Method and system for music program selection

• US 8,378,197 B1
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): UHLIR, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US12/717,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 846/15
• US Class Current: 84/615
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

In providing a music program, a personal music player displays personal activity choices. A user selects a personal activity and provides a time duration for the activity. The player sends a request to a music program server for a music program. The request includes the personal activity and the time duration. The music program server selects a music program record from a plurality of music program records that has an activity attribute which matches the personal activity and a program duration which matches or is less than the time duration. The server extracts location information for the music program from the program entry in the music program record, and sends this to the player. The player uses the location information to obtain the music program. In this manner, a music program is provided to a user based on the personal activity of the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing a music program for a user engaged in a personal activity to be played by a personal music player, comprising:

(a) determining the personal activity for a user of the personal music player;

(b) sending a request for the music program to a music program server, wherein the request comprises the personal activity, wherein the music program server;

(b1) selects at least a first music program record corresponding to a first music program and a second music program record corresponding to a second music program, wherein activity attributes of the first and second music program records are synonyms of the personal activity, and

(b2) combines the first music program and the second music program into a separate combined music program, wherein the first music program comprises a first header comprising a first chunk size and a first audio data format information, and a first data chunk comprising a first data chunk size and a first audio data,

wherein the second music program comprises a second header comprising a second chunk size and a second audio data format information, and a second data chunk comprising a second data chunk size and a second audio data, wherein the combines (b2) comprises;

(b2i) combines the first data chunk and the second data chunk into a data chunk of the combined music program;

(b2ii) stores the first audio data into an audio data of the combined music program and appending the second audio data to the audio data of the combined music program; and

(b2iii) computes a combined data chunk size of the combined music program as a sum of the first data chunk size and the second data chunk size; and

(c) receiving location information for the combined music program from the music program server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request further comprises a time duration of the commuting activity, wherein the music program server further:

(b1i) selects at least the first music program record corresponding to the first music program and the second music program record corresponding to the second music program, wherein the activity attributes of the first and second music program records are synonyms of the commuting activity and a sum of program time durations of the first and second music program records is equal to or less than the time duration of the commuting activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal activity comprises one or more of the following:

commuting on a bus;

commuting in a car;

driving

reading news;

reading a book;

reading a magazine;

reading a cooking recipe;

watching a sports event;

a football game;

a soccer game;

fishing; and

basketball.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining (a) comprises:

(a1) displaying a plurality of personal activities; and

(a2) receiving a selection of the personal activity from the user.

5. A personal music player, comprising:

an input module for receiving a personal activity which a user engages in, wherein a request for a music program is sent to a music program server, wherein the request comprises the personal activity, wherein the music program server;

selects at least a first music program record corresponding to a first music program and a second music program record corresponding to a second music program, wherein activity attributes of the first and second music program records are synonyms of the personal activity, and

combines the first music program and the second music program into a separate combined music program, wherein the first music program comprises a first header comprising a first chunk size and a first audio data format information, and a first data chunk comprising a first data chunk size and a first audio data, wherein the second music program comprises a second header comprising a second chunk size and a second audio data format information, and a second data chunk comprising a second data chunk size and a second audio data,

wherein the first data chunk and the second data chunk are combined into a data chunk of the combined music program;

wherein the first audio data is stored into an audio data of the combined music program and the second audio data is appended to the audio data of the combined music program; and

wherein a combined data chunk size of the combined music program is computed as a sum of the first data chunk size and the second data chunk size,

wherein location information for the combined music program is received from the music program server.

6. A computer readable storage medium with program instructions for providing a music program for a user engaged in a personal activity to be played by a personal music player, wherein when the program instructions are executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

(a) determine the personal activity for a user of the personal music player;

(b) send a request for the music program to a music program server, wherein the request comprises the personal activity, wherein the music program server;

(b1) selects at least a first music program record corresponding to a first music program and a second music program record corresponding to a second music program, wherein activity attributes of the first and second music program records are synonyms of the personal activity, and

(b2) combines the first music program and the second music program into a separate combined music program, wherein the first music program comprises a first header comprising a first chunk size and a first audio data format information, and a first data chunk comprising a first data chunk size and a first audio data,

wherein the second music program comprises a second header comprising a second chunk size and a second audio data format information, and a second data chunk comprising a second data chunk size and a second audio data, wherein the combines (b2) comprises;

(b2i) combines the first data chunk and the second data chunk into a data chunk of the combined music program;

(b2ii) stores the first audio data into an audio data of the combined music program and appending the second audio data to the audio data of the combined music program; and

(b2iii) computes a combined data chunk size of the combined music program as a sum of the first data chunk size and the second data chunk size; and

(c) receive location information for the combined music program from the music program server.

7. A method for providing a music program for a user engaged in a personal activity to be played by a personal music player, comprising:

(a) receiving a request for the music program from the personal music player, wherein the request comprises the personal activity;

(b) selecting at least a first music program record corresponding to a first music program and a second music program record corresponding to a second music program, wherein activity attributes of the first and second music program records are synonyms of the personal activity; and

(c) combining the first music program and the second music program into a separate combined music program, wherein the first music program comprises a first header comprising a first chunk size and a first audio data format information, and a first data chunk comprising a first data chunk size and a first audio data,

wherein the second music program comprises a second header comprising a second chunk size and a second audio data format information, and a second data chunk comprising a second data chunk size and a second audio data, wherein the combines (c) comprises;

(c1) combines the first data chunk and the second data chunk into a data chunk of the combined music program;

(c2) stores the first audio data into an audio data of the combined music program and appending the second audio data to the audio data of the combined music program; and

(c3) computes a combined data chunk size of the combined music program as a sum of the first data chunk size and the second data chunk size; and

(d) sending location information for the combined music program to the personal music player.