U.S. patent application number 13/733151 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-07 for newness control of a personalized music and/or entertainment sequence.
The applicant listed for this patent is James W. Wieder. Invention is credited to James W. Wieder.
Application Number | 20150128039 13/733151 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53008009 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150128039 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wieder; James W. |
May 7, 2015 |
Newness Control of a Personalized Music and/or Entertainment
Sequence
Abstract
Apparatus and method for Newness Control of a Personalized Music
and/or Entertainment Sequence. Apparatus for personalized music or
entertainment may include a newness control, configured to be
adjustable by a user, to indicate an amount or portion of new
compositions that the user desires to experience. A processor or
processors may be configured to generate a sequence of compositions
for said user; so that the amount or portion of new compositions in
the sequence of compositions, varies in response to the newness
control. Compositions that are new to the user may be determined by
a history or information about the user; and/or history or
information about other users that are determined to be
friends-with or similar to the user.
Inventors: |
Wieder; James W.; (Ellicott
City, MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wieder; James W. |
Ellicott City |
MD |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53008009 |
Appl. No.: |
13/733151 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13194506 |
Jul 29, 2011 |
8370952 |
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13733151 |
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11161710 |
Aug 12, 2005 |
8001612 |
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13194506 |
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10605879 |
Nov 3, 2003 |
7884274 |
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11161710 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/716 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 21/10 20130101;
G06F 21/6209 20130101; H04L 63/0807 20130101; G06F 3/04847
20130101; G06F 2221/0711 20130101; G06F 2221/072 20130101; Y10S
705/902 20130101; Y10S 705/901 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06F
21/105 20130101; G06F 2221/0715 20130101; G06F 3/0481 20130101;
G06N 5/02 20130101; H04L 67/306 20130101; H04L 2463/101
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/716 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0481 20060101
G06F003/0481 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for personalized music or entertainment, comprising: a
newness user-interface or control, comprising electronic-circuitry
that captures an indication of, an amount or portion of new
compositions that a user desires to experience; a memory or
memories for storing a list of new compositions, wherein said new
compositions were determined to be new to said user, by using a
history or information about said user; and electronic-circuitry
and/or processor(s) that generate a sequence of compositions for
said user, that includes highlight compositions of said
compositions that are new to said user; and wherein the amount or
portion of highlight compositions in said sequence of compositions,
varies in response to said newness user-interface or control.
2. (canceled)
3. The apparatus of claim 1: further comprising
electronic-circuitry to capture information about said user,
wherein said information allows said user to be related to a list
of compositions that said user is familiar with.
4. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein at least one of said new
compositions are selected for said user based upon compositions
that said user is already familiar with.
5. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein at least one of said new
compositions are selected for said user based on history or
information about other users.
6. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein at least one of said new
compositions are determined based upon information about another
user or users that were determined to be friends-with or similar to
said user.
7. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein one of said new compositions
was determined based upon an analysis of compositions that are
liked by both said user and other users, to identify other
compositions that are also liked by said other users and which said
user does not own usage-rights for.
8. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein one of said new compositions
was determined based upon correlations between: another composition
or compositions that a group of users are known to like, and other
compositions that said group of users are known to also like.
9. (canceled)
10. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein at least one of said new
compositions is a new release that said user is not familiar
with.
11. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said user does not own
usage-rights for one or more of said new compositions.
12. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said user has limited
usage-rights for one or more of said new compositions.
13. (canceled)
14. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said newness user-interface
or control allows the amount or portion of said highlight
compositions in said sequence to be varied between 0% and 100%.
15. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said newness user-interface
or control is configured to be adjustable by said user from a low
amount or portion of newness, to a high amount or portion of
newness.
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. A method for personalized music or entertainment, comprising:
capturing from a newness user-interface or control at a
user-device, an indication of an amount or portion of new
compositions that a user desires to experience; storing a list of
new compositions in a memory or memories, wherein said new
compositions were determined to be new to said user, by using a
history or information about said user; and generating, with
electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), a sequence of
compositions for said user; and wherein the amount or portion of
highlight compositions in said sequence of compositions, varies in
response to said newness user-interface or control.
21. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media, not
including carrier-waves, having computer-readable instructions
thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices,
implement a method of personalized music or entertainment, the
method comprising: capturing from a newness user-interface or
control at a user-device, an indication of an amount or portion of
new compositions that a user desires to experience; storing a list
of new compositions in a memory or memories, wherein said new
compositions were determined to be new to said user, by using a
history or information about said user; and generating, with
electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), a sequence of
compositions for said user; and wherein the amount or portion of
new highlight compositions in said sequence of compositions, varies
in response to said newness user-interface or control.
22. The apparatus of claim 1: further comprising
electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s) to present and/or play,
said sequence of compositions to said user.
23. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said newness user-interface
or control is a physical or virtual slider control that is
adjustable by said user.
24. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said highlight compositions
are interspersed with user favorites and/or new compositions based
upon an amount of newness indicated by said newness user-interface
or control.
25. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said highlight compositions
are inserted more frequently when said newness user-interface or
control indicates a greater amount of newness.
26. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein highlight compositions are
interspersed more frequently when said newness user-interface or
control is closer to an indication of newness.
27. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein when said newness
user-interface or control, indicates that said user desires extreme
newness, then at least a portion of said generated sequence has
only highlight compositions.
28. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein at least one said new
compositions is not already a favorite of said user.
29. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said sequence of compositions
comprises music, audio, and/or sound.
30. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein said sequence of compositions
comprises music videos and/or a video sequence.
31. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein when said user appears to be
disliking and forwarding over much of the music, said apparatus
recommends that said user adjust said newness user-interface or
control more toward new compositions.
32. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein when said user appears to be
disliking and forwarding over much of the music, said newness
user-interface or control is automatically adjusted toward more new
compositions.
33. The apparatus of claim 1: wherein a said highlight composition
is a shorter version of a particular new composition, and comprises
compelling portion(s) of said particular new composition.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S.
application Ser. No. 13/194,506 filed on Jul. 29, 2011; which is a
continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/161,710
filed on Aug. 12, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,001,612; which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/605,879, filed
on Nov. 3, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,884,274. These earlier
applications, in their entirety, are incorporated by reference into
this specification.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to Newness Control of a Personalized
Music and/or Entertainment Sequence.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Existing methods for entertaining a listener (or viewer)
with music or music videos (or other entertainment) have numerous
limitations that result in a less than an ideal user
experience.
[0006] A major limitation with broadcast media such as radio and
television is that the user has no control over the channel stream.
If the listener does not like the current composition, the
listener's only option is to change to another station or channel.
However, there are typically a limited number of alternate channels
of music suitable for the user. In addition, to switch quickly to a
suitable alternative channel requires the user to have found and
pre-selected the alternate channels of interest. When the user does
switch channels, the new channel will most likely be somewhere in
the middle of a composition, advertisement or other audio
presentation. Recently commercial-free radio is being offered via
satellite radio (e.g., XM Radio) and some internet radio stations,
but the music is not customized to each user. Another major
limitation of broadcast is that there is no link between the
broadcast stream and the user's music collection. If the listener
does hear a song they would like to add to their music collection,
they typically need to remember the artist, album and song so it
can be located or acquired at some later time. Often, the
information needed to acquire a song (artist, album, title, etc) is
not available at broadcast time when the listener is interested in
it.
[0007] A major limitation of purchased albums on media such as
CD's, DAT, tapes, and DVD's is that the user must expend
considerable effort to be able to identify what they want and then
to locate the media at a vendor and then purchase it. In order to
purchase a media, the listener must be able to identify the
specific album desired by artist and album name. Each purchased
media may include many compositions that the user does not want.
Sometimes the listener may purchase the wrong album by mistake.
Once purchased, the listener must provide physical storage for the
media and then later locate and insert the media to playback the
compositions. To playback a particular song, the user must remember
the particular media (e.g., CD) the song is located on and then be
able to find that specific media among perhaps 100's of similar
looking media. The user must also coordinate and physically
transport the media between the user's various locations and
user-devices (e.g. home, car, portable player, etc). Often, a
desired album's media may not be at the desired user's location. In
addition, media players hold only a limited of number of media so
the user is limited to a playback stream from a limited number of
albums at any one time. For certain locations, such as in an
automobile, the locating, handing and inserting the media may be a
safety distraction. The order of playback is limited to the
composition order on the media, the random ordering of the media
compositions and/or perhaps a playlist the user manually defines.
The media is subject to scratching or other physical damage,
requiring the user to create backup copies or purchase replacement
copies. The physical media may have a physical lifetime which is
much shorter then the users. In addition, due to the rapid rate of
technological change, vendor support for a given media format may
be less than the user's lifetime.
[0008] An emerging technology is the storage and management of the
user's music collection on the user's personal computer (PC). With
compression technology (such as MP3 or WMA formats), approximately
2500 (near CD quality) songs can be stored per 10 Gbyte of hard
disc capacity. Since PC's with 30 to 100+ Gbyte discs are now
commonly available, now or in the near future, PC's will have
sufficient capacity to hold a user's full music collection in
compressed format. The user's collection is typically managed on
the PC by interactive windows driven software, which the user must
install and learn to use. The user must expend a significant effort
to build their collection of compositions. The user may expend
significant effort to convert their previously purchased media
(such as CD's) into suitable compressed files on the PC hard drive.
Even using high readwrite rate drives, such a conversion could take
3 to 10 minutes per CD and 5 to 16 hours for a collection of 100
CD's. The quality of the compressed file is determined by the
user's ability to operate the compression software and select the
appropriate compression settings for each composition.
[0009] An emerging way of building a music collection on the user's
PC is the purchase and down load of songs in a suitable compressed
format across the internet. The major providers of downloadable
songs include PressPlay, AOL MusicNet, FullAudio MusicNow, and
MusicMatch. Users use the PC to locate, purchase and download new
songs over the internet. A major limitation of this approach is
that the user must be able to identify the artist, album and song
by name. Disadvantages include that the user must manually locate
each song within the catalog of songs in the provider's database,
by typically either reading through an alphabetical list of songs
by musical category (genre), artist, album or alternatively by
performing a search for each song via a search tool. They may have
to navigate a separate set of web pages to locate and download the
composition. In some cases, a web page may provide a short sample
of a song which may be heard before purchasing and downloading the
full song. The user may have to wait while the download is
occurring, in order to verify it downloaded correctly. An
additional disadvantage is that the additional cost of the PC may
exceed the cost of the user-devices. In addition, the user must
learn to use the PC and its software. The user must manage the
downloaded composition once it's been downloaded. The user may have
to manually create playlists and later relocate the user created
playlists by the playlist name.
[0010] Some users have built a portion of their collection via
music piracy and file sharing software, often using peer-to-peer
networks across the internet. The user faces ethical and legal
issues. The user faces additional security and privacy issues
associated with the peer-to-peer networks and the associated
software such as viruses, worms, spyware, and stealth software. In
addition, the quality of each music file is unknown and not
guaranteed, since there are multiple good, marginal, bad and bogus
versions of each song out on the network. The user must expend
effort to locate the artist, album and song. Then, after waiting
for the download to complete, the user must determine if the
quality of the downloaded song is acceptable, and begin the process
again if the quality is insufficient. The quality of the pirated
song may be well below the quality of the original version.
[0011] Once the collection is built, the user must manage their
collection of songs on the PC storage device. Using windows driven
software on the PC, the user must manually select among the songs
in their collection to create one or more playlists. In addition,
the user must periodically back-up their collection on the PC to
protect against loss due to drive failure, fire, damage or theft.
For large collections, this is so inconvenient and time consuming;
it is often not done frequently enough or not done at all, placing
at risk of loss all of the user's efforts in building their
collection. There are many competing file formats (MP3, WMA, AAC,
etc), which only operate with certain vendor's hardware and/or
software. The formats are constantly evolving and may have a
limited vendor support lifetime. The user's collection in a
particular format may no longer be supported at some point in time,
requiring considerable user effort to convert the collection into
another supported format, if a conversion is even possible.
[0012] Several new types of music players, including portable
players, have emerged that are capable of handling compressed
storage formats. The user's collection and playlists for these
devices are typically managed via interactive windows software on
the user's PC. For players with limited storage capacity (e.g.,
SonicBlue Rio MP3 player), PC software is used to select a limited
portion of the user's collection, which is then sent to the
player's memory over a cable or loaded onto memory media or a
memory device which the user can insert into the portable player.
Some recent players (such as Apple's iPod, Creative's Nomad Jukebox
Zen, or PhatNoise's PhatBox) have large enough hard disc storage
(10 to 30 Gbyte) to hold a collection of up to 2000 to 8000 songs.
Some players (e.g., the Apple iPod) auto-synchronize with the PC by
plugging into a high rate interface cable. The PhatBox player,
intended for installation in automobiles has a removable hard disk
cartridge that attaches to a PC cradle (USB 2.0 cable) for content
management. The user's collection and the creation of user
playlists are managed on the PC via interactive windows based
software.
[0013] Another emerging technology is user customized radio via
streaming across the internet, such as Yahoo LaunchCast. An
automatically generated sequence of songs, custom selected based on
the user's profile, is generated remotely at the service providers
server. The stream is forwarded to the user across the internet to
a player application located on the user's PC. Each user creates a
unique profile using an interactive windows application on the PC
in-order to select music categories and artists the user likes. The
user also may provide additional profile feedback, while a
composition is playing or by accessing the user's library, to rate
each song, album and artist on a rating scale. A major disadvantage
of LaunchCast is that there is no link between the user's radio
profile information and the user's music collection [i.e., the
user's usage-rights (e.g., listening-rights) to particular
compositions]. Because there is no link with the user's
usage-rights, the LaunchCast user does not have the ability to go
"backward" or to repeat a song or cause a particular song to play.
If the user wishes to add a composition that is playing to their
collection, they are only provided with a link to a web page where
the CD may be purchased. A disadvantage of streaming is the
skipping or jumps that occur if the continuous virtual bandwidth is
interrupted by other network traffic. Another disadvantage of
streaming is its limited tolerance to insufficient network latency,
which can result in delays in the radio program, especially when
the user decides to "forward" or "skip" over the currently playing
song.
[0014] Other interactive internet based streaming services allow
the user to create a custom playlist or multiple playlists of
favorites, by selecting each song to include from a catalog of
compositions provided by the service. A major limitation is that
the user must be familiar enough with the composition to be able to
identify the artist, album and song by name. In addition, the user
must expend considerable effort to manually locate each song within
the catalog of songs in the provider's database or the user's
library, by typically either reading through an alphabetical list
of songs by genre, artist, album or performing a search for each
song by using a search tool. The user must continually and manually
update all this as their musical tastes change over time. To
generate a stream of songs, the user may then have to choose a
group or order of particular songs to form a user's custom
playlist. Another limitation is the user does not own the music
collection and does not own usage-rights to the music. In addition,
it is not integrated to other usage-rights the user already has
purchased.
[0015] In some internet services, the user may indicate the
relative likeablity of each of the songs in their custom playlist.
