Radio station preference translational mapping

• US 7,379,721 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Steven Michael, Galli, Doreen L., Doudnikoff, Gregory Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M
• Application Number:
  US11/190,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20070037534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/432.3, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/185.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0075 where the receiving frequencies of the stations are stored in a permanent memory, e.g. ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/20 Radio receiver with possibility to choose a station with a certain program style

Abstract

A user'"'"'s media preferences can be obtained and stored for later use in setting up a currently-available media device. The media device inputs are programmed based on the media device'"'"'s capabilities and the available media sources for the particular geographic area in which the user is currently located. Media device inputs may be set by the media device itself or by a computer attached to the media device, either directly or via a network. Device data, including information such as the number of media device inputs to be programmed, and whether or not the media device inputs can be toggled between several stations, is obtained. Station data, including available media sources, is obtained for the current geographic area. A user profile, including information such as input preference settings and genre preferences, is also obtained. The media device inputs are then programmed based on the user profile, the station data for the geographic area, and the media device capabilities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for setting media device inputs, said method comprising:

acquiring a geographic location of a media device having the media device inputs;

obtaining station data corresponding to the acquired geographic location;

receiving media device data corresponding to the media device, wherein the media device data includes a number of media device inputs to be programmed;

retrieving a user profile corresponding to a user of the media device, wherein the retrieved user profile includes an input preference setting of a single station per media device input and a single genre preference; and

programming the media device inputs based on the obtained station data and the retrieved user profile, wherein the programming comprises using the obtained station data to set each of the media device inputs to a media station of the single genre preference, and wherein the media device inputs are set in order of popularity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the obtained station data includes a list of radio stations available in the geographic location, and wherein the obtained station data includes genre and popularity information for each radio station.

3. A computer-implemented method for setting media device inputs, said method comprising:

acquiring a geographic location of a media device having the media device inputs;

obtaining station data corresponding to the acquired geographic location;

receiving media device data corresponding to the media device, wherein the media device data includes a number of media device inputs to be programmed;

retrieving a user profile corresponding to a user of the media device, wherein the retrieved user profile includes an input preference setting of a single station per device input and more than one genre preference; and

programming the media device inputs based on the obtained station data and the retrieved user profile, wherein the programming comprises;

a) reading a first genre preference from the retrieved user profile;

b) obtaining a most popular media station of the first genre preference from the obtained station data;

c) setting a first media device input to the most popular media station of the first genre; and

d) repeating steps a, b, and c for each of the media device inputs.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the obtained station data includes a list of radio stations available in the geographic location, and wherein the obtained station data includes genre and popularity information for each radio station.

5. A computer-implemented method for setting media device inputs, said method comprising:

acquiring a geographic location of a media device having the media device inputs;

obtaining station data corresponding to the acquired geographic location;

receiving media device data corresponding to the media device, wherein the media device data includes a number of media device inputs to be programmed;

retrieving a user profile corresponding to a user of the media device, wherein the retrieved user profile includes an input preference setting of multiple stations per media device input;

determining, based on the received media device data, that the media device inputs are toggle-enabled; and

in response to the determining;

reading a first genre preference from the retrieved user profile;

obtaining a first list of media stations of the first genre preference; and

setting a first media device input to toggle through the first list of obtained media stations.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the obtained station data includes a list of radio stations available in the geographic location, and wherein the obtained station data includes genre and popularity information for each radio station.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

reading a second genre preference from the retrieved user profile;

obtaining a second list of media stations of the second genre preference; and

setting a second media device input to toggle through the second list of obtained media stations.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the obtained first list of media stations is in order of popularity.