INTELLIGENT AUTO-CACHING OF MEDIA

• US 20150334204A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bilinski, Brandon, Collins, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/278,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Techniques, systems, and computer readable media are provided that allow for portions of media items to be cached, prior to selection of any media item for playback by a user. The portion of a media item to be cached is determined based upon one or more caching factors, such as the likelihood that a user will select the media item for playback. Playback of a media item thus may begin without any noticeable buffering or caching, immediately upon selection of the media item by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a list of media items to be presented to a user;

presenting the list of media items to the user;

for at least a first media item in the list of media items to be presented to a user, caching a portion of the first media item at a device of the user, wherein the portion of the first media item is determined based upon at least a first caching factor selected from the group consisting of;

a determined likelihood that the user will select the first media item;

a timestamp when a vocal aspect of the first media item begins;

a timestamp of a significant change in a waveform of the first media item; and

a portion of the first media item having a waveform with an amplitude above a threshold value;

receiving a request from the user to play the first media item in the list of media items; and

in response to the request from the user to play the first media item, playing the first media item beginning with the cached portion of the media item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, for at least a second media item in the list of media items, the portion of the second media item cached at the device of the user is further determined based upon at least a second caching factor selected from the group consisting of:

a timestamp when a vocal aspect of the second media item begins;

a timestamp of a significant change in a waveform of the second media item; and

a portion of the second media item having a waveform with an amplitude above a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, for the first item in the list of media items, the portion of the first media item cached at the device of the user is further determined based upon at least a second caching factor selected from the group consisting of:

a determined likelihood that the user will select the media item;

a timestamp when a vocal aspect of the first media item begins;

a timestamp of a significant change in a waveform of the first media item; and

a portion of the first media item having a waveform with an amplitude above a threshold value;

wherein the second caching factor is different than the first caching factor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, for at least one media item in the list of media items, the portion of the media item cached at the device of the user is further determined based upon at least a second caching factor selected from the group consisting of:

a rating of the media item;

a play count of the media item, a number of playlists containing the media item, a tempo of the media item, a value stored in a comment field associated with the media item, a producer of the media item, a composer of the media item, and the contents of lyrics associated with the media item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of media items to be presented to the user comprises a plurality of search results of a search executed by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an additional portion of the first media item subsequent to the cached portion of the media item;

playing the additional portion of the first media item in a continuous playback subsequent to the cached portion of the media item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the media item is the initial portion of the media item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the media item is cached at a first bitrate, and wherein a subsequent portion of the media item is played at a second bitrate different than the first bitrate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a projected set of media items of which it is determined that the user is likely to request playback;

for at least a second media item in the projected set of media items, caching a portion of the second media item at the device of the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the position of the portion within the second media item is determined based upon at least a second caching factor selected from the group consisting of:

a determined likelihood that the user will select the second media item;

a timestamp when a vocal aspect of the second media item begins;

a timestamp of a significant change in a waveform of the second media item; and

a portion of the second media item having a waveform with an amplitude above a threshold value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the portion of the first media item is selected based upon the determined likelihood that the user will select the first media item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the portion of the first media item within the first media item is determined based upon an attribute of the waveform of the first media item.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first media item is cached at a device of the user prior to the request from the user to play the first media item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a portion of a plurality of media items in the list of media items is cached at the device of the user prior to the request from the user to play the first media item.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the duration of the portion of each of the plurality of media items is independently determined based upon a determined likelihood that the user will select the media item.

16. A computing device comprising:

a computer-readable memory;

a processor configured to;

receive a list of media items to be presented to a user;

present the list of media items to the user;

for at least a first media item in the list of media items to be presented to a user, cache a portion of the first media item on the computer-readable memory, wherein the portion of the first media item is determined based upon at least a first caching factor selected from the group consisting of;

a determined likelihood that the user will select the first media item;

a timestamp when a vocal aspect of the first media item begins;

a timestamp of a significant change in a waveform of the first media item; and

a portion of the first media item having a waveform with an amplitude above a threshold value;

receive a request from the user to play the first media item in the list of media items; and

in response to the request from the user to play the first media item, play the first media item beginning with the cached portion of the media item on the device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein, for at least one media item in the list of media items, the portion of the media item cached at the device is further determined based upon at least a second caching factor selected from the group consisting of:

a rating of the media item;

a play count of the media item, a number of playlists containing the media item, a tempo of the media item, a value stored in a comment field associated with the media item, a producer of the media item, a composer of the media item, and the contents of lyrics associated with the media item.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the list of media items to be presented to the user comprises a plurality of search results of a search executed by the user.

19. The device of claim 16, said processor further configured to:

identify a projected set of media items of which it is determined that the user is likely to request playback;

for at least a second media item in the projected set of media items, cache a portion of the second media item on the computer-readable memory.

20. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive a list of media items to be presented to a user;

present the list of media items to the user;

for at least a first media item in the list of media items to be presented to a user, cache a portion of the first media item, wherein the portion of the first media item is determined based upon at least a first caching factor selected from the group consisting of;

a determined likelihood that the user will select the first media item;

a timestamp when a vocal aspect of the first media item begins;

a timestamp of a significant change in a waveform of the first media item; and

a portion of the first media item having a waveform with an amplitude above a threshold value;

receive a request from the user to play the first media item in the list of media items; and

in response to the request from the user to play the first media item, play the first media item beginning with the cached portion of the media item.