APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A COLLECTION PROFILE AND FOR COMMUNICATING BASED ON THE COLLECTION PROFILE

• US 20110202567A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musicdna As
• Original Assignee: Bach Technology AS (Bach Technology GmbH)
• Inventors: SCHMIDT, Sebastian, BACH, Dagfinn
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/784
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for generating a collection profile of a collection of different media data items has a feature extractor for extracting at least two different features describing a content of a media data item for a plurality of media data items of the collection, and a profile creator for creating the collection profile by combining the extracted features or weighted extracted features so that the collection profile represents a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the media data collection. This collection profile or music DNA can be used for transmitting information, which is based on this collection profile, to the entity itself or to a remote entity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a collection profile of a collection of different media data items, the media items being audio files, comprising:

a feature extractor for extracting at least two different features describing a content of a media data item from a plurality of media data items of the collection; and

a profile creator for creating the collection profile by combining the extracted features or weighted extracted features for the plurality of media data items so that the collection profile represents a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the collection,

wherein the apparatus further comprises an input for receiving information on a music taste of a user of the collection of different audio files, and

wherein the profile creator is operative to create a raw collection profile without information on a user behavior logged by the profile creator or information on a music taste, and to weight the raw collection profile using weights derived from the information on the music taste or the user behavior to acquire the collection profile.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the profile creator is adapted to generate the quantitative collection profile using an addition, a subtraction, a multiplication or a division of the extracted features or the weighted extracted features.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the collection is stored on a mobile device comprising a storage for media data items;

and

in which the profile creator is operative to add information on a manufacturer of the mobile device or information on a specific model of the mobile device or information on a communication service provider to the collection profile.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which each media data item of the plurality of media data items comprises a data portion and an associated metadata portion, the metadata portion comprising the at least two different features, and

in which the feature extractor is operative to parse the metadata portion and to read the features from the metadata portion.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4, in which the metadata portion comprises a first non-encrypted part and a second encrypted part,

in which the feature extractor is operative to retrieve a decryption key and to decrypt the second encrypted part,

in which the profile creator is operative to use more extracted features from the encrypted part than from the non-encrypted part for creating the collection profile, and

in which the second encrypted part comprises features describing the content of a media data item more detailed than a feature comprised in the first encrypted part.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the features describing the content comprise information on energy-strong, energy-mid, energy-low, color-bright, color-dark, tempo/beat, percussiveness, music color, vocal detection, aggressiveness, segmentation, key, mood, solo instrument or fingerprint.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the profile creator is operative to analyze the extracted features for similar features or to exclude features comprising extreme values.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the feature extractor is operative to detect a newly stored media data item in the collection, and in which the profile creator is operative to retrieve an earlier collected profile and to manipulate the earlier collected profile based on the features of the newly stored media data item to create an updated collection profile.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the first feature describes a first content characteristic by a first number in a first number range,

in which the second feature describes a second different content characteristic by a second number in a second number range, and

wherein the profile creator is operative to combine the first numbers of the plurality of media data files to acquire a combined first number,

wherein the profile creator is operative to combine the second numbers of the plurality of media data files to acquire a combined second number, and

wherein a vector having the combined first number or a derived first number derived from the combined first number, and having the combined second number or a derived second number derived from the combined second number comprises the content profile.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 9, in which the combined number is a number within a number range being the same as a number range of the corresponding feature or being smaller than the number range of the corresponding feature.

12. An apparatus for communicating information from a first entity to a second entity, comprising:

a collection profile information generator for generating information on a first collection profile of a first collection at the first entity or for generating a second collection profile of a second collection at the second entity, the first or second collection profile representing a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the corresponding collection of metadata files at the first entity or at the second entity, the first or second collection profile being generated by an apparatus for generating a collection profile in accordance with claim 1; and

an information handler for using the first collection profile or the second collection profile within a matching operation and for transmitting information based on the matching operation or a collection profile or for receiving a message based on a matching operation or the collection profile.

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, in which the apparatus is a mobile device representing the first entity,

in which the apparatus is operative to generate the first collection profile, and

in which the information handler is operative to send a message comprising information on the first collection profile to the second entity.

14. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, where the apparatus is a device representing the first entity, and where the apparatus is operative to determine information on the collection profile,

in which the message handler is operative to retrieve information on a user group comprising users with a similar collection profile as the first collection profile and to send a message to the second entity requesting a joining to a user group, or

to retrieve information on a user comprising a similar profile and to send a message to the second user, the message comprising information on the first entity or a media data item from the collection, or

to retrieve information on an advertisement tailored to a product or service related to a collection profile and to send a message to the advertiser requesting advertisements tailored to the collection profile or to deliver an advertisement for a product to a different entity, or

to remotely analyze stored media data items for a matching profile and to selectively request a download of a media data item comprising the matching profile.

15. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, in which the collection profile information generator is operative to receive, via cable or via a wireless communication device, information on profiles of a plurality of entities located in a limited space around the second entity or being in a network user group,

in which the information handler is operative to calculate a combined profile for the plurality of first entities,

in which the information handler is operative to select a media data item matching with the combined profile, and

in which the information handler is operative to cause a rendering of the selected media data item in the limited space or to cause a data streaming of the selected media data item to the network user group.

16. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12,

in which the information handler is operative to calculate a result list from the matching operation, to map confidence measures for a selected group of media items from the result list, and to use a final result list comprising the mapped confidence measures for transmitting data to the user.

17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12,

wherein the collection profile information generator is operative to retrieve the collection profile of the first entity,

wherein the information handler is operative to modify the collection profile based on a current taste of a user of the first entity or based on an external situation,

wherein the information handler is operative to perform the matching operation with the modified profile in the media collection of the first entity, and

wherein the information handler is operative to play a result of the matching operation at the first entity or to generate a play list at the first entity based on the result of the matching operation.

11. An apparatus for generating a collection profile of a collection of different media data items, the media items being audio files, comprising:

a feature extractor for extracting at least two different features describing a content of a media data item from a plurality of media data items of the collection; and

a profile creator for creating the collection profile by combining the extracted features or weighted extracted features for the plurality of media data items so that the collection profile represents a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the collection,

wherein the profile creator is operative to weight the extracted features using weights derived from the information on the music taste or the user behavior logged by the profile creator, and to combine the weighted extracted features to acquire the collection profile.

22. An apparatus for communicating information from a first entity to a second entity, comprising:

a collection profile information generator for generating information on a first collection profile of a first collection at the first entity or for generating a second collection profile of a second collection at the second entity, the first or second collection profile representing a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the corresponding collection of metadata files at the first entity or at the second entity, the first or second collection profile being generated by an apparatus for generating a collection profile in accordance with claim 11; and

an information handler for using the first collection profile or the second collection profile within a matching operation and for transmitting information based on the matching operation or a collection profile or for receiving a message based on a matching operation or the collection profile.

18. A method of generating a collection profile of a collection of different media date items, the media items being audio files, comprising:

extracting at least two different features describing a content of a media date item from a plurality of media data items of the collection; and

creating, by a profile creator, the collection profile by combining the extracted features or weighted extracted features for the plurality of media date items so that the collection profile represents a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the collection,

wherein the method further comprises receiving, by an input, information on a music taste of a user of the collection of different audio files, and

wherein creating comprises;

creating a raw collection profile without information on a user behavior logged by the profile creator or information on a music taste, and weighting the raw collection profile using weights derived from the information on the music taste or the user behavior to acquire the collection profile.

20. A method of communicating information from a first entity to a second entity, comprising:

generating information on a first collection profile of a first collection at the first entity or generating a second collection profile of a second collection at the second entity, the collection profile representing a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the corresponding collection of metadata files at the first entity or at the second entity, the first or second collection profile being generated by a method for generating a collection profile in accordance with claim 18;

using the first collection profile or the second collection profile within a matching operation; and

transmitting information based on the matching operation or a collection profile or receiving a message based on a matching operation or the collection profile.

21. A tangible computer-readable medium including a computer program comprising a program code for performing, when run on a computer, a method in accordance with claim 18.

19. A method of generating a collection profile of a collection of different media date items, the media items being audio files, comprising:

extracting at least two different features describing a content of a media date item from a plurality of media data items of the collection; and

creating, by a profile creator, the collection profile by combining the extracted features or weighted extracted features for the plurality of media date items so that the collection profile represents a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the collection,

wherein creating comprises weighting the extracted features using weights derived from the information on the music taste or the user behavior logged by the profile creator, and combining the weighted extracted features to acquire the collection profile.

23. A method of communicating information from a first entity to a second entity, comprising:

generating information on a first collection profile of a first collection at the first entity or generating a second collection profile of a second collection at the second entity, the collection profile representing a quantitative fingerprint of a content of the corresponding collection of metadata files at the first entity or at the second entity, the first or second collection profile being generated by a method for generating a collection profile in accordance with claim 19;

using the first collection profile or the second collection profile within a matching operation; and

transmitting information based on the matching operation or a collection profile or receiving a message based on a matching operation or the collection profile.

24. A tangible computer-readable medium including a computer program comprising a program code for performing, when run on a computer, a method in accordance with claim 19.