Personalized audio system and method

• US 7,133,924 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Music Choice
• Original Assignee: Music Choice
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jeremy, Yurman, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US10/098,473
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/231, 707/10, 725/13, 725/14, 725/45, 725/46, 369/30.08, 846/02
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/61 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• 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 16/64 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: 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/105 User profile, i.e. data about the user, e.g. for user settings or user preferences
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 : using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 : Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A personalized audio system and method that overcomes many of the broadcast-type disadvantages associated with conventional radio stations. According to one embodiment, the personalized audio system includes the following: (1) a user interface that enables a user of the personalized audio system to specify a profile for a personalized audio channel, (2) a sound recording library comprising a plurality of sound recordings, (3) a playlist generator that (a) selects a plurality of sound recording identifiers from a set of sound recording identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of sound recording identifiers identifies a sound recording that matches the profile and that is stored in the library, and that (b) creates a playlist that lists the plurality of sound recording identifiers in a particular order, and (4) a sound recording reproducing device for reproducing the plurality of identified sound recordings according to the particular order in which the sound recording identifiers are listed in the playlist so that the user can listen to the sound recordings. Advantageously, the personalized audio system does not provide the user with a way to determine the plurality of sound recording identifiers prior to the reproducing means reproducing the plurality of sound recordings, and the personalized audio system does not provide the user with a way to directly control which sound recording identifiers in the set are selected by the playlist generator to be included in the plurality of sound recording identifiers.

Claims

1. In a personalized audio system comprising a consumer device comprising a user interface for receiving input from a user of the system and a storage device for storing data, a method for providing one or more personalized audio channels, wherein each personalized audio channel has a profile associated therewith and each profile comprises profile information related to or concerning the user'"'"'s sound recording preferences, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a sound recording library on the storage device, the sound recording library comprising a plurality of tracks;

receiving from the user an indication that the user desires to listen to a selected one of the one or more personalized audio channels;

selecting, in response to the received indication, a track based on the profile associated with the selected personalized audio channel;

retrieving the selected track;

playing the track for the user; and

updating the sound recording library, wherein the step of updating the sound recording library comprises the steps of;

transmitting an update request message to a server, wherein, in response to receiving the update request message, the server determines whether a track within a predetermined set of tracks matches the profile associated with one of the one or more personalized audio channels, and, if the server determines that said track matches said profile, then the server responds to the update request message by transmitting (a) an update message comprising a track identifier that identifies said track that matches the profile and/or (b) said track that matches the profile;

receiving from the server the update message and/or said track; and

adding said track that matches the profile to the library.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a wanted list based at least in part on a profile associated with one of the personalized audio channels, wherein the wanted list comprises a plurality of sound recording identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of updating the sound recording library further includes the step of adding to the wanted list the track identifier received in the update message received from the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adding the track to the library comprises the steps of encrypting the track-and storing the encrypted track-in the storage device so that the user will not have direct access to the track.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the track transmitted from the server is encrypted and the step of adding the track to the library comprises the step of storing the encrypted track in the storage device so that the user will not have direct access to the track.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the profiles associated with the one or more personalized audio channels on the storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the track based on the profile associated with the selected personalized audio channel comprises the step of selecting a track from a list of tracks, wherein the list was generated based on the profile associated with the selected audio channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the selected track comprises retrieving the selected track from the sound recording library.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the given set of tracks consists entirely of new tracks.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the update request message comprises at least a portion of a profile associated with one of the one or more personalized audio channels.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the update request message comprises information pertaining to a profile associated with one of the one or more personalized audio channels.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the update request message comprises date information, which date information is used by the server to determine said set of tracks.