Typically, the user manually rates each composition based on a
scale, such as 1 to 100. Which requires the user to manage in their
mind the relative rankings of songs by rating number so one song
has a higher number relative to another. In addition, the user must
manually change their ratings and their playlists as their taste
for songs changes over time. This typically requires a significant
amount of visual interaction from the user, often with a PC windows
based display, which is not suitable while driving an automobile or
for many other activities.
[0016] The Apple iTunes system is currently one of the most popular
methods for purchasing music on-line. When a user makes an on-line
purchase, the usage-rights and composition is typically downloaded
and then stored locally on the hard disk of a user's personal
computer (PC). With Apple iTunes, a user is only allowed to
download the composition once per purchase. A user may lose their
purchased usage-rights if this local user-device (typically a
personal computer) is damaged, destroyed, lost, stolen, etc. If
lost, the iTunes song must be purchased a second time before it can
be downloaded again.
[0017] To protect their iTunes collection from loss, users are
responsible for backing up their collection of compositions by
copying them from the personal computer to an external storage
device or media. Without a backup copy, any damage or loss of the
personal computer's hard disk will result in an unrecoverable loss
of the user's collection and the user would be required to
repurchase and rebuild their collection again from scratch. Many
users do not perform regular backups because of the time and effort
involved. Even when backups are done, users often keep their backup
copies in close proximity to their computer hard drive, which may
not protect against loss or damage from a fire or theft.
[0018] With Apple iTunes, a purchased song may be authorized for
use on only 5 user-devices (of an authorized type) at a time. The
user is required to perform a complicated procedure to transfer a
song and obtain authorization to use the song on each new
user-device. In order to authorize the use of a song on a new
user-device, the user may be required to enter the Apple-ID and
password used to purchase the song. When the 5 user-device limit is
reached, the user is also required to manually de-authorize a song
on one user-device so it can be authorized on another user-device.
The user must also remember to de-authorize their computers and
user-devices whenever they are sold, given away or are
serviced.
[0019] Transfers of iTunes usage-rights to other user-devices (such
as a portable player) are typically accomplished by a cable or
local area wireless connection between the PC and the second
device. This typically requires the other user-devices to be
brought near the PC or local media server where the user's
usage-rights are stored. In addition, the user must plan and
coordinate bringing the devices together whenever a transfer of
usage-rights is desired. Such transfers are particularly difficult
when the user-devices are at different physical locations (such as
home, work, automobile, etc.) or are not easily portable.
[0020] Overall, an iTunes user must expend significant time and
effort to acquire, download, backup, and transfer songs between
their user-devices and to authorize/de-authorize their collection
of songs at each user-device.
[0021] Today, a given user-device is typically compatible with only
one or a limited number of the many different file formats,
compression-decompression algorithms and content-protection
methods. Vendors such as Microsoft, RealNetworks and Apple may use
proprietary or industry standard (MP3, MPEG-4) approaches. These
are often not interoperable. Digital content packaged for one
vendor's user-devices (e.g., Apple) may not be playable on another
vendor's user-devices (e.g., Microsoft Windows Media). In addition,
new, different and improved formats, compression-decompression
algorithms and content-protection methods are expected to be
introduced in the future.
[0022] Today, the content-protection methods are typically based on
proprietary digital rights management (DRM) approaches that are
unique to each vendor's user-devices. Examples of DRM solutions
include InterTrust (Rights System), RealNetworks (Media Commerce
Suite), Windows Media (Rights Manager) and Widevine Cyper.
[0023] When the user purchases digital content (e.g., a
composition) today, it may only play on the user-devices from a
single vendor. For example, if a user purchases a song from the
Apple iTunes Music Store, it can only be played using an iTunes
jukebox (Apple software) on the user's PC or using an Apple
hardware device such as an Apple iPod portable player.
[0024] Today, the large number of incompatible choices confuses
consumers and reduces sales because consumers are uncertain about
what to buy and are afraid of buying soon-to-be obsolete products.
Consumers recognize that many different media products that are
introduced in the marketplace quickly die (for example, Beta VCR
tapes). Consumers are also concerned that new technology will be
introduced in the near future that will make their purchased
user-devices and composition formats obsolete (for example, vinyl
LP records). Today, many consumers may decide to delay purchases of
user-devices and their corresponding compatible digital-content
(e.g., digital-works) until a technology approach becomes the
established industry standard.
[0025] More generally, the above discussion may also apply to any
type of digital-work including music, music videos, multi-media,
artwork, pictures, audio, sound, short films, movies, video clips,
television programs, audio versions of books, talks, speeches,
voice content, lectures, software, software plug-ins and any other
type of digital-work. In some cases, the media formats will differ
(DVD's or other formats instead of CD's), but the limitations
discussed are generally applicable.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0026] There are many objects and advantages of the disclosed
embodiments, when compared with the existing state of the art. The
objects and advantages may vary with each embodiment. The objects
and advantages of each of the various embodiments may include
different subsets of the following objects and advantages: [0027]
1) Provide a simplified way providing an entertainment experience
that is customized for each user. [0028] 2) Allow the user to
experience both different and new compositions, more easily and at
a faster rate. [0029] 3) Simplify the process of finding and
acquiring a larger variety of pleasing compositions for each user's
collection. [0030] 4) Simplify the purchase and delivery of
compositions to create a user's collection. [0031] 5) Not require
the user to identify and select compositions based upon knowledge
of the composition such as composition title, artist's name, or
album name. [0032] 6) Protect a user's collection of compositions
against the theft or loss. [0033] 7) Eliminate all user efforts and
concerns with backing-up and storing their personal collection of
compositions (digital-works). [0034] 8) Preserve a user's profile,
history and collection even if user-devices are lost, stolen,
broken or destroyed. [0035] 9) Eliminate user efforts of knowing,
locating or converting different file formats for different
user-devices and future user-devices. [0036] 10) Allow each user's
profile, history and collection to be available to all the
user-devices wherever they are located or used. Allow each user's
profile, history and collection to be immediately available to any
user-device not previously used by the user (a new purchase, a
friend's, etc.). [0037] 11) Automatically manage the user's
collection of compositions. Allow user's compositions to be usable
anywhere the user is. Automatically distribute, as needed, the
user's compositions (collection) to any user-device where the user
is active. Eliminate all user efforts to transfer their
compositions between user-devices. [0038] 12) Allow each user's
profile, history and collection of compositions to be usable with
all experience-providers. Allow the user to easily switch between
experience providers. [0039] 13) Maintain privacy and anonymity of
each user's profile, history and collection of compositions. [0040]
14) Adapt to each individual user's control actions, representing
real-time feedback of likes and dislikes of compositions while they
are played. [0041] 15) Adapt to changing user tastes, such as when
a user becomes tired of a given composition. [0042] 16) Utilize the
prior experiences of other similar users, to improve each user's
experience. [0043] 17) Allow aggregate real-time information
collected from the many users to influence decisions made by the
experience-providers, composition-providers and composition
creators. [0044] 18) Provide a simple and intuitive user interface
that is similar to existing user-devices that users are already
familiar with. [0045] 19) Allow users to share a favorite
composition or their current list of favorites with each other.
[0046] 20) Protect compositions against piracy. [0047] 21) Provide
such a superior experience and ease of use (compared with pirated
alternates) that user's will prefer to pay for such
convenience.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates the capture of user control actions
representing user feedback about a currently playing
composition.
[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates the functional flow between user-devices,
experience-providers and composition-providers and (optional)
identity-providers.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of a user-device such as a
personalized music player.
[0051] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface for a
user-device with manual controls.
[0052] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a user history
database.
[0053] FIG. 6 illustrates the functional flow of a Real-time
Sequence Generator.
[0054] FIG. 7a illustrates typical graphs of "user likeability or
enjoyment" versus the "number of times heard".
[0055] FIG. 7b illustrates typical graphs of "time between plays"
versus the "number of times heard".
[0056] FIG. 7c illustrates a typical graph of "time between plays"
versus "(current enjoyment)(peak enjoyment)".
[0057] FIG. 8 illustrates a process for recommending new
compositions and new highlights for a user.
[0058] FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of an Aggregate Common
Likeability Database.
[0059] FIG. 10 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an Aggregate
Common Likeability Database.
[0060] FIG. 11 original FIG. 11 removed.
[0061] FIG. 12 is functional diagram of an embodiment of the user
usage-rights management at a user-device.
[0062] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the contents of a
usage-rights token (ownership token).
[0063] FIG. 14 shows an example of the acquisition of usage-rights
for a user.
[0064] FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of an identity-provider creating
an anonymous-ownerID and login-Info; and providing banker
functions.
[0065] FIG. 16 illustrates an example of the contents of a playback
history.
[0066] FIG. 17 illustrates an embodiment of the contents of a
record of a single playback.
[0067] FIG. 18 illustrates an embodiment for distributing
digital-works to a user-device.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION
[0068] Although some of the following detailed embodiments are
illustrated or described in terms of audio or musical compositions,
the invention is more generally applied to any type of composition,
digital-work or digital-content including recorded-music; music
videos; multi-media; artwork; pictures; audio; sound; short films;
movies; video clips; television programs; audio versions of books;
talks; speeches; voice content; lectures; software; software
plug-ins; and any other type of digital-work.
[0069] In general, where the word "composition" is used in the
description, "digital-work" or "digital-content" may be substituted
in its place. Where the words "playback-device" or "player" or
"media-player" is used in the description, "user-device" may be
substituted in its place. Where the word "composition-provider" is
used in the description, "digital-work-provider" or
"digital-content-provider" may be substituted in its place.
[0070] Distribution of Compositions:
[0071] FIG. 2 illustrates the functional flow between user-devices
21, composition-providers 23, experience-providers 26 and
usage-rights repositories (usage-rights authorities) 24 across one
or more networks 27.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 2, there may be a plurality of possible
users 21 (user1, user2, . . . , user"z"). Each user may operate one
or more user user-devices 22 at different times and different
locations such as at home(s), work(s), automobile(s), portable(s),
etc. A user-device 22 is capable of utilizing one or more types of
digital-works. User-devices may also be incorporated into other
products such as a cell phone, television or home entertainment
system. The user-devices may be mobile and portable. Some
user-devices (i.e., a personal player) may be used by only a single
individual user. Other user-devices (i.e., an automobile player)
may be operated by different individuals at different times. The
user-devices may be manufactured by many different vendors. Any
given user-device 22 may only be able to handle only certain types
of digital-works and may only be able to handle a subset of the
available composition formats.
[0073] There may be many composition-providers 23 that each provide
their own catalog of compositions for which they control the
intellectual property rights. A composition-provider 23 may control
the compositions for a single composition creation entity [i.e.,
the creative artist(s) or group] or many composition creation
entities.
[0074] There may also be many different experience-providers 26. An
experience-provider 26 is responsible for providing the adaptive
personalized entertainment sequence that is customized for each
user and is integrated with the user's collection of compositions.
The experience-provider 26 may automatically introduce the user to
appropriate new compositions over time and automatically adopt the
personalized program sequence as a user's tastes change. The
experience-provider 26 automatically distributes the user's
collection and also automatically collects and maintains the user's
profile and history across all the user-devices. The user's
collection is made available to any user-device 22 that the
specific user is operating.
[0075] There may also be one or more usage-rights repositories
(usage-rights authorities) 24. The usage-right repository utilizes
a common "standard for usage-rights tokens" 25 so that a user's
collection of compositions, represented by the set of usage-rights
tokens a user acquires, may be recognized and usable with all
experience-providers. Each usage-rights token may be defined to
limit use to only a specific individual user or a group of specific
users (e.g., a family). The tokens representing the compositions in
a user's collection may be easily transferred between and used with
any of the experience-providers. The usage-rights repository may
maintain a database of all issued tokens so a user's collection
(usage-rights tokens) may be preserved even if all the user-devices
of a user were to be lost or damaged.
[0076] Portions of the network(s) 27 may be wired or wireless. A
wireless interface between user-devices and the network 27 may be
preferred since the wireless connection may be established and
maintained more automatically and with minimal user efforts.
[0077] Most users will typically utilize many different players at
different locations throughout the day and from day-to-day such as
in different rooms of the home, at different homes, at different
work locations, in different automobiles, or various portable
user-devices. In addition, there are many user-devices that the
user may only temporarily use, such as user-devices located at a
hotel, a rental home, a rental car, on loan from a friend, etc. It
is desired that the user's history and profile be interoperable and
automatically synchronized between all these user-devices so the
user history collected at each user-device is available to all
other user-devices. An experience-provider 26 may automatically
perform the required level of synchronization between all of the
user-devices and storage locations on the network(s).
[0078] In one embodiment, the user history and user profile
information is stored redundantly at multiple locations distributed
across a network(s), such as the internet, so that the user's
information has a high availability (even if some network
nodespaths are down) and is robustly protected from loss. Periodic
back-up or archiving of the information may also be utilized to
provide an additional protection against loss of the user's
information. In one embodiment, this storage function is provided
by the experience-provider. Alternatively, a separate storage
provider may provide storage, backup, archiving and protection of
the user's history and library on the network. In-order to protect
user privacy, user information stored on the network may be stored
in an encrypted form for which the storage provider does not hold
the decryption keys. Encryption mechanisms may be utilized to keep
a user's history private and not accessible to human prying.
[0079] In some embodiments, there may also be one or more
identity-providers 29. An identity-provider 29 may be optionally
used to provide an anonymous ownership of usage-rights so that the
actual owner of a composition remains hidden and is protected
against disclosure to others. In some embodiments, the
identity-provider 29 may also perform banking functions in-order to
maintain user anonymity and to protect the actual user's identity
from disclosure to others.
[0080] Experience-Providers:
[0081] An experience-provider 26 is responsible for providing the
adaptive personalized music (or entertainment) program that is
customized for each user and is integrated with the user's
collection of compositions. The experience-provider 26 may
coordinate the following functions automatically without requiring
any significant user action: [0082] 1) Provide a sequence of
compositions, highlights and other material that is customized for
each user based upon the prior history of user control actions and
feedback. [0083] 2) Provide copies of compositions, highlights and
other material to all user-devices as needed. [0084] 3) Manage,
store, backup and make available the user's collection so that it
is available to all the user-devices. The user's collection may be
represented by a set of user usage-rights tokens. [0085] 4) Manage,
store, backup and update the user's history (including control
actions, feedback, play history, profile) across all of the
user-devices in-order to adapt to the user's changing tastes.
[0086] 5) Recommend new compositions and highlights likely to be
appealing to each specific user. Automatically incorporate the new
compositions and highlights into the user's program sequence and
the user's collection. [0087] 6) Provide pre-customized channels
for each user (representing different categories, genre or moods of
music) that may then be further optimized for each user based on
user control actions and feedback. [0088] 7) Provide additional
advertisements, news, or weather presentations in the user's
program stream that are customized for each user based on user
control actions, feedback or user profile. [0089] 8) Provide
software updates for user-devices. [0090] 9) Obtain usage-rights
for compositions that are made available to the user. Pay royalties
to composition owners based on the user's usage. [0091] 10) Bill
users for composition purchases, usage and other services. [0092]
11) Provide a "capture" mode capability to enable user's to
identify and later experience and evaluate a composition they may
be hearing from a non-user-device.
