System and method of offering media content

• US 7,685,022 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ringewald, Erich, Heyworth, Samuel, Phillips, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian; Mila
• Application Number:
  US11/818,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A system and method of offering media content is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a selection of a disaggregated media content item from a user computer at a server via an online site that offers a catalog of items. The method also includes identifying a catalog item related to the selected disaggregated media content item. Further, the method includes displaying a detail interface via the online site, the detail interface including details related to the disaggregated media content item and a recommendation of the identified catalog item. A graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed that includes a song-level detail page including a plurality of details related to an individual song available for download via an online site. The GUI includes at least one recommendation of at least one other item associated with a performer of the individual song, where the other item(s) are offered via the online site.

Claims

1. A method of offering media content, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user computer, a selection from an item catalog of a media content item disaggregated from an aggregation of media content items available from the item catalog, wherein the aggregation of media content items is identified in the item catalog by a unique identifier assigned to the aggregation of media content items, and wherein the selected disaggregated media content item is identified in the item catalog by a unique identifier assigned to the selected disaggregated media content item, and wherein the unique identifier assigned to the selected disaggregated media content item is different from the unique identifier assigned to the aggregation of media content items;

identifying, by a server, from the item catalog at least one other item related to the selected disaggregated media content item, the at least one other item identified in the catalog of items by a unique identifier assigned to the at least one other item; and

generating a user interface for display on the user computer in response to receiving the selection of the media content item, the user interface including;

data related to the selected disaggregated media content item, wherein the data is retrieved from the item catalog using the unique identifier for the selected disaggregated media content item, and

data related to the at least one other item, wherein the data is retrieved from the item catalog using the unique identifier for the at least one other item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected disaggregated media content item includes at least one of video content and audio content that is offered for electronic transfer to the user computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected disaggregated media content item is an individual song and the aggregation of digital media content from which the individual song is disaggregated is an album.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface further includes at least one of a release date of the individual song, a performer name, an album title, an album cover picture, a user review of the individual song, and a price for the individual song.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one other item is associated with a performer of the individual song.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one other item is a second disaggregated media content item associated with the performer.

7. A method of offering media content, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user computer, a selection of an individual media content item belonging to an aggregation of media content items available from an item catalog;

in response to receiving the selection of the individual media content item at a server,

identifying, by the server, at least one other item related to the individual media content item; and

generating a user interface display for the individual media content item, the user interface display including data related to;

the individual media content item, wherein the data is retrieved from the item catalog using a unique identifier that identifies the individual media content item rather than the aggregation of media content items to which the individual media content item belongs; and

a recommendation for the at least one other item.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the individual media content item is an individual song and wherein the aggregation of media content items is an album of songs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one other item is at least one of a different version of the individual song, a different format offering for the individual song, and another item related to a performer of the individual song.

10. A system to offer media content, the system comprising:

a data store that stores a catalog of items; and

a media content server in communication with the data store, the media content server having a processor and memory, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

receive from a user computer a selection of a disaggregated media content item from the catalog of items stored in the data store, the selected disaggregated media content item belonging to an aggregation of media content items available from the catalog of items stored in the data store, wherein the aggregation of media content items is identified in the catalog of items by a unique identifier assigned to the aggregation of media content items, and wherein the selected disaggregated media content item is identified in the catalog of items by a unique identifier assigned to the selected disaggregated media content item, and wherein the unique identifier assigned to the selected disaggregated media content item is different from the unique identifier assigned to the aggregation of media content items;

identify a catalog item related to the selected disaggregated media content item; and

generate a user interface display for the selected disaggregated media content item in response to receiving the selection of the disaggregated media content item, the user interface display including data related to;

the selected disaggregated media content item, wherein the data is retrieved from the data store using the unique identifier that identifies the selected disaggregated media content item, and

the identified catalog item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the identified catalog item is an item associated with an actor and wherein the selected disaggregated media content item is a video content item in which the actor appears.

12. A computer-readable medium having a computer-executable component that includes instructions executable by a processor to offer media content from a catalog of items, the computer executable component comprising:

a user interface component operative to generate for display a detail page describing a song item that is identified in the catalog of items by a unique identifier, wherein the user interface component generates the song item detail page in response to selection of the song item, and wherein the user interface component generates the song item detail page using data describing the song item that is retrieved from the catalog of items using the unique identifier for the song item, the data comprising;

a plurality of details related to the song item; and

at least one recommendation of at least one other item associated with the song item, wherein the at least one other item is identified in the catalog of items.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of details comprises at least one of a name of a performer of the song item, a name of a song collection with which the song item is associated, a release date of the song item, liner notes associated with the song item, a record company associated with the song item, a producer associated with the song item, and an arrangement associated with the song item.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the data describing the song item that is retrieved from the catalog of items using the unique identifier for the song item further comprises at least one customer review of the song item.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the user interface component is further operative to generate a one-click indicator selectable to initiate electronic transfer of the song item, submit payment for the song item, and add the song item to a pre-selected media content player.

16. A computer-readable medium including processor-readable instructions that are executable by a processor to:

receive, from a user computer, a selection of a disaggregated media content item belonging to an aggregation of media content items available from an item catalog;

in response to receipt of the selection of the disaggregated media content item,

identify a catalog item related to the selected disaggregated media content item; and

generate a user interface display for the selected disaggregated media content item, the user interface display including data related to;

the selected disaggregated media content item, wherein the data is retrieved from the item catalog using a unique identifier that identifies the selected disaggregated media content item rather than the aggregation of media content items to which the selected disaggregated media content item belongs; and

a recommendation for the identified catalog item.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the processor-readable instructions are further executable by a processor to identify a plurality of catalog items related to the selected disaggregated media content item.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of identified catalog items include at least one of a purchasable item and a disaggregated media content item.