U.S. patent application number 12/946770 was filed with the patent office on 2012-05-17 for providing different versions of a media file.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOOGLE INC.. Invention is credited to David L. Sparks.
Application Number | 20120124172 12/946770 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45023885 |
Filed Date | 2012-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120124172 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sparks; David L. |
May 17, 2012 |
Providing Different Versions of a Media File
Abstract
Data indicates characteristics of a user's multiple media files.
The multiple media files are associated with a media library. At
least one of the multiple media files matches content in a master
media file. The content in the matching media file is of a quality
that is lower than the quality of the master media file. The user
can provide payment for access to the master media file and, if the
user does so, the master media file is associated with the media
library and the user is provided with access to the master media
file.
Inventors: |
Sparks; David L.;
(Cupertino, CA) |
Assignee: |
GOOGLE INC.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
45023885 |
Appl. No.: |
12/946770 |
Filed: |
November 15, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/219 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 20/123
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/219 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for storing media files, the
method comprising: storing, at a server system, a master media
file, the master media file containing content at a first quality
level; accessing, by the server system, characteristic data that
indicates characteristics of multiple media files that are stored
for a user on a user device, wherein the characteristic data is
generated based on a scan of the multiple media files that was
conducted to determine media files to be associated with a media
library stored at the server system for the user; associating, at
the server system, the multiple media files with the media library;
determining, at the server system and based on the characteristic
data, that at least one of the multiple media files is a matching
media file that includes content matching the content contained in
the master media file; determining, at the server system, that the
content contained in the matching media file is of a second quality
level that is lower than the first quality level of the content
contained in the master media file; determining if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file; and if the
user has provided payment for access to the master media file,
associating the master media file with the media library and
providing the user with access to the master media file stored at
the server system.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user with access to
the master media file stored at the server system comprises
receiving, at the server system, a request from the user device to
download the master media file to the user device and, in response
to receiving the request, sending the master media file to the user
device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user with access to
the master media file stored at the server system comprises
receiving, at the server system, a request from the user device to
stream the master media file to the user device and, in response to
receiving the request, streaming the master media file to the user
device.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file comprises
determining if the user has provided payment as part of a
subscription that provides access to master media files.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to
determining that the content contained in the matching media file
is of a second quality level that is lower than the first quality
level of the content contained in the master media file, causing
the user device to display a prompt to the user, the prompt
soliciting the user for payment to receive access to the master
media file.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessed characteristic data
was generated by the user device.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed characteristic data
includes acoustic fingerprints of the multiple media files, wherein
an acoustic fingerprint is a digital summary of a media file that
has been deterministically generated from an audio signal that is
stored within the media file.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining that at least one of
the multiple media files is a matching media file includes
determining that an acoustic fingerprint of the matching media file
matches an acoustic fingerprint of the master media file.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed characteristic data
was generated by the server system.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed characteristic data
includes metadata that specifies information for the multiple media
files.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the information includes one or
more of title, artist, album or bitrate.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content
contained in the matching media file is of a second quality level
that is lower than the first quality level of the content contained
in the master media file includes determining that the matching
media file encodes an audio signal at a lower bit rate than the
master media file.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content
contained in the matching media file is of a second quality level
that is lower than the first quality level of the content contained
in the master media file includes determining that the matching
media file encodes an audio signal at a same bit rate as the master
media file but that the master media file includes fewer defects in
the audio signal that are caused during an encoding process for the
audio signal than the matching media file.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the content
contained in the matching media file is of a second quality level
that is lower than the first quality level of the content contained
in the master media file includes determining that the master media
file is a longer length version of the matching media file.
15. A system comprising: a user device storing multiple media files
for a user; a server system configured to: store a master media
file, the master media file containing content at a first quality
level; access characteristic data that indicates characteristics of
the multiple media files, wherein the characteristic data is
generated based on a scan of the multiple media files that was
conducted to determine media files to be associated with a media
library stored at the server system for the user; associate the
multiple media files with the media library; determine, based on
the characteristic data, that at least one of the multiple media
files is a matching media file that includes content matching the
content contained in the master media file; determine that the
content contained in the matching media file is of a second quality
level that is lower than the first quality level of the content
contained in the master media file; determine if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file; and if the
user has provided payment for access to the master media file,
associate the master media file with the media library and
providing the user with access to the master media file stored at
the server system.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein, to determine if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file, the server
system is configured to determine if the user has provided payment
as part of a subscription that provides access to master media
files.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein the server system is further
configured to, in response to determining that the content
contained in the matching media file is of a second quality level
that is lower than the first quality level of the content contained
in the master media file, cause the user device to display a prompt
to the user, the prompt soliciting the user for payment to receive
access to the master media file.
18. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when
executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more
processing devices to: store, at a server system, a master media
file, the master media file containing content at a first quality
level; access, by the server system, characteristic data that
indicates characteristics of multiple media files that are stored
for a user on a user device, wherein the characteristic data is
generated based on a scan of the multiple media files that was
conducted to determine media files to be associated with a media
library stored at the server system for the user; associate, at the
server system, the multiple media files with the media library;
determine, at the server system and based on the characteristic
data, that at least one of the multiple media files is a matching
media file that includes content matching the content contained in
the master media file; determine, at the server system, that the
content contained in the matching media file is of a second quality
level that is lower than the first quality level of the content
contained in the master media file; determine if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file; and if the
user has provided payment for access to the master media file,
associate the master media file with the media library and
providing the user with access to the master media file stored at
the server system.
19. The medium of claim 1 wherein, to determine if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file, the
instructions include instructions that cause the one or more
processing devices to determine if the user has provided payment as
part of a subscription that provides access to master media
files.
20. The medium of claim 1 wherein the instructions include
instructions that cause the one or more processing devices to, in
response to determining that the content contained in the matching
media file is of a second quality level that is lower than the
first quality level of the content contained in the master media
file, cause the user device to display a prompt to the user, the
prompt soliciting the user for payment to receive access to the
master media file.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This document generally relates to media files.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Consumers of media (e.g., music and video) increasingly
store their media collections as files that are locally-accessible
on a computing device, instead of on compact discs (CDs), digital
video discs (DVDs), or tapes. The consumers may obtain the media
files by ripping music and video files from CDs and DVDs, or by
downloading the media files from online media stores.
SUMMARY
[0003] In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in
this specification can be embodied in a computer-implemented method
for storing media files. The method includes storing, at a server
system, a master media file, the master media file containing
content at a first quality level. The method includes accessing, by
the server system, characteristic data that indicates
characteristics of multiple media files that are stored for a user
on a user device, where the characteristic data is generated based
on a scan of the multiple media files that was conducted to
determine media files to be associated with a media library stored
at the server system for the user. The method includes associating,
at the server system, the multiple media files with the media
library. The method includes determining, at the server system and
based on the characteristic data, that at least one of the multiple
media files is a matching media file that includes content matching
the content contained in the master media file. The method includes
determining, at the server system that the content contained in the
matching media file is of a second quality level that is lower than
the first quality level of the content contained in the master
media file. The method includes determining if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file. The method
includes, if the user has provided payment for access to the
matching media file, associating the master media file with the
media library and providing the user with access to the matching
media file stored at the server system.