[0093] 12 Provide a "share" mode capability to enable a user to
share a list of compositions with other users.
[0094] Although all of the above functions may be performed by the
user's experience-provider, they may performed by separate entities
that are under the coordination of the user's experience-provider.
In one embodiment, the user may have many experience-providers to
choose between and may be able to easily (instantaneously) switch,
with low/no switching costs from one experience-provider 26 to
another.
[0095] In one embodiment, the user's collection may be easily
shared and utilized with all experience-providers 26 and all
user-devices 22. This may be accomplished with user usage-rights
tokens that are issued by usage-right authorities 24 or
composition-providers 23 that are universally recognized by all
experience-providers 26. This eliminates problems with tokens
issued by each experience-provider 26 but which are not recognized
by other experience-providers and hence are not transferable and
not interoperable.
[0096] The experience-provider's costs for the library storage and
management functions may be effectively amortized across a large
number of users. All transfers of information between the
experience-providers repository (or depository) and the
user-devices may occur automatically without requiring any user
knowledge or action. Concurrency of user data in the currently
active user-device(s) 22 and the usage-rights repository 24 may
occur automatically across the network 27 without the user needing
to be aware of it or taking any action.
[0097] Prior to a user-device 22 shutting down, all the latest user
feedback and user history may be forwarded to the usage-rights
repository 25 for later use by other user-devices. The
user-device's user display may optionally include an indicator that
is activated during user-device 22 shutdown, to indicate whether
concurrency with the repository has been completed. Optionally, the
user-device 22 may include an automatic capability of periodically
trying to establish a network 27 connection for upload in-order to
complete concurrency with the repository prior to concluding
shutdown.
[0098] In one preferred embodiment, user-devices may be able to
operate with intermittent or temporarily unavailable network 27
connections. When a network connection is not available, the
user-device 22 may utilize compositions and highlights that were
previously transferred to the local storage in the user-device. New
highlights and new compositions may be temporarily limited to what
was locally stored during previous network connections. In
addition, timely information such as news and weather may not be
available when the network connection is lost.
[0099] News, weather, traffic, etc may also be customized for the
user based upon factors such as the day of week, time of day, or
the location of user. Customization of weather and traffic reports
to the day of week and time of day. Reports may be automatically
adapted to the current physical location of the user.
[0100] Since the entertainment-program is customized for each user,
typically only one entertainment-program may need to be active at
any one time. In some cases, the user may want the same
entertainment-program to be available at multiple locations, such
as in multiple rooms in a house. The experience-provider 26 may
impose limitations on the number of simultaneously active
user-devices and/or the maximum physical separation of user-devices
that may be simultaneously active.
[0101] User-Device:
[0102] FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of a user-device 22 for
generating an adaptable personalized entertainment experience. The
user-device 22 includes a "user control interface" 32a for
accepting user control actions. The user-device 22 may include one
or more means for determining the individual user that is active at
the user-device. The user-device 22 may include a "user display"
32b for presenting visual information for the current composition
or user-device 22 status. The user-device 22 also includes "sound
generation" capabilities 32c or an interface to an external sound
generation apparatus so the user may hear the customized sequence
of compositions and other program information. The user-device 22
includes storage 33 to hold information locally that may include:
1) Compositions. 2) New recommendations list(s). 3) New
compositions and highlights. 4) Usage-rights (tokens). 5)
Advertisements, news and/or weather. 6) User history 7) user-device
software and updates. In one preferred embodiment, the storage 33
utilizes non-volatile memory so the contents are maintained even
when the user-device is un-powered.
[0103] The "network interface" 31 receives information 34 from the
experience-provider 26 and sends information 35 to the
experience-provider. Most transfers to and from the
experience-provider 26 occur automatically without requiring the
user to specifically initiate them. Information received 34 may
include: 1) Favorite compositions. 2) New recommendations list(s).
3) New compositions and highlights. 4) Usage-rights tokens. 5) Ads,
news and weather. 6) User history. 7) Software updates. 8) User
feedback validation. Information sent 35 to the experience-provider
26 may include the user's history and updates to the user's
history. User history and updates to user history may include: 1)
User profile information. 2) User control actions. 3) User
feedback. 4) User playback history. 5) User content
restrictions.
[0104] The user-device 22 also includes a processor 30. The
processor performs the user functions such as 1) Sequence
Generation. 2) User control action (feedback) capture. 3) User
history capture and update. 4) Experience-provider 26 interface
transfers.
[0105] Identifying the Specific User:
[0106] Each user-device 22 may determine the specific user that is
active at the user-device. Identification of the user at the
user-device 22 allows 1) using the user's usage-rights at the
user-device; 2) customization of the entertainment program for the
individual user; and any other user specific capabilities.
[0107] In one embodiment, each time the user-device 22 is
re-started or powered-up the user may be re-determined so that
multiple users may intermittently share the same user-device, yet
experience a customized program. Voice recognition of the user's
voice or a unique verbal identifier or some combination of both may
be used. Other possibilities include the recognition of the user
via a camera image taken at startup, or various bio-metric sensing
of the user such as a fingerprint sensor on the "on" control or
other user-device controls.
[0108] The user-device 22 may also keep a secured/encrypted record
of the login-info of prior user-device users that were previously
validated by the experience-provider. This enables a prior user to
login and utilize a user-device 22 when a network connection to the
experience-provider 26 is (temporarily) unavailable. In some
embodiments, the user-device 22 may need to periodically re-connect
with an experience-provider, in-order to re-authorize another
time-period for using the user-device 22 without a network
connection to an experience-provider.
[0109] In some cases, the identification process may be defaulted
or biased toward the most recent user(s). For user-devices that are
typically used by only a single user, the user identity may be
configured on initial use and not reconfigured unless a
reconfiguration is specifically requested by the user. In one
preferred embodiment, the user identification process may require
minimal or no special user actions.
[0110] Accuracy in identification of the user is important to
prevent corruption of both the user's usage-rights and user history
due to user identity errors, piracy or identity theft.
Additionally, since the user's history and usage-rights are of
considerable value to each user, user "identity theft" should be
protected against. Methods for identity recovery may be employed,
so a user's history may be restored to the state just prior to the
occurrence of an identity theft. Software may be utilized by the
experience-providers to monitor for unusual behaviors that are
indicative of identity theft.
[0111] It is desirable to create a user experience so that it is in
the user's interest to correctly identify them selves to the
"system" and to protect themselves against identity theft or the
loaning of their identity to others. Users will realize that the
use of their identity by others, will corrupt their user feedback
history and compromise their customized program experience. By
protecting the user's collection and by providing a customized
experience and continually introducing new compositions that are of
high value to the user, users will be naturally compelled to
correctly identify themselves and avoid loaning their identity to
others.
[0112] Besides the everyday-userID (e.g., login-ID) used at the
user-devices, a more hidden and secured user identity (e.g.,
anonymous-ownerID) may be maintained by the "system". This allows
the user to re-establish a new everyday-userID if it becomes
compromised.
[0113] User Interface:
[0114] The user-device 22 (i.e., personalized player) may be
controlled by the user via numerous types of user interfaces
including voice activated, manual controls, touch screens,
interactive displays, remote control devices, etc.
[0115] FIG. 4 shows an example of a manual user interface for use
where the user is within reach of the controls such as with a
portable player, a remote control, or a user-device 22 located in
an automobile within reach of the driver. Such controls may be
implemented with electrical-mechanical controls such as push
buttons, switches, sliders and knobs or with interactive touch
screen control. In another embodiment, the controls of FIG. 4 may
also be accomplished with voice commands.
[0116] The "Favorites-New" slider 41 is used to vary the percentage
of new compositions that the user will hear. When the slider is at
the "favorites" position (lowermost position) all compositions are
selected among those most highly liked by the user. When the slider
is positioned at the "new" position (uppermost position) the user
is only exposed to new compositions he or she is not familiar with.
The user may adjust the "Favorites-New" slider position by
activating (pressing) the "New" 42a and "Favorites" 42b controls or
in an alternative embodiment by dragging the slider indicator 41
upward or downward. As the slider 41 is positioned further away
from "favorites" and closer to "new", the user will hear a greater
percentage of new compositions and a lower percentage of
favorites.
[0117] In another variation, highlights may be inserted at
increasing frequency as the position of the "Favorites-New" slider
is closer to the "new" position.
[0118] In some embodiments, the "Favorites-New" control may be
implemented with a mechanical control that is adjustable by a user.
The "Favorites-New" control may be implemented with a slider;
linear slider; a knob (turned by user); a control leaver; a control
arm; a rotating ball; or any other controls that are adjustable by
a user.
[0119] In some embodiments, the "Favorites-New" control may also be
implemented with virtual controls on an active display. For
example, a virtual displayed control of a slider; linear slider; a
knob (turned by user); a control leaver; a control arm; a rotating
ball; or other controls that are adjustable by a user, may be
created on an active display and the image of the control shown on
the display may change as the user interacts with the virtual
displayed control.
[0120] In some embodiments, the "Favorites-New" control may be
implemented by a text input region where the user may enter the
amount or portion of new or favorite compositions that the user
desires to experience.
[0121] In some embodiments, the "Favorites-New" control may be
implemented using voice command by the user. For example, the user
may verbally input the desired amount of newness or favorites using
voice commands and voice recognition. For example, the user may
verbally request "no new compositions"; or "half new compositions"
or "all new compositions". The user may verbally request "0% new
compositions"; or "50% new compositions" or "100% new
compositions". The user may verbally request "0% favorite
compositions"; or "50% favorite compositions" or "100% favorite
compositions"
[0122] As shown in FIG. 4, the user-device 22 may include a display
40 to indicate information about the selected channel, composition
being played (artist, title, etc), playtime, user-device status,
etc. The user-device 22 may also include typical user controls such
as "pause" 42e, "play" 42d, "forward" (or "skip") 42c, "back" 42f,
and channel controls (43a, 43b, 43c and 43d).
[0123] In another optional enhancement, when a sequence of user
commands indicate user difficulty or frustration, the user-device
22 may issue recommendations to the user on how to better utilize
the user-device's capabilities. Such recommendations might be
issued by voice synthesis or on the user-device display.
[0124] User Usage-Rights:
[0125] Rather than ownership of physical media, a user's collection
may be defined by a set of tokens that define the usage-rights
owned by one specific user or a specific set of users (e.g., a
family). A usage-rights token may hold the usage-rights for a
digital-work (e.g., a composition) for a specific individual user
(or set of users) for a specific composition. Since the tokens are
electronic, the usage-rights tokens may be easily shared or
distributed to all user-devices that the specific user owns and/or
uses. This allows the user's collection to be automatically
available anywhere the user is located. In another embodiment, a
usage-rights token may control a user's usage-rights for a group of
compositions (e.g., all the compositions on an artist's album).
[0126] Over time, a user may purchase various usage-rights to
particular compositions to form their collection.
[0127] The usage-rights may extend for any period of time
(start/stop time) or for the user's lifetime or perhaps perpetual
rights that may be transferred to another user. The usage-rights
may be limited to a certain number of plays or may be for an
unlimited number of plays. The usage-rights may be limited to
certain format(s) or may be valid for all formats available. The
usage-rights may also extend to future formats that may become
available due to technology advancement. The usage-rights tokens
may be upgradeable, when desired by the user, to expanded
usage-rights. Ideally, the tokens are recognizable by all
user-devices. Based on normal user control actions, new tokens may
be automatically purchased or acquired on behalf of the user and
added to the user's collection.
[0128] The usage-rights token may be separate from the composition.
As shown in FIG. 12, the compositions may be delivered and stored
in an encrypted form 124 at the user-device 22. The usage-rights
token 122 along with user ID/password/biometric information 120c,
date/time 120b and "user feedback validation" information 120a may
be used by the user-device 22 to decrypt the composition key. The
composition key 127 may then be used by the user-device 22 to
decrypt the composition 125 to generate the decrypted composition
126 for playback to the user. In some embodiments, reduced-capacity
usage-rights tokens rather than the full usage-rights may be
delivered to user-devices 22.
[0129] The "user feedback validation" 120a may be encrypted and
represent a validation that the user has provided regular and
consistent usage and history feedback to the
experience-provider(s). If appropriate user feedback is not
received from a user-device, the "user feedback validation" 120a
may lockout usage of that user-device until such expected feedback
is re-established. The "user feedback validation" 120a may also
include (a secured) date and time information to protect against
improper settings of the local clock by a user in-order to
circumvent a token expiration date. The "feedback validation" 120a
may also be used to inhibit user ID piracy or inhibit multiple
users from using a single user's login-info (e.g., login-ID) by
preventing an excessive number of user-devices from being
simultaneously operated in widely different physical locations.
[0130] In a preferred embodiment, users may easily switch between
experience-providers 26; and a user's usage-rights tokens may be
recognized and usable with all experience-providers 26 and
user-devices. The usage-rights authorities 24 and/or
composition-providers 23 are responsible for imposing a "standard
for usage-rights tokens" 25 so the usage-rights may used by all
experience-providers and user-devices. The usage-rights tokens may
be issued by usage-rights authorities 24 or composition-providers
23 that are independent of but recognized by all
experience-providers. In some embodiments, a composition and
corresponding usage-rights provided to a user-device by one
experience-provider; may be utilized at the user-device by any
other (authorized) experience-provider.
[0131] The usage-rights authority 24 or composition-providers 23
may obtain issuing rights from the owners of each composition. A
secure database of all issued tokens may be maintained in the
usage-rights repository. The tokens may be distributed for use at
any or all the user-devices and with all experience-providers. To
eliminate user concerns about the loss of their tokens
(representing their collection), a user's complete collection of
tokens may be recovered by accessing the usage-rights repository
token database. The user's collection of tokens may be robustly
preserved against loss by distributing multiple copies at different
physical locations across a world-wide network and periodically
backed-up and archived on the network. In this manner, a user's
collection may be robustly preserved no matter what happens to a
user-devices or storage devices. In one preferred embodiment, the
user's tokens may be automatically preserved by a usage-rights
authority, an experience-provider 26 and/or a storage provider
without requiring user efforts.
[0132] The individual user's collection of compositions is
represented by a collection of usage-right tokens. Ideally, the
management and handling of the tokens occurs automatically for the
user-devices and does not require user action or knowledge.
[0133] In some embodiments, a copy of a token may be issued to
users in a physical hardcopy form or in an electronic form. For
example, a receipt representing a token ownership may be issued at
the time of purchase. For privacy and security reasons, the format
and contents of a usage-rights token issued to the owner may be
different from tokens maintained on the network. In one embodiment,
a token issued to an owner may be validate-able and convertible
into an electronic token that may be used on the network. In some
embodiments, issuing tokens to users may not be preferred, because
the user becomes involved with the storage and management of such
owner issued tokens and they are redundant to the tokens
automatically maintained by the usage-rights repository 24.
