Method and apparatus for generating media playlists by defining paths through media similarity space
First Claim
1. A method for generating a media playlist from a group of media selections, comprising:
- (a) receiving a set of two or more waypoint media selections in the group and a presentation order of the two or more waypoint media selections;
(b) determining, using a computer, a distance between each pair of media selections in the group, which distance represents a degree of similarity between that pair of media selections;
(c) for a waypoint segment comprising a pair of adjacent waypoint media selections in the presentation order, generating, using the computer, a waypoint set by adding at least one media selection to the presentation order between the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections, wherein the waypoint set comprises the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections and the at least one media selection, wherein adding the at least one media selection is with constraints that no media selection is presented more than once in the presentation order and a maximum distance between adjacent media selections in the presentation order in the waypoint set is minimized; and
(d) adding the waypoint set determined in step (c) to the playlist.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A media playlist is generated from a set of two or more seed media selections as well as the desired number of selections in the playlist. The seed selections represent waypoints in “media space”. A playlist is generated by finding a path of “stepping stone” selections between the waypoints, with the constraints that no selection is presented more than once and the maximum distance between stepping stones is minimized. In one embodiment, an “endless” playlist by adding a final path from the last playlist selection back to a selection that is nearest the first selection, but has not been presented yet. In still another embodiment, a separate set of “avoid” selections is maintained. When generating the playlist, given a set of paths that meet the aforementioned path generation constraints, paths will be selected that maximize the distance from the set of “avoid” selections.
80 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for generating a media playlist from a group of media selections, comprising:
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(a) receiving a set of two or more waypoint media selections in the group and a presentation order of the two or more waypoint media selections; (b) determining, using a computer, a distance between each pair of media selections in the group, which distance represents a degree of similarity between that pair of media selections; (c) for a waypoint segment comprising a pair of adjacent waypoint media selections in the presentation order, generating, using the computer, a waypoint set by adding at least one media selection to the presentation order between the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections, wherein the waypoint set comprises the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections and the at least one media selection, wherein adding the at least one media selection is with constraints that no media selection is presented more than once in the presentation order and a maximum distance between adjacent media selections in the presentation order in the waypoint set is minimized; and (d) adding the waypoint set determined in step (c) to the playlist. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for generating a media playlist from a group of media selections, comprising:
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memory having instructions when executed by a processor comprise functionality to receive a set of two or more waypoint media selections in the group and a presentation order of the two or more waypoint media selections; a mechanism that determines a distance between each pair of media selections in the group, which distance represents a degree of similarity between that pair of media selections; a waypoint segment selection generator that, for a waypoint segment comprising a pair of adjacent waypoint media selections in the presentation order, generates a waypoint set by adding at least one media selection to the presentation order between the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections, wherein the waypoint set comprises the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections and the at least one media selection, wherein adding the at least one media selection is with constraints that no media selection is presented more than once in the presentation order and a maximum distance between adjacent media selections in the presentation order in the waypoint set is minimized; and a selection accumulator that adds the waypoint set determined by the waypoint segment selection generator to the playlist. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer program product for generating a media playlist from a group of media selections, comprising a computer readable medium for storing computer readable program code thereon including:
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program code for receiving a set of two or more waypoint media selections in the group and a presentation order of the two or more waypoint media selections; program code for determining a distance between each pair of media selections in the group, which distance represents a degree of similarity between that pair of media selections; program code, for a waypoint segment comprising a pair of adjacent waypoint media selections in the presentation order, for generating a waypoint set by adding at least one media selection to the presentation order between the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections, wherein the waypoint set comprises the pair of adjacent waypoint media selections and the at least one media selection, wherein adding the at least one media selection is with constraints that no media selection is presented more than once in the presentation order and a maximum distance between adjacent media selections in the presentation order in the waypoint set is minimized; and program code for adding the waypoint set to the playlist. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification