SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLAYLIST GENERATION BASED ON SIMILARITY DATA

• US 20100070917A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wagner, Richard Frederick, Werner, Jeremy, Gates, Patrick, Davis, Stephen A., Miller, Jeffrey S., Flowers, Josh, Wadycki, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/634 Query by example, e.g. query by humming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

System, method and computer program for facilitating media playlist generation based at least in part on media library inventory information provided by a plurality of program participants. Data is transmitted from a program participant'"'"'s client device indicative of media inventory in a media library of the program participant. Media item similarity ratings are received at the client device that have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants, including identification data of individual media items contained in media libraries of the program participants regardless of each individual media item'"'"'s source. Similarity ratings compilation includes processing the cumulative data to determine an incidence of co-occurrence of pairs of individual media items in different program participants'"'"' media libraries and making an assignment of a similarity rating based on the determined incidence of co-occurrence.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating media playlist generation based at least in part on media library inventory information provided by a plurality of program participants, said method comprising:

transmitting, from a program participant'"'"'s client device, data representative of media inventory in a media library of the program participant and which comprises identification data of individual media items presently contained in the inventory of the media library regardless of the individual media item'"'"'s source; and

receiving, by the program participant'"'"'s client device, media item similarity ratings that have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants and in which the cumulative data comprised identification data of individual media items contained in media libraries of the program participants regardless of each individual media item'"'"'s source.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the compilation of the similarity ratings further comprised processing the cumulative data to determine an incidence of co-occurrence of pairs of individual media items in different program participants'"'"' media libraries and making an assignment of a similarity rating between the pairs of individual media items based on the determined incidence of co-occurrence in the different program participants'"'"' media libraries.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein similarity ratings are received by the program participant'"'"'s client device for at least a majority of the individual media items contained in the participant'"'"'s media library.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein similarity ratings are received by the program participant'"'"'s client device for a plurality of the individual media items contained in the participant'"'"'s media library.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

generating a media playlist composed exclusively of individual media items contained in the program participant'"'"'s media library and having a similarity rating relative to a seed media item selected from the participant'"'"'s media library.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

generating a media playlist comprising individual media items contained in the program participant'"'"'s media library and having a similarity rating relative to a seed media item selected from the participant'"'"'s media library.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said seed media item is selected by the program participant.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said seed media item selection is affected by manipulating a scrollwheel device on the program participant'"'"'s client device to present a seed media item for selection and selecting the seed media item on a display of the client device by activating a selection button.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said selection is carried out by manipulating a touchscreen on the program participant'"'"'s client device using sweeping finger gestures to scroll through a list of media items displayed on the touchscreen until a desired seed media item is displayed, and selecting the seed media item by touching and releasing the seed media item.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the media playlist is generated on the program participant'"'"'s client device, said device taking the form of a portable personal media playing device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

navigating a touchscreen menu to select a playlist generation program, thereby causing a media playlist to be generated based on similarity data relative to the seed media item.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the media playlist is generated on the program participant'"'"'s client device, said device taking the form of a personal computer.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission of data representative of the program participant'"'"'s media inventory is to an on-line media supply source where the similarity ratings are compiled.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the on-line media supply source is an on-line music store from which individual music tracks have been purchased by the program participant.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the program participant, update data representative of the program participant'"'"'s current media inventory in the media library, including identification data of additional media items added to the participant'"'"'s media library since an immediately-previous data upload by the participant.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the program participant'"'"'s update data indicates the absence of media items removed from the participant'"'"'s media library since the immediately-previous data uploaded by the participant.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving updated similarity ratings compiled in consideration of said update data.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said individual media items are movies presently contained in a video media library of the program participant.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said individual media items are audio tracks presently contained in an audio media library of the program participant.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said individual media items are music tracks presently contained in a music media library of the program participant.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein at least one of the music tracks has identification data associated therewith indicating that the music track originated from an unauthorized source.

22. A media playlist generation device comprising:

a processor in signal communication with a storage media device;

said storage media device containing data regarding media item similarity ratings that have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants and in which the cumulative data comprised identification data of individual media items contained in the media libraries of the program participants regardless of each individual media item'"'"'s source; and

said processor configured to execute at least a playlist generation program that receives similarity data from the storage media device and generates a playlist based on the similarity data.

23. The device as recited in claim 22, wherein the storage media device further contains an individual program participant'"'"'s media items.

24. The device as recited in claim 23, wherein the similarity data is limited to similarity data pertaining to the individual media items stored on the storage media.

25. The device as recited in claim 23, further comprising a communication interface for sending data representative of the program participant'"'"'s media inventory and which comprises identification data of individual media items presently contained in the media library of the program participant regardless of the individual media item'"'"'s source.

26. The device as recited in claim 22, further comprising a communication interface for receiving data regarding media item similarity ratings that have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants and in which the cumulative data comprised identification data of individual media items contained in the media libraries of the program participants regardless of each individual media item'"'"'s source.

27. The device as recited in claim 22, further having a user interface for selecting and initiating the playlist generation program.

28. The device as recited in claim 27 wherein the user interface is a touchscreen interface.

29. The device was recited in claim 27, wherein the user interface is a scroll wheel device.

30. A computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code for facilitating media playlist generation based at least in part on media library inventory information provided by a plurality of program participants, the computer program code causing a media playlist generation device to:

transmit, from a program participant'"'"'s client device, data representative of media inventory in a media library of the program participant and which comprises identification data of individual media items presently contained in the inventory of the media library regardless of the individual media item'"'"'s source; and

receive, by the program participant'"'"'s client device, media item similarity ratings that have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants and in which the cumulative data comprised identification data of individual media items contained in media libraries of the program participants regardless of each individual media item'"'"'s source.

31. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 30, wherein the compilation of the similarity ratings further comprised processing the cumulative data to determine an incidence of co-occurrence of pairs of individual media items in different program participants'"'"' media libraries and making an assignment of a similarity rating between the pairs of individual media items based on the determined incidence of co-occurrence in the different program participants'"'"' media libraries.

32. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 30, wherein similarity ratings are received by the program participant'"'"'s client device for at least a majority of the individual media items contained in the participant'"'"'s media library.

33. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 31, further comprising computer-readable program code for causing a media playlist generation device to generate a media playlist composed exclusively of individual media items contained in the program participant'"'"'s media library and having a similarity rating relative to a seed media item selected from the participant'"'"'s media library.

34. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 31, further comprising computer-readable program code for causing a media playlist generation device to generate a media playlist comprising individual media items contained in the program participant'"'"'s media library and having a similarity rating relative to a seed media item selected from the participant'"'"'s media library.

35. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 30, further comprising computer-readable program code for causing a media playlist generation device to transmit update data representative of that program participant'"'"'s present media inventory, including identification data of additional media items added to the participant'"'"'s media library since an immediately-previous data upload by the participant.

36. A method for facilitating media playlist generation for a program participant, said method comprising:

receiving, by a program participant'"'"'s client device, media item similarity ratings for respective pairs of individual media items presently contained in an inventory of a media library of the program participant and wherein each media item similarity rating is representative of a frequency at which the respective pair of individual media items has occurred in media libraries of others.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting, from the program participant'"'"'s client device, data representative of the media inventory in the media library of the program participant and which comprises identification data of individual media items presently contained in the inventory of the media library.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein identification data is transmitted by the program participant'"'"'s client device for at least a majority of the individual media items presently contained in the inventory of the program participant'"'"'s media library and wherein said identification data is transmitted regardless of the source from which the individual media item was obtained by the program participant.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein the media item similarity ratings have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants and in which the cumulative data comprised identification data of individual media items contained in media libraries of the program participants regardless of each individual media item'"'"'s source.

40. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein the media item similarity ratings have been compiled based on cumulative data collected from a plurality of program participants and in which the cumulative data comprised identification data of individual media items contained in media libraries of the program participants.

41. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the compilation of the similarity ratings further comprised processing the cumulative data to determine an incidence of co-occurrence of pairs of individual media items in different program participants'"'"' media libraries and making an assignment of a similarity rating between the pairs of individual media items based on the determined incidence of co-occurrence in the different program participants'"'"' media libraries.