13. An apparatus for enabling a user to select a personalized audio channel from a set of one or more personalized audio channels and to listen to the selected personalized audio channel, wherein each of the one or more personalized audio channels has a profile associated therewith and each profile comprises profile information related to or concerning the user'"'"'s sound recording preferences, comprising:

a storage device;

a sound recording library stored on the storage device, the sound recording library comprising plurality of tracks;

a user interface that enables the user to select one of the one or more personalized audio channels and enables the user to indicate that the user desires to listen to the selected personalized audio channel; and

a processing unit comprising memory that stores software, wherein the software is operable to;

select, in response to the user indicating a desire to listen to a selected personalized audio channel, a track based on the profile associated with the selected audio channel;

retrieve the selected track;

play the track for the user; and

update the sound recording library, wherein the software is configured to update the sound recording library by performing a process comprising the steps of;

transmitting an update request message to a server, wherein the server is configured to (a) determine whether a track within a given set of tracks matches the profile associated with a personalized audio channel in response to receiving the update message and (b) respond to the update request message by transmitting (i) an update message comprising a track identifier that identifies said track that matches the profile and/or (ii) said track that matches the profile if the server determines that said track matches said profile;

receiving from the server the update message and/or said track; and

adding said track that matches the profile to the library.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software is further operable to create a wanted list based at least in part on a profile associated with one of the personalized audio channels, wherein the wanted list comprises a plurality of sound recording identifiers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the process of updating the sound recording library further includes the step of adding to the wanted list the track identifier received in the update message received from the server.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the step of adding the track to the library comprises the steps of encrypting the track and storing the encrypted track in the storage device so that the user will not have direct access to the track.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the track transmitted from the server is encrypted and the step of adding the track to the library comprises the step of storing the encrypted track in the storage device so that the user will not have direct access to the track.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the profiles associated with the one or more personalized audio channels are stored on the storage device.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software selects the track based on the profile associated with the selected personalized audio channel by performing a process comprising the step of selecting a track from a list of tracks, wherein the list was generated based on the profile associated with the selected audio channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software retrieves the selected track from the sound recording library.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the update request message comprises information pertaining to a profile associated with one of the one or more personalized audio channels.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the update request message comprises date information, and the server is configured to use the date information to determine said set of tracks.

23. An apparatus for enabling a user to select a personalized audio channel from a set of one or more personalized audio channels and to listen to the selected personalized audio channel, wherein each of the one or more personalized audio channels has a profile associated therewith and each profile comprises profile information related to or concerning the user'"'"'s sound recording preferences, comprising:

a storage device;

a sound recording library stored on the storage device, the sound recording library comprising plurality of tracks;

a user interface that enables the user to select one of the one or more personalized audio channels and enables the user to indicate that the user desires to listen to the selected personalized audio channel;

means for selecting, in response to the user indicating a desire to listen to a selected personalized audio channel, a track based on the profile associated with the selected audio channel;

means for retrieving the selected track;

means for playing the selected track for the user; and

means for updating the sound recording library, wherein the updating means comprises;

means for transmitting an update request message to a server, wherein the server is configured to (a) determine whether a track within a given set of tracks matches the profile associated with a personalized audio channel in response to receiving the update message and (b) respond to the update request message by transmitting (i) an update message comprising a track identifier that identifies said track that matches the profile and/or (ii) said track that matches the profile if the server determines that said track matches said profile;

means for receiving from the server the update message and/or said track; and

means for adding said track that matches the profile to the library.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for creating a wanted list based at least in part on a profile associated with one of the personalized audio channels, wherein the wanted list comprises a plurality of sound recording identifiers.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the updating means further comprises means for adding to the wanted list the track identifier received in the update message received from the server.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for encrypting the track transmitted from the server and storing the encrypted track in the storage device so that the user will not have direct access to the track.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the track transmitted from the server is encrypted and the means for adding the track-to the library comprises means for storing the encrypted track in the storage device so that the user will not have direct access to the track.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the profiles associated with the one or more personalized audio channels are stored on the storage device.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for selecting the track based on the profile associated with the selected personalized audio channel is configured to select a track from a list of tracks, wherein the list was generated based on the profile associated with the selected audio channel.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for retrieving the selected track retrieves the selected sound recording from the sound recording library.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the update request message comprises information pertaining to a profile associated with one of the one or more personalized audio channels.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the update request message comprises date information, and the server is configured to use the date information to determine said set of tracks.