[0134] In one embodiment, users may be allowed to exchange their
previously purchased physical media such as a CD for usage-rights
token(s). In one embodiment, previously used proprietary
usage-rights (e.g., Apple iTunes) may be converted (perhaps for a
conversion fee) into generalized usage-rights that may be usable
with all vendors user-devices. The proprietary usage-rights may be
then revoked or disabled in the proprietary user-device(s) via the
revoke capabilities typically included within each vendor's
proprietary DRM approach. The converted generalized usage-rights
are then added to the usage-rights repository so they may be used
for user-devices from all vendors and with all
experience-providers.
[0135] The token ownership may also be optionally transferable to
another user so a user may transfer a portion (or all) of their
collection to another individual (e.g., upon the owner's death). In
some embodiments, a nominal fee may be charged to transfer a token
or a set of tokens to another ownership. To control piracy from
extremely short-term exchanges, a limitation on the minimum time
between such transfers may be imposed.
[0136] Usage-Rights Representations:
[0137] In one embodiment, the token may represent a receipt of
ownership or allowable usage that may be understood and validated
by any experience-provider 26.
[0138] The token may represent the user's ownership and/or
usage-rights of any type of digital-work including music, music
videos, multi-media, artwork, pictures, images, audio, sound, short
films, movies, video clips, television programs, audio versions of
books, a visual book, talks, speeches, voice content, lectures,
software program, software plug-ins and any other type of
digital-work.
[0139] In one preferred embodiment, the token may be defined to be
valid for all available (network interface-able) user-devices and
their corresponding formats. This is a major convenience for user's
since they no longer need to be concerned with the details of
user-device formats, format translations and compatibility
problems. The user is guaranteed that their token will be good for
use with all their user-devices.
[0140] In other embodiments, the token may only be valid for a
specified subset of user-devices and their corresponding formats
(e.g., only Apple device formats). In other embodiments, tokens
that are limited to only certain user-devices may be extensible so
that they may be upgraded, possibly for a small fee, to be
compatible with a wider set of user-devices or all
user-devices.
[0141] Composition-Providers may decide to issue free tokens that
allow a limited use of a composition (e.g., limited number of
playbacks or use-time) in-order to interest a user in ultimately
purchasing the composition. The offer of a free token may be based
on indicators of customer reputation such as the user's (anonymous)
credit rating, the quantity of prior user purchases and the user's
payment history. Experience-providers, using projected estimates of
a user's interest, may request such free tokens for specific
compositions from a composition-provider 23 on a user's behalf.
[0142] For music, the token may represent usage-rights for only a
specific version of a song by a specific artist (for example, the
original studio recording).
[0143] In one embodiment, the token may be valid for all available
digital formats (e.g., CD-format, MP3-format, etc), including
different formats required by different user-devices and different
quality formats. For example, the token may be valid for a
cell-phone format that may have an inherently lower
bandwidth/quality, a MP3 format and for an ultra quality
user-device (such as Super Audio CD format) requiring greater
storage and bandwidth (as well as all intermediate quality
formats).
[0144] Tokens may also be used to represent usage-rights for
composition highlights, for example a shorter version of the
composition that contains especially compelling portions of a
composition. There may be multiple highlight versions of different
quality and format. A composition-provider 23 may issue for free to
a certain user, a token that allows a certain number of plays of a
composition highlight, in-order to generate user interest in
eventually purchasing of usage-rights for the composition at some
later time.
[0145] In the case of a book, the usage-rights may allow the book
text and images to be by viewed on any user-device. For example,
the data format for a mobile phone may be different from that for a
PC or a tablet book-reading user-device. Their usage-right token
may be valid for use on a mobile phone, a specialized book reader,
a personal computer and any other user-devices. The
experience-provider 26 may automatically deliver the appropriate
format to whatever user-device 22 the user currently wants to view
the book with. For a book, the free token may be limited to a
certain amount of time or limited to only certain portions of the
book in-order to allow a user to preview the book before deciding
whether to purchase it.
[0146] Capturing and Utilizing User Control Actions:
[0147] The user's control actions (control history) from a user's
various user-devices may be captured as user feedback about the
compositions heard by the user. The user control history (feedback
history) may then be utilized as input for the ranking of
compositions by likeability and for the creation of a customized
composition sequence (or entertainment program) for each individual
user.
[0148] User feedback about each composition when it is playing may
be obtained based on the user's usage of the "back" 42f and
"forward" 42c ("skip") controls (or the equivalent voice controls).
For example, a user's composition rating may be increased, whenever
the user uses the "back" 42f control (or a series of "back"
controls) to request that a recently played composition be
repeated. For example, if the user uses the "back" control to
immediately request that the currently playing composition be
repeated, the user rating for that composition is significantly
increased. Similarly, if the user uses a series of "back" controls
to request that a recently played composition be replayed, then the
user rating of the requested composition is significantly
increased. If the user requests that a composition be played after
searching for the composition in the user's favorites list, the
user rating for that composition may be increased. If the user
requests that a specific composition be played, the user rating for
that composition may be increased.
[0149] Similarly, a user's composition rating is decreased,
whenever the user uses the "forward" control 42c to request that
the rest of a currently playing composition is to be skipped. The
amount the user's composition rating is decreased may be dependent
on how much of the composition has played before the user activates
(presses) the "forward" control. For example, the rating may be
decreased a smaller amount if the user skips forward near the end
of a composition playback. The rating may be decreased a larger
amount if the user skips "forward" near the beginning of the
composition playback.
[0150] A user's composition rating may be changed by the "forward"
or "back" controls, only when the composition has played for a long
enough time for the user to recognize it (i.e., the playback time
has exceeded a recognition threshold time). For example, if the
user hits the "back" or "forward" control so quickly in a sequence
that there is not enough time for the intermediate compositions to
start playing and be heard by the user, then the ratings of the
intermediately bypassed compositions may not be affected.
[0151] An additional method for indicating positive user feedback
may be accomplished by a single action by the user, such as
activating a single control (if manually controlled) or the
speaking a single word (if voice controlled). For a user-device 22
(e.g., player) with manual controls such as in FIG. 4, a single
control switch called "Like" 42g (or another suitable name) may be
pressed by the user while a composition is playing in-order to
indicate a desire that the composition be played more frequently.
Optionally, different amounts of "like" may be indicated by the
number of times the user activates (presses) the "Like" control 42g
while the composition is playing. For example, if the user
activates (presses) the "Like" control multiple times while a
composition is playing, the user rating for that composition (and
the frequency that the composition is played) would be
significantly increased. Alternatively, the "Play" control 42d may
be used (instead of the separate "Like" control) to indicate a user
desire for the currently playing composition to be played more
frequently. The user may activate the "Play" control one or more
times to indicate a desire to hear the currently playing
composition more frequently. The variation/distribution in the
number of multiple "Like" pushes typical for a given user may be
used to calibrate the appropriate adjustment of the user's
composition rating versus number of "Like" pushes. Such
calibrations may be adjusted over time so that the rating change
associated with each different number of "Like" pushes, may adapt
to each user over time.
[0152] Similarly, a compositions rating may be increased when a
composition "highlight" segment is playing and the user hits the
"Play" control 42d, in-order to immediately hear the full
composition.
[0153] Although, a "dislike" control (or voice command) may be
similarly utilized to indicate a negative feedback, it may not be
needed since use of the "forward" (skip) control while a
composition is playing, is itself a sufficient indicator of
"dislike".
[0154] Even if the user does not provide any feedback on a
composition during a playback, the user's rating may be
automatically adjusted lower (or higher) based on an estimated
change in likeability as a function of the number of times heard by
the user. FIG. 7a show examples of likeability of a composition as
a function of "number of times heard". The data illustrated by
these curves may be generated based upon the aggregate feedback to
the composition from other users considered similar to the user.
Curve J in FIG. 7a, is an example of a high initial likeability for
many playbacks followed by an eventual decline in likeability.
Curve K in FIG. 7a, is an example of medium high initial
likeability followed by an initial increase in likeability with
times played, then followed by an eventual decline in likeability
from the peak likeability. Although curves are shown for
illustration purposes, the actual embodiment, may utilize look-up
tables, databases, functions, equations, etc.
[0155] If the user has had a lot of recent forwards (skips) over
prior favorite compositions, the favorites-new setting 41 may be
automatically adjusted more towards the "new" mode so that the user
is exposed to a larger number of new compositions. In this case,
the favorites-new indicator (41 in FIG. 4) may be automatically
adjusted to be closer to the "new" position.
[0156] By utilizing the normal user control actions as feedback on
each currently playing composition, the users rating automatically
adapts to the user's evolving preferences and tastes over time
without requiring special actions by the user to specifically rate
compositions. A user's composition rating may be re-adjusted each
time a composition is played or selected, so the rating adapts
gradually and automatically. User feedback on each composition
while it is playing occurs automatically based on the user's normal
control actions.
[0157] The user does not need to know the artist, title or anything
else about the composition; only whether he or she likes what is
currently playing. The user does not need to take special action to
rate compositions on a rating scale. The user also does not need to
be aware of a rating number system (e.g., 1 to 100) or adjusting
the relative number rating of one composition versus another and to
manually re-adjust such ratings as the user's tastes change over
time. The user is not required to navigate a set of windows or
menus to rate the composition. The user is not required to manually
select from a catalog of compositions in-order to create
composition playlist(s).
[0158] FIG. 1 illustrates the capture of user control actions
representing user feedback about a currently playing composition.
"Start" 4 occurs with the "Begin composition Play" and the "Reset
and start of the playback timer" 7. The playback timer records how
long each composition has been playing. When the user control
action (while the composition is playing) is a "Forward" pressed to
skip" 3d (i.e., stop currently playing composition and go to next
one), the timer may be used to determine the percentage of the
composition that was played, which may be representative of the
amount of user dislike for the composition (a negative feedback).
Typically, the lower the percentage that a composition was played
through, the greater the user dislike for the composition. When the
user control action is a "Back" pressed to repeat" 3c (while the
composition is playing or has just finished), an "Immediate repeat
request" (a positive feedback) is generated for the composition.
When the user control action is a "Like" pressed during play" 3b,
the number of times the "Like" was pressed during composition
playback (a positive feedback) is captured for the composition. If
the user took specific action(s) to play the composition, such as
"User requested composition to play" 3a (a positive feedback), the
manner that the user requested play is captured. For example, the
user may have searched his favorites to request that the specific
composition be played. When a complete playback has occurred 3e, a
"100% played" is captured as user feedback.
[0159] Note that the composition playback may be required to have
played for at least a "Recognition Time" threshold 6 before certain
user control actions are captured. The "Recognition Time" threshold
represents the minimum amount of time that a composition must
played in-order for a user to hear it and form an opinion. The
threshold may be used to filter out user control actions that occur
too soon after a composition starts playing, to be true feedback
about the composition. When a composition playback begins, the
composition ID, date and time may also be captured. Note that there
are many "user control actions during composition playback" 2 that
may generate "User Feedback" 1. The "User Feedback" 1 is then
"added to the User History" 7.
[0160] Composition Sequence Generation:
[0161] FIG. 6 is a functional diagram of a real-time sequence
generator 60. The sequence generator operates in real-time in-order
to immediately respond to user control actions 61 such as
"forward", "back", "pause", "play". The sequence generator is able
to automatically transition between immediately responding to user
control actions and automatically generating a customized sequence
of compositions (entertainment program) for the user.
[0162] The sequence generator may automatically enter the
customized program mode whenever all prior user control requests
have been completed and the user is not currently providing control
actions to affect the composition sequence.
[0163] When in the customized program mode, a primary determinate
for the "ID of the next composition to be played" 67 is the
position (setting) of the "Favorites-New" control 41. When in the
favorites position, compositions are chosen based on the
likeability ratings of compositions based in the "user's history"
64. If the user's list of favorites is short, then it may be
necessary that new (to the user) compositions and highlights may be
interspersed with the user's favorites to provide sufficient
composition variety and to allow automatic expansion of the user's
list of favorites (or collection).
[0164] The time between the playback of user favorites may be
determined as a function of the "number of times heard". FIG. 7b
shows example curves of "time between plays" versus "number of
times heard" and the psychological "complexity of the composition".
When a composition is new to the user (and the user has indicated
positive feedback) the time between plays is shorter. Eventually,
as user likeability decreases with familiarity, the time between
plays is increased. The user may tire of compositions with a lower
psychological "complexity" more quickly than those with a greater
psychological "complexity". The likeability functions may be
constructed based on aggregate user feedback of users that are
considered similar to the user.
[0165] Alternatively, the "time between plays" may be determined or
influenced by the ratio of "current likeability divided by peak
likeability". As the example in FIG. 7c shows, the "time between
plays" may increase as the "current likeability" decreases relative
to "peak likeability". A re-schedule queue 65 may be used to hold
the user's favorites ordered by their next playback time.
[0166] It may also be useful to define different types of "time
between plays". First, there may be a "no more than X time between
plays" for new compositions that the user has indicated significant
positive feedback and hence wishes to hear frequently. Second,
there may be an "at least X time or greater between plays" for
older favorites that the user still likes somewhat but no longer
wants to hear as often.
[0167] Although curves are showed in FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c for
illustration purposes, actual implementations may utilize methods
such as lookup tables or equations/functions where the
coefficients/parameters are determined by fitting to the data
within an acceptable error.
[0168] An ordered list of the locally available new compositions 62
and an ordered list of the locally available highlights 63 may be
used to determine the order they are presented to the user or
interspersed with the user's favorites. When the sequence generator
has decided to playback a new composition or highlight, the next
one on these lists is played. The selection of the compositions on
these lists and their order on these lists may be determined as
described in the section entitled "Selection of New Compositions
and Highlights". Only compositions for which the user has
usage-rights and that are immediately available locally are
included on this list. Some composition-providers may allow a
certain number of free plays for a user in the hopes that the
composition will become a user favorite and be purchased and added
to the user's collection.
[0169] The sequence generator 60 maintains a record of the "user
history" 64 locally which is updated with all the user's control
actions and the history of composition playback. When scheduled and
when network connectivity is available, the sequence generator 60
provides "user history updates" 66 back to the experience-provider.
The update may only include new [and may exclude previously
forwarded] user history information.
[0170] An example of the "user history" 64 data elements is shown
in FIG. 5. Shown at the top of each column in FIG. 5, are
parameters that may be captured for each composition the user has
heard. The parameters maintained for each composition may include
the following: 1) A unique "composition number (Comp #) used to
identify each composition. 2) The user's usage-rights token for
each composition. 3) Whether the composition is available locally.
4) The user's current enjoyment rating. 5) The user's peak
enjoyment rating. 6) The number of times the composition was heard.
7) The play history including the date/time when the composition
was last heard. 8) The target time between playbacks. 9) The user
feedback history representing the positive and negative user
control actions related to the composition. 10) The likeability
curves, equations or functions that apply to the composition which
may be identified by a pointer, filename or other identifier.
[0171] In one preferred embodiment, the sequence generator 60 may
be implemented as a plug-in software module, so that continually
improved versions may be created by the experience-providers or
sequence generator providers.
