System and method for distributing media related to a location

• US 8,856,375 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc Eliot, Ghezzi, Nicola Stefano, Spiegelman, Michael, Higgins, Christopher William, Paretti, Christopher T., Kalaboukis, Chris, Martinez, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashraf, Waseem
• Application Number:
  US13/620,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20130018897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A system and method for distributing media related to a location. The physical location of a media presentation device is received over a network. The physical location of a plurality of end users are identified, via the network, wherein each of plurality of users is associated with a user device capable of storing media files. At least one of the end users is identified who is located in such proximity to the media presentation device that the user can perceive media that presented on the media presentation device. At least one media file that is currently being presented on the media presentation device is identified and transmitted over the network to each of the identified end users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a physical location of a media presentation device over a network;

accessing, by the processor, historical data regarding visitors to the physical location;

identifying from the historical data, by the processor, regular visitors to the physical location from a plurality of users located in such proximity to the media presentation device that the plurality of users can perceive media that is presented on the media presentation device;

determining automatically, by the processor, a plurality of media files liked by at least a subset of the plurality of users, the determination is based on external data sources attached to the network;

accumulating, by the processor, a playlist comprising at least a subset of the plurality of media files, the subset of media files are arranged in the playlist wherein media files liked by the regular visitors are favored;

transmitting, by the processor via the network, the playlist to the media presentation device;

detecting, by the processor via the network, arrival of new users at the physical location of the media presentation device;

altering automatically, by the processor, the playlist based on the detected arrival of the new users such that the altered playlist comprises media files liked by at least a subset of the new users; and

transmitting, by the processor via the network, the altered playlist to the media presentation device.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps of:

determining, by the processor, a filter criterion associated with the media presentation device;

editing, by the processor, the playlist based on the filter criterion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the playlist to the media presentation device further comprises:

transmitting, by the processor, the edited playlist to the media presentation device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the filter criterion specifies a media type to be removed from the playlist.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the filter criterion specifies identities of a subset of the plurality of media files to be removed from the playlist.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting, by the processor, departures of users at the physical location; and

altering, by the processor, the filter criterion associated with the media presentation device based on the departures at the physical location.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the filter criterion specifies ordering of the plurality of media files in the playlist.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, for each of the plurality of media files included in the playlist, a number of the plurality of users that like each media file;

ranking, by the processor, the plurality of media files based on the number of end users that like each media file such that a media file liked by a majority of the plurality of users is ranked first;

arranging, by the processor, the plurality of media files in the playlist based on the rank of each of the plurality of media files.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of users is associated with a respective user device and respective locations of the users are determined by the processor based on information obtained from respective user devices.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, arrival of an additional user at the physical location such that the additional user can perceive media presented on the media presentation device;

identifying, by the processor via the network, at least one additional media file liked by the additional user;

editing, by the processor, the playlist via inclusion of at least part of the additional media file; and

transmitting, by the processor, the edited playlist to the media presentation device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, departure of one of the plurality of users from the physical location such that the user can no longer perceive media presented on the media presentation device;

identifying, by the processor via the network, at least one of the plurality of media files that is liked by the user;

editing, by the processor, the playlist via removal of the at least one media file; and

transmitting, by the processor, the edited playlist to the media presentation device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the playlist comprises entireties of the plurality of media files.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, instructions which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a physical location of a media presentation device over a network;

access historical data regarding visitors to the physical location;

identify from the historical data, via the network, regular visitors to the physical location from a plurality of users located in such proximity to the media presentation device that the plurality of users can perceive media that is presented on the media presentation device;

determine automatically, via the network, a plurality of media files liked by at least a subset of the plurality of users, the determination is based on external data sources attached to the network;

accumulate, a playlist comprising at least a subset of the plurality of media files, the subset of media files are arranged in the playlist wherein media files liked by the regular visitors are favored;

transmit, via the network, the playlist to the media presentation device;

detect, via the network, arrival of new users at the physical location of the media presentation device;

alter the playlist automatically, based on the detected arrival of the new users such that the altered playlist comprises media files liked by at least a subset of the new users; and

transmit, via the network, the altered playlist to the media presentation device.

14. The medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to,

determine a filter criterion associated with the media presentation device;

edit the playlist based on the filter criterion.

15. The medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

detect arrivals of users at the physical location; and

change the filter criterion associated with the media presentation device based on the departures.

16. A computing device comprising:

a hardware processor;

a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

accessing logic, executed by the processor, for accessing historical data regarding visitors to a physical location of a media presentation device;

location tracking logic, executed by the processor, for receiving, over a network, respective physical locations of a plurality of users, such that each of plurality of users are located in such proximity to the media presentation device that the plurality of users can perceive media that is presented on the media presentation device;

visitor identification logic, executed by the processor, for identifying regular visitors to the physical location from historical data regarding visitors to the physical location;

media identification logic, executed by the processor, for identifying automatically a plurality of media files that are liked by at least a subset of the plurality of users, the identification of the plurality of media files is based on external data sources attached to the network;

playlist generation logic, executed by the processor, for generating a playlist comprising at least a subset of the plurality of media files, the subset of media files are arranged in the playlist wherein media files liked by the regular visitors are favored;

media delivery logic, executed by the processor, for transmitting, over the network, the playlist to the media presentation device;

user presence detection logic, executed by the processor, for detecting arrival of new users at the physical location; and

playlist altering logic, executed by the processor, for automatically altering the playlist such that the altered playlist comprises media files liked by at least a subset of the new users; and

the media delivery logic, executed by the processor, delivers the altered playlist to the media presentation device.

17. The computing device of claim 16 further comprising:

criteria determining logic, executed by the processor, for determining a filter criterion associated with the media presentation device;

playlist editing logic, executed by the processor, for editing the playlist based on the filter criterion.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the user presence detection logic, executed by the processor, detects departures of users at the physical location and the computing device further comprises:

filter criteria editing logic, is executed by the processor, for editing the filter criterion associated with the media presentation device based on the arrivals and departures.

19. The computing device of claim 18, further comprising:

media popularity determining logic, executed by the processor, for each of the plurality of media files included in the playlist, to determine a number of the plurality of users that like each media file;

ranking logic, executed by the processor, for ranking the plurality of media files based on the number of users that like each media file such that a media file liked by a majority of the plurality of users is ranked first;

arranging logic, executed by the processor, for arranging the plurality of media files in the playlist based on the rank of each media file.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the filter criteria comprises an identification of one of the plurality of media files to be removed from the playlist.