Central system providing previews of a user's media collection to a portable media player

• US 20070244986A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Napo Enerprises, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Svendsen, Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A system and method for providing previews of media files from a user'"'"'s media collection to an associated portable media player are provided. In general, media files from the user'"'"'s media collection are selected based on a play history of the user and optionally a user profile of the user. Once the media files are selected, previews of the media files are generated. The previews may then be transferred to the portable media player during a docking, or synchronization, process. Thereafter, the previews may be played by the portable media player and, if desired, selected by the user for transfer to the portable media player. The media files corresponding to the selected previews are then transferred to the portable media player during a subsequent synchronization process.

Claims

1. A method for providing previews of a user'"'"'s media collection to a portable media player comprising:

storing information identifying a plurality of media files forming the user'"'"'s media collection at a central system; and

selecting ones of the plurality of media files for which to provide previews to the portable media player at the central system based on the information identifying the plurality of media files;

wherein previews of the ones of the plurality of media files are subsequently provided to the portable media player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s media collection is stored at a user system associated with the portable media player and the method further comprises:

providing information identifying the ones of the plurality of media files from the central system to the user system;

wherein the user system generates previews of the ones of the plurality of media files and provides the previews to the portable media player during a synchronization process during which the user system is communicatively coupled to the portable media player.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s media collection is stored at the central system and the method further comprises:

generating previews of the ones of the plurality of media files; and

providing the previews to the portable media player via a network communicatively coupling the central system and the portable media player.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the ones of the plurality of media files comprises:

receiving a play history of the portable media player; and

selecting the ones of the plurality of media files from the plurality of media files forming the user'"'"'s media collection based on the information identifying the plurality of media files and the play history of the portable media player.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the ones of the plurality of media files comprises:

receiving a play history of the portable media player;

receiving a play history of a user system associated with the portable media player; and

selecting the ones of the plurality of media files from the plurality of media files forming the user'"'"'s media collection based on the information identifying the plurality of media files, the play history of the portable media player, and the play history of the user system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the ones of the plurality of media files comprises selecting the ones of the plurality of media files, at least in part, based on a user profile of a user associated with the portable media player.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user profile comprises information selected from a group consisting of at least one user preference and demographic information regarding the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the ones of the plurality of media files comprises selecting the ones of the plurality of media files, at least in part, based on information identifying previews previously transferred to the portable media player.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the ones of the plurality of media files comprises selecting the ones of the plurality of media files, at least in part, based on information identifying media files for which previews were previously transferred to the portable media player and selected by the user associated with the portable media player for transfer to the portable media player.

10. A system comprising:

a communication interface; and

a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

store information identifying a plurality of media files forming a user'"'"'s media collection;

select ones of the plurality of media files for which to provide previews to a portable media player based on the information identifying the plurality of media files;

wherein previews of the ones of the plurality of media files are subsequently provided to the portable media player.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the user'"'"'s media collection is stored at a user system associated with the portable media player, the communication interface is further adapted to communicatively couple the system to the user system associated with the portable media player, and the control system is further adapted to provide information identifying the ones of the plurality of media files to the user system,

further wherein the user system generates the previews of the ones of the plurality of media files and provides the previews to the portable media player during a synchronization process during which the user system is communicatively coupled to the portable media player.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the user'"'"'s media collection is stored at the central system and the communication interface is further adapted to communicatively couple the central system to the portable media player via a network, and the control system is further adapted to:

generate previews of the ones of the plurality of media files; and

provide the previews to the portable media player via the network.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein in order to select the ones of the plurality of media files, the control system is further adapted to:

receive a play history of the portable media player; and

select the ones of the plurality of media files from the plurality of media files forming the user'"'"'s media collection based on the information identifying the plurality of media files and the play history of the portable media player.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein in order to select the ones of the plurality of media files, the control system is further adapted to:

receive a play history of the portable media player;

receive a play history of a user system associated with the portable media player; and

select the ones of the plurality of media files from the plurality of media files forming the user'"'"'s media collection based on the information identifying the plurality of media files, the play history of the portable media player, and the play history of the user system.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the control system is further adapted to select the ones of the plurality of media files, at least in part, based on a user profile of a user associated with the portable media player.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the user profile comprises information selected from a group consisting of at least one user preference and demographic information regarding the user.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the control system is further adapted to select the ones of the plurality of media files, at least in part, based on information identifying previews previously transferred to the portable media player.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the control system is further adapted to select the ones of the plurality of media files, at least in part, based on information identifying media files for which previews were previously transferred to the portable media player and selected by the user associated with the portable media player for transfer to the portable media player.