Democratic skip

• US 11,249,717 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 02/15/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malibu Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rcrdclub Corporation (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Manning, Damian Franken, Robinson, Steven Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eljaiek, Alexander L
• Application Number:
  US14/244,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,874 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 705 1466, 705319, 707740, 707748, 707781, 707 17009, 709204, 709225, 715716, 725 46, 725 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

Systems, device and techniques are disclosed for performing a media action such as a democratic skip action based on input from one or more users that are part of a media group. One or more users within a media group may provide preference indicators (e.g., skip, keep, null) and, upon reaching a threshold number of preference indicators, a media action (e.g., skip song) may be taken. The preference indicators may be weighed based on one or more factors such as a user or media item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a server, a first plurality of electronic devices as being associated with a first media group and a second plurality of electronic devices as being associated with a second media group;

providing, from the server and via a network, a first media content to the first plurality of electronic devices associated with the first media group and a second media content to the second plurality of electronic devices associated with the second media group;

receiving, at the server and via the network, at least one first preference indicator that is a selection of a first position on a first media rank bar from at least one of the first plurality of electronic devices associated with the first media group and at least one second preference indicator that is a selection of a second position on a second media rank bar from at least one of the second plurality of electronic devices associated with the second media group;

receiving, at the server and via the network, a third preference indicator that is a selection of a third position on a third media rank bar from an electronic device unassociated with and that does not participate in, at a time of a receipt of the third preference indicator, the first media group and the second media group;

applying a preference indicator weight to at least one of the at least one first preference indicator, the at least one second preference indicator, or the third preference indicator, wherein the preference indicator weight is based on a user type selected from the group consisting of;

a host, a guest, a tastemaker, an active user, and a passive user;

determining, by the server, that a preference indicator threshold has been met by receipt of at least one of the at least one first preference indicator, the at least one second preference indicator, or the third preference indicator that has been weighted by the preference indicator weight; and

performing, by the server, a media action based on a determination that the preference indicator threshold has been met, including decreasing a ranking of the first media content or the second media content, so that the first media content or the second media content is less likely to be provided to other media groups when a skip preference indicator has met the preference indicator threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the server, a financial value with the first media content; and

modifying, by the server, the preference indicator threshold based on the financial value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference indicator threshold is generated based on a type of the first media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference indicator threshold is generated based on a sponsorship factor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a geographic location of the at least one of the first plurality of electronic devices is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a user, a group of users, and a location associated with the first media content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first preference indicator is one selected from the group consisting of:

a skip, a keep, and a null indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first preference indicator is based on a user intensity associated with the first media content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user intensity is either a positive intensity or a negative intensity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server, that a geographic location where the first media content was produced corresponds to a geographic location of the at least one of the first plurality of electronic devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server, that the first media content is associated with a sponsorship; and

producing, by the server, a modification of the preference indicator threshold based on a determination that the first media content is associated with the sponsorship;

wherein the modification increases a skip quantity of the preference indicator threshold when the first media content is associated with the sponsorship and decreases the skip quantity when the first media content is associated with licensing fees.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the third preference indicator comprises receiving, via an interface, the third preference indicator from a media library associated with the electronic device unassociated, at the time of the receipt of the third preference indicator, with the first media group and the second media group.

12. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

identify a first plurality of electronic devices as being associated with a first media group and a second plurality of electronic devices as being associated with a second media group;

provide, via a network, a first media content to the first plurality of electronic devices associated with the first media group and a second media content to the second plurality of electronic devices associated with the second media group;

receive, via the network, at least one first preference indicator that is a selection of a first position on a first media rank bar from at least one of the first plurality of electronic devices associated with the first media group and at least one second preference indicator that is a selection of a second position on a second media rank bar from at least one of the second plurality of electronic devices associated with the second media group;

receive, via the network, a third preference indicator that is a third selection of a third position on a third media rank bar from an electronic device unassociated with and that does not participate in, at a time of a receipt of the third preference indicator, the first media group and the second media group;

apply a preference indicator weight to at least one of the at least one first preference indicator, the at least one second preference indicator, or the third preference indicator, wherein the preference indicator weight is based on a user type selected from the group consisting of;

a host, a guest, a tastemaker, an active user, and a passive user;

determine that a preference indicator threshold has been met by receipt of at least one of the at least one first preference indicator, the at least one second preference indicator, or the third preference indicator that has been weighted by the preference indicator weight; and

perform a media action based on a determination that the preference indicator threshold has been met, including decreasing a ranking of the first media content or the second media content, so that the first media content or the second media content is less likely to be provided to other media groups when a skip preference indicator has met the preference indicator threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, further configured to:

associate a financial value with the first media content; and

modify the preference indicator threshold based on the financial value.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the preference indicator threshold is generated based on a type of the first media content.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the preference indicator threshold is generated based on a sponsorship factor.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein a geographic location of the at least one of the first plurality of electronic devices is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a user, a group of users, and a location associated with the first media content.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one first preference indicator is one selected from the group consisting of:

a skip, a keep, and a null indicator.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one first preference indicator is based on a user intensity associated with the first media content.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user intensity is either a positive intensity or a negative intensity.