Selection of preferred content

• US 10,587,660 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockhart, Kevin R., Wooden, Richard D., Zigler, Jeffrey D., Lockhart, Jacqueline J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US15/844,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20180109575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• 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 16/635 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: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A user can specify particular news, weather, traffic, or other perishable content received on a particular Internet radio station or other media channel. The user can customize the station so that wherever the user is currently located, he can receive perishable content related to a preferred geographic location or other category. In some embodiments, a user can specify that a customized station plays local news from one city at the top of the hour, traffic from another city at 10 minutes past the hour, and music or other content at other times. The user can also customize original content from the personal libraries of specified users. Thus, a user can customize not only the genre of content or select a particular local station, but can also modify the perishable content provided by the customized station.

Claims

1. A method of providing customized station content to a user device, the method comprising:

determining, at a content processing system, characteristics of preferred content to be included in a customized station, wherein the characteristics of preferred content are determined based on first user input to establish the customized station with content at least partially drawn from another user'"'"'s personal content library, wherein the another user'"'"'s personal content library is configured to provide the content processing system with access thereto using a remote specified location within a communication network, and wherein the preferred content includes at least music;

determining, at the content processing system, characteristics of perishable content to be included in the customized station, wherein the characteristics of perishable content are determined based on a second input from the first user via the communication network, and wherein the perishable content includes non-music content;

receiving, at the content processing system, server synchronization settings to synchronize, at least one period designated for the preferred content selected based on the first user input and at least one period designated for perishable content selected based on the second input from the first user;

delivering the preferred content to one or more first user devices selected using the content processing system;

delivering the perishable content to the one or more first user devices selected as per the server synchronization settings; and

recording during synchronization, at the content processing system, a history of the preferred content and the perishable content played on the one or more first user devices, wherein the history includes information about the one or more first user devices on which the preferred content and the perishable content was played.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred content is any of:

audio, video, blog entries, or a library of user-generated content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system retrieves the preferred content of the first user from the another user'"'"'s personal content library according to preferences specified in a first user profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content processing system is further configured to provide the first user a search of the another user'"'"'s personal content library and thereafter designate the preferred content for inclusion in the customized station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system chooses a mix of the preferred content from the another user'"'"'s personal content library.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system uses metadata associated with music in the another user'"'"'s personal content library to identify suitable selections of the preferred content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system adjusts relationships between individual selections of the preferred content to incorporate any of:

cross fades, lead-ins or lead-outs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system is configured to use a rule-based approach to provide the first user with a varied listening experience.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system is configured for the first user to move within a playlist including selections of the preferred content that the content processing system has arranged.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content processing system is configured for the first user to shuffle a playlist into a different arrangement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the synchronization, the preferred content and the perishable content are downloaded or streamed to the one or more first user devices.

12. A method of providing customized station content to a plurality of user devices, the method comprising:

determining, at a content processing system, characteristics of preferred content to be included in a customized station, wherein the characteristics of preferred content are determined based on first user input to establish the customized station with content at least partially drawn from another user'"'"'s personal content library, wherein the another user'"'"'s personal content library is configured to provide the content processing system with access thereto using a remote specified location within a communication network, and wherein the preferred content includes at least music;

determining, at the content processing system, characteristics of perishable content to be included in the customized station, wherein the characteristics of perishable content are determined based on a first user second input via the communication network, and wherein the perishable content includes non-music content;

receiving, at the content processing system, server synchronization settings to synchronize, at least one period designated for the preferred content selected based on the first user input and at least one period designated for preferred perishable content selected based on the first user second input, the server synchronization settings configuring a server to recognize a plurality of first user devices selected by the first user and to synchronize the preferred content and the perishable content between the plurality of first user devices based at least on each of first user device capabilities, content format and history of content played across the plurality of first user devices;

delivering the preferred content to each of the plurality of first user devices selected using the content processing system;

delivering the perishable content to each of the plurality of first user devices selected as per the server synchronization settings; and

recording during synchronization, at the content processing system, a history of the preferred content and preferred perishable content played on each of the plurality of first user devices, wherein the history includes information about each of the plurality of first user devices on which the preferred content and perishable content was played.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising, when the synchronization is complete, generating additional schedule preferred content to replace the preferred content previously delivered to the plurality of first user devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the additional schedule preferred content is available for subsequent synchronization.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising tracking any of:

when the preferred content was played;

on which of a plurality of first user devices the preferred content was played;

which songs, when the preferred content is the music content, were skipped;

which non-music preferred content was used;

or

song ratings of the music content.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein, during the synchronization, the preferred content and the perishable content are downloaded or streamed to the plurality of first user devices.

17. A system for providing customized station content to a plurality of user devices, the system including a processor configured to:

determine, at a content processing system, characteristics of preferred content to be included in a customized station, wherein the characteristics of preferred content are determined based on first user input to establish the customized station with content at least partially drawn from another user'"'"'s personal content library, wherein the another user'"'"'s personal content library is configured to provide the content processing system with access thereto using a remote specified location within a communication network, and wherein the preferred content includes at least music;

determine, at the content processing system, characteristics of perishable content to be included in the customized station, wherein the characteristics of perishable content are determined based on a second input from the first user via the communication network, and wherein the perishable content includes non-music content;

receive, at the content processing system, server synchronization settings to synchronize, at least one period designated for the preferred content selected based on the first user input and at least one period designated for preferred perishable content selected based on a second input from the first user;

deliver the preferred content to one or more first user devices selected using the content processing system; and

deliver the perishable content to the one or more first user devices selected as per the server synchronization settings.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the characteristics of perishable content are based on system settings associated with a subscription type of the first user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein, when synchronizing, the preferred content and the perishable content are downloaded or streamed to the one or more first user devices.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein, when synchronizing, a most recent version of the perishable content is provided to the one or more first user devices.