[0004] This and other aspects can optionally include one or more of
the following features. Providing the user with access to the
matching media file stored at the server system may include
receiving, at the server system, a request from the user device to
download the master media file to the user device and, in response
to receiving the request, sending the master media file to the user
device. Providing the user with access to the matching media file
stored at the server system may include receiving, at the server
system, a request from the user device to stream the master media
file to the user device and, in response to receiving the request,
streaming the master media file to the user device. Determining if
the user has provided payment for access to the master media file
may include determining if the user has provided payment as part of
a subscription that provides access to master media files. The
method may include, in response to determining that the content
contained in the matching media file is of a second quality level
that is lower than the first quality level of the content contained
in the master media file, causing the user device to display a
prompt to the user, the prompt soliciting the user for payment to
receive access to the master media file. The accessed
characteristic data may be generated by the user device. The
accessed characteristic data may include acoustic fingerprints of
the multiple media files, wherein an acoustic fingerprint is a
digital summary of a media file that has been deterministically
generated from an audio signal that is stored within the media
file. Determining that at least one of the multiple media files is
a matching media file may include determining that an acoustic
fingerprint of the matching media file matches an acoustic
fingerprint of the master media file. The accessed characteristic
data may be generated by the server system. The accessed
characteristic data may include metadata that specifies information
for the multiple media files. The information may include one or
more of title, artist, album or bitrate. Determining that the
content contained in the matching media file is of a second quality
level that is lower than the first quality level of the content
contained in the master media file may include determining that the
matching media file encodes an audio signal at a lower bit rate
than the master media file. Determining that the content contained
in the matching media file is of a second quality level that is
lower than the first quality level of the content contained in the
master media file may include determining that the matching media
file encodes an audio signal at a same bit rate as the master media
file but that the master media file includes fewer defects in the
audio signal that are caused during an encoding process for the
audio signal than the matching media file. Determining that the
content contained in the matching media file is of a second quality
level that is lower than the first quality level of the content
contained in the master media file includes determining that the
master media file is a longer length version of the matching media
file.
[0005] In another aspect, a system includes a user device and a
server system. The user device stores multiple media files for a
user. The server system is configured to store a master media file,
the master media file containing content at a first quality level;
access characteristic data that indicates characteristics of the
multiple media files, wherein the characteristic data is generated
based on a scan of the multiple media files that was conducted to
determine media files to be associated with a media library stored
at the server system for the user; associate the multiple media
files with the media library; determine, based on the
characteristic data, that at least one of the multiple media files
is a matching media file that includes content matching the content
contained in the master media file; determine that the content
contained in the matching media file is of a second quality level
that is lower than the first quality level of the content contained
in the master media file; determine if the user has provided
payment for access to the master media file; and if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file, associate the
master media file with the media library and providing the user
with access to the master media file stored at the server
system.
[0006] This aspect and other aspects may include one or more of the
following features. For example, to determine if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file, the server
system may be configured to determine if the user has provided
payment as part of a subscription that provides access to master
media files. The server system may be further configured to, in
response to determining that the content contained in the matching
media file is of a second quality level that is lower than the
first quality level of the content contained in the master media
file, cause the user device to display a prompt to the user, the
prompt soliciting the user for payment to receive access to the
master media file.
[0007] In another aspect, a computer readable medium storing
instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices,
cause the one or more processing devices to store, at a server
system, a master media file, the master media file containing
content at a first quality level; access, by the server system,
characteristic data that indicates characteristics of multiple
media files that are stored for a user on a user device, wherein
the characteristic data is generated based on a scan of the
multiple media files that was conducted to determine media files to
be associated with a media library stored at the server system for
the user; associate, at the server system, the multiple media files
with the media library; determine, at the server system and based
on the characteristic data, that at least one of the multiple media
files is a matching media file that includes content matching the
content contained in the master media file; determine, at the
server system, that the content contained in the matching media
file is of a second quality level that is lower than the first
quality level of the content contained in the master media file;
determine if the user has provided payment for access to the master
media file; and if the user has provided payment for access to the
master media file, associate the master media file with the media
library and providing the user with access to the master media file
stored at the server system.
[0008] This aspect and other aspects may include one or more of the
following features. For example, to determine if the user has
provided payment for access to the master media file, the
instructions may include instructions that cause the one or more
processing devices to determine if the user has provided payment as
part of a subscription that provides access to master media files.
The instructions may include instructions that cause the one or
more processing devices to, in response to determining that the
content contained in the matching media file is of a second quality
level that is lower than the first quality level of the content
contained in the master media file, cause the user device to
display a prompt to the user, the prompt soliciting the user for
payment to receive access to the master media file.
[0009] Particular embodiments can be implemented, in certain
instances, to realize one or more of the following advantages. A
user may upgrade the quality of media files he or she already owns.
The user may do so without having to pay the full price for a newer
version of a media file. The user can purchase, at a reduced rate,
a newer, higher quality version of the media file as an upgrade as
they already have paid for the rights to own the media file. The
higher quality version may enhance the user's viewing and listening
pleasure on their user device.
[0010] The details of one or more implementations are set forth in
the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other
features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the
description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a process and system for
performing media file storage and upselling.
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system for performing
media file storage and upselling.
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates examples of variations in media content
quality level.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a system that may
be used to implement the systems and methods described in this
document.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing examples of computing
devices that may be used to implement the systems and methods
described in this document, as either a client or as a server or
plurality of servers.
[0016] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] This document generally describes a system for providing
media file identification, storage and retrieval. For example, a
service provider can provide a media storage service over a network
and a subscriber of the service provider who is a user of the
service may upload their media collections to a server system that
is accessible over the network. In addition, the user may download
or stream media files stored on the server system to their
computing devices. In some cases, the user may add a downloaded
media file to their media collection for a fee, payable to the
provider of the media file. A user's media collection can include,
but is not limited to, songs and videos (e.g., movies).
[0018] In some cases, a media file that includes media content that
is of higher quality than the content of the media file currently
included in the user's media collection may be stored on the server
system. For example, the media file included in the user's media
collection may include content that originated from a low quality
source. For example, a song may have originated from an audio
cassette or a vinyl album and a higher quality digitally restored
version of the same song is stored on the system server. In another
example, a video of a movie may have originated from a
videocassette tape and a higher quality version of the same movie
that may have been provided on a Digital Video Disc (DVD) or
Blu-Ray Disc is stored on the system server.
[0019] The system server offers the higher quality version of the
same media file currently included in the user's media collection
to the user. The media file that includes higher quality media
content may be offered to the user as a replacement for the lower
quality version of the media file, or as an addition to the lower
quality version. For example, the system server may offer the
higher quality version of the media file to the user for a fee
(e.g., upselling of the media file). In another example, a
subscription service may be provided. This may include a service
contract between the service provider and the user that allows the
user to pay a fee on a regular basis for a predetermined or
unlimited number of media file upgrades. In upgrading, a lower
quality version of a media file is replaced by a higher quality
version of the media file stored on the server system. Thus, in
some implementations, the server system determines if the user has
provided payment for access to the higher quality version (for
example, as a single fee or subscription) and, if the user has
provided payment for access to the higher quality version, the
server system associates the higher quality version with a media
library of the user and provides the user with access to the higher
quality version. The higher quality version of the media file can,
in certain instances, enhance the user's listening and/or viewing
pleasure.
[0020] In some examples, the media file that contains the low
quality level version of media content may include similar content
and audio-visual quality level as the content in the higher quality
media file (e.g., the content may be encoded with a same bit rate
and stored with a same file type), but the low quality level
version of the media content may be a shorter length than the high
quality level version of the media content. In other words, the low
quality level media content may be a subset of the high quality
level media content.
[0021] In some examples, the low quality level version of the media
content includes defects that may not be found in the high quality
level version of media content. In some examples, a low quality
level version of the media content includes a subset of types of
media content included in a high quality level version of the media
content. For example, the low quality level version may include
only audio, where the high quality level content may include audio
and video. As another example, the low quality version may be in
lossy audio compression format, while the higher quality version
may be in a non-lossy compression format.
