Mobile audio player with individualized radio program

• US 9,959,089 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hohl, Fritz, Saito, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIEGEL, DAVID F
• Application Number:
  US14/984,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• 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 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/687 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile audio player, comprising

• memory means adapted to store music data and non-music data,
• input means adapted to receive a user input with user preferences,
• radio program generating means adapted to generate, without a connection to an external entity, an individualized radio program from stored music data and non-music data depending on user preferences input via the input means, and audio output means adapted to output audio signals representing a generated radio program.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to

store music data and non-music data in a memory;

receive a user input;

generate an individualized radio program, including audio content from the music data and the non-music data, based on the user input;

output audio signals representing the individualized radio program;

generate a commercial with a commercial template that includes pre-rendered text data and audio fragment data, the pre-rendered text data and audio fragment data of the commercial template being selected according to both the user input and a location of the apparatus; and

output audio signals representing the commercial when the location of the apparatus corresponds with a stored location that matches at least one of the pre-rendered text data and the audio fragment data of the commercial template.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry is further configured to generate the audio content representing the individualized radio program during the generation of the individualized radio program.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said circuitry is further configured to generate the audio data representing the individualized radio program from raw data stored in said memory during the generation of the individualized radio program.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry is further configured to generate said individualized radio program according to the user input and the location of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry is further configured to detect the location of the apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said circuitry is further configured to detect a moving speed of the apparatus, and

the circuitry generates the commercial according to the detected moving speed of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said circuitry is further configured to detect a moving method of the apparatus, and

the circuitry generates the commercial according to the detected moving method of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said circuitry is further configured to sense one or more physical states of the user, and

the circuitry generates the commercial according to the one or more physical states of the user.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry is further configured to receive the user input from an external entity.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said user input includes traffic information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said user input includes weather information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said user input includes time and date information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said circuitry is further configured to generate the commercial according to at least one of a taste, a need, and a situation of the user.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the commercial template includes tailoring directives used to adapt a generated commercial to the user, the tailoring directives using at least one of information about the user and information about a situation.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the at least one of the information about the user and information about the situation include at least one of a currently played song, a song list, a setup of the individualized radio program, a current date, a current time, a current location, a current traffic situation, a mood of the user, and a stress level of the user.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, after the output of the audio signals representing the commercial, the circuitry is further configured to enter the user of the apparatus into a sweepstakes competition.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the circuitry is further configured to output the sweepstakes competition to the user.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is further configured to count a number of items of the audio content, and

the circuitry is further configured to output the audio signals representing the commercial when the number of the items of the audio content exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the individualized radio program based on context parameters.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said context parameters include information relating to the location of the apparatus and information relating to the user input.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said context parameters include information relating to at least one of traffic information related to a current and/or future location of the apparatus, moving speed and/or moving method of the apparatus, one or more physical states of a user of the apparatus, weather information, and time and date information.