Graphical user interface system for allowing management of a media item playlist based on a preference scoring system

• US 8,762,847 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Napo Enerprises, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Svendsen, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/693,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/748, 715/811, 715/833
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1082 involving incentive schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass networks security protocols H04L9/40; wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

Media management graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are disclosed herein. For example a media management GUI method is disclosed. A media item playlist for managing a plurality of media items is presented. The media item playlist includes information associated with the media items. The information includes score information representing a score for at least one of the plurality of media items. The score is based on at least one preference associated with the at least one of the plurality of media items. A first selector is presented; the first selector is operable to establish a first threshold score. The first threshold score is received. A media item is automatically downloaded if the score associated with the media item is at least as high as the first threshold score.

Claims

1. A method of operating a user device, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the user device, information identifying a user associated with the user device;

obtaining, by the user device, information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user;

receiving, by the user device, information identifying a media item and a friend of the plurality of friends, wherein the information is provided in response to initiating play of the media item on a second user device associated with the friend of the plurality of friends;

presenting, by the user device, information identifying the media item selected for play on the second user device and the friend associated with the second user device, wherein presenting includes presenting the media item in a list, the list comprising information identifying a plurality of other media items and a subset of the plurality of friends, wherein play of the other media items was initiated on a corresponding plurality of other user device associated with the subset of the plurality of friends;

automatically determining, by the user device, the media item is not stored locally on the user device;

obtaining, by the user device, in response to determining the media item is not stored locally on the user device, the media item;

initiating, by the user device, play of the media item; and

providing, by the user device, in response to initiating play of the media item, information identifying the media item and the user for sharing with the plurality of friends of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a selection of the media item for play; and

wherein determining the media item is not stored locally on the user device is in response to obtaining the selection.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user comprises:

requesting the information identifying the plurality of friends from a social network; and

receiving the information identifying the plurality of friends from the social network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically adding the media item to a pre-existing list of media items, to provide an updated list of media items;

automatically selecting a media item to play on the user device from the updated list of media items based on user preferences.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the pre-existing list of media items comprises at least one media item from a local media collection.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

automatically selecting the media item to play comprises;

scoring the media item, and automatically selecting the media item to play from the undated list of media items based on scores assigned to the media items in the undated list of media items; and

playing the selected media item on the user device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user preferences comprise weights assigned to a plurality of categories and scoring the media item is based on the weights assigned to the plurality of categories.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of categories comprises at least one of genre, decade, and availability categories.

9. The method of claim 4 further comprising obtaining the user preferences from the user.

10. The method of claim 4 further comprising automatically generating the user preferences based on an associated play history.

11. The method claim 1 further comprising storing the media item, in response to obtaining the media item.

12. The method claim 1 wherein obtaining the media item comprises streaming the media item.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein streaming the media item comprises streaming the media item from the second user device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein streaming the media item comprises streaming the media item from a server.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the server comprises at least one of a music service server and a proxy server.

16. The method claim 1 wherein obtaining the media item comprises downloading at least a portion of the media item.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein downloading the at least a portion of the media item comprises downloading the at least a portion of the media item from the second user device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein downloading the at least a portion of the media item comprises downloading the at least a portion of the media item from a server.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the server comprises at least one of a music service server and a proxy server.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein downloading the at least a portion of the media item comprises downloading a complete version of the media item.

21. A method of operating a user device, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the user device, information identifying a user associated with the user device;

obtaining, by the user device, information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user;

receiving, by the user device, information identifying a media item and a friend of the plurality of friends, wherein the information is provided in response to initiating play of the media item on a second user device associated with the friend of the plurality of friends;

presenting, by the user device, information identifying the media item selected for play on the second user device and the friend associated with the second user device, wherein presenting includes presenting the media item in a list, the list comprising information identifying a plurality of other media items and a subset of the plurality of friends, wherein play of the other media items was initiated on a corresponding plurality of other user device associated with the subset of the plurality of friends;

obtaining, by the user device, a selection of a second media item for play;

determining, by the user device, in response to obtaining the selection, the second media item is not stored locally on the user device;

obtaining, by the user device, in response to determining the second media item is not stored locally on the user device, the second media item;

initiating, by the user device, play of the second media item; and

providing, by the user device, in response to initiating play of the second media item, information identifying the second media item and the user for sharing with the plurality of friends of the user.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a user device to:

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a user associated with the user device;

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user;

receive, by the user device, information identifying a media item and a friend of the plurality of friends, wherein the information is provided in response to initiating play of the media item on a second user device associated with the friend of the plurality of friends;

present, by the user device, information identifying the media item selected for play on the second user device and the friend associated with the second user device, wherein instructing the controller of the user device to present includes instructing the controller of the user device to present the media item in a list, the list comprising information identifying a plurality of other media items and a subset of the plurality of friends, wherein play of the other media items was initiated on a corresponding plurality of other user device associated with the subset of the plurality of friends;

automatically determine, by the user device, the media item is not stored locally on the user device;

obtain, by the user device, in response to determining the media item is not stored locally on the user device, the media item;

initiate, by the user device, play of the media item; and

provide, by the user device, in response to initiating play of the media item, information identifying the media item and the user for sharing with the plurality of friends of the user.

23. A user device comprising:

a processor;

a control system component associated with the processor, the control system adapted to;

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a user associated with the user device;

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user;

receive, by the user device, information identifying a media item and a friend of the plurality of friends, wherein the information is provided in response to initiating play of the media item on a second user device associated with the friend of the plurality of friends;

present, by the user device, information identifying the media item selected for play on the second user device and the friend associated with the second user device, wherein the control system component is adapted to present the media item in a list, the list comprising information identifying a plurality of other media items and a subset of the plurality of friends, wherein play of the other media items was initiated on a corresponding plurality of other user device associated with the subset of the plurality of friends;

automatically determine, by the user device, the media item is not stored locally on the user device;

obtain, by the user device, in response to determining the media item is not stored locally on the user device, the media item;

initiate, by the user device, play of the media item; and

provide, by the user device, in response to initiating play of the media item, information identifying the media item and the user for sharing with the plurality of friends of the user.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a user device to:

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a user associated with the user device;

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user;

receive, by the user device, information identifying a media item and a friend of the plurality of friends, wherein the information is provided in response to initiating play of the media item on a second user device associated with the friend of the plurality of friends;

present, by the user device, information identifying the media item selected for play on the second user device and the friend associated with the second user device, wherein instructing the controller of the user device to present includes instructing the controller of the user device to present the media item in a list, the list comprising information identifying a plurality of other media items and a subset of the plurality of friends, wherein play of the other media items was initiated on a corresponding plurality of other user device associated with the subset of the plurality of friends;

obtain, by the user device, a selection of a second media item for play;

determine, by the user device, in response to obtaining the selection, the second media item is not stored locally on the user device;

obtain, by the user device, in response to determining the second media item is not stored locally on the user device, the second media item;

initiate, by the user device, play of the second media item; and

provide, by the user device, in response to initiating play of the second media item, information identifying the second media item and the user for sharing with the plurality of friends of the user.

25. A user device comprising:

a processor;

a control system component associated with the processor, the control system adapted to;

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a user associated with the user device;

obtain, by the user device, information identifying a plurality of friends of the user based on the information identifying the user;

receive, by the user device, information identifying a media item and a friend of the plurality of friends, wherein the information is provided in response to initiating play of the media item on a second user device associated with the friend of the plurality of friends;

present, by the user device, information identifying the media item selected for play on the second user device and the friend associated with the second user device, wherein the control system component is adapted to present the media item in a list, the list comprising information identifying a plurality of other media items and a subset of the plurality of friends, wherein play of the other media items was initiated on a corresponding plurality of other user device associated with the subset of the plurality of friends;

obtain, by the user device, a selection of a second media item for play;

determine, by the user device, in response to obtaining the selection, the second media item is not stored locally on the user device;

obtain, by the user device, in response to determining the second media item is not stored locally on the user device, the second media item;

initiate, by the user device, play of the second media item; and

provide, by the user device, in response to initiating play of the second media item, information identifying the second media item and the user for sharing with the plurality of friends of the user.