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a process and system for
performing media file storage and upselling. Referring to FIG. 1, a
user device 126 includes local, non-networked memory that includes
a media collection 130 that further includes three media files
130a-c. A media file may be a file that digitally represents media
content (e.g., any combination of audible sound, video, or images).
For example, a media file may store a digital representation of
music in an MP3 file format, a digital representation of a video in
an AVI file format, or a digital representation of an image in a
JPG format. In some cases, the media files 130a-c may include
contents of songs or video content presently owned by the user. For
example, a user may copy the contents of a vinyl album to their
computer. In another example, a user may copy the contents of a
video tape to their computer. In some cases, the media files 130a-c
may be purchased from physical retailers or online retailers. For
example, a user may drive to a music store, purchase a CD music
album, and copy the contents of the CD to their computer.
Similarly, the user may visit an online website for a music store
by visiting a website, searching for a music artist, and selecting
a link to download a music file that is displayed in response to
the search.
[0023] Although three media files 130a-c are illustrated in FIG. 1,
the number of media files in a user's media collection 130 may be
in the thousands, and may occupy significant storage space. The
media collection 130 may have taken significant time commitment to
gather and may have cost substantial sums of money. Accordingly, a
user may want to access the media collection 130 on multiple
devices, and may want to ensure that they do not lose their music
collection. Thus, the user may upload their media collection 130 to
a "cloud" (e.g., an internet-based media storage service that is
hosted over a server system). In addition, in some implementations,
the user device 126 may not include sufficient local, non-networked
memory to store the user's entire media collection 130. This may be
due to the number of files in the media collection 130 as well as
the physical size of each file. Thus, the user may upload their
media collection 130 to the cloud and may periodically update their
media collection 130 with any locally stored media files not
included in the stored media collection 130. In addition, for
example, the user may replace media files in their media collection
130 with different versions of the media file.
[0024] In some implementations, the user of the user device 126
uploads media files 130a-c by visiting a website that is hosted by
the media storage service. For example, at the website, the user
may select a link that causes a dialog box to appear on a display
127 of the user device 126 for specifying files that can be
uploaded to the media storage service. The user may specify
particular media files, media file types, or directories of media
files that the user would like to upload to the media storage
service. In another example, the user launches an application
program that is hosted locally on the user device 126, and the
application program searches the user device 126 for files to
upload to the media storage service. In another example, the user
launches an application program that is for the media storage
service. The application program may allow the user device 126 to
push its media collection to the cloud, or otherwise synchronize
its media collection with the media collection that is stored in
the cloud.
[0025] The user device 126 may collect or generate data that
identifies the media files 130a-c and that identifies the quality
level of each of the media files by performing a scan of the media
files 130a-c included in the media collection 130. The data that is
transmitted for a particular media file may include any appropriate
combination of, for example: (i) size of the media file (e.g., 3.4
megabytes), (ii) a file format (e.g., MP3), (iii) a codec, (iv) a
bit rate (e.g., 224 kbits/s), (v) a fingerprint (e.g., an acoustic
fingerprint), (vi) timed length, and (vii) media content metadata.
A file format may define the type of one or more layers of audio
and/or video data that are contained within the file. A codec may
be used to encode and decode the raw audio and/or video data that
can be stored within a media file. The bit rate generally refers to
the amount of information, or detail that is stored per unit of
time of a recording.
[0026] A fingerprint may be a condensed digital summary that is
deterministically generated from the content in a media file. For
example, an acoustic fingerprint may be deterministically generated
from an audio signal stored in an audio file, and may potentially
be used to quickly locate audio files of similar content in a
database. An acoustic fingerprint may not be a bitwise fingerprint,
as two songs that sound the same and have the same pitch may not be
a straight binary match. The acoustic fingerprint may be generated
by performing a fast Fourier transform on the media file. In
various examples, the acoustic fingerprint is not generated using
textual metadata that is stored for the media content stored in the
file. Similar mechanisms may be performed to generate a fingerprint
from a video file. In various examples, an acoustic and visual
fingerprint may be generated for a video file that includes audio
and video content.
[0027] Metadata may be textual data that describes the media
content in the media file. The metadata may be included as part of
the media file. Accordingly, the media file may include a content
portion (e.g., encoded audio and video) and a metadata portion
(e.g., text that describes the content). Portions of the metadata
may be accompanied by data elements that define a context for each
of the portions of metadata. In some implementations, metadata
defines associated musical content (e.g., a name of the musical
song, a name of the artist of the song, a name of the album, an
image file of the cover art for the album, song lyrics, a length of
the song, and a genre of the song).
[0028] The description with reference to FIG. 1 continues with
reference to media files that include musical content, as an
illustration, although the description may apply to media files
that include other types of media content (e.g., video content). In
this example, media files 130a-c include musical content. For
example, a user requests that the user device 126 play the song "B"
in the media file 130b. Because of this action, the user device 126
analyzes the media files 130a-c included in its media collection
130 and sends data 104 that identifies the content and quality
level of the media collection 130 to a media storage server system
106. In some implementations, the user device 126 analyses only the
media file 130b selected by the user and sends the data for the
single media file 130b to the server system 106. In some
implementations, the user device 126 analyses the media files
130a-c included in its media collection 130 at a regularly
scheduled time (e.g., once per day, once per week) and sends the
data for the media collection 130 to the server system 106.
[0029] The server system 106 associates (in box 108) media files
130a-c with the media library 118 and determines whether the
content of the media files 130a-c in the media collection 130
includes content that matches the content of master media files
116a-c, respectively, included in master media files 116 at the
server system 106. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the server
system 106 identifies master versions of media files 130a-c, master
media files 116a-c, respectively. For example, to be described with
reference to FIG. 2, the server system 106 accesses master media
files stored in the master media files 116 that can be included in
a master media file repository and identifies the master media
files 116a-c. In some implementations, the server system 106 may
not identify master versions of one or more (or all) of the media
files 130a-c.
[0030] The server system 106 determines, based on the
characteristic data identifying the content and quality level of
the media files 130a-c uploaded to the server system 106, whether
any of the media files 130a-c includes content that matches the
content of one or more of the master media files 116 and, if so,
whether any of those matching media files contain the content at a
lower quality level than the content in the master media files 116.
In some implementations, the process of uploading may include
providing the server system 106 with data identifying the content
and quality level of each media file along with the media content
for each media file included in a media collection. The uploading
of the identification data along with the media content can enable
the server system 106 to transmit the content of the media
collection to another computing device.
[0031] In some implementations, the user device 126 may transmit
the characteristics for each of the songs in the media collection
130 to the media storage server system 106. In some
implementations, the media file that includes the song itself is
transmitted to the server system 106 and the server system 106
extracts the characteristics (e.g., content identifying and quality
identifying characteristics). In either event, the server system
106 receives the characteristics for each of the songs and performs
a process to identify matching songs at the server system 106.
Matching songs can be identified as media content within master
media files 116a-c that are stored by the server system 106.
[0032] The server system 106 may not identify a master media file
with matching content to the uploaded media file. In this case, the
user of the user device 126 can continue to play the media file on
the user device 126 and may not be prompted to purchase a higher
quality version of the media file. In alternative cases, an
uploaded media file can include content that matches the content of
a master media file. The uploaded media file can then be referred
to as a matching media file. The content of the matching media file
may be of a higher quality level than the content of the master
media file. In this case, the user of the user device 126 can
continue to play the media file on the user device 126 and may not
be prompted to purchase a higher quality version of the media file.