[0172] Using "Highlight" Segments to Introduce New
Compositions:
[0173] Including highlights (i.e., composition samples) in the
customized entertainment sequence is an optional enhancement of the
invention. It allows the user to more quickly discover pleasing
compositions that are "new" to the user. "New" to the user means
compositions that the user has not yet heard or is not yet
sufficiently familiar with. This would include compositions that
have been available for many years but the specific user has not
yet experienced. It also includes those compositions that have been
recently released but the specific user a limited familiarity with.
A composition may be "new" to the user even though was released
years or decades ago. Highlights may be interspersed with full
compositions in the customized entertainment sequence. New
highlights are custom selected for each user based upon the
probable likeability (enjoyment) as estimated from the user's
history and profile.
[0174] Each highlight (i.e., highlight snippet/segment or
composition sample) is an approximately 10 to 20 second cut (sound
segment) of a highly compelling part (or parts) of a composition.
The most compelling part(s) of a composition will typically be
manually pre-selected by an artist, expert, focus groups or based
on aggregate user feedback. Assuming an average
composition-duration of a little over 3 minutes, the use of
highlights may increase the user's discovery of new music by a
factor of about 10 to 20 times. The highlight (sound segment) may
utilize a storage format similar to any other composition (only
they are of shorter length). A highlight may be free for a limited
or unlimited number of plays by a user. The user-device may include
an audio or visual indicator to aid the user in distinguishing
between a highlight and a full composition.
[0175] Highlights may be interspersed with user favorites and new
compositions based upon the "favorites-new" control (slider) 41
setting. Highlights may be interspersed more frequently; the closer
the "favorites-new" control 41 is to the "new" position.
[0176] In one variation of the invention, when the slider 41 is in
an extreme newness position (uppermost position), the user-device
22 will enter the highlights-mode where the user will hear a
sequence of composition highlights so that the user is exposed to a
larger number of compositions in a shorter period of time. The
highlights-mode allows each user to discover new pleasing music and
to expand their collection of compositions at a higher rate.
[0177] Typical user control actions may be captured as user history
(feedback) while each highlight is being played. This may include
skipping ("Forward") when the user dislikes the highlight
(indicating negative feedback) or jumping backward ("Back") if the
user wishes to hear the highlight again (indicating positive
feedback) or activating (pressing) the "like" control (indicating
positive feedback). While the highlight is playing, the user may
activate (press) the "Play" control to immediately hear the full
composition (also indicating positive feedback). After the full
composition has finished (and the user has not provided other
control actions), the "highlights" mode may resume playing other
highlights.
[0178] When the user indicates sufficient positive feedback, while
a highlight is playing, the composition may be added to the user's
list of favorites or potential favorites. When the user indicates
sufficient negative feedback while a highlight is playing (such as
forwarding past it), that highlight (and "similar type" highlights)
may be less likely to be presented to the user. If the user does
not provide any feedback or a weak feedback, while a highlight is
playing, that highlight may be presented to the user for
re-consideration (and user feedback) at a later time.
[0179] Since the user might activate a control in error, the user
ratings of a composition should not be excessively affected by a
single user control action. Rather the user ratings for a
composition may be gradually changed based upon feedback from
multiple exposures to the composition over a period of time. For
example, it may take several playbacks of a composition over a
extensive period of time, in which a "Forward" (skip) was
consistently activated early during the composition playback (and
there was no other positive feedback), in-order for the user's
rating of that composition to become so negative that it would not
be presented to the user again.
[0180] When the user's list of favorites is too small to generate a
sequence with an acceptable time between replays of the user's
favorites, the sequence generator may intersperse more new
compositions and/or highlights between the user favorites. In this
manner, a user's list or collection of favorites may be naturally
expanded, when required, without requiring any special user actions
to search for and locate the new compositions.
[0181] When the sequence generator is in the favorites mode and the
user appears to be disliking and forwarding over much of the music,
the user-device 22 may recommend that the user move toward the
"new" position on the "Favorites-New" slider 41. Alternatively, the
slider 41 may be automatically moved toward the new position so the
user will be exposed to more new compositions that are likely to be
pleasing to the user. In addition, an increased number of new
highlights may be automatically interspersed by the sequence
generator.
[0182] The user-device 22 may include a mechanism for the user to
approve the acquisition or purchase of a new composition(s) or the
usage-rights for a new composition(s). For example, the user-device
display may display information about the new composition such as
its purchase price and purchase terms while the composition or its
highlight is playing. Or such information may be communicated to
the user by audio prior to or following the playback of the
composition or highlight. A sale or bargain price may be offered to
the user. To confirm a purchase, the user may take control action
such as activating a certain control or perhaps speaking a certain
word or phrase. Of course, some purchase plans may not require
approval of each purchase.
[0183] Selection of New Compositions and Highlights:
[0184] A process for generating a "recommended list of new
compositions and/or highlights for the user" 87 which is customized
for each user is shown in FIG. 8. The recommendation generator 82
for new compositions and highlights may utilize the user's history
66 and common likeability indexes (composition mapping indexes) 80a
& 80b, in-order to provide a customized experience for each
user. The "recommendation list" 87 for each user may also be
dependent on the "Meta-catalog of compositions and highlights
available to the user" 85. The meta-catalog available to a given
user may not include all the compositions available in the world.
The meta-catalog 85 available to a user may be limited due to
considerations that may include: the user's subscription plan or
user purchase limitations or limitations imposed by a particular
experience-provider.
[0185] A common likeability index may contain a mapping of "if
liked composition(s)" then "also liked compositions". An example of
simple one-to-one likeability index of compositions (i.e.,
composition mapping index 80) is shown in FIG. 9. For each "if
liked composition #" shown in column 1 a list of "also liked
composition #'s" are listed in column 2. For example, if
composition 854108 is liked then compositions 883491, 103293, and
527177 will probably also be liked. This mapping may be determined
by some combination of experts, focus groups, or by an analysis of
the aggregate feedback of all users. If the aggregate feedback of
all users is employed, then the index may keep track of additional
parameters such as "# Users mapped", "# users liking both" and "%
users liking both". The aggregate "likeability" mapping analysis
may be based on either "current likeability" or "peak likeability"
values for the composition.
[0186] An example of a more complex many-to-one likeability index
(mapping) of compositions is shown in FIG. 10. For each group of
"n" (=3 in FIG. 10) "if liked composition #" shown in columns 1 to
3, a list of "also liked composition Ws" are listed in column 4.
For example, if compositions 854108, 883491 and 107389 are liked,
then compositions 230845, 632952 and 428503 will probably also be
liked. To reduce searching, the indexes may be maintained in
numerical order and/or with numerical cross-references.
[0187] When a new composition is first released it may be
considered to be "untested" since no aggregate user history is
available. "Expert and focus group opinions" 86 may be used to
perform an initial "untested likeability analysis" 81b. Based on
the initial index (mapping) 80b, the new composition may be sampled
(possibly as highlights) to a limited number of users in-order to
obtain "aggregate user feedback" 84a from enough users to perform a
"common likeability index analysis" 81a and create an aggregate
composition mapping index 80a. Once the "aggregate likeability
analysis" 81a is based upon a sufficient amount of "aggregate user
feedback" 84a (i.e., exceeds an "aggregate feedback threshold"
83b), the aggregate index (mapping) 80a may then replace the
initial expert generated likeability index 80b. In this way,
untested new compositions are not widely distributed to new users
until an initial aggregate feedback establishes their likeability
with a smaller number of users. In this manner, a greater variety
of new compositions may be each initially tested with a small
subset of all users without burdening any one user with many
untested compositions. Alternatively, "cutting edge" users may be
offered the option of subscribing or activating a special
"untested" mode and to be exposed to a greater number of untested
compositions. A "rate of untested compositions" parameter 83b may
be used to control each user's preferred amount of exposure to
"untested" compositions and/or highlights.
[0188] A list of recommended new highlights and/or compositions for
each user may be generated in advance at the experience-provider's
network location. The list is ranked and ordered based on
compositions that are most likely to be pleasing to the user.
Depending on the rankings and quantity of highlights previously
downloaded and still unused at the user-device, some or all of the
highlights in the revised highlight list are downloaded into the
user-device 22 so they are immediately available if requested by
user action. The full composition may also be down loaded at the
same time as the highlight so it is immediately available if the
user requests the full composition be played upon hearing the
highlight.
[0189] Another optional enhancement, is to additionally constrain
the recommended new compositions and highlights based on "user
content restrictions" 83a. Each composition may be pre-tagged by
restriction categories, by the content providers or content rating
providers. Restriction categories may be based on factors such as
the user's age, language, violence, sex content, etc. The content
restrictions are settable by either the user or the user's guardian
(through password protection), in-order to prevent the
recommendation and playback of highlights/compositions from
undesired categories.
[0190] "Share" Mode:
[0191] Another optional enhancement is the "share" mode/capability.
This allows one user to share a share list of composition(s) with a
second user. The first user identifies the user ID where the share
list of composition identifier(s) is to be sent to. The share list
is forwarded across a network such as the internet to the second
user's profile. If the second user accepts the share list from the
first user, those compositions which are "new to the user", may be
added to the second user's recommended new compositions and
highlights list 87. Later, highlights or the full compositions are
presented to the second user. Those highlights or compositions then
receiving favorable feedback are then added to second user's
favorites list (user history).
[0192] In an alternative embodiment, the share list is transferred
directly between user-devices via electromagnetic or sound waves
(for example, RF or IR transmission such as Bluetooth) with or
without the use of a network. The second user-device 22 then
automatically forwards the share list to their experience-provider
26 for possible incorporation into the second user's "recommended
new compositions and highlights list" 87.
[0193] User Channels, Moods and/or Categories:
[0194] The user-device 22 may optionally allow the user to create a
plurality of uniquely defined channels, each for a different user
mood, activity, event or category of music. For example, the user
may desire a dinner music channel, dance music channel, commuting
channel, romantic channel, etc. As with a normal radio, at power-on
the user-device 22 may start playing at the last channel the user
was at.
[0195] In one embodiment, each channel may be defined to be handled
by a different experience-provider. For example, the user may
select experience-provider1 for their rock music channel while
selecting experience-provider2 for both a romantic channel and a
classic music channel. The user may be able to instantly switch
between experience-providers by simply switching channels via a
change channel control.
[0196] The user's channels may be accessed via the "My" channels
control 43a shown in FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the favorite (most
used) user channel starts playing when the "My" channels control is
activated (pushed). The remaining user channels are ordered from
most used to least used and are reached using the channel "up" 43c
and "down" 43d controls. The list may be wrapped around so pressing
"up" 43c when at "most used" channel will wrap to the "least used"
channel. Pressing "down" 43d at the "least used" channel may wrap
to the "most used" channel. If the user has only defined one
channel, then the "up" and "down" controls wrap on the single
channel and hence do not cause a channel change. As shown in FIG.
4, the display 40 may indicate the name of the current user channel
playing and how many other user channels are available. The display
may include a channel slider 44 to indicate where the channel is
relative to the user's favorite channel (based on the user's
history of channel activity and feedback). A slider 44 position at
the top may be used to indicate the user's most favorite channel. A
slider 44 position at the bottom may be used to indicate the user's
least favorite channel. The size of the slider relative to the
slider range may be used to provide an indication of the size of a
channel relative to the total number of user channels. For example,
if there are 5 user channels then the size of the slider is
displayed as one fifth of the slider range.
[0197] The user may begin the creation of a new user channel by
activating the "Create" channel control 43b. The user now has
access to a plurality of "starting" channels (possibly 100's) via
the channel "up" 43c and "down" 43d controls. Each of these
channels may be provided by a different experience-provider.
[0198] In one embodiment, each "starting" channel may be playing
"highlights" representing a different mood or category of music.
The ordering of the "highlights" channels may be based on the
user's history (and the aggregate experience of similar users), so
that the most likely pleasing "highlight" channels for each user,
require the fewest pushes of the channel "up" 43c and "down" 43d
controls. The user provides feedback about each channel by the
amount of time spent at a channel. The user also provides feedback
on each "highlight" while it is playing via the "forward" 42c,
"back"42f, "like" 42g and "play" 42d controls. All the feedback
history is retained for use the next time the "create channel" mode
is entered. Once the user has generated a threshold amount of
positive feedback on a "highlight" channel, a new user channel may
be automatically added to the user's channel list. Until the user
has provided a second higher threshold of feedback, the new channel
may tend to provide a larger number of highlights in-order to allow
the user to more quickly tune the channel to the user's
preferences.
[0199] As another optional capability, the user would be able to
define a playback by artist, album, title, time period, musical
category, etc or search a catalog based on such parameters.
[0200] Methods for deleting, splitting and merging channels may be
incorporated into the user-device.
[0201] Different "starting" channels may be created by the same or
by different experience-providers but all channels may utilize a
single, common collection of user usage-rights tokens.
[0202] Acquiring Usage-Rights for a User:
[0203] In one embodiment, the usage-rights may be issued by the
composition-providers 23 and then stored in the usage-rights
repository 24 so the usage-rights may be used by all
experience-providers 26.
[0204] FIG. 14 shows an example of the acquisition of usage-rights
for a user. An experience-provider 26 may handle the acquisition of
the usage-rights on the user's behalf. Login-Info at the
user-device is used to determine that a specific user is active at
the user-device and has authorized the acquisition 1414 of
usage-rights for a composition. The acquisition request is
communicated 1412 to the experience-provider and validated. The
experience-provider 26 may submit a "purchase-order and payment"
1403 to a composition-provider 23. The composition-provider 23 may
optionally request a credit-report 1409 from the identity-provider
(banker) and receive back 1408 a credit report on the user's
account. If acceptable, the composition-provider 23 creates and
places 1405 a copy of the user's new usage-rights for the
composition in the usage-rights repository 24. The
composition-provider 23 may communicate 1404 order
status/completion to the experience-provider 26. If the
experience-provider does not yet have a copy, the
composition-provider 23 may also forward 1404 a copy of the
composition to the experience-provider. The experience-provider 26
may now "get" 1406 the new usage-rights from the usage-rights
repository 24. The usage-rights repository 24 then forwards 1407 a
copy of the new usage-rights to the experience-provider 26. The
experience-provider 26 may now package and forward 1413 the
composition (in the format needed by the user-device) and the
corresponding usage-rights (e.g., a reduced-capacity-token) to the
user-device. The new composition is now available for use at the
user-device. From time to time, the experience-provider 26 may
invoice and request a credit-report 1410 from the identity-provider
(e.g., banker) and receive back 1411 payments and credit-reports
for the user's account.
[0205] The experience-provider 26 may also request free highlights
or free samples from a composition-provider 23 on the user's
behalf. If the composition-provider 23 determines that the user's
credit-report is acceptable, the composition-provider 23 may then
issue a token for highlights or samples into the usage-rights
database. The tokens for highlights or samples may be for only a
limited number of plays, and may be set for each user based on
history of the username and/or the credit report.
[0206] In a preferred embodiment, duplicate purchases of
usage-rights (e.g., by different experience-providers) may be
detected in the usage-rights repository so duplicate tokens may be
revoked and credited back to the user's account. The user is
relieved of any concern with accidentally purchasing a composition
the user already owns, since any such occurrence is automatically
detected and the payment is automatically credited back to the
user's account.
