System and method for intelligently selecting media through a simplified user interface

• US 7,000,188 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Eustace, Robert Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): DETWILER, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US09/823,081
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/719, 715/720, 715/727, 715/738, 715/739, 715/744, 715/745, 715/810, 715/811, 715/812, 715/844, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• 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: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

The present invention is a media player and media player interface. The media player includes a storage unit for various types of media, media related data, and media selection logic. The media player interface is either built into the media player or a separate component such as a remote control. Either way, the media player interface includes a single point interface. When the single point interface is triggered by a user, the media selection logic selects an item of media by reference to the media related data. The media related data includes information that determines the probability of a particular item of media being selected by the media selection logic. The act of triggering the single point interface provides the media selection logic with information to update the media related data. The media selection logic may also consider the current sequence of selections, so that a single item is not likely to be selected back-to-back.

Claims

1. A media player and media player interface, the media player comprising:

a storage unit for storing media and media related data, said media related data including a selection probability for each item of a plurality of items of said media, wherein said selection probability is, at least in part, determined based on a time of selection of an item and/or a time between the selection of at least two items; and

media selection logic, wherein the media selection logic is responsive to said media player interface;

the media player interface comprising a trigger mechanism, coupled to the media selection logic, wherein said trigger mechanism enables a user to trigger the selection of media by said media selection logic;

the media selection logic configured to;

select an item of said media by reference to said media related data; and

update said media related data in accordance with the selection of the item of media by the media selection logic.

2. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein said media player interface is disposed on a unit separate from said media player.

3. The media player and media player interface of claim 2, wherein the unit is a remote control, said remote control configured to transmit commands from said trigger to said media player.

4. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media selection logic is configured to select an item of media in response to a lapse in time not less than a duration associated with a previously selected item of media.

5. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein

said media selection logic is configured to maintain in said media related data a preferred media list including each selected item of said media meeting predefined selection criteria;

said media selection logic is configured to;

access the preferred media list when predefined preferred media mode selection criteria are satisfied; and

select an item of said media from the preferred media list.

6. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media selection logic is configured to:

sum the selection probabilities for all items of media;

generate a random number, said random number falling between first and second values whose difference corresponds to the sum of the selection probabilities for all items of media;

repeat the following steps until an item of said media is selected;

add the selection probability for an item of said media to a second sum initialized to the first value;

compare the second sum to the random number; and

select the item of said media if the second sum exceeds the random number.

7. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media selection logic is configured to:

map the items of media to a probability density function, each respective item of media being mapped to a respective interval of said probability density function;

generate a random number;

determine an interval on said probability density function corresponding the random number, and determining the item of media corresponding to the determined interval.

8. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the items of media include a plurality of recordings of musical compositions.

9. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media is radio such that an item of said media is a radio station.

10. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media is television such that an item of said media is a television station.

11. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media is film such that an item of said media is a movie.

12. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media selection logic is configured to utilize a media item selection list for an initial selection of an item of said media.

13. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein the media selection logic is configured to delete from the storage unit an item of said media for which a probability of a being selected is below a predefined threshold.

14. The media and media player interface of claim 13, wherein

the media player includes a communication port, said communication port configured to transfer media and media related data;

and

said media selection logic is configured to;

transfer media related data from the media player via the communication port, said media related data indicating the probability of selection for each item of said media maintained in the storage unit; and

receive in response additional items of media selected in accordance with the transferred media related data.

15. The media player and media player interface of claim 14, wherein

the additional items of media are related to items of media that have a high probability of being selected and are already maintained in the storage unit.

16. The media player and media player interface of claim 1, wherein said media selection logic is configured to store a list of recently selected items of media and to select an item of media that is not included in the list of recently selected items of media.

