Automated playlist generation

• US 9,247,295 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Cowgill, Clayton Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIO, TAT CHI
• Application Number:
  US11/732,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20070183742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,219 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A device, method, and computer-readable medium for automated playlist generation are disclosed. In an embodiment, user input related to at least a first search criterion and a second search criterion is received at a portable playback device. A playlist is generated at the portable playback device. The playlist includes at least one media file selected based on the first search criterion and the second search criterion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a portable playback device, user input related to at least a first search criterion and a second search criterion;

selecting at least one media file based on the first search criterion and the second search criterion;

generating, at the portable playback device, a playlist indicating media files configured to be played at the portable playback device, the media files including the at least one media file selected based on the first search criterion and the second search criterion;

automatically selecting, by the portable playback device, a second media file based on a third search criterion that is different from the first search criterion and the second search criterion, wherein the third search criterion is selected by the portable playback device, and wherein the playlist further indicates the second media file; and

providing a representation of the playlist at the portable playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third search criterion is selected based on the at least one media file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the third search criterion includes a source album, a source program, a source DVD, a genre, a principal, or a time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first search criterion and the second search criterion indicates a media type, and wherein the media type is audio or video.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first search criterion indicates audio, and wherein the second search criterion includes selection of an artist, an album, a song, a genre, or a composer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first search criterion indicates video, and wherein the second search criterion includes selection of an actor, a director, a producer, or a screenwriter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second search criterion includes one of an artist, an album, a song, a genre, a composer, an actor, a director, a producer, or a screenwriter, and wherein a fourth search criterion includes a different artist, a different album, a different song, a different genre, a different composer, a different actor, a different director, a different producer, or a different screenwriter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second search criterion is a frequency of playback at the portable playback device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the third search criterion indicates favorite media files.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a portable playback device comprising;

a memory to store media files;

an interface configured to receive user input, the user input to include at least a first criterion and a second criterion, wherein at least one of the first criterion and the second criterion indicates recency of playback of stored media files at the portable playback device;

logic to select playlist files from the media files based on the first criterion and the second criterion;

logic to generate a playlist that includes the playlist files, the playlist files configured to be played at the portable playback device;

logic to automatically select a first media file of the media files based on a third criterion that is different from the first criterion and the second criterion, wherein the third criterion is selected by the portable playback device, and wherein the playlist further includes the first media file; and

a display.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the playlist determines a playback sequence of at least a portion of the media files stored at the memory.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first criterion and the second criterion indicates a media type, and wherein the media type is audio or video.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second criterion includes an artist, an album, a song, a genre, a composer, an actor, a director, a producer, or a screenwriter.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic to cause the display to display a representation of the playlist.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the playlist files are added to the playlist at least partially based on a date that the media files are received at the portable playback device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the playlist files are added to the playlist at least partially based on a date of last playback of the media files at the portable playback device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a processor of a portable playback device to:

receive at least a first search criterion and a second search criterion at the portable playback device, wherein at least one of the first search criterion and the second search criterion indicates recency of playback of stored media files at the portable playback device;

select at least one media file based on the first search criterion and the second search criterion;

generate, at the portable playback device, a playlist indicating media files configured to be played at the portable playback device, the media files including the at least one media file selected based on the first search criterion and the second search criterion;

automatically select, by the portable playback device, a second media file based on a third search criterion that is different from the first search criterion and the second search criterion, wherein the third search criterion is selected by the portable playback device, wherein the playlist further indicates the second media file, wherein the third search criterion is selected based on the at least one media file, and wherein the third search criterion indicates favorite media files; and

store the playlist at the portable playback device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first search criterion and the second search criterion indicates a media type, and wherein the media type is audio or video.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine the favorite media files, wherein the favorite media files are determined based on a frequency of playback of the stored media files at the portable playback device, wherein the second search criterion indicates the favorite media files, and wherein the at least one media file includes at least one of the favorite media files, wherein the favorite media files are determined based on a weighting of attributes of a plurality of media files stored on the portable playback device, and wherein the attributes include the frequency of playback of the plurality of media files and recency of playback of the plurality of media files.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second search criterion includes a selection of a principal, and wherein the principal is a singer, a musical group, or an actor.