[0207] Contents of a Usage-Rights Token:
[0208] The tokens may be defined so that they may be easily
transferred across the network and shared by multiple
experience-providers or other providers. An individual token may be
defined as a separate entity such as an object or data structure or
file. Each token's contents may also be stored as a record in a
database.
[0209] FIG. 13 illustrates one detailed embodiment of the contents
of a usage-rights definition 1301 (i.e., usage-rights token or
ownership token).
[0210] The owner of the token may be defined by a token-owner 1304
definition in the token 1301. Each token 1301 may be defined for
exclusive use by a specific user (e.g., an individual) or a set of
specific users (e.g., a family).
[0211] The token-owner 1304 may indicate the actual identity of the
owner or may refer to the owner in a unique but anonymous
manner.
[0212] In one preferred embodiment, the token contents are defined
to maintain ownership confidentiality and privacy, so the actual
owner's identity may be not be determined by either: [0213] 1)
inspection of the token 1301 by itself or [0214] 2) the
experience-providers (and other providers) by using the token 1301
in combination with other information the experience-providers may
have.
[0215] In one embodiment, the ownership of the token may be defined
by an anonymous-ownerID 1304a from which the actual user may not be
directly determined. An identity-provider 29 (e.g., banker) may
maintain a confidential mapping between the anonymous-ownerID and
the actual owner's identity. In-order to maintain user privacy and
identity, the other providers may be prevented from accessing this
mapping and the identity-provider 29 may be prevented from
accessing the tokens and usage-rights repository 24.
[0216] In one preferred embodiment, the ownership of the token may
be defined by an encrypted-anonymous-ownerID 1304b. Public key
encryption (e.g., a private-public key pair) may be used so that
the identity-provider 29 encrypts the anonymous-ownerID with a
private key. The authorized providers may validate (but not
decrypt) the encrypted-anonymous-ownerID by using the public key.
Digital signatures may also be used. The actual owner's identity
may not be determined from either the anonymous-ownerID or the
encrypted-anonymous-ownerID.
[0217] In one preferred embodiment, the ownership of the token may
be hidden within an encrypted and digitally signed package 1304c
that may only be decrypted by the identity-provider. Public key
encryption (e.g., public-private key pair) may be used where the
token issuer encrypts the anonymous-ownerID with a private key and
the encrypted username may be validated (but not decrypted) by
other authorized providers by using the public key. Or a
combination of encryption and digital signatures may be used.
[0218] In addition, the identity-provider 29 may maintain a secure
private database 1506 that maps the Login-Info to: the
anonymous-ownerID 1304a; and/or encrypted-anonymous-ownerID 1304b;
and/or the encrypted and digitally signed package 1304c. The
identity-provider 29 may maintain another secure private database
1504 that maps the anonymous-ownerID and is not accessible by any
other providers.
[0219] The anonymous-ownerID 1304 may include a reference to the
identity-provider 29 that issued the anonymous-ownerID. The token
may also include a link; hyperlink; pointer; or universal resource
locator (URL) to a network 27 location where the identity-provider
29 may validate the existence of the anonymous-ownerID and the
status of its associated account.
[0220] The token-owner 1304 may also be defined using a combination
of the above methods and/or other user identification methods known
by those skilled in the art.
[0221] Each token issued may have a unique token-ID 1302.
[0222] Each token may also include the token-issuer 1303. The
token-issuer 1303 information may include a link; hyperlink;
pointer; or universal resource locator (URL) to a network location
where the token may be validated by the token issuer.
[0223] Each token may also include the issue-datetime 1305 and
composition-provider information 1306. Each token may also define a
composition-ID 1307. Each version of a composition may have a
unique composition-ID 1307 assigned to it. For example, the studio
and each different concert version of the same song by the same
artist may have a different composition-ID.
[0224] The token 1301 may also include composition description
information 1308 such as the composition-name, artist, artist
version, composition release and performance dates, etc.
[0225] The token 1301 may also include the definition of the
owner's usage-rights 1309 (ownership-rights) such as the TimePeriod
Valid; Number of Plays Allowed; fee per play; an unlimited plays
until date; end-date; number of copies allowed; allowed type of
user-devices; execution-rights; etc.
[0226] In one preferred embodiment, tokens may authorize playback
with all existing formats and all (networked) user-devices. Sales
of usage-rights may increase when users are more confident of the
compatibility and the future usability of their purchased
compositions.
[0227] In one embodiment, tokens may authorize playback of the
composition with future formats and future user-devices, perhaps
with a small one-time additional fee. This may eliminate user
concerns that their purchases of usage-rights may be worthless if
the technology evolves or changes in the future.
[0228] The token may also so include a token purchase record 1310.
The user's purchase record may include information such as Date
& Time token Purchased; Purchase Order ID; whether upgraded
from a prior token-ID(s); Amount Paid; Cumulative Amount Paid; Form
of Payment; etc.
[0229] The token may also include an encrypted information area
1313 where the token-issuer may encrypt and digitally sign private
information that the token-issuer alone may use to validate the
token as being valid and uncompromised. Multiple levels/schemes of
encrypted, hidden, coded information may be used to maintain token
integrity even if some levels or schemes become compromised. The
token issuer may also maintain a separate secure and private
database of issued tokens that may be used to validate tokens.
[0230] One or more digital signatures 1314 may be used to allow
detection of unauthorized changes to a token or sub-sections of a
token. The signature may be derived from a hash function such that
the value of the signature is related to all the signed data and
the alteration of any signed data will result in a different
signature value. Public-Private key signatures [e.g., public key
encryption (PKI) methods] may be used. The signature may be
generated with a private key that only the token creator knows. Any
experience-provider 26 or other authorized provider (or
user-device) may then use the corresponding public key to validate
that the token has not been altered since it was issued.
[0231] The contents & structure of the token may be defined by
an industry standard or standards defined by the
experience-providers and/or composition-providers. Portions of the
token may be defined using a mark-up language such as the
Extensible Markup Language (XML) with a schema definition that
defines each element.
[0232] In some embodiments, the token may be formatted,
reformatted, repackaged, encrypted and digitally signed in
different ways depending on where and how the token is being used
on the network. For example, in one embodiment a tokens in the
usage-rights repository may be stored as a record in a (relational)
database. The format and/or contents of the usage-rights tokens
stored in the usage-rights repository may differ from the
reduced-capacity-tokens that are distributed to a user-device. Also
in some cases, the format of certain reduced-capacity-tokens may
need to be compatible with the digital rights management scheme
that is proprietary to a user-device.
[0233] There are many alternative implementations that are
functionally equivalent. Many alternative embodiments are possible
within the scope of the invention.
[0234] Identity-Provider and the Anonymous-ownerID:
[0235] To protect user privacy, it is desirable that a user's
usage-rights library and play-history not be associated with an
actual person. This may be accomplished by the creation of an
anonymous-ownerID used to define the ownership of usage-rights
(tokens). The experience-providers, usage-rights repository and
composition-providers may manage and use the usage-rights and
play-history for each anonymous-ownerID without any knowledge of
who the actual person is.
[0236] An anonymous-ownerID may be created by an identity-provider
29 that is independent from the other providers (e.g.,
experience-providers, usage-rights repository and
composition-providers). In one embodiment, the anonymous-ownerID
may include additional information that identifies the
identity-provider 29 that manages the anonymous-ownerID account. To
maintain user privacy, the identity-providers 29 are not allowed
access to any of the databases of the other providers
(experience-providers, usage-rights repository and
composition-providers).
[0237] FIG. 15 shows an example of the creation of an
anonymous-ownerID and login-Info by an identity-provider. The user
submits a "user application for an anonymous-ownerID account" 1502
to an identity-provider 29 that is independent from the providers
(e.g., experience-providers, usage-rights repository and
composition-providers). In one embodiment, the user may provide
information that actually identifies the user such as user name,
address, and contact information. The user may also provide
biometric identification information. The user may also provide
information that is used to unambiguously identify the user in the
case of a future identity theft such as one or more secret security
questions and answers. The identity-provider 29 may "process the
user application for an anonymous-ownerID" 1503. A globally unique
anonymous-ownerID is assigned to the user by the identity-provider
29 and stored in a secure database 1504 along with the submitted
application information. In a preferred embodiment, the
anonymous-ownerID is not provided to the user.
[0238] The identity-provider 29 then "defines login-Info" 1505 that
the user may use to uniquely identity themselves to user-devices.
The login-info may include multiple ways that the user may identify
themselves to a user-device. Each user-device 22 may be capable of
recognizing some subset of the login-info in-order to uniquely
identify the presence of the user at the user-device. This mapping
of login-info to anonymous-ownerID may be maintained by the
identity-provider 29 in a second secret database 1506.
[0239] The "login-ID's (and other login-Info) may be issued to the
user" 1501 which define the various ways the user may login at
user-devices. Multiple login-ID's may be issued to the user. Which
types of biometric methods (finger print scan, face recognition,
iris scan, etc) that various user-devices may utilize, may be
defined to the user.
[0240] The identity-provider 29 may provide to authorized providers
(e.g., experience-providers) the "translation of login-info to an
anonymous-ownerID" 1507 and the validation of the login-info and
the account status for the corresponding anonymous-ownerID.
[0241] The identity-provider 29 may also provide an "anonymous
banker function" 1508 for the account of the anonymous-ownerID. The
providers may submit to the banker "invoices, requests for
credit-reports and identity disputes" 1509 related to an
anonymous-ownerID and receive back "payments, anonymous
credit-reports and identity resolution status" 1510. The banker may
use the databases 1504 and 1506 to perform anonymous billing for
the account of the anonymous-ownerID. The banker may submit
"invoices and status" 1511 to the user and receive payments 1512
from the user.
[0242] The identity-provider 29 may also resolve issues related to
identity theft or compromises of an owners account by using the
other information in the owners application (e.g., security
questions or more extensive biometric info).
[0243] The compromise of a login-ID or other login-info may be
corrected by issuing new login-ID or login-info while revoking the
compromised ones. The database 1506 login-info may be remapped to
the new anonymous-ownerID.
[0244] The compromise of an anonymous-ownerID may be corrected by
revoking the compromised anonymous-ownerID and the associated
tokens, while issuing a new anonymous-ownerID and the associated
replacement tokens. The databases 1504 and 1506 login-info may be
remapped to the new anonymous-ownerID.
[0245] The compromise of the actual user identity due to public
association with an anonymous-ownerID may be recovered by the
issuing a new anonymous-ownerID and associated tokens while
revoking the older versions, as above.
[0246] Usage-Rights Repository:
[0247] In one embodiment, the composition-providers or usage-rights
repository (i.e., usage-rights authority) may provide a guarantee
to users that their usage-rights tokens will be secured in
perpetuity (i.e., at least for the life of the usage-rights tokens
and the user and their heirs). This type guarantee will assure
users that all their purchases (acquired usage-rights tokens) will
be available automatically from the repository without requiring
any user involvement, management or action by the user. When a user
purchases the usage-rights (ownership-rights) for a composition,
they may be confident that their usage-rights will be automatically
usable through all experience-providers and by most (or all)
user-devices without requiring any user actions.
[0248] To provide additional user confidence in the guarantee, the
usage-rights repository (i.e., usage-rights authority) may be
industry wide funded and may maintain an endowment large enough to
fund the usage-rights repository in perpetuity. The usage-rights
authority may charge the composition-providers a small fee (which
includes endowment funding) for each entry they make into the
database. Since the costs of maintaining a token in the repository
are expected to decrease over time due to continuous technology
improvements, an endowment funded model may be utilized to support
token availability in perpetuity.
[0249] A separate repository may be provided by each
composition-provider 23 or a common repository(s) may beshared by a
group of composition-providers or a common repository may be used
by all composition-providers.
[0250] The usage-rights repository(s) may be implemented using a
database including a relational database. The token-owner and
tokenID may be used as common data keys across the relational
database. The usage-rights repository may also be implemented as
web server; with the experience-providers, composition-providers,
etc interacting as clients (in a client-server model). Those
experienced in the art will realize that other alternatives may
also be used.
[0251] Many copies of a repository may be distributed across
multiple computers connected to the network 27 or Internet so that
access may be provided by multiple network paths and multiple
physically isolated repository locations in case of failures or
heavy traffic loads. The repositories may be maintained concurrent
by using mirroring or other methods for keeping multiple copies
synchronized across a network. In addition, the repositories may
also be backed up and/or archived periodically [including to other
media] across the network(s) preferably at different physical
locations from the repositories.
[0252] Each composition-provider 23 may also maintain a secure
version of the usage-rights data that is not accessible by any of
the other entities. If the repository accessible data is damaged or
corrupted, the repository may be rebuilt using the secured
non-accessible version. All the composition-provider databases may
be backed up frequently to multiple secure locations distributed at
different physical locations across the network 27 or internet.
[0253] Only authorized composition-providers may be allowed to
write or update the usage-rights repository. In one embodiment,
each composition-provider 23 may only add new entries or update the
usage-rights entries they have created. A composition-provider 23
may be prevented from accessing the entries of other
composition-providers. The usage-rights authority may maintain a
private database of authorized composition-providers that are
allowed to access the usage-rights repository. Composition-provider
23 access may be controlled by unique private
composition-provider-ID and a password.
[0254] In one embodiment, all usage-rights tokens in the repository
(or repositories) are read accessible by all authorized
experience-providers. The usage-rights authority may maintain a
private database of authorized experience-providers that are
allowed to read the usage-rights database. Experience-provider 26
access may be controlled by unique private experience-provider-ID
and a password.
[0255] The usage-rights repository may not be accessible to certain
providers (e.g., identity-providers) or to the general public over
the internet.
[0256] In some embodiments, the usage-rights repository(s) may also
maintain the status of each token. The token-status indicates
whether a token is valid or invalid. A token may become invalid
because of a token upgrade, token compromise, identity-theft,
identity-compromise, etc.
[0257] In-order to provide greater database integrity, the database
may be constructed so previously entered records may not be deleted
or changed but earlier entries may be updated by the addition of a
more current database entry. Database records may include one or
more changeable parameter(s) which may point-to or indicate a newer
record exists. A log of all database record changes and accesses
may also be maintained so problems may be traced back to their
source.
[0258] To facilitate rapid access to a given token-owner's
usage-rights, a lookup table (database) may be used to translate
from a token-owner (& perhaps compositionID) to the network 27
addresses of one or more computers (or storage devices) where the
specific physical location(s) where the token-owner usage-rights
are stored. Such lookup may be redundantly distributed at different
physical locations across the network. An implementation similar to
that used for the Internet's Domain Name Servers (DNS) may be
utilized. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many other
alternative implementations are possible.
[0259] User Feedback and Play-History:
[0260] User play history is a record of the user's
interaction/feedback about each composition the user has
experience. This record may include usage date/time;
experience-provider; % of composition played; how the playback was
initiated; and other similar information. The users play history
may be used by an experience-provider 26 to automatically create a
customized personalized sequence of old and new compositions that
will be pleasing to each user.