In another case, the content of the matching media file may be of a
lower quality level than the content of the master media file. In
this case, the server system 106 may notify the user of the user
device 126 of the higher quality version of the media file by
having the user device 126 display a prompt to the user that
solicits the user for payment to receive access to the identified
higher quality version of the media file. The user device 126 may
include a graphical interface element 128 that includes a prompt
encouraging the user to download or otherwise access the higher
quality level version.
[0033] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the server system 106
determines (at box 114) that certain master media files 116b and
116c include higher quality versions of the content in the user
media files 130b and 130c, respectively. The server system 106
notifies the user (at box 110) by prompting the user for payment in
order to access master versions of media files 130b-c. In other
words, the user is prompted for payment to access master media
files 116b and 116c to the user device 126 for storage in the media
collection 130. For example, the user device 126 displays the
graphical interface element 128 that includes a prompt notifying
the user that a higher quality version of the song "B" (e.g., the
song represented by the contents of media file 130b) is available
for purchase. In some implementations, though a higher quality
version of the media file 130b is identified along with the higher
quality version of media file 130c, the user may only be prompted
to purchase the higher quality version of media file 130b. In some
implementations, the user may be prompted with a list of media
files for purchase identified as having higher quality content as
compared to the media files in the user's media collection. When
prompted, the user may select to purchase each higher quality media
file on an individual basis.
[0034] In the example of FIG. 1, the user selects to purchase the
higher quality version of the media file 130b (in box 112). In some
implementations, the user may be charged an upgrade fee for the
purchase of the higher quality version, where the upgrade fee is
less than the amount that could be charged for an initial purchase
of the media file. In some implementations, the media storage
service may charge the user's account with the fee, which the user
can pay along with other additional fees when the user pays his
monthly bill. In some implementations, the media storage service
can charge the user a one-time fee that the user can have the media
storage service charge to a user provided credit card. In some
implementations, the user may subscribe to an upselling service
that allows the user a predetermined or unlimited number of
upgrades for a monthly service fee. In this case, the user may not
need to provide payment information to the media storage service.
In some implementations, the amount charged per upgrade can vary
depending on the number of upgrades selected by the user at a given
point in time. For example, if the user selects to upgrade both
media file 130b and media file 130c at the same point in time, the
cost per media file upgrade may be discounted if two or more media
files are upgraded at the same time.
[0035] In some implementations, the server system 106 may forward
the user device's request to a third-party service (e.g., an online
media store). In some examples, there may be more than one master
version of a give media file (either previously stored or capable
of being generated), with each master versions having a different
quality level. In response to the request, the user device 126
displays an interface for selecting a quality level of the media
file to purchase (e.g., which of multiple bit rates of the song to
purchase) and the selected version will be the one associated with
the user's media library 118.
[0036] The server system 106 then determines that the user has paid
for access to the higher quality version and associates (in box
113) the master media file 116b included in the master media files
116 with the media library 118 as media file 118b. Media files 130a
and 130b were associated with the media library 118 as media files
118a and 118c, respectively. The server system 106 then transmits
(e.g., downloads) (in box 124) the higher quality version of the
media file 130b, media file 118b, to the user device 126. The user
device 126 can play the media file 118b and can replace (in box
129) the media file 130b with the media file 118b in the media
collection 130. The media file 118b, purchased by the user and
downloaded from the server system 106 to the user device 126, is a
higher quality version of the media file 130b.
[0037] The server system 106 may determine that an uploaded media
file includes musical content that matches the content in a master
media file if a fingerprint for a portion of the uploaded musical
content is found to match a fingerprint for a portion of the
content in the master media file. In some examples, all portions of
the uploaded musical content may need to match portions of the
content in a master media file for there to be a match, however,
all portions of the content in the master media file may need not
match the content in the uploaded media file. In other words, the
uploaded media content may be a subset of the content that is
stored by the master media file (e.g., where the content in the
master media file may include an additional verse that is not in
the uploaded musical content).
[0038] In some examples, the server system 106 determines that
media content that has been uploaded matches the content in a
master media file if the metadata, or portions thereof, that is
associated with the content matches. For example, if an artist name
and a song name for a song in an uploaded media file are the same
as or similar to the artist name and song name for a master media
file, then the songs may match. Similarly, if the songs are
determined to be from the same album, have similar lyrics, or share
artwork, there may be an increased chance that the songs are a
match. In some examples, uploaded media content is determined to
match a master media file based on a combination of matching
metadata and matching musical content (e.g., based on acoustic
fingerprints).
[0039] In some implementations, if an uploaded media file includes
media content that is determined to not have matching media content
at the server system 106, the uploaded media file may be stored at
the server system 106, included in the media library and designated
as a master media file for the media content (and may be stored
with other master media files 116). Thus, should another user of
the media storage service upload the same media content (but
possibly with a different quality level), the server system may
identify that a matching song exists.
[0040] Once a match has been identified, the server system 106
determines a "quality level" of the content in the uploaded media
file with respect to the content in the respective master media
file. Effectively, the server system 106 determines whether the
content in the media file that is being uploaded is of a higher
quality level than the content in the master media file that is
presently stored at the server system. Media content quality level
may be determined based on any combination and weighting of: (i)
bit rate of the file that includes the media content, (ii) a format
of the file that includes the media content, (iii) a played length
of the media content, and (iv) and defects in the media content.
For example, a first song may be determined to be of higher quality
level than a second song if a bit rate of the first song is higher
than a bit rate of the second song, all other quality
characteristics being equal. File formats may have a predetermined
ranking, for example, where uncompressed audio formats (e.g., WAV
and AIFF) are considered to be of higher quality level than
lossless compressed audio formats (e.g., FLAG or ALAC), which may
be considered of higher quality level than lossy compressed file
formats (e.g., MP3 and WMA).
[0041] In various examples, a temporal length of the media content,
as played to a user, may be used as an indication of media content
"quality level." For example, a highest quality level album version
of a song may include multiple repeats of a chorus and five
different verses. A lower quality level radio version of the song
may include only three verses and a single repeat of the chorus for
each verse. An even lower quality level version of the song may be
a ringtone that includes a short snippet of the chorus from a
middle portion of the higher quality level album version (where the
snippet may be denoted by a start playing time and an end playing
time of the album version of the song).
[0042] In various examples, a higher quality level version of media
content may be media content that includes fewer defects than other
media content, even if other factors, such as bit rate, are the
same. For example, media content may include skips, pops or other
problems that may result from corrupted portions of the file or
defects in the source (e.g., the CD from which the media content
was recorded may have been scratched).
[0043] A user may later access media files that the user has
"uploaded" to the media storage service using the cloud, either
using the device at which the songs were uploaded (in this example,
user device 126), or another device (for example, computing device
102). For example, a user of the computing device 126 may have
uploaded his media collection 130 when the user was logged into the
media storage service with login credentials (e.g., a username and
password). The same user may later log into the media storage
service using the same login credentials, but with a different
device (e.g., computing device 102), and download all, or
user-specified portions, of the stored media.
[0044] For example, the user may be using computing device 102 that
does not have the media files 130a-c stored locally on the
computing device 102 (e.g., the computing device is a laptop
computer the user uses for business purposes). The user may access
the media files 130a-c on the computing device 102 using an
application program that the user has downloaded to the computing
device 102. The application program may allow the user to browse
his media collection 118, which has been uploaded to the server
system 106, and download or stream select media files to the
computing device 102.
