Ordering A Playlist Based on Media Popularity

• US 20100125351A1
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Davydov, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/634 Query by example, e.g. query by humming
• 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: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

This is directed to systems and methods for ordering a playlist of media items. An existing playlist can include media sharing some characteristics, where some of the media items are unfamiliar to the user. To provide the user with a sense of the unfamiliar media items, the electronic device can order the playlist media items based on a familiarity or popularity measure. For example, the electronic device can determine the chart rankings of each media item in the playlist, and play back the media items in the order of chart ranking. This may allow a user to first listen or watch the most familiar or popular media items and get a sense for the less familiar or popular media items in the playlist.

Claims

1. A method for ordering a playlist of media items, comprising:

receiving a user selection of a plurality of media items;

retrieving for each of the plurality of media items a familiarity value indicative of how familiar each of the plurality of items is from a remote familiarity index; and

ordering the plurality of media items based on the retrieved familiarity value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote familiarity index determines the familiarity values for each of the plurality of media items from information not received from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the familiarity index further comprises at least one listing of individual media items sorted by a predetermined popularity criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the familiarity value of a particular media item is determined from the position in each of at least one the listings of individual items of the particular media item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the familiarity index determines the familiarity value for each media item from a plurality of criteria defining popularity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of criteria comprise at least one of media sales, media streams, media item playback requests, and media item playback instances.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the familiarity value is determined from individual values associated with each of the criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the familiarity value is determined by applying a weighting algorithm to at least one of the individual values associated with each of the criteria.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of individual values associated with each of the criteria for a particular media item; and

applying a conflict resolution process to define the familiarity value for the particular media item based on the received plurality of individual values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying further comprises selecting one of the received plurality of individual values.

11. A method for playing back media, comprising:

receiving a request to create a playlist comprising a plurality of media items;

providing the identification information for the plurality of media items to a remote familiarity index;

receiving, from the remote familiarity index, a familiarity value indicative of the familiarity of each of the provided plurality of media items; and

sorting the plurality of media items based on the received familiarity value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein sorting further comprises ordering the more familiar media items before the less familiar media items.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein providing further comprises providing metadata identifying each of the plurality of media items.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metadata comprises at least one of title, artist, album, show, and episode ID.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein providing further comprises providing a sample of at least one media item to the remote familiarity index for identification.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

playing back the plurality of media items in the sorted order.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the playlist comprises media items from an album.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the playlist comprises media items from a single artist.

19. An electronic device operative to play back a playlist comprising a plurality of media items, the electronic device comprising:

output circuitry operative to provide at least one of an audio and a visual output; and

control circuitry operative to;

identify a plurality of media items forming a playlist;

associate a familiarity value with each of the plurality of media items, wherein the familiarity value is determined from a remote familiarity index;

order the plurality of media items in the order of associated familiarity values; and

direct the output circuitry to output the plurality of media items in the set order.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine that at least two media items have the same associated familiarity value; and

order the at least two media items using a conflict resolution process.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising receiving a user input defining at least a portion of the conflict resolution process.

22. Computer-readable media for ordering a playlist of media items, the computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions for:

receiving a user selection of a plurality of media items;

retrieving for each of the plurality of media items a familiarity value indicative of how familiar each of the plurality of items is from a remote familiarity index; and

ordering the plurality of media items based on the retrieved familiarity value.