Method and system for preparing a playlist for an internet content provider

• US 9,576,047 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Brll, Philipp, Taylor, Arthur, Diniz, Marcelo, Dawes, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/467,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A computer implemented method is for generating a media playlist including a plurality of tracks to be played on a listener'"'"'s mobile or stationary client device with Internet radio capabilities, the client device intended to be connected to the Internet. The method comprises: obtaining, as a listener'"'"'s input into the listener'"'"'s client device, a playlist definition; selecting, from a plurality of tracks, tracks meeting the playlist definition to form the playlist, wherein the playlist is formed by playlist entries that include track identifications referring to selected ones of the plurality of tracks; tracks present in a remote master media inventory, tracks present in an Internet-based cloud memory environment, and tracks present in a local media content inventory of the listener'"'"'s client device form the plurality of tracks; selecting tracks that meet the playlist definition includes comparing the playlist definition with entries for tracks in a metadata encyclopedia which includes metadata derived from a master metadata encyclopedia referring to the tracks present in the remote master media inventory and the tracks present in the cloud memory environment, and the local media content inventory kept in the local listener'"'"'s client device; the metadata encyclopedia is kept locally in the client device; and each entry in the local metadata encyclopedia refers to a respective track and includes at least one track descriptor and at least one similarity data descriptor; and providing the playlist to the listener'"'"'s client device for obtaining the tracks indicated on the playlist for playing the tracks in the playlist in an order defined in the playlist.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating a media playlist including a plurality of tracks to be played on a listener'"'"'s mobile or stationary client device with Internet radio capabilities, the client device intended to be connected to the Internet, the method comprising:

obtaining, as a listener'"'"'s input into the listener'"'"'s client device, a playlist definition;

selecting, from a plurality of tracks, tracks meeting the playlist definition to form the playlist, wherein the playlist is formed by playlist entries that include track identifications referring to selected ones of the plurality of tracks;

wherein the plurality of tracks comprises at least one of (i) tracks present in a remote master media inventory, (ii) tracks present in an Internet-based cloud memory environment, and (iii) tracks present in a local media content inventory of the listener'"'"'s client device;

wherein the step of selecting tracks that meet the playlist definition includes comparing the playlist definition with entries for tracks in a metadata encyclopedia which includes metadata derived from (i) a master metadata encyclopedia referring to the tracks present in the remote master media inventory and the tracks present in the cloud memory environment, and (ii) the local media content inventory kept in the local listener'"'"'s client device;

wherein the metadata encyclopedia is kept locally in the client device, and wherein each entry in the local metadata encyclopedia refers to a respective track and includes at least one track descriptor and at least one similarity data descriptor;

providing the playlist to the listener'"'"'s client device for obtaining the tracks indicated on the playlist for playing the tracks in the playlist in an order defined in the playlist;

wherein the track descriptors Include one or more of the following;

a name of a track, artist or genre, melody, harmony, instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, or lyrics, wherein the similarity data descriptors include one or more of the following;

how similar is a certain artist to another one, how similar is a certain track to another one, or how similar is the instrumentation of a certain track to the instrumentation of another one;

wherein the metadata encyclopedia includes;

computer-software-generated track-to-track similarity coefficients;

computer-software-generated artist-to-artist similarity coefficients;

explicit user preference information;

listener'"'"'s past listening behavior;

existing mood-, genre-, and theme-based reference playlists;

computer-software-generated content-based track annotations based on at least one of mood, genre, and editorial track annotations;

wherein the playlist definition is either chosen from a predefined set of playlist definitions or created by a listener, and includes at least one of “

User Station”

, “

Artist Station”

, “

Broadcast Station”

, “

Mood/Genre Station” and

“

Listener'"'"'s Station”

;

wherein the rule engine creates a playlist in accordance with the listener'"'"'s playlist definition by executing a series of operations on an initially empty list, said operations including at least one of;

“

Add”

, “

Fill”

, “

Insert”

, “

Block”

, “

Choose”

, “

Limit”

, “

Move” and

“

Mutate and Score”

;

wherein the rule engine is programmed and adapted to perform filter functions to the track insertion process as tracks are added to the present playlist, where, if any particular filter function is saturated, subsequent track additions that also fall into the criteria of that filter function are not inserted into the present playlist, said filter functions including at least one of;

“

Artist saturation filter”

, “

Album saturation filter”

, “

Track saturation filter” and

“

Artist block”

.

2. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein a configuration the is used to specify which sequence of operations is to be performed for generating a specific playlist, said operations including at least one of:

“

block_artist”

, “

add_artists_of_same_broadcast_station_or_artist_recommendations_dep ending_on_source_flag”

, “

fill_with_artist_recommendations”

, “

fill_with_associated_artist_tracks”

, “

fill_with_genre_tracks”

, “

fill_with_random_broadcast_station_tracks”

, “

mutate_and_score”

, “

unblock_artist”

, “

insert_artist_at_top”

, “

insert_spoken_content” and

“

insert_preroll”

.

3. The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein

prior to providing the playlist to a streaming engine, displaying the playlist to the listener, who then is offered the choice to (i) skip tracks or (ii) rate tracks with “

Love” and

“

Ban”

buttons on the Internet media player device.

4. The computer implemented method according to claim 3, wherein a listener'"'"'s input and his behavior with respect to tracks that are presented to him is entered into the local media encyclopedia for the respective track.

5. The computer implemented method according to claim 3, wherein a listener'"'"'s input of his behavior is uploaded for being processed as an entry to the main media encyclopedia.

6. The computer implemented method according to claim 4, wherein a predetermined first number of high level classifiers are combined to a predetermined second, lower number of low level features which are stored in the local media encyclopedia.

