Music marking system

• US 6,915,176 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Novelli, Joseph, Laronne, Shai A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US10/143,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 700/95, 700/88, 700/58, 705 26- 29, 705/51, 395/200.47, 709/228, 709203-206, 709217-218, 709/223, 709/231, 709/245, 710/8, 710/10
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier

Abstract

A method and apparatus that permits a user to electronically make a notation of a recorded music selection that he or she would like to take a later action on. Such later actions might include purchase actions or information gathering actions as well as other actions. The user actuates a button on a portable music player that plays music stored on a removable storage medium (e.g., a minidisc) and the music player stores identifying information that identifies the currently playing track of music. By connection of the music player to a personal computer, the user can then download the marked tracks to the personal computer and carry out actions over the Internet with service providers to complete transactions or queries.

Claims

1. A media player apparatus, comprising:

a music player for playback of music selections stored on a storage medium;

a processor that controls a portion of operation of the player;

a user interface that receives commands from a user and sends those commands to the processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

wherein, upon receipt of a mark command from the user interface, the processor stores an identifier in the memory that identifies a music selection that is playing at the time of receipt of the mark command.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a computer interface coupled to the processor that permits the media player apparatus to be coupled to a computer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the identifier stored in the memory is accessible to the computer via the computer interface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the music player further comprises a recorder, and wherein the recorder can record information to the storage medium that stores the music selections.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the music selections are organized on the storage medium using a Table of Contents (TOC) and wherein the computer can instruct the recorder to update the TOC to include additional information stored on the computer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer interface comprises a serial interface.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the serial interface comprises one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and an IEEE 1394 bus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium comprises one of a minidisc, a compact disc, a video disc, a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a memory stick, a memory card, a removable nonvolatile memory.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a dedicated mark button that when actuated sends the mark command to the processor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a button that sends the mark command in addition to a second command.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second command comprises a play command.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the button sends the mark command if actuated during playback.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the button sends the mark command if actuated for a predetermined duration during playback.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the media player comprises a personal portable media player.

15. A method of operation of a media player, comprising:

playing a music selection stored on a storage medium;

receiving a mark command from a user interface; and

responsive to the mark command from the user interface, storing an identifier in a memory to identify the music selection that is playing at the time of receipt of the mark command.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising receiving an instruction from a computer, coupled to the media player via a computer interface, to send a list of identifiers of marked music selections to the computer.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the music player further comprises a recorder, and further comprising recording information to the storage medium.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the music selections are organized on the storage medium using a Table of Contents (TOC) and further comprising the computer instructing the recorder to update the TOC to include additional information stored on the computer.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the storage medium comprises one of a minidisc, a compact disc, a video disc, a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a memory stick, a memory card, a removable nonvolatile memory.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a dedicated mark button that when actuated sends the mark command to the processor.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a button that sends the mark command in addition to a second command.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the media player comprises a personal portable media player.

23. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method of operation of a media player according to claim 15.

24. A method of operation of a media player, comprising:

playing a music selection stored on a storage medium;

receiving a mark command from a user interface;

responsive to the mark command from the user interface, storing an identifier in a memory to identify the music selection that is playing at the time of receipt of the mark command;

connecting the media player to a computer;

sending the identifier to the computer; and

conducting a transaction over the Internet relating to the music selection identified by the identifier.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the transaction is carried out with at least one service provider accessed via the Internet.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the transaction comprises at least one of an information query relating to the music selection, a financial transaction relating to the music selection, and a communication function relating to the music selection.

27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising matching the identifier with a information stored in a database in the computer.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising obtaining information by manual input in the event there is no match of the identifier with information stored in the database.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the storage medium organizes stored music selections using a Table Of Contents (TOC) and further comprising updating the TOC with information stored in the database.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the conducting further comprises:

presenting a menu of actions available for the music selection identified by the identifier;

receiving an indication of a selected action from the user; and

conducting a transaction determined by the indication of the selected action from the user.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein the storage medium comprises one of a minidisc, a compact disc, a video disc, a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a memory stick, a memory card, a removable nonvolatile memory.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein the mark command is received via a user interface that comprises a button that when actuated sends the mark command to the processor.

33. The method according to claim 24, wherein the media player comprises a personal portable media player.

34. The method according to claim 24, wherein the computer has an electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on the computer, carries out the process of conducting a transaction.

35. A method of obtaining information, comprising:

retrieving a list of identifiers from a media player, the list of identifiers identifying tracks that have been marked for later retrieval by a user action of issuing a mark command to identify a currently playing track, the list containing at least one identifier; and

conducting a transaction over the Internet relating to the music selection identified by the identifier.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the transaction is carried out with at least one service provider accessed via the Internet.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the transaction comprises at least one of an information query relating to the track, a financial transaction relating to the track, and a communication function relating to the track.

38. The method according to claim 35, further comprising matching the identifier with a information stored in a database.

39. The method according to claim 38, further comprising obtaining information by manual input in the event there is no match of the identifier with information stored in the database.

40. The method according to claim 35, wherein the media player plays tracks stored on a storage medium that organizes tracks using a Table Of Contents (TOC) and further comprising updating the TOC with information stored in the database.

