System and method for acquiring and adding data on the playing of elements or multimedia files

• US 7,840,570 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Strands Incorporated (CRIBIS Holding SRL)
• Inventors: Martin Cervera, Francisco Jose, Plaza I Cervera, Enric
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng; Amy
• Application Number:
  US11/918,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/748, 707/752
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for acquiring and aggregating information relating to the reproduction of multimedia files or elements in a database, said data including information relating to the number of multimedia file or element reproductions. The inventive system comprises a plurality of digital devices which can access and reproduce multimedia files and an acquisition and storage device which communicates with each of the digital devices in order to receive data from each of the identification/characterization programs, such that the identification/characterization program can count the reproductions at least in a direct and/or weighted manner.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a weight associated with each of a plurality of devices proportional to a total number of multimedia files accessible to the corresponding one of the plurality of devices in response to the total number of multimedia files being less than a threshold, otherwise setting the weight equal to the threshold;

generating a count of complete or partial plays for each of the multimedia files accessible to the plurality of devices;

generating a weighted count for each of the multimedia files accessible to the plurality of devices by applying the weight associated with the corresponding device to the respective count for each of the plurality of multimedia files accessible to the plurality of devices;

classifying each of the multimedia files according to its weighted count;

storing an indication of the classification of each multimedia file in association with the corresponding multimedia file;

storing, in a memory accessible to the plurality of devices, a plurality of user profiles associated with a corresponding plurality of users of one or more of the plurality of devices; and

associating, in the memory, the weighted count for each of the multimedia files with a user profile corresponding to a user that played or partially played the multimedia file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of devices includes a memory device configured to store the plurality of multimedia files accessible to the corresponding device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of devices includes a personal computer, portable player, mobile telephone, or personal digital assistant.

4. The method of claim 1, further including associating the count of complete or partial plays of the plurality of multimedia files with a device in which the complete or partial plays occurred.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein classifying the plurality of multimedia files accessible to the plurality of the devices includes grouping the plurality of multimedia files in response to a criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the criteria includes at least one of a play time, a type of multimedia file, a genre of the multimedia file, geographic location of the device, user data, or metadata of the multimedia file.

7. A system comprising:

a server; and

a plurality of remote devices configured to communicate with the server over a network;

wherein each remote device is configured to;

play a plurality of locally stored multimedia files one at a time; and

transmit a count of complete or partial plays for each of the multimedia files; and

wherein the server is configured to;

generate a weight associated with each of the remote devices proportional to a total number of multimedia files accessible to the corresponding one of the remote devices responsive to the total number of multimedia files being less than a threshold, otherwise setting the weight equal to the threshold;

generate a weighted count for each of the multimedia files accessible to each of the remote devices by applying the weight associated with the corresponding remote device to the respective count for each of the multimedia files accessible to the remote devices;

classify each of the multimedia files according to the its weighted count; and

store an indication of the classification of each multimedia file in association with the corresponding multimedia file;

store, in a memory device, a plurality of user profiles associated with a corresponding plurality of users of one or more of the plurality of remote devices; and

associate, in the memory device, the weighted count for each of the multimedia files with a user profile corresponding to a user that played or partially played the multimedia file.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the remote devices includes a internal memory device configured to locally store the multimedia files.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of remote devices includes at least one of a personal computer, portable player, mobile telephone, or personal digital assistant.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the server includes a memory device accessible to the plurality of remote devices and configured to store the indication of the classification.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the server is further configured to associate the count of complete or partial plays for each of the multimedia files with the remote device in which the complete or partial plays occurred.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the server is further configured to group the plurality of multimedia files in response to a criteria.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the criteria includes at least one of a play time, a type of multimedia file, a genre of the multimedia file, geographic location of the device, user data, or metadata of the multimedia file.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that configure a processing device to:

generate a weight associated with each of a plurality of devices proportional to a total number of multimedia files accessible to the corresponding one of the plurality of devices in response to the total number of multimedia files being less than a threshold, otherwise setting the weight equal to the threshold;

generate a count of complete or partial plays for each of the multimedia files accessible to the plurality of devices;

generate a weighted count for each of the multimedia files accessible to the plurality of devices by applying the weight associated with the corresponding device to the respective count for each of the plurality of multimedia files accessible to the plurality of devices;

classify each of the multimedia files according to its weighted count;

cause the storage of an indication of the classification of each multimedia file in association with the corresponding multimedia file;

store, in a memory accessible to the plurality of devices, a plurality of user profiles associated with a corresponding plurality of users of one or more of the plurality of devices; and

associate, in the memory, the weighted count for each of the multimedia files with a user profile corresponding to a user that played or partially played the multimedia file.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of devices includes a memory device configured to store the plurality of multimedia files accessible to the corresponding device.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of digital devices includes a personal computer, portable player, mobile telephone, or personal digital assistant.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions further configure the processing device to associate the count of complete or partial plays of the plurality of multimedia files with the corresponding device in which the complete or partial plays occurred.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions further configure the processing device to group the plurality of multimedia files in response to a criteria.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the criteria includes at least one of a play time, a type of multimedia file, a genre of the multimedia file, geographic location of the device, user data, or metadata of the multimedia file.