7. The computer implemented method according to claim 6, wherein the similarity of tracks, albums and artists is calculated and stored in the master metadata encyclopedia.

8. The computer implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the rule engine is trained with editor made reference lists for each classification.

9. The computer implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the metadata generated in the listener'"'"'s client device relative to each classification is fed to the master metadata encyclopedia where it is correlated with corresponding feedback from other listeners'"'"' client devices.

10. The computer it method according to claim 9, wherein the metadata includes relationship patterns between tracks in at least one of the local metadata encyclopedia and the master metadata encyclopedia, and wherein the rule engine assigns tracks with similar features to each other, and wherein the rule engine performs a rule-based analysis of the metadata to generate the playlist.

11. The computer implemented method according to claim 10, wherein the rule engine performs a rule-based analysis and assignment of listeners'"'"' inputs and behavior, and wherein the result of the rule-based analysis and assignment of at least a majority of the individual listeners is compiled and fed into the master metadata encyclopedia.

12. The computer implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the local metadata encyclopedia in the listener'"'"'s client device is updated by metadata from the master metadata encyclopedia in order to receive media item similarity ratings that have been computer generated.

13. The computer implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the compilation of the similarity ratings and the listener'"'"'s behavior includes processing the cumulative data in a host'"'"'s online data processing center.

14. The computer implemented method according to claim 13, including the steps of (i) receiving, in the listener'"'"'s client device, the similarity ratings for a plurality of the individual media items contained in a media library of the listener, and (ii) generating the media playlist including individual media items contained in the listener'"'"'s media library and which have a similarity rating relative to a seed media item selected from the listener'"'"'s media library.

15. The computer implemented method according to claim 14, including the steps of selecting the seed media item by manipulating a touchscreen on the listener'"'"'s client device using sweeping finger gestures to scroll through a list of media items displayed on the touchscreen until a desired seed media item is displayed, and then selecting the seed media item by touching and releasing the seed media item.

16. The computer implemented method according to claim 15, including recognizing, in the rule engine, the client'"'"'s device user'"'"'s listening preferences and compiling playlists forming individual radio programs for each listener, wherein such playlists include music tracks, audio books, business background features, language courses, news and weather.

17. A computer implemented method for generating a media playlist including a plurality of tracks to be played on a listener'"'"'s mobile or stationary client device with Internet radio capabilities, the client device intended to be connected to the Internet, the method comprising:

obtaining, as a listener'"'"'s input into the listener'"'"'s client device, a playlist definition;

selecting, from a plurality of tracks, tracks meeting the playlist definition to form the playlist, wherein the playlist is formed by playlist entries that include track identifications referring to selected ones of the plurality of tracks;

wherein the plurality of tracks comprises at least one of (i) tracks present in a remote master media inventory, (ii) tracks present in an Internet-based cloud memory environment, and (iii) tracks present in a local media content inventory of the listener'"'"'s client device;

wherein

the step of selecting tracks that meet the playlist definition includes comparing the playlist definition with entries for tracks in a metadata encyclopedia which includes metadata derived from (i) a master metadata encyclopedia referring to the tracks present in the remote master media inventory and the tracks present in the cloud memory environment, and (ii) the local media content inventory kept in the local listener'"'"'s client device;

wherein the metadata encyclopedia is kept locally in the client device, and wherein each entry in the local metadata encyclopedia refers to a respective track and includes at least one track descriptor and at least one similarity data descriptor;

providing the playlist to the listener'"'"'s client device for obtaining the tracks indicated on the playlist for playing the tracks in the playlist in an order defined in the playlist;

wherein a rule engine is programmed and adapted to perform filter functions for a track insertion process as tracks are added to a present playlist, where, if any particular filter function is saturated, subsequent track additions that also fall into criteria of that filter function are not inserted into the present playlist, said filter functions including at least one of;

“

Artist saturation filter”

, “

Album saturation filter”

, “

Track saturation filter” and

“

Artist block”

.

18. A computer implemented method for generating a media playlist including a plurality of tracks to be played on a listener'"'"'s mobile or stationary client device with Internet radio capabilities, the client device intended to be connected to the Internet, the method comprising:

obtaining, as a listener'"'"'s input into the listener'"'"'s client device, a playlist definition;

selecting, from a plurality of tracks, tracks meeting the playlist definition to form the playlist, wherein the playlist is formed by playlist entries that include track identifications referring to selected ones of the plurality of tracks;

wherein the plurality of tracks comprises at least one of (i) tracks present in a remote master media inventory, (ii) tracks present in an Internet-based cloud memory environment, and (iii) tracks present in a local media content inventory of the listener'"'"'s client device;

wherein

the step of selecting tracks that meet the playlist definition includes comparing the playlist definition with entries for tracks in a metadata encyclopedia which includes metadata derived from (i) a master metadata encyclopedia referring to the tracks present in the remote master media inventory and the tracks present in the cloud memory environment, and (ii) the local media content inventory kept in the local listener'"'"'s client device;

providing the playlist to the listener'"'"'s client device for obtaining the tracks Indicated on the playlist for playing the tracks hi the playlist in an order defined in the playlist;

wherein a rule engine is programmed and adapted to perform filter functions for a track insertion process as tracks are added to a present playlist, where, if any particular filter function is saturated, subsequent track additions that also fall into criteria of that filter function are not inserted into the present playlist, said filter functions including at least one of;

“

Artist saturation filter”

, “

Album saturation filter”

, “

Track saturation filter” and

“

Artist block”

.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the metadata encyclopedia is kept locally in the client device, and wherein each entry in the local metadata encyclopedia refers to a respective track and includes at least one track descriptor.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein each entry in the metadata encyclopedia refers to a respective track and includes at least one track descriptor and at least one similarity data descriptor.