature, and a music classification feature.

20. ) A method for deriving audio content features comprising:

a) concurrently monitoring a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content; and

b) computing respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels, wherein each said respective feature set includes at least one of a music feature and a speech feature.

21. ) A computer readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein when executed the program instructions are operable to:

a) concurrently monitor a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content;

b) compute respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels; and

c) tune to one of;

i) a said channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said analysis; and

ii) pre-stored audio content.

22. ) A computer readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein when executed the program instructions are operable to:

a) concurrently monitor a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content;

b) compute respective ratings of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels.

23. ) A computer readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein when executed the program instructions are operable to:

a) concurrently monitor a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content; and

b) compute respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels, wherein each said respective feature set includes at least one of a music feature and a speech feature.