[0261] In some embodiments, the play history may include a
usage-history of each token. In other embodiments, the play-history
may be an aggregate history for each user where the play-history of
upgraded tokens and re-issued tokens for the same composition are
combined together.
[0262] The user-history may be maintained in a database by either
the user, by the usage-rights repository or by the
experience-provider(s) or other provider. In one embodiment, user's
play-history may be stored in the usage-rights repository with
access provided to all experience-providers.
[0263] The contents & structure of the play-history may be
defined by an industry standard or standards defined by the
experience-providers and other providers. Portions of the
play-history may be defined using a mark-up language such as the
Extensible Markup Language (XML) with a schema definition that
defines each element.
[0264] FIG. 16 shows an example of the contents of a user's play
history for a composition (for a unique user). The play-history may
include an anonymous-ownerID 1304; the composition-ID 1603; and a
record-of-play 1604 for each time the user experienced the
composition. The play-history may also include a parameter that
points to the last record 1605. The play-history may also include
parameters that summarize the user's experience with the
composition such as "number of times played" 1606 and "average %
played" 1607. The play-history may also include one or more
validation hashes (digital signatures) 1608.
[0265] FIG. 17 shows an example of the contents of a
"record-of-play "n" 1604. The record-of-play may include the "date
& time played" 1702; the "experience-provider coordinating the
playback" 1703; the % played 1704; the "usage-rights token-ID used"
1705; likeability indicators 1707; and "how initiated" 1707. The
"how initiated" may indicate whether it was automatically chosen
without user input or how the user specifically requested the
composition to be played (library search or using "back" control or
other ways). The record-of-play may also include "reporting status"
1708 to indicate whether the record-of-play has already been
reported to the next higher play-history collection point. The
record-of-play may also include one or more validation hashes
(digital signatures) 1709.
[0266] Distribution of Digital-Works to User-Devices:
[0267] FIG. 18 illustrates one embodiment for distributing
digital-works to a user-device. In some embodiments, a subset of
these steps may be used. In some embodiments, the steps may be
performed in a different order.
[0268] The first step in FIG. 18 is to "Obtain Login-Info and
user-device-feedback information from the user-device" 1802. When a
user is active at a user-device, the user-device 22 may capture
Login-Info in-order to identify the specific user. The
user-device-feedback represents prior usage-history and
user-feedback since the last time the user-device-feedback was
successfully transferred. This information may be sent from the
user-device 22 across the network 27 to the experience-provider
26.
[0269] Since a given user-device 22 may be compatible with a
limited number of digital-work formats, the user-device 22 may also
forward its device-type to the experience-provider 26 so the
experience-provider will know the particular formats that the
user-device requires.
[0270] The Login-Info may include entry of the user's
LoginName/password; a spoken user codeword (such as a
LoginName/password); user voice recognition; user-biometrics (e.g.,
face recognition, fingerprint recognition, iris scan recognition);
a User Radio Frequency ID (RFID) Tag identification device; a
user-ID device or any other method of uniquely identifying a user.
In-order to protect against the actual identity of the user,
biometric information may be limited to a portion of the full
biometric data or a processed summary of the biometric data.
Combinations of these identification methods may be used to reduce
the false-positive and false-negative identification error
rates.
[0271] In one preferred embodiment, the user may be uniquely
identified from the Login-Info but the actual identity of the user
may not be obtained from the Login-Info.
[0272] The next step is to "Translate the Login-Info into an
Anonymous-ownerID" 1803. In one embodiment, the Anonymous-ownerID
may correspond to the token-owner parameter(s) 1304 of the
usage-rights token definitions for which that user has rights to
utilize.
[0273] In one embodiment, the Login-Info to Anonymous-ownerID
translation may be performed by an identity-provider 29 which
maintains a mapping of Login-Info to Anonymous-ownerID's. Only
authorized providers may be allowed to request a Login-Info to
Anonymous-ownerID translation.
[0274] The Login-Info may also be validated against the
experience-provider's database of Login-Info that previously
occurred.
[0275] The next step is to "Validate the Anonymous-ownerID" 1804.
The identity-provider 29 may maintain status on the validity of the
Anonymous-ownerID. The status may indicate whether there is
compromise of a user's identity (e.g., identity theft) or unusual
suspect activity in the user account. The identity-provider 29 may
also maintain an anonymous credit report about the
Anonymous-ownerID that may be used to assess the trustworthiness
and reliability of the user.
[0276] The experience-providers may also "validate the
Anonymous-ownerID" 1804 by monitoring for indications of piracy,
identity theft or stolen user-devices 22. This may include
examining the user-history for unusual activities such as a) the
simultaneous use of multiple user-devices at different physical
locations; b) unusual or excessive non-reporting back of
user-history from user-devices; c) errors or corruption of formats
and digital signatures; d) an excessively large number of
user-devices.
[0277] Once the Anonymous-ownerID of the user has been determined
and validated, the experience-provider 26 may "obtain and validate
all the tokens owned by the anonymous-ownerID" 1805 from the
usage-rights repository. The validity of each token may be
validated using token-status that may also be maintained in the
usage-rights repository. Bogus tokens may be detected and excluded
during validation. Token status may also be used to revoke a token
that has been compromised or revoked/re-issued.
[0278] The next step is to "Determine digital-works needed by the
user-device" 1806. These may be digital-works related to the
current context of the user-device 22 such as digital-works that
the user has requested; or digital-works in the user's library; or
digital-works in a user's playlist; or a sequence of digital-works
defined specially for the user. In one embodiment, the
determination of possibly needed digital-works may be based upon
the user's playback-history and/or the user's feedback-history.
[0279] The next step is to "Prepare digital-works and
usage-authorizations in format needed by the user-device" 1807.
[0280] Each user-device 22 may provide information (e.g., model
& serial number) that allows the experience-provider 26 to
determine the specific formats required by each user-device. A
user-device 22 status may also indicate which digital-works and
validated usage-rights are already available at the
user-device.
[0281] In one preferred embodiment, the full usage-rights
(usage-rights token) is not transferred to the user-device 22 but
is gradually released to the individual user-devices by using a
limited usage-authorization (e.g., reduced-capacity-token). A
reduced-capacity-token (i.e. authorization to use the digital-work)
may have less than the full definition of usage-rights and may
typically expire before the full usage-rights expire. The
reduced-capacity-tokens may be periodically re-issued or updated
when feedback from a user-device 22 confirms that the usage-rights
are being properly used. In this manner, the usage-rights are
metered to the various user user-devices as long as user-device 22
activity is considered normal.
[0282] In one preferred embodiment, a downloaded digital-work may
be enabled for playback at a user-device 22 by a
reduced-capacity-token that is usable only by a specific user or
set of specific users; on the specific user-device 22 and only for
a limited authorized-time or limited number of playbacks. The
authorized-time may be hours to several days and/or for a limited
number of plays. To continue playing the digital-work, the
user-device 22 must provide feedback to the experience-provider 26
across the network 27 and receive back an updated
reduced-capacity-token from the experience-provider. Otherwise, the
reduced-capacity-token may expire before the user's full
usage-rights have expired.
[0283] The reduced-capacity-token may allow the digital-work to be
played on the user-device for only a limited time period (for
example, for only an hour or a day or a few weeks). The user-device
22 may periodically interact with the experience-provider 26 across
the network 27 to feedback user-history and to receive an extension
of the time period. If the user-device 22 does not connect back to
the experience-provider, the digital-works will expire after the
usage-authorization time period. The time period may be set for
each user based on estimated user trustworthiness factors such as
the user's anonymous credit report and/or the historical experience
with a user. For example, the time period may be set long for a
reliable customer with an extensive positive history. If a
user-device 22 is prevented from reporting back the user-history or
is lost or stolen, the digital-works in the user-device will expire
after the time period but the full usage-rights held in the
usage-rights repository are not compromised or affected.
[0284] In one preferred embodiment, a user-device 22 is not
authorized to create copies that can be transferred to other
user-devices. Since the user's collection is automatically
backed-up via the network repository and since each user-device 22
is able to acquire any needed digital-works automatically across
the network, there is no longer a need for users to make copies
themselves so reduced-capacity-tokens may typically be defined to
not allow copies to be created at user-devices.
[0285] A special case occurs with user-devices that do not have a
real-time network connection capability or are never within reach
of a real-time network connection. For this case, a portable
user-device 22 may be used to act as a "transportation delayed"
network connection. The reduced-capacity-tokens in the portable
user-device are immediately disabled upon their transfer to an
un-networked user-device. When the user finishes with the
un-networked user-device, the user-history and usage-rights are
then transferred from the un-networked user-device back to the
portable user-device. When the portable user-device re-establishes
a real-time network connection, the user-history (including that of
the un-networked user-device) is feedback to the usage-rights
repository. To handle this special case, digital-works and their
corresponding reduced-capacity-tokens are allowed to be transferred
between user-devices as long as no copying occurs (i.e.,
user-devices are not allowed to create additional copies).
[0286] The next step is to "Send the digital-works and
usage-authorization (e.g., reduced-capacity-token) to the
user-device" 1808. In one preferred embodiment, digital-works and
their corresponding usage-authorization (e.g.,
reduced-capacity-tokens) may be automatically distributed across
the network 27 by the experience-provider 26 in the appropriate
format for the user-device as needed or in anticipation of being
needed.
[0287] Once a compatible version of the digital-work and the
corresponding usage-authorization (e.g., reduced-capacity-token)
are at the user-device, the user-device 22 may use an unexpired
usage-authorization to access (e.g., decrypt) and use the
digital-work whenever the user is active at the user-device.
[0288] Network Strategies:
[0289] It is expected that each user will have multiple
user-devices that need to be updated such that any changes to the
user's history and user's collection (i.e., the user's library of
compositions) is automatically made available, in a timely manner,
to all the other user-devices where the user is active. For
example, any changes made in the automobile on the way home will be
immediately available, in the ideal, to user-devices in the user's
home.
[0290] In one embodiment, each user-device 22 would be capable of
establishing two way communication in-order to interact with the
experience-provider 26 over a wireless or wired connection to a
network such as the internet.
[0291] When the user-device 22 has sufficient storage, the user's
favorites may be stored locally and the general network strategy is
to download the most likely needed compositions and highlights well
in advance of actual need by the user-device. Having storage in
each user-device 22 is more accommodating to poor quality,
intermittent, or missing network connections.
[0292] When a local user-device 22 has sufficient local storage,
the network interface may be managed to minimize communication
costs. For example, the largest downloads and uploads may be
scheduled during those times (of the day or night or week) when the
communication costs are lower. For example, downloads of new
compositions and highlights may occur, automatically without user
action, in the middle of the night and then stored within each
user-device 22 for possible use during the following days. More
information may be downloaded than is typically expected to be
needed, just so it will be available if needed. Since the typical
user's tastes change slowly over a period of days, the locally
stored compositions and highlights will be fairly up-to-date; but
an automatically generated sequence of compositions may be less
then ideal when switching between user-devices (e.g., car to
house), since the most recent user history would not be exchanged
until later that night. If desired, the less data intensive user
history/feedback may be communicated more frequently, while the
more data intensive downloads are restricted to lower cost
communication times.
[0293] Another alternative is to broadcast and/or multicast the
data intensive information (compositions and highlights) to
multiple users simultaneously over the network. Prior to the
broadcast or multicast, each user-device 22 receives an update on
what new compositions and highlights that user needs. The
user-devices then monitor the broadcast or multicast, and save the
appropriate data the user is expected to need.
[0294] User-devices may also network directly with each other or
over a network to pass update information. In remote locations
where networked access is not available, the update to the remote
user-devices may be handled by a portable user-device carried from
a networked area into the remote area. The portable user-device
then networks with the remote user-devices to update them.
Similarly, after leaving the remote area and re-establishing a
network connection. The portable user-device may update the
repository with the user feedback that occurred in the remote area.
In this case, the user-devices may directly interact to share
information when they are within communication range with each
other. Such direct communication may be accomplished by IR or RF
means such as WiFi or Bluetooth.
[0295] The invention may also be embodied via streaming over a
network connection such as the internet. With streaming, the
personalized sequence is generated at the experience-provider's
location on the network 27 (e.g., internet server) and forwarded,
wired and/or wirelessly, to the user-device as a stream of packets.
The user-device is simplified since it only need convert the
packets into the entertainment sequence (e.g., sound sequence) and
send the user's feedback back across the network 27 to the
experience-provider. Streaming reduces the needed amount of local
storage and local processing in the user-device. Usually a small
local memory (such as a FIFO or double buffer) is used in the local
user-device to provide a continuous sound stream on the output
side, despite fluctuations in the receipt and processing of packets
across the network connection. A disadvantage of streaming is that
a virtually continuous interactive network connection at an
effective bandwidth must be available. Another major disadvantage
is that the network connection must have an acceptably low
interactive latency so the experience-provider's streaming source
may quickly adjust to the user's feedback and control inputs (such
as the "Forward" and "Back" controls). The need for a higher
quality network connection to be continuously available may make
streaming a less desirable alternative.
[0296] Implementation of the Inter-Provider Network:
[0297] In one preferred embodiment, the information transfers
across the network 27 between the providers (experience-providers,
composition-providers, usage-rights-repositories, and/or bankers)
may provide good security and privacy along with a good
Quality-of-Service (such as high availability & low
latency).
[0298] The physical network layer may be a combination of optical
fiber, wired and wireless (EM, RF, IR, optical) networks. The
network 27 architecture may be configured using elements such as
add-drop multiplexers (electrical and optical), routers, switches,
gateways, bridges, and firewalls. Network availability may be
improved by providing redundant network paths, redundant servers
(at different physical locations) and robust network architectures
such as mesh networks. Existing internet infrastructures may be
used but security and quality of service issues should be
considered.
[0299] Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters such as latency may be
improved by the use of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) or
Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) which may route
messages through pre-defined un-congested network paths thereby
reducing queuing delays, timeouts and re-transmissions. Forward
error correction may allow correction of transmission errors at the
receiver and reduce delays from re-transmissions.
[0300] To improve security, the network routers and firewalls at
the entry to each of the provider locations may be configured to
only accept traffic from authorized IP addresses. Virtual private
networks (VPN's) may also be used across the network 27 or Internet
to provide an additional level of privacy between the sender and
receiver.
[0301] An even higher level of security and service may be provided
with a dedicated network 27 between the experience-providers,
composition-providers, usage-rights-repositories, and bankers that
is completely separate from the Internet. Isolation may be
accomplished using dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)
optical networks where separate DWDM channels (light frequencies)
and routers are dedicated to the inter-provider network and not
shared with internet traffic or traffic from any other networks.
Such a separate network may be isolated from Internet problems such
as excessive traffic or denial of service attacks. As an example,
Broadwing Communications offers a Converged Services Network
infrastructure based on Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) that
will enable both Layer 2 and Layer 3 Virtual Private Network (VPN)
that is separate from the Internet.
