Method, apparatus and program product for media identification and tracking associated user preferences

• US 8,244,896 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Emission LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Woodward, Mark L., Jones, E. Oliver, Fein, Gene S., Harris, Christopher, Sherman, Steve S., Jones, Bennie, Salotto, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US11/892,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-207, 709236-238, 709/231, 709/218, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Collecting user preference information related to a playing media recording is accomplished by gathering descriptive information related to the playing media recording from a media player program presenting the playing media recording and determining if tags are embedded in the media recording and gathering descriptive information related to the playing media recording from the tags embedded in the playing media recording, if the tags exist. Further, determining if a table of contents exists on the media recording and gathering a table of contents for a collection containing the playing media recording by identifying the collection using a concatenation of track lengths identifier generation technique, the table of contents exists. Then assembling the descriptive information into a media recording information packet and sending the media recording information packet to a server computer, resulting in a collection of user preference information related to the playing media recording.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

gathering user preferences from a plurality of user devices, wherein the gathering the user preferences includes receiving a message from one of the user devices playing a media recording track, and wherein the message indicates user interest in an artist associated with the media recording track;

building a user community of the user devices that indicated interest in a plurality of artists using the user preferences;

receiving information regarding an upcoming concert featuring a specific artist;

identifying, responsive to receiving the information regarding the upcoming concert, at least one respective user device of the user devices in the user community currently playing a media recording track associated with the specific artist;

sending a message associated with the upcoming concert to the at least one respective user device; and

building a user preference database through receiving user music preference information from a downloaded computer plug-in or a response to an information solicitation activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the message further comprises sending information in the message to allow a purchase of a ticket for the concert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises using a relationship between a geographic location of the concert and a designated marketing area associated with each respective user device in the plurality of user devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information solicitation activity comprises analyzing surveys, requesting rating of music or artists, and requesting feedback on new music or artists.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

building the user community by transferring information from the user preference database into an automated collaborative filtering engine.

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

instructions to gather user preferences from a plurality of user devices, wherein the gathering the user preferences includes receiving a message from one of the user devices playing a media recording track, and wherein the message indicates user interest in an artist associated with the media recording track;

instructions to build a user community of the user devices that indicated interest in a plurality of artists using the user preferences;

instructions to receive information regarding an upcoming concert featuring a specific artist;

instructions to identify, responsive to receiving the information regarding the upcoming concert, at least one respective user device in the user community currently playing a media recording track associated with the specific artist;

instructions to send a message regarding the upcoming concert to the at least one respective user device; and

instructions to build a user preference database through receiving user music preference information from a downloaded computer plug-in or a response to an information solicitation activity.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions to send the message comprise instructions to send information in the message allowing a purchase of a ticket for the concert.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions to identify comprise instructions to use a relationship between a geographic location of the concert and a designated marketing area associated with each respective user device in the plurality of user devices.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information solicitation activity comprises analyzing surveys, requesting rating of music or artists, and requesting feedback on new music or artists.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

instructions to build the user community by transferring information from the user preference database into an automated collaborative filtering engine.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

means for gathering user preferences from a plurality of user devices, wherein the gathering the user preferences includes receiving a message from one of the user devices playing a media recording track, and wherein the message indicates user interest in an artist associated with the media recording track;

means for building a user community of the user devices that indicated interest in a plurality of artists using the user preferences;

means for receiving information regarding an upcoming concert featuring a specific artist;

means for identifying, responsive to receiving the information regarding the upcoming concert, at least one respective user device in the user community currently playing a media recording track associated with the specific artist;

means for sending a message regarding the upcoming concert to the at least one respective user device; and

means for building a user preference database through receiving user music preference information from a downloaded computer plug-in or a response to an information solicitation activity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for sending information allowing a purchase of a ticket for the concert.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for using a relationship between a geographic location of the concert and a designated marketing area associated with the respective user devices in the plurality of user devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information solicitation activity comprises analyzing surveys, requesting rating of music or artists, and requesting feedback on new music or artists.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for building the user community by transferring information from the user preference database into an automated collaborative filtering engine.

16. A system comprising:

a network interface; and

a server coupled to the network interface, wherein the server is configured to;

gather user preferences from a plurality of user devices, wherein the gathering the user preferences includes receiving a message from one of the user devices playing a media recording track, and wherein the message indicates user interest in an artist associated with the media recording track;

build a user community of the user devices that indicated interest in a plurality of artists using the user preferences;

receive information regarding an upcoming concert featuring a specific artist;

identify, responsive to receiving the information regarding the upcoming concert, at least one respective user device in the user community currently playing a media recording track associated with the specific artist;

send a message regarding the upcoming concert to the at least one respective user device; and

build a user preference database through receiving user music preference information from a downloaded computer plug-in or a response to an information solicitation activity.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured to send information in the message allowing a purchase of a ticket for the concert.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured to use a relationship between a geographic location of the concert and a designated marketing area associated with the respective user devices in the plurality of user devices.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the information solicitation activity comprises analyzing surveys, requesting rating of music or artists, and requesting feedback on new music or artists.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is further configured to:

build the user community by transferring information from the user preference database into an automated collaborative filtering engine.