Generating Data for Media Playlist Construction in Virtual Environments

• US 20090172538A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garbow, Zachary Adam, Chen, Jim Chun-Ta, Bates, Cary Lee, Young, Gregory Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/706
• 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for generating song playlists for use in an immersive virtual environment. Generally, playlists may be generated based on stored music preference data. The music preference data may be generated by storing user interactions with specific songs. The user interactions may be associated with characteristics of the user'"'"'s situational context within the virtual world. The music preference data may be indexed by song name, and/or by musical properties. Subsequently, the music preference data may be used to generate a playlist adapted to the user'"'"'s current situation within the virtual world.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving an indication of a user interaction with a song while present in a virtual environment, the virtual environment comprising a plurality of avatars and a plurality of objects capable of being interacted with the plurality of avatars;

wherein the user is represented by an avatar in the virtual environment;

determining, from the received indication, a user preference for the song;

determining a current situational context for the avatar within the virtual environment; and

storing, on a computer readable storage medium, the user preference for the song together with the current situational context in a searchable data structure configured for generating playlists.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determined user preference for the song is selected from:

(i) a preference for listening to the song, and (ii) a preference for not listening to the song.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received indication includes at least one of:

(i) selecting the song, (ii) skipping the song, (iii) repeating the song, (iv) increasing the volume while listening to the song, and (v) lowering the volume while listening to the song.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current situational context comprises at least one of:

(i) a position of an avatar of the user within the virtual environment, (ii) one or more actions performed by the user within the virtual environment, (iii) a profile of the user, and (iv) one or more companions of the user within the virtual environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current situational context comprises one or more indications of the current mood of the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the one or more indications of the current mood of the user comprise at least one of:

(i) one or more words included in the user'"'"'s communications, (ii) one or more physical characteristics of the user, (iii) one or more actions of the user, and (iv) one or more software commands executed given by the user to indicate mood.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determined user preference comprises one or more musical properties of the song, wherein the one or more musical properties comprise at least one of:

(i) a musical genre, (ii) a tempo description, (iii) a rhythm description, and (iv) one or more instruments included in the song.

8. A computer-readable storage medium including a program, which when executed on a processor performs an operation, the operation comprising:

receiving an indication of a user interaction with a song while present in a virtual environment, the virtual environment comprising a plurality of avatars and a plurality of objects capable of being interacted with the plurality of avatars;

wherein the user is represented by an avatar in the virtual environment;

determining, from the received indication, a user preference for the song;

determining a current situational context for the avatar within the virtual environment; and

storing, on a computer readable storage medium, the user preference for the song together with the current situational context in a searchable data structure configured for generating playlists.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the determined user preference for the song is selected from:

(i) a preference for listening to the song, and (ii) a preference for not listening to the song.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the received indication includes at least one of:

(i) selecting the song, (ii) skipping the song, (iii) repeating the song, (iv) increasing the volume while listening to the song, and (v) lowering the volume while listening to the song.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the current situational context comprises at least one of:

(i) a position of an avatar of the user within the virtual environment, (ii) one or more actions performed by the user within the virtual environment, (iii) a profile of the user, and (iv) one or more companions of the user within the virtual environment.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the current situational context comprises one or more indications of the current mood of the user.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more indications of the current mood of the user comprise at least one of:

(i) one or more words included in the user'"'"'s communications, (ii) one or more physical characteristics of the user, (iii) one or more actions of the user, and (iv) one or more software commands executed given by the user to indicate mood.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the determined user preference comprises one or more musical properties of the song, wherein the one or more musical properties comprise at least one of:

(i) a musical genre, (ii) a tempo description, (iii) a rhythm description, and (iv) one or more instruments included in the song.

15. A system, comprising:

a database;

a processor; and

a memory containing a program, which when executed by the processor is configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising;

receiving an indication of a user interaction with a song while present in a virtual environment, the virtual environment comprising a plurality of avatars and a plurality of objects capable of being interacted with the plurality of avatars;

wherein the user is represented by an avatar in the virtual environment;

determining, from the received indication, a user preference for the song;

determining a current situational context for the avatar within the virtual environment; and

storing, on a computer readable storage medium, the user preference for the song together with the current situational context in a searchable data structure configured for generating playlists.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the determined user preference for the song is selected from:

(i) a preference for listening to the song, and (ii) a preference for not listening to the song.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the received indication includes at least one of:

(i) selecting the song, (ii) skipping the song, (iii) repeating the song, (iv) increasing the volume while listening to the song, and (v) lowering the volume while listening to the song.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the current situational context comprises at least one of:

(i) a position of an avatar of the user within the virtual environment, (ii) one or more actions performed by the user within the virtual environment, (iii) a profile of the user, and (iv) one or more companions of the user within the virtual environment.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the current situational context comprises one or more indications of the current mood of the user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more indications of the current mood of the user comprise at least one of:

(i) one or more words included in the user'"'"'s communications, (ii) one or more physical characteristics of the user, (iii) one or more actions of the user, and (iv) one or more software commands executed given by the user to indicate mood.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the determined user preference comprises one or more musical properties of the song, wherein the one or more musical properties comprise at least one of:

(i) a musical genre, (ii) a tempo description, (iii) a rhythm description, and (iv) one or more instruments included in the song.