[0045] For example, the user may request that the computing device
102 play the media file 130b (song "B"). The computing device 102
does not have the media file 130b stored locally on the computing
device 102. The computing device 102 can request the server system
106 to stream (or download) the media content of the media file
130b from the server system 106 to the computing device 102 (box
122). The server system 106 receives the request, and in response
the server system 106 transmits (for example, by streaming or
downloading) the higher quality version of the media file 130b
(media file 118b) to the computing device 102 (box 123) as the user
previously purchased the higher quality version of the media file
130b (media file 118b) to include in their media collection 130.
The computing device 102 may display a user interface to the user
for playing the song. Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, the
interface may include controls for pausing the song, restarting the
song, skipping the song, and browsing the other media files that
are stored for the user by the media storage service provided by
the server system 106.
[0046] For example, the user may request that the computing device
102 play the media file 130c (song "C"). The computing device 102
does not have the media file 130c stored locally on the computing
device 102. The computing device 102 can request the server system
106 to stream the media content of the media file 130c from the
server system 106 to the computing device 102 (box 131). The server
system 106 receives the request, and in response the server system
106 transmits the lower quality version of the media file 130c
(media file 118a) to the computing device 102 (box 132) as the user
previously elected not to purchase the higher quality version of
the media file 130c. Therefore, the higher quality version of the
media file 130c, (master version 116c) is not include in the user's
media collection 130.
[0047] FIG. 2 is an example system 200 for performing media file
storage and upselling. The system 200 includes a mobile computing
device 202 with a local media library 204 and a media file player
206. The mobile computing device 202 communicates with a media
storage server system 230. An example of the mobile computing
device 202 can be the user device 126 in FIG. 1. An example of the
media storage server system 230 can be the media storage server
system 106 in FIG. 1. The media storage server system 230 includes
a media file analyzer 234 that compares the content of media files
that have been uploaded to the server system 230 to master media
files that are stored in a master media file repository 264.
[0048] The local media library 204 includes a collection of data
files, where each data file may include content (e.g., digitally
encoded audio, video, and/or pictures), and metadata that
identifies information about the media content. For example,
referring to FIG. 1, the local media library 204 may include media
files 130a-c. A user of the mobile computing device 202 may request
that the device upload the media library 204 (or portions thereof)
to the media storage server system 230. In response, the mobile
computing device 202 may transmit to the server system 230 either
(i) the files in the media library, or (ii) information that
identifies characteristics of the files (e.g., the metadata and
media file fingerprints, but not the media content itself).
[0049] In some implementations, the mobile computing device 202
transmits the media file fingerprint to the server system 230 where
a media file fingerprint generator 208 located at the mobile
computing device 202 generates the media file fingerprint. In some
implementations, the mobile computing device 202 transmits the
media file to the server system 230 where a media file fingerprint
generator 232 located at the server system 230 generates the media
file fingerprint. The operation of the media file fingerprint
generator was discussed earlier in this document with reference to
the generation of acoustic fingerprints.
[0050] In either event, the server system 230 receives information
that identifies the characteristics of the local media library 204
either as determined by the mobile computing device 202 or by the
server system 230. In response, the media file analyzer 234
analyzes the uploaded media content to determine if matching media
content is stored at the server system 230 (e.g., whether any of
the master media files stored in the repository 264 include
matching media content to the uploaded media content). The media
file analyzer 234 compares content in an uploaded media file to the
content of a master media file. The comparison may evaluate in each
of the two media files combinations of, for example: media file
fingerprints, metadata, media playing length, bit rate, and media
defects. Through such comparisons, the media file analyzer 234 may
identify master media files that match uploaded media files.
[0051] If the uploaded media file is of a lower quality level than
a matching master media file (as described throughout this
document), a payment module 236 included in the server system 230
notifies the user regarding the availability of the higher quality
version of the uploaded media file (the master media file or files)
and provides the cost of upgrading the media file to the user.
[0052] The upgrade module 210 included in the mobile computing
device 202 can display an interface to the user to allow the user
to select the media file for upgrading and to provide, if needed,
payment information. If the user decides to upgrade the uploaded
media file, the master media file is associated with the user's
media library by the media library updater 238. A media library
updater 238 transmits the higher quality media file to the mobile
computing device 202 for storage (e.g., it can replace the existing
matching media file or be stored together with the matching media
file) in the local media library 204 or for temporary buffering as
a streamed media file.
[0053] Additionally, the server system 230 may host an
internet-based media storage service that allows the user of the
mobile computing device 202 to store the contents of the local
media library 204 in a user media file repository 262. The server
system 230 can stream media files from the repository 262 and/or
264 to user devices that do not include the local media library 204
(user devices other than the mobile computing device 202). For
instance, for media files that were not upgraded to higher quality
versions, the media file may be stored in the user media file
repository 262 and streamed or otherwise transferred to a user
device from the repository 262. For media files that were upgraded,
the corresponding master version may be streamed or otherwise
transferred from the master media file repository 264.
[0054] FIG. 3 illustrates example variations in media content
quality level. A determination of whether a first quality level of
media content is higher than a second quality level of matching
media content may consider the below described variations in media
content quality.
[0055] A media content characteristic that may be used in
determining media content quality level is length 302a of the media
content. First media content may be determined to be of higher
quality level than second media content if the first media content
includes the content in the first media content, but also includes
additional content. For example, in FIG. 3, the low quality level
version of the media content 302b includes several verses
(represented by the characters `A,` `C,` and `D`), and a repeating
chorus (represented by the character `B`). The verses and
characters may be identified by the media file fingerprint
generator 232 of FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the same verses
have been identified in the high quality level version of the media
content 302c as were included in the low quality level version of
the media content 302b, where the high quality level version of the
media content 302c includes an additional verse (represented by the
character `E`). The high quality level version of the media content
302c includes the same chorus `B`, but the chorus `B` is repeated
an extra time between each verse. Accordingly, the server system
described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 may determine that the
high quality level version of media content 302c is of higher
quality level than the low quality level version of media content
302b.
[0056] Another media content characteristic that may be used in
determining media content quality level is metadata 304a. The
metadata that accompanies media content (e.g., within the same
media file) may be used to determine if the media content is of
lesser or greater quality level than another version of the media
content. In this example, the high quality level metadata 304c
includes additional metadata (e.g., the artwork, lyrics, website,
distributor, a cappella version, and instrumental version), and
thus may be determined to be of a higher quality level than a
version of the media content 304b that includes only the artist
name, song name, and album name.
[0057] Another media content characteristic that may be used in
determining media content quality level is bit rate 306a. Media
content that has been encoded in a higher bit rate may be
determined to be of higher quality level than similar media content
encoded in a lower bit rate. In this example, the media content
306c with a bit rate of 192 kbps is determined to be of higher
quality level than the media content 306b with a sbit rate of 128
kbps.
[0058] Another media content characteristic that may be used in
determining media quality level is a codec or file type 308a. As
described above, some codecs and file types may be predefined as
being of higher quality level than other codecs. A comparison may
be made between two variations in matching media content to
determine if one of the media content is associated with a higher
quality level codec than the other media content. In this example
the "Codec A" 308b has been predefined to be of lower quality level
than an uncompressed codec 308c. Accordingly, the media content
that has been encoded with the uncompressed codec 308c is
determined to be of higher quality level than the media content
that was encoded with the "Codec A" 308b.
[0059] Another media content characteristic that may be used in
determining media quality level includes defects 310a that have
been identified in media content. Media content that has been
identified as having fewer instances or total played length of
defects may be determined to be of higher quality level than
matching media content with more defects. In this example, the
media content 310b includes multiple defects (illustrated by the
vertical solid lines). The media content 310c does not include any
defects, and thus is determined to be of higher quality level than
the media content 310b.