[0302] Those skilled in the art will realize that there are many
models of distributed processing and communication that may be used
to implement this invention. These include the client-server and
peer-to-peer models. Different functions in this invention may be
optimized by using a combination of these different models.
[0303] Those skilled in the art will realize there are many network
and information transfer protocols that may be used in a
hierarchical manner in the network. The protocols may be configured
or layered in terms of the 7 layer ISO/OSI network model or other
protocol layer models (e.g., Internet or Darpa) to meet
requirements for security and quality of service (QoS) such as
latency, lost packets or messages, error detection, control,
message/packet retransmission, etc. Examples of protocols include
Sonet, Frame, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Internet Protocol
(IP), Transfer Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol
(UDP), Ethernet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Hyper Text
Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Examples of secure transfer protocols
include Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), Secure-HTTP
(S-HTTP), and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
[0304] In some embodiments, remote procedure calls (RPC) may be
used for communication between the providers; or between the user
and the providers. For example, a first provider acting as a
client, may construct a request as an extensible markup language
(XML) message and send it across the network 27 using hypertext
transfer protocol (HTTP) to a server at a second provider. The
server at the second provider may then process the XML message and
then send an XML formatted message back across the network 27 using
HTTP to the client application at the first provider.
[0305] Those skilled in the art will realize there are many
alternative approaches such as the simple object access protocol
(SOAP); the common object request broker architecture (CORBA); and
others.
[0306] Information transfers may be encrypted and digitally signed.
Encryption prevents the information from being read or used by
those without a decryption key. Digital signatures may be used to
allow the detection of any addition, removal or alteration of the
information after it was created, for example during later transit
or storage.
[0307] There are many methods of encryption and digital signatures
known to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, public key
encryption may be used, where there are pair of keys consisting of
a public key available to all information senders and a private key
known to only to the receiver. The information sender encrypts the
information using a known public key of the recipient. Only the
recipient is able to decrypt the information using a private key
known only to the recipient. The information encrypted with the
public key may not be decrypted using the public key. Determining
the private key from the public key and the encrypted message,
in-order to decrypt the message, requires an impossibly large
amount of computation.
[0308] In the case of digital signatures, a public-private key pair
may be used. The message sender uses a private key known only to
the sender to compute a signature whose unique value depends on all
the information in the message. The digital signature is generated
using a one way hash function. The receiver may verify that the
message hasn't been altered since creation, by obtaining a known
value after computing the received message & signature with the
sender's public key. If the message or signature was altered in any
way after creation, the known expected result is not obtained.
Examples of hash functions include MD5 (128 bit) and SHA-1 (160
bit).
[0309] Certificate authority or authorities may also be used to
control the issuance and validation of digital certificates so that
a sender may validate that the public keys are truly those of the
intended recipient before encrypting & signing a message. For
an additional layer of protection, access to these public keys and
certificates may be limited to authorized entities in-order to
prevent access to inter-provider communication methods by the
general Internet public.
[0310] The RSA algorithm, which is widely used on the Internet, is
one example of public key encryption. Those skilled in the art will
recognize there are many other alternatives to encryption and
signing that may also be used.
[0311] Alternatively, a private key(s) may be used for both the
encryption by a sender and decryption by a recipient. Those skilled
in the art recognize that the distribution of the private keys may
be accomplished via in-person meetings, in-person telephone
call-back exchange protocols or other methods that do not rely on
the same digital network. Alternatively, private key exchange
between authorized entities, may be accomplished across a digital
network by numerous approaches such as the Diffie-Hellman Key
Agreement Method (IETF RFC 2631) [along with source authentication
by the prior exchange of digital signatures to defeat a
man-in-the-middle attack].
[0312] Only authorized provider entities with a known entityID (and
password) may be allowed to send information transfers. EntityID's
and passwords may be initially established between entities using
other methods where the identities may be established by personal
meeting or other encryption methods discussed above. Each
authorized entity may be restricted to certain types of information
transfers or transactions.
[0313] Networking Between User-Devices and Providers:
[0314] A major requirement for the network 27 between the
experience-providers and the user-devices is a wide area of
coverage so that all user-devices should ideally be able to connect
to the network automatically either wirelessly or wired, no matter
where a user-device 22 is currently at. In one embodiment, each
user-device 22 will typically be able to access the network 27 from
time to time in-order to be periodically validated by the
experience-provider 26 by feeding back user-history, receiving
additional compositions and to extend the usage-right time period
for compositions stored in the user-device. Depending on the
embodiment, network access may range from being essentially
continuous to only occurring periodically once every few weeks.
[0315] For security and performance reasons, the network 27 between
the users (user-devices) and the providers may be different from
the network 27 used between the various providers
(experience-providers, composition-providers,
usage-rights-repositories, and/or bankers).
[0316] In one embodiment, a public network such as the Internet may
be used for communications between the providers and the
user-devices, because of its widely available access.
Alternatively, a separate network, different from the Internet, may
be used between the providers and the user-devices. Or a
combination of public and private networks (cell phone network or
WiFi network) may be utilized. For example, it may be desirable for
user-devices to access a user's private home network (e.g., WiFi)
in-order to connect to the experience-provider 26 via the
Internet.
[0317] Any combination of the network architectures, configurations
and protocols discussed elsewhere may be used to secure information
transfers between the experience-providers 26 and the user-devices
22.
[0318] Business Models:
[0319] This invention is capable of simultaneously supporting many
different schemes for generating revenue and/or royalties for the
experience-providers, network providers, composition-providers,
composition creators and artistic performers. The schemes include:
[0320] 1) Fee for each composition each time it is played. [0321]
2) One time fee for unlimited play of a composition by the user.
[0322] 3) A fee per minute or hour of experience provided to the
user. [0323] 4) A flat fee per month independent of the actual user
usage. [0324] 5) Advertisement supported, where the user may listen
to and possibly interact to a certain amount of ad time per a
predefined amount of non-ad user time. [0325] 6) A certain number
of free plays followed by some fee for play. [0326] 7) Number of
user-devices. [0327] 8) Number of user-devices simultaneously
active. [0328] 9) Amount of data transferred across the network.
[0329] 10) Various combinations of the above.
[0330] The experience-providers may simultaneously manage each of
these billing schemes for different groups of users, so the billing
scheme may be customized for each user. The history of the
aggregate usage for each composition may also be used to determine
royalties for the composition creators, composition owners and
other service providers.
[0331] The composition-providers may offer various purchase plans.
The experience-provider 26 may mediate to acquire the best price
for the user based on expected user needs.
[0332] In some embodiments, the composition-providers may price
usage-rights so that the cost of gradually expanding the
usage-rights to full-rights, is the same as if the full-rights we
purchased initially. By always guaranteeing the best price and
eliminating user concerns about pricing, sales may be
increased.
[0333] The experience-provider 26 does not need to store an
individual library of compositions for each user. The actual
compositions may be stored in a common library that is shared by
all users and accessed based upon a user profile maintained for
each user. The amount of access bandwidth provided for each
composition may be adjusted to match aggregate user demand. For
example, a currently popular composition that is being downloaded
by many users may be made available from many servers across the
network 27 in-order to meet the demand. While a less popular
composition may be made available from significantly fewer servers
on the network.
[0334] As an optional enhancement, the user may be allowed to use
the "forward" control to skip any offensive or unwanted
advertisement (ad). Alternative ads are then presented to the user
until the required user ad time is satisfied. When the user wants
additional information about the product in an ad, the user
activates (presses) the "like" control. Additional information is
then presented. The user may also activate the "back" control to
hear an ad again in-order to repeat needed information such as a
phone number or address. The user's account is credited for the
additional ad time heard. The user's use of the "forward" and
"back" controls during ads may be used to more closely target
future ads to the user.
[0335] This invention may accommodate various encryption schemes
in-order to protect from piracy or user attempts to interfere with
the collection of billing information.
[0336] Initial System Customization to the User:
[0337] To more efficiently perform customization of the system for
each user, a large display with an interactive user interface may
be utilized across a network 27 during the initial user
customization process. The user may answer forms on the user's
interests, hobbies, categories or products of interest, etc.
[0338] This may include the establishment of methods for confirming
the user's identity at the start of future user-device sessions.
This may include capturing sound to be used for voice recognition
of the user's name or other specific words, biometrics measurements
of the user such as fingerprint on the start control, or camera
imaging of the user's face.
[0339] The user may also indicate initial preferences for
advertisement categories. In this mode, the user may be presented
with different product categories and product types for which the
user may use the "Like" control to indicate relative interest
in.
[0340] The user may also wish to customize of the type and
frequency of news, weather, traffic, etc based on the day of week,
time of day, location of user, etc.
[0341] The initial preferences the user provides are only the
starting point. User feedback, indicated by normal user control
actions, is utilized to continuously adopt the entertainment
sequence more uniquely for each individual user.
[0342] User History Timeline:
[0343] In another optional extension, the actual timeline of a
user's history of feedback and favorites may be made available to
the user via an interactive interface and display. As an example,
the user would be able to review what was listened to at any
earlier time period or time interval, for example a particular day,
week or month during the college years. Such a history review mode
or capability may not be needed for most types of user-devices.
[0344] User Provided Compositions:
[0345] In another optional extension, the user would have the
capability of providing compositions and highlights to the system.
This is useful in cases where the user may have created their own
compositions or acquired them locally or where the
experience-provider 26 does not have access to certain
compositions.
[0346] Additional Applications of the Invention:
[0347] In order to more clearly illustrate functionality, portions
of the preceding discussion were oriented toward a user-device 22
with a manually controlled interface; however the invention may
utilize any type of user interface including voice controlled.
[0348] In order to more clearly illustrate functionality, portions
of the foregoing discussion were described in terms of music and/or
music videos, however this invention is more generally useful for
the generation of any type of personalized entertainment experience
that is customized for each user. The entertainment experience that
is personalized for each user may be comprised of a sequence of any
type of entertainment compositions including music, music videos,
short films, movies, video programs, audio versions of books,
talks, speeches, voice content, lectures, etc.
[0349] Not Limited to Detailed Illustrations:
[0350] To satisfy the requirements for enablement, this disclosure
may contain one or more embodiments which illustrate a particular
detailed implementation and use. A detailed illustration often
requires choosing only one of a plurality of equivalent detail
approaches to show. When terms such as "shall", "should", "is",
"are" appear, they should only be interpreted as
limitations/requirements for the purpose of maintaining
compatibility/consistency between the elements/parameters of the
particular detailed illustration. Such terms should not be
interpreted as limitations or requirements on the scope of the
general inventive concept of the invention as disclosed in its
entirety.
[0351] For example, if element "A", in a detailed embodiment, is
shown as having a certain detailed configuration, then mating
element "B" in that detailed example may need to have corresponding
limitations in-order to be compatible/interoperable with the
detailed element "A". Such limitations on element "B" for
compatibility within a detailed illustration do not define
limitations on element "B" within all the possible embodiments that
fall within the scope of the invention. If another embodiment had
been chosen for illustration purposes, element "A" may have a very
different detailed configuration and the requirements on element
"B" for compatible/interoperable with the element "A" may be very
different.
[0352] In general, the detailed implementations for the elements of
the invention may have many alternate implementations that
accomplish the same functional result/objective and are within the
scope of the general inventive concept.
Hardware and Software Embodiments
[0353] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a user-device. In some
embodiments, the user-device may be made portable; mobile; and/or
wearable.
[0354] A user-device may include a digital processor 30 and local
storage memory 33. The digital processor 30 incorporates and
executes the processing program to process the composition data.
The memory 33 may hold composition data; software (program) code;
and working storage.
[0355] The digital processor 30 may be implemented with any digital
processing hardware such as Digital processors, Central Processing
Units (CPU), Digital Signal Processors (DSP), state machines,
controllers, micro-controllers, Integrated Circuits (IC's), Custom
Integrated Circuits, Application Specific Integrated Circuits
(ASIC's), Programmable Logic Devices (PLD's), Complex Programmable
Logic Devices (CPLD's), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA's),
Electronic Re-Programmable Gate-Arrays/Circuitry and any other type
of digital logic circuitry/memory.
[0356] If the processor is comprised of programmable-circuitry
[e.g., electronically re-configurable gate-array/circuitry], the
processing program (or portions of the processing program) may be
incorporated into the downloadable digital logic configuration of
the gate array(s).
[0357] In some embodiments, the digital processor may comprise a
plurality of processors in a multi-processing arrangement which may
execute the sequences of instructions contained in memory 33.
[0358] The memory 33 may be implemented using random access memory
(e.g., DRAM, SRAM), registers, register files, flip-flops,
integrated circuit storage elements, and storage media such as
disc, or even some combination of these. The memory 33 may include
a non-volatile memory to store boot-up data and other data locally.
The memory 33 may optionally include a hard drive or other mass
storage device. Software code; processing programs; firmware;
hardware configuration data; composition data and other data may be
stored in the memory 31.
[0359] The user-device may optionally include a media drive to
allow both composition data and processing programs to be read from
media.
[0360] The user-device may optionally include a network interface
31 to allow access to the Internet, other networks or mobile type
networks. This would allow composition data and the processing
programs/software/firmware to be downloaded across the Internet or
other network(s).
[0361] Additional Approaches:
[0362] In some embodiments, hard-wired circuitry and/or
programmable-circuitry may be used in place of or in combination
with software instructions. Thus, embodiments may include any
combination of hardware circuitry and software/firmware.
[0363] The processor software, machine-language executable
instructions, machine-interpretable instructions, firmware, and/or
the configuration-data base of
electronically-configurable-circuitry: may be stored on/in one or
more computer-readable medium/media, and/or one or more digital
storage memories.
[0364] Depending on the embodiment, the computer-readable medium
may include: nonvolatile media, volatile media, and transmission
media. Nonvolatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic
disks, such as media drive 105. Volatile media include dynamic
memory (e.g., DRAM). Transmission media include coaxial cables,
copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise an
interface/communications bus. Transmission media can also take the
form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during
radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications.
[0365] In some embodiments, the computer-readable media may
include: floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape,
any other type of magnetic medium; Compact Disk (CD), CD-ROM,
CD-RAM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD+-R, DVD+-RW, DVD-RAM, and any other
type of optical medium; punch cards, paper tape, any other physical
medium with patterns of holes; RAM, DRAM, SRAM, PROM, EPROM,
EEPROM, Flash-memory, FLASH EPROM, and any other type of memory
chip/cartridge; or any other type of storage or memory from which a
processor/computer can obtain its digital contents.
[0366] More Applications and Uses:
[0367] In order to more clearly illustrate functionality, portions
of the preceding discussion were oriented toward a user-device 22
with a manually controlled interface. But, more generally, any type
of user interface may be used, including a voice controlled user
interface.
[0368] In order to more clearly illustrate functionality, portions
of the foregoing discussion were described in terms of music and/or
music videos. But, more generally, may be implemented to generate
any type of personalized entertainment experience that is
customized for each user. The entertainment experience that is
personalized for each user may be comprised of a sequence of any
type of entertainment compositions including music, music videos,
short films, movies, video programs, audio versions of books,
talks, speeches, voice content, lectures, etc.
* * * * *