System and method for providing a personalized media service

• US 9,172,732 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Music Choice
• Original Assignee: Music Choice
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jeremy C., Yurman, Ronald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US13/913,938
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/105 User profile, i.e. data about the user, e.g. for user settings or user preferences
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system and method for providing a personalized media service. In one aspect, the system includes an on-demand system, a plurality of subscriber devices, and a network to which the on-demand system and the subscriber devices are coupled so that the on-demand system and the subscriber devices can communicate with each other. The on-demand system enables a user to create one or more personalized media channels by enabling the user to specify his/her media preferences for each channel. The on-demand system includes a media server for streaming media to the plurality of subscriber devices. The media is preferably implemented using a video-on-demand server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing computer software on a non-transitory computer readable medium;

receiving a message from a user'"'"'s device;

transmitting the computer software to the user'"'"'s device in response to the message; and

transmitting a plurality of identifiers to the user'"'"'s device, wherein

the computer software comprises;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to transmit a first request to a server in response to the user selecting a media channel, wherein an identifier included in the first request identifies the selected media channel;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to automatically transmit to a server a second request that includes an identifier identifying a first music item identified by one of the plurality of identifiers and that causes the server to transmit the first music item to the user'"'"'s device;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to play the first music item in response to the user'"'"'s device receiving the first music item transmitted from the server in response to the second request;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to automatically transmit to a server a third request while the first music item is being played by the user'"'"'s device or immediately after the user'"'"'s device completes playing the first music item, wherein the third request identifies a second music item that is different than the first music item and the server is configured to transmit the second music item to the user'"'"'s device in response to the third request;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to store at least a portion of the second music item in a storage unit of the user'"'"'s device; and

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to automatically play the second music item at a point in time that is after the first music item finishes playing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer software further comprises:

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to transmit, before the second music item finishes playing but after the first music item finished playing, a fourth request to a server, which is configured to transmit a third music item to the consumer device in response to the fourth request;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to store the third music item in the storage unit of the consumer device; and

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to play the third music item immediately after the second music item finishes playing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer software further comprises:

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display a dislike button on the display while the first music item is being played;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to perform the following actions immediately in response to the user activating the dislike button;

(a) stop playing of the first music item, (b) delete the first music item from the storage unit, and (c) play the second music item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer software further comprises a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to delete the first music item and the second music item from the storage unit in response to the user selecting to listen to another media channel while the first music item is playing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first music item has a title, and

the computer software further comprises a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display the title of the first music item while the first music item is being played, but not display any title associated with the second music item until (a) such time as the second music item is played or (b) a point in time immediately prior to the playing of the second music item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer software further comprises:

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display on the display a selectable element for enabling the user to indicate that the user would like to create a media channel; and

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display on the display a user interface that prompts the user to enter one or more artists or songs in response to the user selecting the selectable element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for storing the second music item in the storage unit of the consumer device comprises computer instructions for protecting the second music item so that the user does not have direct access to the second music item.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a data processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the data processor; and

computer software stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein

the computer software comprises;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by a user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to transmit a first request to a server in response to the user selecting a media channel, wherein an identifier included in the first request identifies the selected media channel;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to automatically transmit to a server a second request that includes an identifier identifying a music item, wherein the computer software is configured such that the second set of instructions is executed automatically after the user selects the media channel;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to play the first music item;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to automatically transmit to a server a third request while the first music item is being played by the user'"'"'s device or immediately after the first music item finishes being played, wherein the third request identifies a second music item that is different than the first music item and whereby the server is configured to transmit the second music item to the user'"'"'s device in response to the third request;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to store at least a portion of the second music item in a storage unit of the user'"'"'s device; and

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to play the second music item at a point in time that is after the first music item finishes playing.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer software further comprises:

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to transmit, before the second music item finishes playing but after the first music item finished playing, a fourth request to a server, which is configured to transmit a third music item to the consumer device in response to the fourth request;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to store the third music item in the storage unit of the consumer device; and

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to play the third music item immediately after the second music item finishes playing.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer software further comprises:

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display a dislike button on the display while the first music item is being played;

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to perform the following actions immediately in response to the user activating the dislike button;

(a) stop playing of the first music item, (b) delete the first music item from the storage unit, and (c) play the second music item.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer software further comprises a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to delete the first music item and the second music item from the storage unit in response to the user selecting to listen to another media channel while the first music item is playing.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein

the first music item has a title, and

the computer software further comprises a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display the title of the first music item while the first music item is being played, but not display any title associated with the second music item until (a) such time as the second music item is played or (b) a point in time immediately prior to the playing of the second music item.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer software further comprises:

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display on the display a selectable element for enabling the user to indicate that the user would like to create a media channel; and

a set of instructions configured such that when executed by the user'"'"'s device causes the user'"'"'s device to display on the display a user interface that prompts the user to enter one or more artists or songs in response to the user selecting the selectable element.