Device and method for monitoring, rating and/or tuning to an audio content channel

• US 8,086,168 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Moran, Dov, Pomerantz, Itzhak, Teicher, Mordechai
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US11/428,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,030 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/3.06, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 725/34, 725/41, 725/42, 725/43
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Devices, methods and computer-readable code for simultaneously monitoring the content of at least two streaming audio content channels are disclosed. In some embodiments, the monitored content is analyzed, and one or more features of the monitored content channels are computed, including but not limited to music classification features, content genre features, and spoken content features. These computed features may be used, for example, to compute a rating or score for each monitored audio channel, for example, a rating computed relative to user listening preferences, expressed, for example, in preference rules. In some embodiments, the presently disclosed device includes a channel selector for automatically tuning, for example, to a channel assigned a higher rating at a given time. Alternatively or additionally, content rating scores may be displayed to a user who manually selects and tunes to an audio content channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for content tuning and for presenting the content to a user via an audio output interface, the apparatus comprising:

a) a multi-channel monitor located within the apparatus and operative to monitor a plurality of channels, each of said channels providing respective streaming content;

b) a content analyzer located within said apparatus and operative to analyze streaming content currently being played on said monitored channels;

c) a channel selector located within said apparatus for tuning the apparatus to a channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said analysis; and

d) an audio output interface of the apparatus for playing, to a user, audio being played on the channel to which the channel selector is tuned, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable radio device, wherein the content analyzer is operative to analyze streaming content on first and second of said monitored channels while said audio output interface is playing audio to the user on said first channel but not said second channel and wherein said channel selector is configured to tune the apparatus from said first channel to said second channel in response to said content analyzer determining that the content being played on said second channel is more desirable to the user than the content being played on said first channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said multi-channel monitor is operative to monitor at least one said streaming content channel selected from the group consisting of a conventional radio station, an internet radio station and a satellite radio station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

e) an archive engine for archiving audio content of a monitored channel to generate archived content, and wherein said pre-stored audio content includes said archived content.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said channel selector is operative to select said selected content channel in accordance with a set of pre-determined preference rules.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said channel selector is operative such that said predetermined preference rules are applicable both to said content channel and to pre-stored audio content.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

e) a rule input interface for receiving rule specification data specifying at least in part at least one said pre-determined preference rule.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein at least one of said preference rules relates to a history of tuned content.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said content analyzer is operative to compute respective sets of audio content features of said respective streaming content of each channel, and to assign a respective rating to each of said monitored channels in accordance with said pre-determined preference rules and in accordance with said computed respective set of audio content features, and wherein said channel selector is operative to effect said selection in accordance with said assigned respective rating.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 where said content analyzer is operative to periodically update one or more of said ratings.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said channel selector is operative to switch from a presently played station to a different station if a current rating of said different station exceeds a rating of said presently played station.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said content analyzer is operative to extract at least one feature of said streaming content selected from the group consisting of a music feature and a speech feature.

12. A method for content tuning comprising:

a) monitoring a plurality of channels, each of said channels providing respective streaming content, wherein monitoring the plurality of channels includes monitoring the streaming content currently being played on each of the channels using a content analyzer that resides in an apparatus for content tuning and presentation to a user via an audio interface of the apparatus;

b) computing respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels;

c) tuning, using a channel selector located within the apparatus, the apparatus to a channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said computing; and

d) playing, to a user via the audio interface, audio being played on the channel to which the apparatus is tuned, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable radio device, wherein the content analyzer is operative to analyze streaming content on first and second of said monitored channels while said audio output interface is playing audio to the user on said first channel but not said second channel and wherein said channel selector is configured to tune the apparatus from said first channel to said second channel in response to said content analyzer determining that the content being played on said second channel is more desirable to the user than said content being played on said first channel.

13. An audio content feature extraction device that is operative to:

a) monitor the content of at least two streaming audio content channels simultaneously, wherein monitoring the content of at least two audio content channels includes monitoring the streaming content currently being played on each of the channels using a content analyzer that resides in an apparatus for content tuning and presentation to a user via an audio output interface of the apparatus;

b) compute, for each of said monitored content channels, a respective set of audio content features,

wherein each of said respective sets of audio content features includes at least one of a music feature and a speech feature;

c) tune, using a channel selector located within the apparatus, the apparatus to one of the channels based on results of the computing; and

d) play, to a user via the audio interface, audio being played on the channel to which the apparatus is tuned, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable radio device, wherein the content analyzer is operative to analyze streaming content on first and second of said monitored channels while said audio output interface is playing audio to the user on said first channel but not said second channel and wherein said channel selector is configured to tune the apparatus from said first channel to said second channel in response to said content analyzer determining that the content being played on said second channel is more desirable to the user than said content being played on said first channel.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said speech feature is selected from the group consisting of an spoken text feature, a sung text feature, a foreign language feature, an accent feature, an identity of a speaker, an identity of a singer, and a text-content feature.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein said music feature is selected from the group consisting of a music metric feature and a music classification feature.

16. A method for deriving audio content features comprising:

a) monitoring a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content, wherein monitoring a plurality of channels includes monitoring the streaming content currently being played on each of the channels using a content analyzer that resides in an apparatus for content tuning and presentation to a user via an audio output interface of the apparatus;

b) computing respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels, wherein each of said respective feature sets includes at least one of a music feature and a speech feature;

c) tuning, using a channel selector located within the apparatus, the apparatus to one of the channels based on results of the computing and

d) playing, to a user via the audio output interface, audio being played on the channel to which the apparatus is tuned, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable radio device, wherein the content analyzer is operative to analyze streaming content on first and second of said monitored channels while said audio output interface is playing audio to the user on said first channel but not said second channel and wherein said channel selector is configured to tune the apparatus from said first channel to said second channel in response to said content analyzer determining that the content being played on said second channel is more desirable to the user than said content being played on said first channel.

17. A computer non-transitory readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein when executed the program instructions are operable to:

a) monitor a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content, wherein monitoring a plurality of channels includes monitoring the streaming content currently being played by each of the channels using a content analyzer that resides in an apparatus for content tuning and presentation to a user via an audio output interface of the apparatus;

b) compute respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels; and

c) tune, using a channel selector located within the apparatus, the apparatus to;

a channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said computing; and

d) play, to a user via the audio output interface, audio being played on the channel to which the apparatus is tuned, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable radio device, wherein the content analyzer is operative to analyze streaming content on first and second of said monitored channels while said audio output interface is playing audio to the user on said first channel but not said second channel and wherein said channel selector is configured to tune the apparatus from said first channel to said second channel in response to said content analyzer determining that the content being played on said second channel is more desirable to the user than said content being played on said first channel.

18. A computer non-transitory readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein when executed the program instructions are operable to:

a) monitor a plurality of channels, each said channel providing respective streaming content, wherein monitoring a plurality of channels includes monitoring the streaming content currently being played by each of the channels using a content analyzer that resides in an apparatus for content tuning and presentation to a user via an audio output interface of the apparatus;

b) compute respective feature sets of said respective streaming content of said monitored content channels, wherein each said respective feature set includes at least one of a music feature and a speech feature; and

c) tune, using a channel selector located within the apparatus, the apparatus to a channel selected from said plurality of channels in accordance with results of said computing; and

d) play, to a user via the audio output interface, audio being played on the channel to which the apparatus is tuned, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable radio device, wherein the content analyzer is operative to analyze streaming content on first and second of said monitored channels while said audio output interface is playing audio to the user on said first channel but not said second channel and wherein said channel selector is configured to tune the apparatus from said first channel to said second channel in response to said content analyzer determining that the content being played on said second channel is more desirable to the user than said content being played on said first channel.