[0060] As described above with reference to FIG. 1, a first
variation of media content may be determined to be of a higher
quality level than a second variation of matching media content in
some, but not all, characteristics. In such instances, two master
media files may be stored at the server system, at least until
media content that is of a higher quality level in all measured
characteristics than the two master media files is uploaded. In
some examples, a subset or a single one of the characteristics that
are illustrated in FIG. 3 are used in a determination of media
content quality level.
[0061] Referring now to FIG. 4, a conceptual diagram of a system
that may be used to implement the systems and methods described in
this document is illustrated. Mobile computing device 410 can
wirelessly communicate with base station 440, which can provide the
mobile computing device wireless access to numerous services 460
through a network 450.
[0062] In this illustration, the mobile computing device 410 is
depicted as a handheld mobile telephone (e.g., a smartphone or an
application telephone) that includes a touchscreen display device
412 for presenting content to a user of the mobile computing device
410. The mobile computing device 410 includes various input devices
(e.g., keyboard 414 and touchscreen display device 412) for
receiving user-input that influences the operation of the mobile
computing device 410. In further implementations, the mobile
computing device 410 may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a
personal digital assistant, an embedded system (e.g., a car
navigation system), a desktop computer, or a computerized
workstation.
[0063] The mobile computing device 410 may include various visual,
auditory, and tactile user-output mechanisms. An example visual
output mechanism is display device 412, which can visually display
video, graphics, images, and text that combine to provide a visible
user interface. For example, the display device 412 may be a 3.7
inch AMOLED screen. Other visual output mechanisms may include LED
status lights (e.g., a light that blinks when a voicemail has been
received).
[0064] An example tactile output mechanism is a small electric
motor that is connected to an unbalanced weight to provide a
vibrating alert (e.g., to vibrate in order to alert a user of an
incoming telephone call or confirm user contact with the
touchscreen 412). Further, the mobile computing device 410 may
include one or more speakers 420 that convert an electrical signal
into sound, for example, music, an audible alert, or voice of an
individual in a telephone call.
[0065] An example mechanism for receiving user-input includes
keyboard 414, which may be a full qwerty keyboard or a traditional
keypad that includes keys for the digits `0-9`, `*`, and `#.` The
keyboard 414 receives input when a user physically contacts or
depresses a keyboard key. User manipulation of a trackball 416 or
interaction with a trackpad enables the user to supply directional
and rate of rotation information to the mobile computing device 410
(e.g., to manipulate a position of a cursor on the display device
412).
[0066] The mobile computing device 410 may be able to determine a
position of physical contact with the touchscreen display device
412 (e.g., a position of contact by a finger or a stylus). Using
the touchscreen 412, various "virtual" input mechanisms may be
produced, where a user interacts with a graphical user interface
element depicted on the touchscreen 412 by contacting the graphical
user interface element. An example of a "virtual" input mechanism
is a "software keyboard," where a keyboard is displayed on the
touchscreen and a user selects keys by pressing a region of the
touchscreen 412 that corresponds to each key.
[0067] The mobile computing device 410 may include mechanical or
touch sensitive buttons 418a-d. Additionally, the mobile computing
device may include buttons for adjusting volume output by the one
or more speakers 420, and a button for turning the mobile computing
device on or off. A microphone 422 allows the mobile computing
device 410 to convert audible sounds into an electrical signal that
may be digitally encoded and stored in computer-readable memory, or
transmitted to another computing device. The mobile computing
device 410 may also include a digital compass, an accelerometer,
proximity sensors, and ambient light sensors.
[0068] An operating system may provide an interface between the
mobile computing device's hardware (e.g., the input/output
mechanisms and a processor executing instructions retrieved from
computer-readable medium) and software. Example operating systems
include the ANDROID mobile device platform; APPLE IPHONE/MAC OS X
operating systems; MICROSOFT WINDOWS 7/WINDOWS MOBILE operating
systems; SYMBIAN operating system; RIM BLACKBERRY operating system;
PALM WEB operating system; a variety of UNIX-flavored operating
systems; or a proprietary operating system for computerized
devices. The operating system may provide a platform for the
execution of application programs that facilitate interaction
between the computing device and a user.
[0069] The mobile computing device 410 may present a graphical user
interface with the touchscreen 412. A graphical user interface is a
collection of one or more graphical interface elements and may be
static (e.g., the display appears to remain the same over a period
of time), or may be dynamic (e.g., the graphical user interface
includes graphical interface elements that animate without user
input).
[0070] A graphical interface element may be text, lines, shapes,
images, or combinations thereof. For example, a graphical interface
element may be an icon that is displayed on the desktop and the
icon's associated text. In some examples, a graphical interface
element is selectable with user-input. For example, a user may
select a graphical interface element by pressing a region of the
touchscreen that corresponds to a display of the graphical
interface element. In some examples, the user may manipulate a
trackball to highlight a single graphical interface element as
having focus. User-selection of a graphical interface element may
invoke a pre-defined action by the mobile computing device. In some
examples, selectable graphical interface elements further or
alternatively correspond to a button on the keyboard 404.
User-selection of the button may invoke the pre-defined action.
[0071] In some examples, the operating system provides a "desktop"
user interface that is displayed upon turning on the mobile
computing device 410, activating the mobile computing device 410
from a sleep state, upon "unlocking" the mobile computing device
410, or upon receiving user-selection of the "home" button 418c.
The desktop graphical interface may display several icons that,
when selected with user-input, invoke corresponding application
programs. An invoked application program may present a graphical
interface that replaces the desktop graphical interface until the
application program terminates or is hidden from view.
[0072] User-input may manipulate a sequence of mobile computing
device 410 operations. For example, a single-action user input
(e.g., a single tap of the touchscreen, swipe across the
touchscreen, contact with a button, or combination of these at a
same time) may invoke an operation that changes a display of the
user interface. Without the user-input, the user interface may not
have changed at a particular time. For example, a multi-touch user
input with the touchscreen 412 may invoke a mapping application to
"zoom-in" on a location, even though the mapping application may
have by default zoomed-in after several seconds.
[0073] The desktop graphical interface can also display "widgets."
A widget is one or more graphical interface elements that are
associated with an application program that has been executed, and
that display on the desktop content controlled by the executing
application program. A widget's application program may start with
the mobile telephone. Further, a widget may not take focus of the
full display. Instead, a widget may only "own" a small portion of
the desktop, displaying content and receiving touchscreen
user-input within the portion of the desktop.
[0074] The mobile computing device 410 may include one or more
location-identification mechanisms. A location-identification
mechanism may include a collection of hardware and software that
provides the operating system and application programs an estimate
of the mobile telephone's geographical position. A
location-identification mechanism may employ satellite-based
positioning techniques, base station transmitting antenna
identification, multiple base station triangulation, internet
access point IP location determinations, inferential identification
of a user's position based on search engine queries, and
user-supplied identification of location (e.g., by "checking in" to
a location).
[0075] The mobile computing device 410 may include other
application modules and hardware. A call handling unit may receive
an indication of an incoming telephone call and provide a user the
capabilities to answer the incoming telephone call. A media player
may allow a user to listen to music or play movies that are stored
in local memory of the mobile computing device 410. The mobile
computing device 410 may include a digital camera sensor, and
corresponding image and video capture and editing software. An
internet browser may enable the user to view content from a web
page by typing in an addresses corresponding to the web page or
selecting a link to the web page.
[0076] The mobile computing device 410 may include an antenna to
wirelessly communicate information with the base station 440. The
base station 440 may be one of many base stations in a collection
of base stations (e.g., a mobile telephone cellular network) that
enables the mobile computing device 410 to maintain communication
with a network 450 as the mobile computing device is geographically
moved. The computing device 410 may alternatively or additionally
communicate with the network 450 through a Wi-Fi router or a wired
connection (e.g., Ethernet, USB, or FIREWIRE). The computing device
410 may also wirelessly communicate with other computing devices
using BLUETOOTH protocols, or may employ an ad-hoc wireless
network.
[0077] A service provider that operates the network of base
stations may connect the mobile computing device 410 to the network
450 to enable communication between the mobile computing device 410
and other computerized devices that provide services 460. Although
the services 460 may be provided over different networks (e.g., the
service provider's internal network, the Public Switched Telephone
Network, and the Internet), network 450 is illustrated as a single
network. The service provider may operate a server system 452 that
routes information packets and voice data between the mobile
computing device 410 and computing devices associated with the
services 460.
[0078] The network 450 may connect the mobile computing device 410
to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 462 in order to
establish voice or fax communication between the mobile computing
device 410 and another computing device. For example, the service
provider server system 452 may receive an indication from the PSTN
462 of an incoming call for the mobile computing device 410.
Conversely, the mobile computing device 410 may send a
communication to the service provider server system 452 initiating
a telephone call with a telephone number that is associated with a
device accessible through the PSTN 462.
[0079] The network 450 may connect the mobile computing device 410
with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service 464 that routes
voice communications over an IP network, as opposed to the PSTN.
For example, a user of the mobile computing device 410 may invoke a
VoIP application and initiate a call using the program. The service
provider server system 452 may forward voice data from the call to
a VoIP service, which may route the call over the internet to a
corresponding computing device, potentially using the PSTN for a
final leg of the connection.
[0080] An application store 466 may provide a user of the mobile
computing device 410 the ability to browse a list of remotely
stored application programs that the user may download over the
network 450 and install on the mobile computing device 410. The
application store 466 may serve as a repository of applications
developed by third-party application developers. An application
program that is installed on the mobile computing device 410 may be
able to communicate over the network 450 with server systems that
are designated for the application program. For example, a VoIP
application program may be downloaded from the Application Store
466, enabling the user to communicate with the VoIP service
464.
[0081] The mobile computing device 410 may access content on the
internet 468 through network 450. For example, a user of the mobile
computing device 410 may invoke a web browser application that
requests data from remote computing devices that are accessible at
designated universal resource locations. In various examples, some
of the services 460 are accessible over the internet.
[0082] The mobile computing device may communicate with a personal
computer 470. For example, the personal computer 470 may be the
home computer for a user of the mobile computing device 410. Thus,
the user may be able to stream media from his personal computer
470. The user may also view the file structure of his personal
computer 470, and transmit selected documents between the
computerized devices.
[0083] A voice recognition service 472 may receive voice
communication data recorded with the mobile computing device's
microphone 422, and translate the voice communication into
corresponding textual data. In some examples, the translated text
is provided to a search engine as a web query, and responsive
search engine search results are transmitted to the mobile
computing device 410.
[0084] The mobile computing device 410 may communicate with a
social network 474. The social network may include numerous
members, some of which have agreed to be related as acquaintances.
Application programs on the mobile computing device 410 may access
the social network 474 to retrieve information based on the
acquaintances of the user of the mobile computing device. For
example, an "address book" application program may retrieve
telephone numbers for the user's acquaintances. In various
examples, content may be delivered to the mobile computing device
410 based on social network distances from the user to other
members. For example, advertisement and news article content may be
selected for the user based on a level of interaction with such
content by members that are "close" to the user (e.g., members that
are "friends" or "friends of friends").
[0085] The mobile computing device 410 may access a personal set of
contacts 476 through network 450. Each contact may identify an
individual and include information about that individual (e.g., a
phone number, an email address, and a birthday). Because the set of
contacts is hosted remotely to the mobile computing device 410, the
user may access and maintain the contacts 476 across several
devices as a common set of contacts.
[0086] The mobile computing device 410 may access cloud-based
application programs 478. Cloud-computing provides application
programs (e.g., a word processor or an email program) that are
hosted remotely from the mobile computing device 410, and may be
accessed by the device 410 using a web browser or a dedicated
program. Example cloud-based application programs include GOOGLE
DOCS word processor and spreadsheet service, GOOGLE GMAIL webmail
service, and PICASA picture manager.
[0087] Mapping service 480 can provide the mobile computing device
410 with street maps, route planning information, and satellite
images. An example mapping service is GOOGLE MAPS. The mapping
service 480 may also receive queries and return location-specific
results. For example, the mobile computing device 410 may send an
estimated location of the mobile computing device and a
user-entered query for "pizza places" to the mapping service 480.
The mapping service 480 may return a street map with "markers"
superimposed on the map that identify geographical locations of
nearby "pizza places."
[0088] Turn-by-turn service 482 may provide the mobile computing
device 410 with turn-by-turn directions to a user-supplied
destination. For example, the turn-by-turn service 482 may stream
to device 410 a street-level view of an estimated location of the
device, along with data for providing audio commands and
superimposing arrows that direct a user of the device 410 to the
destination.
[0089] Various forms of streaming media 484 may be requested by the
mobile computing device 410. For example, computing device 410 may
request a stream for a pre-recorded video file, a live television
program, or a live radio program. Example services that provide
streaming media include YOUTUBE and PANDORA.
[0090] A micro-blogging service 486 may receive from the mobile
computing device 410 a user-input post that does not identify
recipients of the post. The micro-blogging service 486 may
disseminate the post to other members of the micro-blogging service
486 that agreed to subscribe to the user.
[0091] A search engine 488 may receive user-entered textual or
verbal queries from the mobile computing device 410, determine a
set of internet-accessible documents that are responsive to the
query, and provide to the device 410 information to display a list
of search results for the responsive documents. In examples where a
verbal query is received, the voice recognition service 472 may
translate the received audio into a textual query that is sent to
the search engine.
[0092] These and other services may be implemented in a server
system 490. A server system may be a combination of hardware and
software that provides a service or a set of services. For example,
a set of physically separate and networked computerized devices may
operate together as a logical server system unit to handle the
operations necessary to offer a service to hundreds of individual
computing devices.
[0093] In various implementations, operations that are performed
"in response" to another operation (e.g., a determination or an
identification) are not performed if the prior operation is
unsuccessful (e.g., if the determination was not performed).
Features in this document that are described with conditional
language may describe implementations that are optional. In some
examples, "transmitting" from a first device to a second device
includes the first device placing data into a network for receipt
by the second device, but may not include the second device
receiving the data. Conversely, "receiving" from a first device may
include receiving the data from a network, but may not include the
first device transmitting the data.
[0094] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of computing devices 500, 550 that
may be used to implement the systems and methods described in this
document, as either a client or as a server or plurality of
servers. Computing device 500 is intended to represent various
forms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops,
workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers,
mainframes, and other appropriate computers. Computing device 550
is intended to represent various forms of mobile devices, such as
personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, smartphones, and
other similar computing devices. Additionally computing device 500
or 550 can include Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives. The USB
flash drives may store operating systems and other applications.
The USB flash drives can include input/output components, such as a
wireless transmitter or USB connector that may be inserted into a
USB port of another computing device. The components shown here,
their connections and relationships, and their functions, are meant
to be exemplary only, and are not meant to limit implementations
described and/or claimed in this document.
