Seamless switching between radio and local media

• US 8,249,497 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jeffery T., Ingrassia, Michael I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan, Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, William
• Application Number:
  US13/273,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20120035753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/414.1, 455/66.1, 455/74, 700/94, 707/E17.009, 707/E17.101, 707/E17.102, 707/916, 709/203, 709/231
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for seamlessly switching media playback between a media broadcast, such as a radio broadcast, and media from a local media library. When an electronic device determines that an upcoming media item in a media broadcast is not of interest to a user, the electronic device can switch playback from the media stream to a media item from the electronic device local library. The selected local media item can be related to a previously broadcast media item to ensure continuity in the user'"'"'s listening or viewing experience. The electronic device can switch away from the local media item and return to the media stream when the media stream again broadcasts media items or segments of interest to the user.

Claims

1. A method for seamlessly switching between two content sources, comprising:

receiving a first media stream from a first media source, wherein the first media stream comprises a first plurality of media items;

sequentially playing back the first plurality of media items of the received first media stream;

determining that an upcoming media item of the first plurality of media items of the received first media stream is not of interest to a user;

identifying second media that is of interest to the user; and

switching playback from the first media stream to the identified second media when the upcoming media item is received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching comprises automatically seamlessly switching the playback from the first media stream to the identified second media.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining occurs before the upcoming media item is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media source comprises one of a terrestrial radio station, an internet radio station, and a dedicated broadcast source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the first media stream as one of an AM radio signal, an FM radio signal, an internet radio signal, and a dedicated broadcast signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the receiving, the playing back, and the switching are performed by a first electronic device; and

the second media is provided by a host device to the first electronic device via a communications path.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications path is wireless.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications path is the internet.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the second media comprises a second media stream received by the first electronic device from the host device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second media stream comprises one of a unicast stream and an on-demand stream.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the second media comprises media downloaded to the first electronic device from the host device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises identifying the second media based on how related the second media is to metadata associated with the first media stream.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the receiving, the playing back, and the switching are performed by a first electronic device; and

the second source is memory local to the first electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the media items of the first plurality of media items comprises one of a music segment of a broadcast, a talk segment of a broadcast, a sports segment of a broadcast, a traffic segment of a broadcast, a weather segment of a broadcast, and an advertisement segment of a broadcast.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the media items of the first plurality of media items comprises an advertisement.

16. An electronic device comprising:

first communications circuitry configured to receive a first media stream from a first media source, wherein the first media stream comprises a first plurality of media items; and

a processor coupled to the first communications circuitry, wherein the processor is configured to;

sequentially play back the first plurality of media items of the first media stream received by the communications circuitry;

determine that an upcoming media item of the first plurality of media items of the received first media stream is not of interest to a user;

identify second media that is of interest to the user; and

switch playback from the first media stream to the identified second media when the upcoming media item is received by the first communications circuitry.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first media source comprises one of a terrestrial radio station, an internet radio station, and a dedicated broadcast source.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first communications circuitry is configured to receive the first media stream as one of an AM radio signal, an FM radio signal, an internet radio signal, and a dedicated broadcast signal.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising second communications circuitry that is configured to receive the second media from a host device via a communications path.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the communications path is wireless.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the communications path is the internet.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the second media comprises a second media stream.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the second media stream comprises one of a unicast stream and an on-demand stream.

24. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising memory, wherein the second media is stored in the memory.

25. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to identify the second media based on how related the second media is to metadata associated with the first media stream.

26. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the media items of the first plurality of media items comprises one of a music segment of a broadcast, a talk segment of a broadcast, a sports segment of a broadcast, a traffic segment of a broadcast, a weather segment of a broadcast, and an advertisement segment of a broadcast.

27. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the media items of the first plurality of media items comprises an advertisement.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable media for switching media playback, the non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

receiving a first media stream that comprises a first plurality of media items;

sequentially playing back the first plurality of media items of the received first media stream;

determining that a particular media item of the first plurality of media items is not of interest to a user;

identifying second media that is of interest to the user; and

switching playback from the first media stream to the identified second media before the sequential playback of the particular media item of the first plurality of media items of the received first media stream.

29. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 28, wherein the the non-transitory computer readable media comprises additional computer-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

storing in a buffer at least a first media item of the first plurality of media items subsequent to the particular media item of the first plurality of media items of the received first media stream; and

switching playback from the second media to the at least a first media item stored in the buffer.