Media content voting, ranking and playing system

• US 8,204,890 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gogan, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US13/245,544
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 707/748, 707/783, 707/913, 707/999.001, 707/770, 705/12, 705/319, 369/30.08, 709/201, 709/230, 713/163
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving a plurality of metadata associated with a plurality of media items. Each metadata includes a ranking score and a resource locator of the media item. Queuing media item identifiers based on the plurality of metadata and ordering the queue based on the ranking scores. Retrieving a portion of a highest-ranking unplayed media item and providing the portion to a content playback device. Receiving vote indications for an unplayed media item. The ranking score of the unplayed media is updated item based on the received vote indications. The unplayed media items are reordered in the queue based upon the updated ranking score of the unplayed media item. Retrieving a portion of a highest-ranking unplayed media item in the reordered queue and providing the portion to a content playback device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processing circuit, a plurality of metadata, wherein the plurality of metadata comprises information associated with a plurality of media items requested to be added to a queue of media items, wherein each metadata in the plurality of metadata is associated with a media item and comprises a ranking score, a resource locator of the media item, an associated user, and a title;

placing in the queue, using the processing circuit, media item identifiers for the plurality of media items based on the plurality of metadata, wherein the queue is ordered based in part on the ranking scores of the plurality of metadata;

determining, by the processing circuit, that a first media item is unavailable from a first device based in part on a first resource locator in the metadata for the first media item;

retrieving at least a portion of the first media item from a second device based in part on a second resource locator in the metadata for the first media item, wherein the first media item corresponds to a highest-ranking unplayed media item identifier in the queue, wherein an unplayed media item identifier corresponds to a media item that has not previously been retrieved during an iteration of the queue, and wherein the first resource locator corresponds to a different device than that of the second resource locator;

providing the portion of the first media item to one or more content playback devices;

receiving one or more vote indications for an unplayed media item from one or more user devices;

updating the ranking score of the unplayed media item based in part on the received one or more vote indications;

reordering unplayed media items in the queue based upon the updated ranking score of the unplayed media item;

retrieving at least a portion of a second media item based in part on a resource locator in the metadata for the second media item, wherein the second media item corresponds to a highest ranking unplayed media item identifier in the reordered queue; and

providing the portion of the second media item to the one or more content playback devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the metadata determining a number of matching metadata that correspond to the same media item or copies of the same media item, wherein the plurality of metadata is received from one or more computing devices and each of the metadata is received in response to a request to add a media item to the queue;

combining the matching metadata into a single metadata; and

setting the ranking score of the single metadata to a value corresponding to the number of matching metadata.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising reordering the queue based on a determination that the queue contains no unplayed media item identifiers.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, at the processing circuit, a request from an electronic device to preview an unplayed media item in the queue; and

providing the requested preview of the unplayed media item to the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the provided preview comprises a portion of the unplayed media item.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata for the previewed media item further comprises a resource locator to a sample of the media item that differs from the resource locator to the media item, and wherein the requested preview of the media item comprises the sample of the media item.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first resource locator corresponds to an identifier of the first device on a local area network and the second resource locator corresponds to a uniform resource locator (URL).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the portion of the first media item is provided to the one or more content playback devices via the Internet.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processing circuits configured to;

receive a plurality of metadata, wherein the plurality of metadata comprises information associated with a plurality of media items requested to be added to a queue of media items, wherein each metadata in the plurality of metadata is associated with a media item and comprises a ranking score, a resource locator of the media item, an associated user, and a title;

place in the queue media item identifiers for the plurality of media items based on the plurality of metadata, wherein the queue is ordered based in part on the ranking scores of the plurality of metadata;

determine that a first media item is unavailable from a first device based in part on a first resource locator in the metadata for the first media item;

retrieve at least a portion of the first media item from a second device based in part on a second resource locator in the metadata for the first media item, wherein the first media item corresponds to a highest-ranking unplayed media item identifier in the queue, wherein an unplayed media item identifier corresponds to a media item that has not previously been retrieved during an iteration of the queue, and wherein the first resource locator corresponds to a different device than that of the second resource locator;

provide the at least a portion of the first media item to one or more content playback devices;

receive one or more vote indications for an unplayed media item from one or more user devices;

update the ranking score of the unplayed media item based in part on the received one or more vote indications;

reorder unplayed media items in the queue based upon the updated ranking score of the unplayed media item;

retrieve at least a portion of a second media item based in part on a resource locator in the metadata for the second media item, wherein the second media item corresponds to a highest ranking unplayed media item identifier in the reordered queue; and

provide the at least a portion of the second media item to the one or more content playback devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:

determine, for each of the metadata, a number of matching metadata that correspond to the same media item or copies of the same media item, wherein the plurality of metadata is received from one or more computing devices and each of the metadata is received in response to a request to add a media item to the queue;

combine the matching metadata into a single metadata; and

set the ranking score of the single metadata to a value corresponding to the number of matching metadata.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to reorder the queue based on a determination that the queue contains no unplayed media item identifiers.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to:

receive a request from an electronic device to preview an unplayed media item in the queue; and

provide the requested preview of the unplayed media item to the electronic device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the provided preview comprises a portion of the unplayed media item.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the metadata for the previewed media item further comprises a resource locator to a sample of the media item that differs from the resource locator to the media item, and wherein the requested preview of the media item comprises the sample of the media item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a plurality of metadata, wherein the plurality of metadata comprises information associated with a plurality of media items requested to be added to a queue of media items, wherein each metadata in the plurality of metadata is associated with a media item and comprises a ranking score, a resource locator of the media item, an associated user, and a title;

instructions to place in the queue media item identifiers for the plurality of media items based on the plurality of metadata, wherein the queue is ordered based in part on the ranking scores of the plurality of metadata;

instructions to determine that a first media item is unavailable from a first device based in part on a first resource locator in the metadata for the first media item;

instructions to retrieve at least a portion of the first media item from a second device based in part on a second resource locator in the metadata for the media item, wherein the first media item corresponds to a highest-ranking unplayed media item identifier in the queue, wherein an unplayed media item identifier corresponds to a media item that has not previously been retrieved during an iteration of the queue, and wherein the first resource locator corresponds to a different device than that of the second resource locator;

instructions to provide the at least a portion of the first media item to one or more content playback devices;

instructions to receive one or more vote indications for an unplayed media item from one or more user devices;

instructions to update the ranking score of the unplayed media item based in part on the received one or more vote indications;

instructions to reorder unplayed media items in the queue based upon the updated ranking score of the unplayed media item;

instructions to retrieve at least a portion of a second media item based in part on a resource locator in the metadata for the second media item, wherein the second media item corresponds to a highest ranking unplayed media item identifier in the reordered queue; and

instructions to provide the at least a portion of the second media item to the one or more content playback devices.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions to determine, for each of the metadata, a number of matching metadata that correspond to the same media item or copies of the same media item, wherein the plurality of metadata is received from one or more computing devices and each of the metadata is received in response to a request to add a media item to the queue;

instructions to combine the matching metadata into a single metadata; and

instructions to set the ranking score of the single metadata to a value corresponding to the number of matching metadata.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to reorder the queue based on a determination that the queue contains no unplayed media item identifiers.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to receive a request from an electronic device to preview an unplayed media item in the queue and instructions to provide the requested preview of the unplayed media item to the electronic device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the provided preview comprises a portion of the unplayed media item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the metadata for the previewed media item further comprises a resource locator to a sample of the media item that differs from the resource locator to the media item, and wherein the requested preview of the media item comprises the sample of the media item.