[0095] Computing device 500 includes a processor 502, memory 504, a
storage device 506, a high-speed interface connecting to memory 504
and high-speed expansion ports 510, and a low speed interface
connecting to low speed bus 514 and storage device 506. Each of the
components 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512, are interconnected
using various busses, and may be mounted on a common motherboard or
in other manners as appropriate. The processor 502 can process
instructions for execution within the computing device 500,
including instructions stored in the memory 504 or on the storage
device 506 to display graphical information for a GUI on an
external input/output device, such as display 516 coupled to a high
speed interface. In other implementations, multiple processors
and/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with
multiple memories and types of memory. Also, multiple computing
devices 500 may be connected, with each device providing portions
of the necessary operations (e.g., as a server bank, a group of
blade servers, or a multi-processor system).
[0096] The memory 504 stores information within the computing
device 500. In one implementation, the memory 504 is a volatile
memory unit or units. In another implementation, the memory 504 is
a non-volatile memory unit or units. The memory 504 may also be
another form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic or
optical disk.
[0097] The storage device 506 is capable of providing mass storage
for the computing device 500. In one implementation, the storage
device 506 may be or contain a computer-readable medium, such as a
floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or
a tape device, a flash memory or other similar solid state memory
device, or an array of devices, including devices in a storage area
network or other configurations. A computer program product can be
tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The computer program
product may also contain instructions that, when executed, perform
one or more methods, such as those described above. The information
carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such as the
memory 504, the storage device 506, or memory on processor 502.
[0098] The high speed controller 508 manages bandwidth-intensive
operations for the computing device 500, while the low speed
controller 512 manages lower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such
allocation of functions is exemplary only. In one implementation,
the high-speed controller 508 is coupled to memory 504, display 516
(e.g., through a graphics processor or accelerator), and to
high-speed expansion ports 510, which may accept various expansion
cards (not shown). In the implementation, low-speed controller 512
is coupled to storage device 506 and low-speed expansion port 514.
The low-speed expansion port, which may include various
communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless
Ethernet) may be coupled to one or more input/output devices, such
as a keyboard, a pointing device, a scanner, or a networking device
such as a switch or router, e.g., through a network adapter.
[0099] The computing device 500 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a standard server 520, or multiple times in a group
of such servers. It may also be implemented as part of a rack
server system 524. In addition, it may be implemented in a personal
computer such as a laptop computer 522. Alternatively, components
from computing device 500 may be combined with other components in
a mobile device (not shown), such as device 550. Each of such
devices may contain one or more of computing device 500, 550, and
an entire system may be made up of multiple computing devices 500,
550 communicating with each other.
[0100] Computing device 550 includes a processor 552, memory 564,
an input/output device such as a display 554, a communication
interface 566, and a transceiver 568, among other components. The
device 550 may also be provided with a storage device, such as a
microdrive or other device, to provide additional storage. Each of
the components 550, 552, 564, 554, 566, and 568, are interconnected
using various buses, and several of the components may be mounted
on a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate.
[0101] The processor 552 can execute instructions within the
computing device 550, including instructions stored in the memory
564. The processor may be implemented as a chipset of chips that
include separate and multiple analog and digital processors.
Additionally, the processor may be implemented using any of a
number of architectures. For example, the processor 552 may be a
CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computers) processor, a RISC (Reduced
Instruction Set Computer) processor, or a MISC (Minimal Instruction
Set Computer) processor. The processor may provide, for example,
for coordination of the other components of the device 550, such as
control of user interfaces, applications run by device 550, and
wireless communication by device 550.
[0102] Processor 552 may communicate with a user through control
interface 558 and display interface 556 coupled to a display 554.
The display 554 may be, for example, a TFT (Thin-Film-Transistor
Liquid Crystal Display) display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting
Diode) display, or other appropriate display technology. The
display interface 556 may comprise appropriate circuitry for
driving the display 554 to present graphical and other information
to a user. The control interface 558 may receive commands from a
user and convert them for submission to the processor 552. In
addition, an external interface 562 may be provide in communication
with processor 552, so as to enable near area communication of
device 550 with other devices. External interface 562 may provide,
for example, for wired communication in some implementations, or
for wireless communication in other implementations, and multiple
interfaces may also be used.
[0103] The memory 564 stores information within the computing
device 550. The memory 564 can be implemented as one or more of a
computer-readable medium or media, a volatile memory unit or units,
or a non-volatile memory unit or units. Expansion memory 574 may
also be provided and connected to device 550 through expansion
interface 572, which may include, for example, a SIMM (Single In
Line Memory Module) card interface. Such expansion memory 574 may
provide extra storage space for device 550, or may also store
applications or other information for device 550. Specifically,
expansion memory 574 may include instructions to carry out or
supplement the processes described above, and may include secure
information also. Thus, for example, expansion memory 574 may be
provide as a security module for device 550, and may be programmed
with instructions that permit secure use of device 550. In
addition, secure applications may be provided via the SIMM cards,
along with additional information, such as placing identifying
information on the SIMM card in a non-hackable manner.
[0104] The memory may include, for example, flash memory and/or
NVRAM memory, as discussed below. In one implementation, a computer
program product is tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The
computer program product contains instructions that, when executed,
perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The
information carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such
as the memory 564, expansion memory 574, or memory on processor 552
that may be received, for example, over transceiver 568 or external
interface 562.
[0105] Device 550 may communicate wirelessly through communication
interface 566, which may include digital signal processing
circuitry where necessary. Communication interface 566 may provide
for communications under various modes or protocols, such as GSM
voice calls, SMS, EMS, or MMS messaging, CDMA, TDMA, PDC, WCDMA,
CDMA2000, or GPRS, among others. Such communication may occur, for
example, through radio-frequency transceiver 568. In addition,
short-range communication may occur, such as using a Bluetooth,
WiFi, or other such transceiver (not shown). In addition, GPS
(Global Positioning System) receiver module 570 may provide
additional navigation- and location-related wireless data to device
550, which may be used as appropriate by applications running on
device 550.
[0106] Device 550 may also communicate audibly using audio codec
560, which may receive spoken information from a user and convert
it to usable digital information. Audio codec 560 may likewise
generate audible sound for a user, such as through a speaker, e.g.,
in a handset of device 550. Such sound may include sound from voice
telephone calls, may include recorded sound (e.g., voice messages,
music files, etc.) and may also include sound generated by
applications operating on device 550.
[0107] The computing device 550 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a cellular telephone 580. It may also be implemented
as part of a smartphone 582, personal digital assistant, or other
similar mobile device.
[0108] Various implementations of the systems and techniques
described here can be realized in digital electronic circuitry,
integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (application
specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware,
software, and/or combinations thereof. These various
implementations can include implementation in one or more computer
programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable
system including at least one programmable processor, which may be
special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and
instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a
storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output
device.
[0109] These computer programs (also known as programs, software,
software applications or code) include machine instructions for a
programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level
procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in
assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms
"machine-readable medium" "computer-readable medium" refers to any
computer program product, apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic
discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs))
used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable
processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives
machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term
"machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide
machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.
[0110] To provide for interaction with a user, the systems and
techniques described here can be implemented on a computer having a
display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid
crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user
and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball)
by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of
devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well;
for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of
sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or
tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any
form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
[0111] The systems and techniques described here can be implemented
in a computing system that includes a back end component (e.g., as
a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an
application server), or that includes a front end component (e.g.,
a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web
browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of
the systems and techniques described here), or any combination of
such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components
of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of
digital data communication (e.g., a communication network).
Examples of communication networks include a local area network
("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), peer-to-peer networks (having
ad-hoc or static members), grid computing infrastructures, and the
Internet.
[0112] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other.
[0113] Although a few implementations have been described in detail
above, other modifications are possible. Moreover, other mechanisms
for performing the systems and methods described in this document
may be used. In addition, the logic flows depicted in the figures
do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to
achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps
may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components
may be added to, or removed from, the described systems.
Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *