Method and system for configurable automatic media selection
First Claim
1. A method for using a computing device to play media items using a media player operating on the computing device, said method comprising:
- (a) identifying a source for a plurality of media items available to be played;
(b) obtaining at least one criterion for use in selection of the plurality of media items to be played from the source;
(c) determining a set of media items to be played based upon the plurality of media items available from the source based on the at least one criterion; and
(d) playing the determined set of media items on the media player,wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion,wherein each of the plurality of media items to be played has a rating value associated therewith,wherein the media items to be played are played in a random order influenced by the user-selected criterion, andwherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining (c) to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for repeatedly selecting and presenting media items at a media device are disclosed. In one embodiment, media items are automatically (or dynamically) selected from a media source (e.g., list of media items) and then presented at a media device. As a result, the selected media items can be continuously selected and presented in an automated manner. In one embodiment, the automatic selection of the media items can be performed in accordance with at least one criterion. The at least one criterion can be user-specified and/or rules-based. In one embodiment, a display screen can display information pertaining to recently presented media items, media item being presented, and upcoming media items to be presented.
438 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A method for using a computing device to play media items using a media player operating on the computing device, said method comprising:
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(a) identifying a source for a plurality of media items available to be played; (b) obtaining at least one criterion for use in selection of the plurality of media items to be played from the source; (c) determining a set of media items to be played based upon the plurality of media items available from the source based on the at least one criterion; and (d) playing the determined set of media items on the media player, wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, wherein each of the plurality of media items to be played has a rating value associated therewith, wherein the media items to be played are played in a random order influenced by the user-selected criterion, and wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining (c) to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An automatic media presentation method for using a computing device to present media items on a media device, said method comprising:
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(a) identifying a source for a plurality of media items available to be played; (b) determining a set of media items to be played from the source based on at least one criterion; (c) presenting the determined set of media items on the media device; (d) repeating said determining (b) and said presenting (c) so as to automatically and continuously present sets of the plurality of media items on the media device; and (f) playing the set of media items on the media device, wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, wherein each of the plurality of media items to be played has a rating value associated therewith, wherein the plurality of media items to be played are played in a random order influenced by the user-selected criterion, and wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining (b) to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computing device including a display and a processor, said computing device being configured to:
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identify a source for a plurality of media items available to be played; determine a set of media items to be played based upon the plurality of media items available from the source based on at least one criterion; wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, present the determined set of media items on the media device; and repeat said determine and said present so as to automatically and continuously present sets of media items on the media device, wherein each of the media items to be played has a rating value associated therewith, wherein the media items to be played are played in a random order influenced by the user-selected criterion, and wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determine to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer program storage device storing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method for presenting media items on a media device, the method comprising:
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identifying a source for a plurality of media items available to be played; determining a set of media items to be played based upon the plurality of media items available from the source based on at least one criterion; wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, presenting the determined set of media items on the media device; and repeating said determining and said presenting so as to automatically and continuously present sets of media items on the media device, wherein each of the media items to be played has a rating value associated therewith, wherein the media items to be played are played in a random order influenced by the user-selected criterion, and wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value.
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29. A computer program storage device storing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method for presenting media items on a media device, the method comprising:
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identifying a source for a plurality of media items available to be played; determining a set of media items to be played based upon the plurality of media items available from the source based on at least one criterion; randomly selecting an available media item from the set of media items based on at least one criterion; wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, associating a rating value with each of the available media items; and presenting the selected media item on the media device, repeating said selecting and said presenting so as to automatically and continuously present media items on the media device, wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item of the plurality of available media items with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining to be included in the set of media items than a second media item of the plurality of available media items if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of automatically selecting media items from a source library for presentation using a media player, said method comprising:
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receiving a user selection of at least one criterion to be used in selecting a plurality of media items from the library; determining a set of media items available from the plurality of media items selected from the library for presentation using the at least one criterion; and presenting the determined set of media items using the media player on a media device, wherein said determining includes at least selecting randomly from the media items in the library that satisfy the at least one criterion, wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, repeating said determining and said presenting so as to automatically and continuously present selected ones of the media items on the media device, wherein each of the media items to be presented has a rating value associated therewith, and wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of configuring criteria for selecting media items to be presented using a media playback device, said method comprising:
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receiving a user selection of at least one criterion to be used for selecting a plurality of media items from a source library; receiving a user selection of a range of rating values for said at least one criterion; determining a set of media items based upon the plurality of media items from the source library for presentation using the at least one criterion and the range of rating values; and wherein said determining includes at least selecting randomly from the plurality of media items in the source library that satisfy the at least one criterion, presenting the determined set of media items using the media playback device, wherein said determining includes at least selecting randomly from the plurality of media items in the source library that satisfy the at least one criterion, wherein the at least one criterion is a user-selected criterion, wherein each of the set of media items to be presented has a rating value associated therewith, and wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A method of configuring criteria for selecting media items to be presented using a media playback device, said method comprising:
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receiving at least one user-configured rule to be used for selecting a plurality of media items from a source of media items; determining a set of media items based upon the plurality of media items selected from the source of media items for presentation using the at least one user-configured rule; wherein said determining includes at least selecting randomly from the plurality of media items that satisfy the at least one user-configured rule, associating a rating value with each of the media items to be played; and presenting the determined set of media items using the media playback device, wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A computer program storage device tangibly storing a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method for selecting media items to be presented on a media device, the method comprising:
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receiving at least one user-configured rule to be used for selecting a plurality of media items from a source of media items; determining a set of media items based upon the plurality of media items selected from the source of media items for presentation using the at least one user-configured rule; wherein said determining includes at least selecting randomly from the plurality of media items that satisfy the at least one user-configured rule, associating a rating value with each of the media items to be played; and presenting the determined set of media items using the media playback device, wherein the at least one criterion causes a first media item with a first rating value to be more likely chosen by said determining to be included in the set of media items than a second media item with a second rating value, if the first rating value is greater that the second rating value.
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Specification