Method and system for generating media recommendations in a distributed environment based on tagging play history information with location information

• US 8,886,666 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ikorongo Texas, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lemi Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Svendsen, Hugh, Farrelly, Eugene Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US13/616,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 707/789
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system are provided for generating media recommendations in a media recommendation network. Aspects of the method and system include receiving by a server a plurality of play histories of media items from a plurality of users of devices, wherein at least a portion of the media items are tagged with corresponding time and location data indicating a time and location of play; receiving by the server a media recommendation request from a requester, including receiving seed information indicating a current location of the requester; using at least one of user preferences of the requester and the seed information to identify correlated users from which to search corresponding play histories from among the plurality of play histories; comparing the seed information to the corresponding play histories and generating a list of related media items contained therein; and returning the list of related media items to the requester.

Claims

1. A system for generating a media recommendation, comprising:

a central server operably connected to a network, the central server comprising;

memory; and

a processor configured to;

receive from a plurality of devices a plurality of play histories of media items played on the plurality of devices, wherein each play history of the plurality of play histories indicates media items played by a corresponding one of the plurality of devices and is tagged with a location of play for each of at least a portion of the media items indicated in the play history;

receive a media recommendation request from a requesting device, the media recommendation request comprising seed information comprising a current location of the requesting device;

determine a list of related media items based on the current location, the related media items from at least a subset of the plurality of play histories; and

provide information identifying the list of related media items to the requesting device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to receive additional seed information.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the additional seed information comprises time data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the time data represents one of a time that the media recommendation request was sent and a time cut off value, wherein the time cut off value is used to select media items having corresponding time and location data that indicate the media items were played after the time cut off value.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the additional seed information further comprises a list of user ids and the processor is further configured to filter the plurality of play histories using the user ids.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the additional seed information further comprises a seed media item that is used to find similar media items during generation of the list of related media items.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the additional seed information comprises a termination condition that specifies a number of media items to return in the list of related media items.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the additional seed information comprises selection methods for correlating users form the plurality of devices.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the selection methods comprise a proximity weight that searches only the play histories of devices within a predefined proximity of the requesting device.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the selection methods comprise a profile weight that searches only the play histories with preferences less than a maximum distance based on a profile matching scheme.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the selection methods comprise a social distance weight.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the selection methods comprise a status weight.

13. The system of claim 2 wherein the additional seed information further comprises content selection methods for filtering the plurality of play histories.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the content selection methods comprise a proximity weight that selects media items having a play location within a predefined proximity of the current location of the requester.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the content selection methods comprise a performance weight.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the content selection methods comprise an age weight.

17. A system for generating a media recommendation, comprising:

a central server operably connected to a network, the central server comprising;

memory; and

a processor configured to;

receive from a plurality of devices a plurality of play histories of media items played on the plurality of devices, wherein each play history of the plurality of play histories indicates media items played by a corresponding one of the plurality of devices and is tagged with a location of play for each of at least a portion of the media items indicated in the play history;

receive a media recommendation request from a requesting device, the media recommendation request comprising seed information comprising a current location of the requesting device;

receive additional seed information that comprises content selection methods for filtering the plurality of play histories that comprise a temporal weight that selects related media items having a time of access that is within a time threshold

determine a list of related media items based on the current location, the related media items from at least a subset of the plurality of play histories; and

provide information identifying the list of related media items to the requesting device.

18. A computer-implemented method for generating a media recommendation, comprising:

receiving, by a server from a plurality of devices, a plurality of play histories of media items played on the plurality of devices, wherein each play history of the plurality of play histories indicates media items played by a corresponding one of the plurality of devices and is tagged with a location of play for each of at least a portion of the media items indicated in the play history;

receiving, by the server, a media recommendation request from a requesting device, the media recommendation request comprising seed information comprising a current location of the requesting device;

determining a list of related media items based on the current location, the related media items from at least a subset of the plurality of play histories; and

providing information identifying the list of related media items to the requesting device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software with instructions to:

receive, by a server from a plurality of devices, a plurality of play histories of media items played on the plurality of devices, wherein each play history of the plurality of play histories indicates media items played by a corresponding one of the plurality of devices and is tagged with a location of play for each of at least a portion of the media items indicated in the play history;

receive, by the server, a media recommendation request from a requesting device, the media recommendation request comprising seed information comprising a current location of the requesting device;

determine a list of related media items based on the current location, the related media items from at least a subset of the plurality of play histories; and

provide information identifying the list of related media items to the requesting device.