41. The method according to claim 35, wherein the conducting further comprises:

presenting a menu of actions available for the track identified by the identifier;

receiving an indication of a selected action from the user; and

conducting a transaction determined by the indication of the selected action from the user.

42. The method according to claim 35, wherein the media player plays tracks stored on a storage medium comprising one of a minidisc, a compact disc, a video disc, a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a memory stick, a memory card, and a removable nonvolatile memory.

43. The method according to claim 35, wherein the media player comprises a personal portable media player.

44. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on the computer, carries out the method of obtaining information comprising:

retrieving a list of identifiers from a media player, the list of identifiers identifying tracks that have been marked for later retrieval by a user action of issuing a mark command to identify a currently playing track, the list containing at least one identifier; and

conducting a transaction over the Internet relating to the music selection identified by the identifier.

45. The electronic storage medium according to claim 44, wherein the transaction is carried out with at least one service provider accessed via the Internet.

46. The electronic storage medium according to claim 44, wherein the transaction comprises at least one of an information query relating to the track, a financial transaction relating to the track, and a communication function relating to the track.

47. The electronic storage medium according to claim 44, wherein the method further comprises matching the identifier with a information stored in a database.

48. The electronic storage medium according to claim 44, wherein the method further comprises obtaining information by manual input in the event there is no match of the identifier with information stored in the database.

49. The electronic storage medium according to claim 44, wherein the conducting further comprises:

presenting a menu of actions available for the track identified by the identifier;

receiving an indication of a selected action from the user; and

conducting a transaction determined by the indication of the selected action from the user.

50. A method of updating a table of contents (TOC) of a recorded medium, comprising:

retrieving a list of identifiers from a media player, the list of identifiers identifying tracks that have been marked for later retrieval by a user action of issuing a mark command to identify a currently playing track, the list containing at least one identifier;

comparing the list of identifiers with a database to obtain further information regarding the list of identifiers; and

updating the recorded medium'"'"'s table of contents with the updated information.

51. The method according to claim 50, further comprising carrying out a transaction with at least one service provider accessed via the Internet in order to obtain further information regarding the list of identifiers.

52. The method according to claim 50, further comprising obtaining information by manual input in the event there is no match of the identifier with information stored in the database.

53. The method according to claim 50, further comprising conducting a transaction over the Internet relating to the retrieved list of identifiers comprising:

presenting a menu of actions available for each track identified by each identifier;

receiving an indication of a selected action from the user; and

conducting a transaction determined by the indication of the selected action from the user.

54. A media player apparatus, comprising:

an electronic media player that plays selections from a storage medium;

a user interface to the electronic media player;

a memory; and

means, responsive to receipt of a signal from the user interface, for retrieving an identifier that identifies a selection currently playing on the electronic media player and for storing the identifier in the memory.

55. The apparatus according to claim 54, further comprising a computer interface coupled to the media player apparatus for connecting the media player apparatus to a computer.

56. The apparatus according to claim 55, wherein the identifier stored in the memory is accessible to the computer via the computer interface.

57. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the storage medium comprises one of a minidisc, a compact disc, a video disc, a magnetic disc, an optical disc, a memory stick, a removable memory card, and a removable nonvolatile memory.

58. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the user interface comprises a dedicated mark button that when actuated sends the signal.

59. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the user interface comprises a button that sends the signal in addition to other command signals.

60. An electronic media player apparatus, comprising:

a media player device for playback of audio content from a removable electronic storage medium;

an electronic memory; and

a processor within the media player that, in response to receipt of a mark command from a user, obtains identifying information from the electronic storage medium and stores the identifying information in the electronic memory, wherein the mark command identifies a music selection that is playing at the time of receipt of the mark command.

61. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of a minidisc identifier (MDID), a track identifier, a track name, a song identifier and a portion of a song.

62. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein the media comprises one of a minidisc, a compact disc and a removable flash memory.

63. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein the media comprises a minidisc and wherein the identifying information comprises a minidisc identifier and a track identifier.

64. The apparatus according to claim 60, further comprising a user interface coupled to the processor, and wherein the processor stores the identifying information in the electronic memory in response to a user input via the user interface.

65. A minidisc playback apparatus, comprising:

a minidisc player mechanism for playback of audio content from a minidisc;

an electronic memory; and

a processor that obtains identifying information from the minidisc and stores the identifying information in the electronic memory in response to receipt of a mark command from a user received during playback of a track of the minidisc.

66. The apparatus according to claim 65, wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of a minidisc identifier (MDID), a track identifier, a track name, a song identifier and a portion of a song.

67. The apparatus according to claim 65, further comprising a user interface coupled to the processor, and wherein the processor stores the identifying information in the electronic memory in response to a user input via the user interface.

68. A minidisc playback apparatus, comprising:

a minidisc player mechanism for playback of audio content from a minidisc;

an electronic memory;

a user interface; and

a processor that obtains identifying information from the minidisc in response to a mark command from the user interface received during playback of a track and stores the identifying information associated with the track that is playing in the electronic memory.

69. The apparatus according to claim 68, wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of a minidisc identifier (MDID), a track identifier, a track name, a song identifier and a portion of a song.

70. The apparatus according to claim 68, further comprising means for transmitting a marking list to a remote user.