INTERNET RADIO AND BROADCAST METHOD WITH DISCOVERY SETTINGS

• US 20150106727A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pandora Media LLC (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pandora Media Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: BOULTER, Jeffrey R., BEAUPRE, Todd M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 : for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 : the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/87 : accessed over computer networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/88 : which are wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 : Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 : for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 : for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

Data streams are generally selected according to user preferences and transmitted to the user in general alignment with expressed preferences of the user. Such data streams may be music, including music videos. Users may indicate their general or specific preferences with regards to song, artists, or albums. Any other aspects or factors that might affect the user'"'"'s preferences can be taken into account. A playlist is created that combines all of these factors. The playlist then serves as the basis for feeding the data streams to the user. Each user is able to express his or her own preferences and receive music corresponding to those preferences on an on-going basis.

Claims

1. A method of providing an Internet Radio Service, comprising:

generating a song playlist of a personalized internet radio station for broadcast via a computer network to a user of a plurality of users, the generating of the song playlist being based on an initial set of parameters associated with a user profile, with the song playlist corresponding to a sequence of songs chosen from a song database;

providing, by at least one server computer, access to songs of the song playlist to a client device of the user;

receiving feedback from the user on a preference to discover new music; and

updating, based on the feedback of the user, the set of parameters of the user profile used to generate the song playlist, wherein the song playlist is customized based on at least one musical preference of the user and the preference of the user to discover new music.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to enter a command to increase the discovery of new music in the individualized song playlist.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes a command for the user to decrease the discovery of new music in the individualized song playlist.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a user input selecting at least one community Internet radio station to follow to form a set of stations followed by the user and utilizing attributes of the followed stations to discover new music for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing album ratings of the user to discover new music.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing at least one of artist ratings and song ratings of the user to discover new music.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a community of other users having personalized internet radio stations, generating a community score for individual songs, and utilizing the community score to discover new songs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to a user command, sharing the song playlist of the personalized Internet radio station with a community of users.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one server computer comprises at least one of a media server, a HTTP server, a central server, and a streaming server.

10. A method of providing an Internet radio service, comprising:

providing a user interface for a user to create a personalized Internet radio station having a song playlist generated based on the at least one musical preference of the user;

providing a user interface for the user to enter a discovery preference for identifying new music for the personalized Internet radio station;

generating a song playlist based on the combination of the at least one musical preference of the user and the discovery preference; and

providing, by at least one server computer, access to songs of the song playlist to a client device of the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to share the personalized Internet radio station with a community of users, wherein the playlist of the user influences discovery of new music for at least one other user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising a user interface for the user to subscribe to other personalized Internet radio stations in the community of users, wherein the preferences of the subscribed stations are utilized to discover new music for the user.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing album ratings of the user to discover new music.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing at least one of song ratings and artist ratings of the user to discover new music.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising utilizing a set of subscribed radio stations to discover new music for the individualized song playlist.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the discovery preference corresponds to an increase in musical variety.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the discovery preference corresponds to an increase in discovery of new songs not previously rated by the user.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to identify a community of other users having personalized internet radio stations, generating a community score for individual songs, and utilizing the community score to discover new songs for the user.

19. A method of providing an Internet radio service, comprising:

providing a user interface for a user to create a personalized Internet radio station based on at least one musical preference of the user;

providing a user interface for a user to subscribe to one or more community Internet radio stations; and

discovering, via at least one server computer, new music for the user based on determining a rating from the at least one musical preference of the user and preferences associated with at least one community Internet radio station that the user is subscribed to.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising utilizing album ratings of the user to discover new music.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising utilizing artist ratings of the user to discover new music.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a user interface to subscribe to a set of radio stations not managed by individuals in the community and utilizing preferences associated with the set of radio stations as an additional source of information to discover new music for the user.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising utilizing a community score for the at least one community Internet radio station to discover new music.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to indicate at least one musical preference selected from the group consisting of album preferences, artist preferences, and song preferences.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising a user interface for the user to share the personalized Internet radio station with a community of users.

26. A method of providing an Internet radio service, comprising:

generating, by at least one computer server, an individualized song playlist created for a personalized internet radio station based on at least one musical preference of the user;

providing an option for the user to share the personalized internet radio station with a community of members;

providing a selection of community Internet radio stations for the user to subscribe to; and

discovering new musical selections for the user based on the at least one musical preference of the user and preferences in a set of community Internet radio stations subscribed to by the user.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing album ratings of the user to discover new music.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing artist ratings of the user to discover new music.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing a set of subscribed radio stations to discover new music.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising utilizing a community score to discover new music.