Method & apparatus for intelligent and automatic preference detection of media content

• US 20020078056A1
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hunt, Preston J., Bright, Matthew A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method is provided for an automatic user preference detection system, comprising an accessing device to access attribute information of media content files distributed to a user by a media content file distribution source; a database to store a preference file for each user of the media content file distribution source, wherein the preference file for each user is utilized to determine which media content file to select to distribute to the user; and a program adapted to learn, based on the user'"'"'s responses to the play of media content files, the user'"'"'s media content file preferences.

Claims

1. An automatic user preference detection system, comprising:

an accessing device to access attribute information of media content files distributed to a user by a media content file distribution source;

a database to store a preference file for each user of the media content file distribution source, wherein the preference file for each user is utilized to determine which media content file to select to distribute to the user;

a program adapted to learn, based on the user'"'"'s responses to the play of media content files, the user'"'"'s media content file preferences.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media content files are music files.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a rate at which the program learns the user'"'"'s media content file preferences is configurable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system learns from the user'"'"'s responses made with a user control point.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user control point is a remote control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the media content files are sent to the user in an Internet stream.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program is programmable to periodically select media content files based upon alternative criteria.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the program is further adapted to learn based on the responses of other users of the media content distribution source to the play of media content files having similar attributes.

9. An automatic user preference detection system, comprising:

a database to store a media content preference file for a user of a media content distribution source;

a read/write device to read from and write to the database;

a program adapted to learn, based on the user'"'"'s responses to the play of media content files, the user'"'"'s media content file preferences.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the media content files are music files.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a rate at which the program learns the user'"'"'s media content file preferences is configurable.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the system learns from the user'"'"'s responses made with a user control point.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the media content files are sent to the user in an Internet stream.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the program is programmable to periodically select media content files based upon alternative criteria.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the program is further adapted to learn based on the responses of other users of the media content distribution source to the play of media content files having similar attributes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the media content files are music files.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a rate at which the program learns the user'"'"'s media content preferences is configurable.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the system learns from the user'"'"'s responses made with a user control point.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the entertainment content is sent to the user in an Internet stream.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the program is programmable to periodically select media content files based upon alternative criteria.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the program is further adapted to learn based on the responses of other users of the media content distribution source to the play of media content files having similar attributes.

24. The preference detection software program of claim 23, wherein the media content files are music files.

25. The preference detection software program of claim 23, wherein a rate at which the program learns the user'"'"'s media content preferences is configurable.

26. The preference detection software program of claim 23, wherein the system learns from the user'"'"'s responses made with a user control point.

27. The preference detection software program of claim 23, wherein the media content files are sent to the user in an Internet stream.

28. The preference detection software program of claim 23, wherein the program is programmable to periodically select media content files based upon alternative criteria.

29. The preference detection software program of claim 23, wherein the program is further adapted to learn based on the responses of other users of the media content distribution source to the play of media content files having similar attributes.

16. A method of automatically detecting media content preferences of a user of a media content file distribution source, the method comprising:

accessing attribute information of media content files distributed to a user by the media content file distribution source;

reading from and writing to a database in which a media content preference file is stored for a user of the media content file distribution source;

ulitizing a program that determines, based on a user'"'"'s responses during the play of media content files, the user'"'"'s media content preferences, wherein the program selects media content files to send to the user based on the determination of the user'"'"'s media content file preferences.

23. A preference detection software program comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable medium, utilized for

receiving attribute information of media content files distributed by a media content distribution source,

reading from and writing to a database media content preference files used by the media content distribution source,

determining, based on responses of a user of the media content distribution source to playing of media content and responses of other users to media files with similar attributes, the user'"'"'s entertainment content preferences, and

selecting media content files to send to the user based on the user'"'"'s determined media content file preferences.