Techniques for correlating events to digital media assets

• US 8,682,746 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Verosub, Ellis M., Miller, Mark, Hwang, Yoon Sub, Rossell, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/865,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/26.61, 705/26.7
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

Improved approaches to intelligently refer users of one online media store to another online store are disclosed. The inter-store referral can permit a user of an online media store, such as an online media store that offers digital media assets for purchase, to easily access related information, such as event information, from another online store. According to another aspect, improved approaches to access and present event information are disclosed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable computer program code tangibly stored therein for responding to a request for information regarding a digital media item, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving, at an online media store server, a media item information request from a client device concerning a requested media item;

computer program code for retrieving, at the online media store server, media item information responsive to the media item information request;

computer program code for determining an attribute associated with the requested media item;

computer program code for determining whether event information pertaining to the determined attribute is available;

if said computer program code for determining determines that event information is available,

computer program code for sorting the event information for relevant event information based on user interest or criteria if event information is determined to be available,

computer program code for obtaining a reference to the sorted event information,

computer program code for returning the media item information and the reference to the event information to the client device if event information is determined to be available; and

if said computer program code for determining determines that event information is not available,

computer program code for returning the media item information without the reference to the event information if event information is determined not to be available.

2. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1,

wherein the event information pertains to tickets available from a partner online store, and

wherein the requested media item pertains to a song or a collection of songs.

3. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer program code for determining whether event information pertaining to the determined attribute is available further comprises:

computer program code for determining whether the event information is located at a partner online store that is related to the requested media item; and

computer program code for returning the media item information without the reference to the event information if event information is determined not to be available at the partner online store.

4. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 3, wherein the requested media item information concerns a song or collection of songs available for purchase at the partner online store.

5. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the reference to the event information is a hyperlink.

6. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer program code for sorting further comprises computer program code for prioritizing the sorted event information.

7. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the user criteria includes at least one of location of the client device.

8. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer program code for obtaining a reference to the event information further comprises:

computer program code for restricting the event information to events that are geographically proximate to the client device.

9. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interest includes at least one media asset associated with the client device.

10. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said computer program code for restricting the event information further comprises:

computer program code for determining events in which an artist associated with the event is an artist in the media library or purchase history associated with the client device.

11. A method for responding to a request for a digital media item, said method comprising:

receiving, at an online media store server, a media item information request from a client device concerning a requested media item;

retrieving, by the online media store server, media item information responsive to the media item information request;

determining an artist associated with the requested media item;

determining, by the online media store server, whether concert information pertaining to the determined artist is available;

if said determining determines that concert information is available.

sorting the concert information for relevant concert information based on user interest or criteria if concert information is available,

obtaining a reference to the sorted concert information, and

returning the media item information and the reference to the concert information to the client device if concert information is determined to be available;

if said determining determines that concert information is not available,

returning the media item information without the reference to the concert information to the client device if concert information is determined not to be available.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the concert information pertains to available concert tickets.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the requested media item is a digital media asset.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the digital media asset pertains to a song, a collection of songs, or a video.

15. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said retrieving further comprises determining if the media item information is eligible for an event link.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the event link is a concert link.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

returning the media item information without the event link if it is determined that the media item information is not eligible for the event link; and

returning the media item information with the event link if it is determined that the media item information is not eligible for the event link.

18. A method as recited in claim 11, said retrieving further comprises determining whether there is available related information at a partner online store that is related to the media item information.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the returned media item information includes at least the media item information as well as the available related information or an indication thereto if it is determined that there is available related information at a partner online store that is related to the media item information.

20. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the concert information is sorted based on user criteria.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the concert information is sorted for events that are geographically proximate to the client device.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable computer program code tangibly stored therein for responding to a request for information regarding a digital media item, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving, at an online media store server, a media item information request from a client device concerning a requested media item;

computer program code for retrieving, at the online media store server, media item information responsive to the media item information request;

computer program code for determining an attribute associated with the requested media item;

computer program code for determining whether event information pertaining to the determined attribute is available;

computer program code for restricting the event information to events that are geographically proximate to the client device;

if said computer program code for determining determines that event information is available,

computer program code for obtaining a reference to the event information provided that the event information is determined to be available and provided that the events are geographically proximate to the client device; and

computer program code for returning the media item information and the reference to the event information to the client device provided event information is determined to be available; and

if said computer program code for determining determines that event information is not available,

computer program code for returning the media item information without the reference to the event information if event information is determined not to be available.