AUTO-STATION TUNING

• US 20100010648A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bull, William, Rottler, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

In various embodiments, a media player or portable media device can enable a user to navigate and discover content or other media assets. The media player may analyze broadcasts and other content streams to determine currently playing and forthcoming content. The media player may switch from one source of content to another to find content that matches user preferences or criteria. The media player may generate playlists based on the matching content, and switch between sources of the matching content automatically. In some embodiments, the media player may receive user input to browse content using a navigation stream. Content associated with stations within the navigation stream may be output. As if the user were tuning a radio dial, the media player may determine what content to played back for each station. The media player may procure content and generate playlists to represent each station focus on by the user.

Claims

1. A method for selecting content performed by a media player receiving a plurality of content streams, the method comprising:

receiving information indicative of selection criteria at the media player;

receiving information associated with the plurality of content streams;

analyzing the information associated with the plurality of content streams at the media player to identify content within the plurality of content streams that satisfies the selection criteria; and

enabling reception of one or more of the plurality of content streams at the media player to receive the identified content within the one or more content streams that satisfies the selection criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the information associated with the plurality of content streams comprises analyzing metadata associated with the plurality of content streams.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the information associated with the plurality of content streams comprises analyzing content broadcast using the plurality of content streams.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication of the occurrence of an event; and

wherein enabling reception of one or more of the plurality of content streams comprises switching from the source of a first content stream within the plurality of content streams to the source of a second content stream within the plurality of content streams in response to the occurrence of the event.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a playlist based on the identified content; and

wherein enabling reception of one or more of the plurality of content streams comprises enabling reception of the source of a content stream within the plurality of content streams based on the playlist.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of content streams comprise content streams from at least one of an internal source, an external source, a terrestrial radio source, a satellite radio source, a terrestrial television source, a satellite television source, or a network source.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection criteria comprises one or more of information associated with an artist, information associated with an album, information associated with a genre, information associated with a content category, information associated with a content type, information associated with a program, information associated with an audio level, information associated with a video level, or information associated with a schedule.

8. A computer readable medium configured to store a set of code modules which when executed by a processor of a computer system become operational with the processor for procuring content, the computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving information indicative of selection criteria at the media player;

code for receiving information associated with the plurality of content streams;

code for analyzing the information associated with the plurality of content streams at the media player to identify content within the plurality of content streams that satisfies the selection criteria; and

code for selecting one or more of the plurality of content streams at the media player to receive the identified content within the one or more content streams that satisfies the selection criteria.

9. A system for procuring content, the system comprising:

one or more sources that generated a plurality of content streams;

an output device configured to output content associated with the plurality of content streams; and

a content selection engine configured to receive selection criteria, to analyze information associated with the plurality of content to identify content within the plurality of content streams that satisfies the selection criteria; and

to generate information such that a receiver selects one or more content streams within the plurality of content streams that contain the identified content for output by the output device.

10. A media player comprising:

an interface to a receiver configured to receive content streams;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a set of instructions for procuring content which when executed by the processor become operational with the processor to;

receive information indicative of selection criteria;

receiving information associated with the content streams;

analyzing the information associated with the content streams to identify content within the content streams that satisfies the selection criteria; and

enable reception of one or more of the content streams at the receiver to receive the identified content within the one or more content streams that satisfies the selection criteria.

11. A method for browsing and playback of content using a media player, the method comprising:

receiving a navigation stream having a plurality of stations;

receiving input for navigating from a first station in the plurality of stations to a second station in the plurality of stations from a user interacting with the media player;

determining content associated with the second station based on the input; and

outputting the content associated with the second station.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining content associated with the second station based on the input comprises identifying, based on the navigation stream, a sample taken from one or more media assets to represent the second station.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein determining content associated with the second station based on the input comprises:

determining information associated with the second station based on the navigation stream; and

determining the content based on information associated with the second station.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the input comprises receiving the input in response to a set of circular motions performed by the user to switch between stations in the plurality of stations associated with the navigation stream.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying the content associated with the second station as the focus of the user; and

in response, determining additional content to represent the second station.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

synchronizing output of the content associated with the second station at the media player with output of the additional content.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein synchronizing output of the content associated with the second station at the media player with output of the additional content comprises synchronizing playback of a sample representing the second station within playback of content from which the sample was taken.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein determining additional content to represent the second station comprises:

determining information associated with the second station; and

determining the additional content based on the information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the information comprises one or more of content type, content attributes, title information, artist information, album information, genre information, category information, encoding information, or rating information.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating a playlist based on the additional content.

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating the navigation stream at the media player based on content stored on the media player.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

generating samples taken from the content stored on the media player; and

wherein generating the navigation stream comprise generating the navigation stream based on the samples taken from the content, each station in the plurality of stations represented by one or more of the samples.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

determining information associated with the content stored on the media player; and

wherein generating the navigation stream comprise generating the navigation stream based on the information.

24. A computer readable medium configured to store a set of code modules which when executed by a processor of a computer system become operational with the processor for browsing and playback of content at a media player, the method comprising:

code for receiving a navigation stream having a plurality of stations;

code for receiving input for navigating from a first station in the plurality of stations to a second station in the plurality of stations from a user interacting with the media player;

code for determining content associated with the second station based on the input; and

code for outputting the content associated with the second station

25. A media player comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a set of instructions which when executed by the processor become operational with the processor to;

receive a navigation stream having a plurality of stations;

receive input from a user for navigating from a first station in the plurality of stations to a second station in the plurality of stations;

determine content associated with the second station based on the input; and

output the content associated with the second station via the output device.