Methods of rendering recommended media assets to a user by employing a handheld media player

• US 8,156,046 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yang Pan
• Original Assignee: Yang Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US12/202,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,319 Days
• Field of Search: 705 10- 44
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Methods of rendering of unpaid media assets from an on-line merchandiser to a user are disclosed by the use of handheld media players. One embodiment uses the idle screen to display metadata of an unpaid asset when another paid asset is being played. Another embodiment employs the switching-on screen of the player. Recommended unpaid assets by the merchandiser are delivered and stored in the unused storage capacity of the player. The unpaid assets are invisible to the user except that when they are selected by the processor and are displayed on the mentioned screens. The unpaid assets are organized in a single structure as those media assets owned by the user. The capacity occupied by the unpaid media assets is adjusted dynamically based upon the required capacity by the user at a specific time. The media assets stored are managed based on their assigned priorities. The user can pay the on-line merchandiser after the recommended asset is selected through a method that the assigned credits to the user are deducted and the user pays for the on-line merchandiser when next time he or she is connected to the merchandiser through a general purpose computing device.

Claims

1. A method of rendering at least one unpaid media asset by a processor of a media player to a user from a plurality of unpaid assets stored in available storage capacity of the media player, the method comprising:

a. displaying metadata of the unpaid asset on an idle display screen of the media player while a paid media asset is being played;

b. selecting said unpaid asset and paying for said asset if the user'"'"'s input actions are received within a predetermined period of time; and

c. erasing the displayed metadata of the unpaid asset if the user'"'"'s input actions are not received within a predetermined period of time,

wherein a storage capacity manager is employed to determine said available storage capacity by subtracting from total storage capacity of the media player;

a) a storage capacity that has been used for operations of the media player; and

b) a predetermined buffered storage capacity,

wherein said paid and unpaid media asset further comprising two additional fields for media metadata including a first field indicating visibility of the media asset on the display screen by a predetermined hierarchical user interface; and

a second field indicating priority in a sequential manner with regard to the use of said available storage capacity,

wherein said available storage capacity may be fully utilized to store said unpaid media assets,

wherein said unpaid media assets may only be accessible by the user through said steps “

a” and

“

b”

.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media asset ranked with lowest priority with regard to the use of said available storage capacity in said sequential manner may be deleted automatically in a repeated manner to fit remaining unpaid media assets to the available storage capacity if said available storage capacity is reduced.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprising of replacing the displayed metadata of the unpaid asset by new metadata for a new unpaid asset after a predetermined period of time if the user'"'"'s input actions are not received.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said displayed unpaid media asset is related to the paid media asset being played.

5. A method of rendering at least one unpaid media asset by a processor of a media player to a user from a plurality of unpaid assets stored in available storage capacity of the media player, the method comprising:

a. displaying metadata of the unpaid media asset on a first display screen of the media player immediately after the media player is switched on;

b. selecting said unpaid asset and paying for said asset if the user'"'"'s input actions are received within a predetermined period of time; and

c. displaying a first level of user interface with a subcategory including unpaid media assets if the user'"'"'s input actions are not received within a predetermined period of time,

wherein a storage capacity manager is employed to determine said available storage capacity by subtracting from total storage capacity of the media player;

a) a storage capacity that has been used for operations of the media player; and

b) a predetermined buffered storage capacity,

wherein said paid and unpaid media asset further comprising two additional fields for media metadata including a first field indicating visibility of the media asset on the display screen by a predetermined hierarchical user interface; and

a second field indicating priority in a sequential manner with regard to the use of said available storage capacity,

wherein said available storage capacity may be fully utilized to store said unpaid media assets,

wherein said unpaid media assets may only be accessible by the user through said steps “

a”

, “

b” and

“

c”

.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said media asset ranked with lowest priority with regard to the use of said available storage capacity in said sequential manner may be deleted automatically in a repeated manner to fit remaining unpaid media assets to the available storage capacity if said available storage capacity is reduced.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said method further comprising of replacing the displayed metadata of the unpaid asset by new metadata for a new unpaid asset after a predetermined period of time if the user'"'"'s input actions are not received.

8. A method of managing a file storage system by a storage capacity manager in a media player including a processor, comprising:

a. determining by the storage capacity manager controlled by the processor available storage capacity by subtracting from total storage capacity of the media player;

a) a storage capacity that has been used for operations of the media player; and

b) a predetermined buffered storage capacity;

b. storing by the storage capacity manager controlled by the processor unpaid media assets in said available storage capacity, wherein each unpaid asset is ranked with a priority in a sequential manner with regard to the use of said available storage capacity; and

c. deleting by the storage capacity manager controlled by the processor the processor lowest priority unpaid asset automatically in a repeated manner to fit remaining (undeleted) unpaid assets to the available storage capacity if said available storage capacity is reduced,

wherein said unpaid assets are delivered to the media player by a method including;

a. transferring the assets from an on-line merchandiser to the media player through a general purpose computing device; and

b. transferring the assets from the on-line merchandiser to the media player directly when the player is with a wireless communication device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said method further comprising:

a. storing by the processor more unpaid media assets if said available storage capacity is increased; and

b. re-ranking by the processor priorities for each unpaid media asset.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said priority is determined by the processor based upon a specific media asset database of a user.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said priority is determined by the processor based upon the most played artist list by a user.