Portable media player recommendation system

• US 20080301149A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Malcolm, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for proving a portable device recommendation system. The method may include storing, on a portable device, preferences of a user of the portable device with respect to media content, and facilitating sharing of desirable media content between this user and a user of another portable device based on the user preferences.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a first portable device, comprising:

storing user preferences with respect to media content on the first portable device, user preferences pertaining to a first user of the first portable device; and

facilitating sharing of desirable media content between the first user and a second user of a second portable device based on the user preferences.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media content comprises at least one of audio or video.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a plurality of media content files on the first portable device, each of the plurality of media content files being associated with one or more characteristics of file content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the user preferences from at least one of a client, a server or a local user interface module.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user preferences specify at least one of media content the user is likely to be interested in or media content the user is likely not to be interested in.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

discovering the second portable device located in a proximity to the first portable device;

requesting a list of metadata describing media content files stored on the second portable device;

receiving the list of metadata from the second portable device;

comparing the media content files on the list with the user preferences of the first user; and

selecting one or more files from the list that are of interest to the first user of the first portable device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

requesting the selected files from the second portable device; and

downloading the selected files to the first portable device.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

prior to requesting the selected files from the second portable device, recommending the selected files to the first user, and receiving a first user request for the selected files.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

discovering the second portable device located in a proximity to the first portable device;

identifying media content files stored on the first portable device that are likely to be of interest to the second user ; and

causing the identified files to be offered to the second user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein identifying media content files stored on the first portable device that are likely to be of interest to the user of the second portable device comprises:

requesting user preferences of the second user;

receiving the user preferences of the second user from the second portable device;

comparing a list of media content files stored on the first portable device with the user preferences of the second user; and

selecting one or more files from the list that are of interest to the second user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

determining a media content file that the first user is interested in based on the user preferences of the first user;

sending a message identifying the determined media file to each of a plurality of portable devices discovered in a proximity to the first portable device until receiving a confirmation from a discovered portable device that the discovered portable device stores the determined media file, the plurality of portable devices including the second portable device; and

requesting the determined file from the discovered portable device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

finding one or more users of portable devices that have user preferences similar to the user preferences of the first user, the one or more users including the second user; and

notifying the first user about the users with similar user preference.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein finding one or more users of portable devices that have user preferences similar to the user preferences of the first user comprises:

discovering a plurality of nearby portable devices, the plurality of nearby portable devices including the second portable device;

requesting user preferences from each of the plurality of nearby portable devices;

receiving user preferences from each of the plurality of nearby portable devices; and

selecting user preferences similar to the user preferences of the first user.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a list of media files likely to be of interest to the user from a recommendation system of a media content server, the list to be stored on the portable device as the user preferences; and

utilizing the user preferences without needing a connection of the portable device to the media content server.

15. A portable device comprising:

a local store having user preferences of a user of the portable device with respect to media content; and

a recommendation system, coupled to the local store, to facilitate sharing of desirable media content between the first user and a second user of a second portable device based on the user preferences.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the user preferences specify at least one of media content the user is likely to be interested in or media content the user is likely not to be interested in.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the recommendation system is to facilitate sharing of the desired media content by:

discovering the second portable device located in a proximity to the first portable device;

requesting a list of metadata describing media content files stored on the second portable device;

receiving the list of metadata from the second portable device;

comparing the media content files on the list with the user preferences of the first user;

selecting one or more files from the list that are of interest to the first user of the first portable device;

requesting the selected files from the second portable device; and

downloading the selected files to the first portable device.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the recommendation system is to facilitate sharing of the desired media content by:

discovering the second portable device located in a proximity to the first portable device;

identifying media content files stored on the first portable device that are likely to be of interest to the second user; and

causing the identified files to be offered to the second user.

19. The device of claim 15 wherein the recommendation system is to facilitate sharing of the desired media content by:

determining a media content file that the first user is interested in based on the user preferences of the first user;

sending a message identifying the determined media file to each of a plurality of portable devices discovered in a proximity to the first portable device until receiving a confirmation from a discovered portable device that the discovered portable device stores the determined media file, the plurality of portable devices including the second portable device; and

requesting the determined file from the discovered portable device.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein the recommendation system is to facilitate sharing of the desired media content by:

finding one or more users of portable devices that have user preferences similar to the user preferences of the first user, the one or more users including the second user; and

notifying the first user about the users with similar user preference.

21. A machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

storing user preferences with respect to media content on the portable device, user preferences pertaining to a user of the first portable device; and

facilitating sharing of desirable media content between the first user and a second user of a second portable device based on the user preferences.

22. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21 wherein the user preferences specify at least one of media content the user is likely to be interested in or media content the user is likely not to be interested in.

23. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

discovering the second portable device located in a proximity to the first portable device;

requesting a list of metadata describing media content files stored on the second portable device;

receiving the list of metadata from the second portable device;

comparing the media content files on the list with the user preferences of the first user; and

selecting one or more files from the list that are of interest to the first user of the first portable device.

24. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

discovering the second portable device located in a proximity to the first portable device;

identifying media content files stored on the first portable device that are likely to be of interest to the second user; and

causing the identified files to be offered to the second user.

25. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

determining a media content file that the first user is interested in based on the user preferences of the first user;

sending a message identifying the determined media file to each of a plurality of portable devices discovered in a proximity to the first portable device until receiving a confirmation from a discovered portable device that the discovered portable device stores the determined media file, the plurality of portable devices including the second portable device; and

requesting the determined file from the discovered portable device.

26. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21 wherein facilitating sharing of the desired media content comprises:

finding one or more users of portable devices that have user preferences similar to the user preferences of the first user, the one or more users including the second user; and

notifying the first user about the users with similar user preference.