17. A media player and media player interface,

the media player comprising:

a storage unit for storing media and media related data, said media related data including a selection probability for each item of a plurality of items of said media; and

media selection logic, wherein the media selection logic is responsive to said media player interface;

the media player interface comprising a trigger mechanism, coupled to the media selection logic, wherein said trigger mechanism enables a user to trigger the selection of media by said media selection logic;

the media selection logic configured to;

select an item of said media by reference to said media related data;

update said media related data in accordance with the selection of the item of media by the media selection logic;

determine a duration associated with a first selected item of said media;

ascertain an amount of time that lapses between a selection of the first selected item of media and a selection of a second selected item of said media; and

adjust by a first amount the selection probability associated with the first selected item of media by reference to a ratio of said duration to said amount of time that lapses.

18. The media player and media player interface of claim 17, wherein

said media related data includes descriptive information for each item of said media;

and

said media selection logic is configured to increase by a second amount the selection probability of a third item of said media having a certain portion of the descriptive information in common with the first selected item of said media.

19. The media player and media player interface of claim 18, wherein said descriptive information comprises media genre information.

20. The media player and media player interface of claim 18, wherein said descriptive information comprises media collection information.

21. The media player and media player interface of claims 18, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information.

22. The media player and media player interface of claim 18, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information, media collection information, and media genre information;

and

said media selection logic is configured to size the second amount by reference to which portion of the descriptive information the third item of media has in common with the first selected item of media.

23. The media player and media player interface of claim 22, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media creator information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only a media collection or media genre information in connection with the first selected item of media.

24. The media player and media player interface of claim 23, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media collection information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

25. The media player and media player interface of claim 17, wherein

said media related data includes descriptive information for each item of said media;

and

said media selection logic is configured to decrease by a second amount the selection probability of a third item of said media not having a certain portion of the descriptive information in common with the first selected item of said media.

26. The media player and media player interface of claim 25, wherein said descriptive information comprises media genre information.

27. The media player and media player interface of claim 25, wherein said descriptive information comprises media collection information.

28. The media player and media player interface of claim 25, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information.

29. The media player and media player interface of claim 25, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information, media collection information, and media genre information;

and

said media selection logic is configured to size the second amount by reference to which portion of the descriptive information the third item of media has in common with the first selected item of media.

30. The media player and media player interface of claim 29, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media creator information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only media collection or media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

31. The media player and media player interface of claim 30, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media collection information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

32. The media player and media player interface of claim 17, wherein the probability of the first selected item of media being selected again is reduced if the amount of time that lapses is less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media.

33. The media player and media player interface of claim 32, wherein a reduction in the selection probability of the first selected item of media corresponds to an extent to which the amount of time that lapses is less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media.

34. The media player and media player interface of claim 17, wherein the probability of the first selected item of media being selected again is increased if the amount of time that lapses is not les than the duration associated with the first selected item of media.

35. The media player and media player interface of claim 17, wherein the first amount is inversely proportional to a number of items the selection probability of the first selected item of media.

36. The media player and media player interface of claim 17, wherein

said media selection logic is configured to maintain in said media related data a list including each selected item of said media for which the amount of time that lapses between a selection of said each selected item of said media and a subsequent selection of an item of said media is not less than the duration associated with said each selected item of said media;

said media selection logic is configured to;

access the list when the amount of time that lapses is not less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media; and

select an item of said media, other than the first selected item of media, from the list.

37. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer controlled media player, the computer controlled media player capable of executing a procedure, the computer controlled media player including a storage unit for storing media and media related data, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, comprising:

a media selection module, responsive to trigger signals received from an interface of the media player, including;

instructions for selecting items of the media, in response to the trigger signals, by reference to said media related data;

instructions for updating the media related data in accordance with the selection of the items of media by the media selecting instructions; and

wherein the media related data includes a selection probability for each item of a plurality of items of said media, wherein said selection probability is at least in part determined based on a time of selection of an item and/or a time between the selection of at least two items.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the media selection module includes instructions to:

select an item of media in response to a lapse in time not less than a duration associated with a previously selected item of media.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein

the media selection module includes instructions to maintain in said media related data a preferred media list including each selected item of said media meeting predefined selection criteria;

the media selection module includes instructions to;

access the preferred media list when the predefined preferred media mode selection criteria are satisfied; and

select an item of said media from the preferred media list.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the media selection module includes instructions to:

sum the selection probabilities for all items of media;

generate a random number, said random number falling between first and second values whose difference corresponds to the sum of the selected probabilities for all items of media;

repeat the following steps until an item of said media is selected;

add the selection probability for an item of said media to a second sum initialized to the first value;

compare the second sum to the random number; and

select the item of said media if the second sum exceeds the random number.

41. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the media selection module includes instructions to:

map the items of media to a probability density function, each respective item of media being mapped to a respective interval of said probability density function;

generate a random number;

determine an interval on said probability density function corresponding the random number, and determining the item of media corresponding to the determined interval.

42. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the media selection module includes instructions to utilize a media item selection list for an initial selection of an item of said media.

43. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the media selection module includes instructions to delete from the storage unit an item of said media for which a probability of a being selected is below a predetermined threshold.

44. The computer program of claim 37, wherein the media selection module includes instructions to store a list of recently selected items of media and to select an item of media that is not included in the list of recently selected items of media.

45. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer controlled media player, the computer controlled media player capable of executing a procedure, the computer controlled media player including a storage unit for storing media and media related data, the media related data including a selection probability for each item of a plurality of items of said media, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, comprising:

a media selection module, responsive to trigger signals received from an interface of the media player, including;

instructions for selecting items of the media, in response to the trigger signals, by reference to said media related data;

instructions for updating the media related data in accordance with the selection of the items of media by the media selecting instructions;

instructions for determining a duration associated with a first selected item of said media;

instructions for ascertaining an amount of time that lapses between a selection of the first selected item of media and a selection of a second selected item of said media; and

instructions for adjusting by a first amount the selection probability associated with the first selected item of media by reference to a ratio of said duration to said amount of time that lapses.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein

the media related data includes descriptive information for each item of said media;

and

the media selection module includes instructions to increase by a second amount the selection probability of a third item of said media having a certain portion of the descriptive information in common with the first selected item of said media.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein said descriptive information comprises media genre information.

48. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein said descriptive information comprises media collection information.

49. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information.

50. The computer program product of claim 46 wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information, media collection information, and media genre information;

and

the media selection module includes instructions to size the second amount by reference to which portion of the descriptive information the third item of media has in common with the first selected item of media.

51. The computer program product of claim 50 wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media creator information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only a media collection or media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

52. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media collection information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

53. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein

the media related data includes descriptive information for each item of said media;

and

the media selection module includes instructions to decrease by a second amount the selection probability of a third item of said media not having a certain portion of the descriptive information in common with the first selected item of said media.

54. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein said descriptive information comprises media genre information.

55. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein said descriptive information comprises media collection information.

56. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information.

57. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein said descriptive information comprises media creator information, media collection information, and media genre information;

and

the media selection module includes instructions to size the second amount by reference to which portion of the descriptive information the third item of media has in common with the first selected item of media.

58. The computer program product of claim 57, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media has media creator information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only a media collection or media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

59. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein the second amount is greater when the third item of media collection information in common with the first selected item of media than when the third item of media has only media genre information in common with the first selected item of media.

60. The computer program product of claim 45 wherein the probability of the first selected item of media being selected again is reduced if the amount of time that lapses is less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media.

61. The computer program product of claim 60, wherein a reduction in the selection probability of the first selected item of media corresponds to an extent to which the amount of time that lapses is less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media.

62. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the probability of the first selected item of media being selected again is increased if the amount of time that lapses is not less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media.

63. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the first amount is inversely proportional to a number of times the selection probability of the first selected item of media.

64. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein

the media selection module includes instructions to maintain in said media related data a list including each selected item of said media for which the amount of time that lapses between a selection of said each selected item of said media and a subsequent selection of an item of said media is not less than the duration associated with said each selected item of said media;

the media selection module includes instructions to;

access the list when the amount of time that lapses is not less than the duration associated with the first selected item of media; and

select an item of said media from the first selected item of media, from the list.