METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING MULTIMEDIA FILES

• US 20070089062A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Cellular Technology LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Song, Tae-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded

Abstract

In the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided for reproducing multimedia files, wherein the selection probability of the multimedia files is adjusted according to a user'"'"'s preference and a multimedia file is randomly selected and played according to the selection probability. The selection probability of the multimedia files is adjusted according to the user'"'"'s preference; a user can listen to undesired multimedia files less frequently than other multimedia files even when the multimedia files are randomly selected.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reproducing multimedia files, comprising:

a memory for storing one or more multimedia files and selection information related to a user'"'"'s preferences; and

a control unit for selecting and reproducing a randomly selected multimedia file according to the stored selection information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the selected multimedia file is de-selected by selecting a fast forward function.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is selected to increase its probability of being reproduced.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:

a random selection processing unit for randomly selecting any one of the multimedia files according to selection weighting ratios of the multimedia files; and

a multimedia file reproduction unit for reproducing the multimedia file selected by the random selection processing unit and for updating the selection information of the currently selected multimedia file and then selecting and reproducing another multimedia file when the selected multimedia file is de-selected.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the random selection processing unit includes a weighting factor processing unit for calculating the selection weighting ratios of the multimedia files using the selection information.

7. A method of reproducing multimedia files, the method comprising:

calculating selection weighting ratios of multimedia files based on selection information related to a user'"'"'s preferences;

randomly selecting a multimedia file according to the selection weighting ratios; and

reproducing the selected multimedia file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected multimedia file is de-selected by selecting a fast forward function.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is selected to increase its probability of being reproduced.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of reproducing the selected multimedia file comprises the steps of:

reproducing the selected multimedia file;

updating the selection information of the currently selected multimedia file when the currently selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced, or when the currently selected multimedia file is selected to increase its probability of being reproduced; and

;

randomly selecting and reproducing another multimedia file when the currently selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selected multimedia file is de-selected by selecting a fast forward function.

12. An apparatus for reproducing multimedia files, comprising:

a memory for storing one or more multimedia files and selection information related a user'"'"'s preferences; and

a control unit for selecting and reproducing a randomly selected multimedia file according to the stored selection information,

wherein the control unit comprises a random selection processing unit for randomly selecting any one of the multimedia files according to multimedia file selection ratios, and a multimedia file reproduction unit for reproducing the selected multimedia file, for updating the selection information of the currently selected multimedia file, and for selecting and reproducing another multimedia file when the selected multimedia file is de-selected,

wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced,

wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is selected to increase its probability of being reproduced. and

wherein the random selection processing unit includes a weighting factor processing unit for calculating the multimedia file selection weighting ratios using the selection information.

14. An apparatus for reproducing multimedia files, comprising:

a memory for storing one or more multimedia files and selection information related to a user'"'"'s preferences; and

a control unit for selecting and reproducing a randomly selected multimedia file according to the stored selection information,

wherein the selection information is updated when the selected multimedia file is de-selected while the selected multimedia file is being reproduced, and

wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is selected to increase its probability of being reproduced.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the selected multimedia file is de-selected by selecting a fast forward function.

16. A method of reproducing multimedia files, the method comprising:

calculating selection weighting ratios of multimedia files based on selection information related to a user'"'"'s preferences, wherein the selection information includes the number of times the selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced;

randomly selecting a multimedia file according to the selection weighting ratios;

reproducing the selected multimedia file;

updating the selection information of the currently selected multimedia file when the currently selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced, or when the currently selected multimedia file is selected to increase its probability of being reproduced; and

;

randomly selecting and reproducing another multimedia file when the currently selected multimedia file is de-selected while being reproduced.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selected multimedia file is de-selected by selecting a fast forward function.