Methods and systems for processing playlists

• US 7,464,112 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Alkove, James M., Debique, Kirt A., Plastina, Daniel, DeBacker, Gabriel S., Colville, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US11/145,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/1, 707/10, 707/102, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• 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 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Various systems and methods described above permit a user'"'"'s content experience (e.g. music playing experience) to be monitored and for metadata describing this experience to be collected. This metadata can be dynamically updated as a user experiences media content and then used to impart to the user a personalized experience that is tailored to that specific user. A user'"'"'s metadata can, in some instances, provided across a wide variety of computing devices on which the user may experience the media content, thus standardizing the user'"'"'s personalized media experience. In addition, intelligent or “smart” playlists can be provided which, in some instances, can be dynamically and automatically updated to reflect current user experiences, thus providing a highly personalized and enjoyable content experience.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

means for monitoring a user'"'"'s media content experience by at least monitoring one or more habits associated with the user'"'"'s experience of the media content;

means for producing metadata associated with the user'"'"'s monitored habit(s);

means for associating produced metadata with media content experienced by the user; and

means for using the metadata to update a playlist that is associated with the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for producing produces metadata for each media content that the user experiences.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for monitoring monitors the user'"'"'s media-playing experience.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for monitoring monitors the user'"'"'s music-playing experience.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for producing produces metadata for each song that a user plays.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for monitoring comprises a media-playing application configured to play media that the user can experience.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for monitoring comprises a computing device on which the user can experience the media.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for monitoring monitors media content that is locally stored on a computing device and locally played on the computing device.

9. A system comprising:

means for monitoring multiple users'"'"' media-playing experiences using a first device on which one or more users can experience the media, wherein said means for monitoring monitors one or more media-playing habits associated with individual users;

means for producing metadata associated with the monitored habit(s);

means for associating produced metadata with media content experienced by the users;

means for maintaining, for individual users, at least the metadata in a database on the first device;

means for updating metadata on at least a second device that can be used by one or more users to experience the media by providing metadata from the first device to at least the second device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for monitoring monitor'"'"'s the users'"'"' music-playing experiences.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the means for monitoring monitors the users'"'"' music-playing experiences; and

the means for producing produces metadata for each song that a user plays.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for monitoring comprises a media-playing application configured to play media that one or more users can experience.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for monitoring comprises a computing device on which one or more users can experience the media.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for monitoring monitors media that is locally stored on a computing device and locally played on the computing device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for comprises means for updating by using, at least in part, a third party.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for updating comprises means for providing both the metadata and its associated media content to at least the second device.

17. The system of claim 9 further comprising means for identifying each of the users with an identifier, each user'"'"'s identifier being recognizable by its associated user, but not being mathematically reversible to ascertain the associated user'"'"'s actual identity.

18. A system comprising:

means for providing one or more filters that can be used to execute queries;

means for querying one or more databases using at least one filter;

means for receiving a result set from the query; and

means for providing the result set as a playlist for a user, wherein the playlist is based, at least in part, on one or more of the user'"'"'s monitored content-experiencing habits.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said means for querying means responsive to, but unbeknownst to a user interacting with a media player application.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said one or more Databases comprise metadata from one or more users associated with the one or more user'"'"'s media-playing experience.