Media sequencing method to provide location-relevant entertainment

• US 20090094257A1
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gotham Studios, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Peter Neal Nissen
• Inventors: Nissen, Peter Neal
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/387 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/732 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/787 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A media player application residing on a location-aware handheld device, in-vehicle navigation system, or in-airplane entertainment system responds to location signals and plays a plurality of location-relevant media assets that are automatically selected and sequenced to create the impression of a cohesive entertainment program. From the user'"'"'s direction and speed, the application creates a forecast of assumed motion, plans the media program accordingly, and changes the program if the motion changes. The application filters and prioritizes assets of various lengths and with various degrees of geographic specificity, ranging from very specific such as announcements about Points of Interest (POIs) to very broad such as songs about states. POIs are announced with a notation that identifies the distance to the POI and an indication whether it is on the left or right. The audio describing relative location (prefix) is grafted to the audio describing the location (suffix) in a way that creates the impression that the narrator says it as one sentence. The assets reside on a central server and cached locally and are transmitted when needed to the vehicle as required by the user'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. a method for creating an automatic media selection and sequencing system for a location-aware device, comprising:

a. a location-determination portion which periodically determines the user'"'"'s location;

b. a motion-analysis portion which determines the user'"'"'s motion and predicts the user'"'"'s likely future motion;

c. a geo-filter portion which determines possible geographic entities, listed in a remote database, that are coincident with or near the user'"'"'s current and predicted location;

d. an asset-filter portion which identifies qualifying geo-relevant media assets as so designated in a remote database;

e. a playlist creation portion which prioritizes and sequences assets, calculating an ordered playlist of media for playback;

f. a media acquisition portion which retrieves and caches the media assets;

g. a playback portion which makes the device play the media assets;

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said geo-filter portion further comprises:

a. a point-to-point filter portion, which determines which simple points listed in said remote database are closest to or coincident with the user'"'"'s current and predicted location;

b. a point-to-area filter portion, which determines which area-shaped objects listed in said remote database are closest to or coincident with the user'"'"'s current and predicted location;

c. a point-to-line filter portion, which determines which line-shaped objects listed in said remote database are closest to or coincident with the user'"'"'s current and predicted location;

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playlist is governed by the motion of the user.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playlist is governed by rules to create an alternating pattern of asset types so that it is less likely that two assets of the same type will play back-to-back.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playlist is governed by a special mode when the user activates the system.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playlist is governed by a special mode when the user crosses a geographic border.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein a media asset'"'"'s place in said playlist is partially determined by user-supplied preferences.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein a media asset'"'"'s place in said playlist is partially determined by a pre-assigned factor of importance.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein a media asset'"'"'s place in said playlist is partially determined by whether or not it has played before in the user'"'"'s device, and how long ago.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein a media asset'"'"'s place in said playlist is partially determined by whether or not it is part of an on-going series of related assets.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein a media asset'"'"'s place in said playlist is partially determined by whether or not it can play simultaneously with another asset.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein a media asset'"'"'s place in said playlist is partially determined by a random factor.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein play-windows are calculated representing predicted durations of opportunity for playing, points-of-interest with shorter play-windows are prioritized over those of those with longer play-windows, and optimal opportunities are calculated when to play assets per their play-window opportunities.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein, in an incarnation designed for airplane use, assets that are visible within a cone of visibility are prioritized over those that may be closer but invisible to passengers because they are close to the line of flight.

15. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playlist portion determines which media assets are likely to be needed in the near future, and determines if said assets are already in local storage, and if not, said media acquisition portion retrieves these assets from a network server, and caches them in local storage.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playlist portion determines if the currently-selected asset needs a verbal prefix describing relative location, and if so, calculates the distance to the relevant point-of-interest, determines if it is right or left, selects media to announce said information, and said player portion arranges the audio to create the impression that the prefix audio describing relative location and the suffix audio describing the point-of-interest itself sound as if they are read as one sentence.

17. The method according to claim 3, wherein said player portion may play two assets at one time, by reducing the volume on the first asset, playing the second asset, and when the second asset is finished, raising the volume on the first asset.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playlist creation portion outputs a text list of current and upcoming assets to the device'"'"'s visual display.

19. The method according to claim 3, wherein said playback portion outputs usage data to a usage log.

20. A computer storage medium storing computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 3.