System and method for providing internet radio service

• US 8,549,402 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph Harold Moore, Stephen Rhett Davis
• Original Assignee: Joseph Harold Moore
• Inventors: Davis, Stephen Rhett, Moore, Joseph Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US12/345,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,737 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715727-728, 715/730, 715/810, 706/21
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/634 Query by example, e.g. query by humming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• 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: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A stand-alone desktop application (i.e., client) that resides on an end user'"'"'s local computer and receives customized music playlists and content via the Internet from a network of distributed servers. The end user may install the application in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, downloading it from the Internet or installing it from a CD that has been pre-loaded with the client. Songs downloaded through the application may be cached locally. The application forms a playlist based on user-entered preferences, an analysis of music already existing on the computer, and previous user interactions with the application. Similar or related songs, albums, bands, or artists can be displayed graphically in a “song cloud” around a graphical representation of the song being played.

Claims

1. A system for distributing and playing music on a computer, comprising:

a computer comprising a processing device and a memory storing an application; and

a content delivery network comprising a content management system server, a data warehouse server, and an array of redundant asset servers mirroring the same content;

wherein the application, when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to;

obtain and play music files, songs, or other content downloaded from the content delivery network and stored on a storage device in communication with said computer, wherein content is downloaded from any one of the redundant asset servers and locally stored in response to a request from the application when in communication with said content delivery network, wherein only content that is new, has changed, or is missing, and is appropriate for the particular application is downloaded;

provide graphical information about the music file, song, or other content being played in response to a request for information from a user;

provide a plurality of graphical representations of songs, music files, other content, albums, artists, bands or genres that are similar to or related to the song being played, where the plurality of graphical representations are arranged in a circular cloud around a graphical representation of the music file, song, or other content being played, and the distance of each graphical representation from the graphical representation of the music file, song, or other content being played is based on the degree of similarity or relatedness; and

provide an option for a user through the circular cloud graphical representation or otherwise to play songs that were already stored on the computer and not downloaded through the content delivery network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a playlist of songs.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the playlist of songs is randomly determined.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the playlist of songs is determined based upon the user'"'"'s preferences entered in the application.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the playlist of songs is determined based upon the user'"'"'s collection of music already stored on the computer.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the playlist of songs is determined based on the user'"'"'s prior interactions with the application, and previous songs selected by the user.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein a user can skip ahead to play another song in the playlist that has not already been played.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein a user can replay a song in the playlist that was recently played.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a song is not downloaded if that song already is stored on the computer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a user can purchase a song being played, or an album containing a song being played.