System and method for personalizing playback content through interaction with a playback device

Abstract

User interfaces associated with devices and applications for distributing digital media content are described. A user interface may be provided that includes a favorites selection button allowing a user to identify selected media tracks and/or associated artists to be played more frequently. A ban selection button may be also provided allowing a user to selectively ban media tracks and/or associated artists. Additional controls may be provided including controls and interfaces for creating user customized stations to customize content delivery based on user specified preferences stored in a user profile.

1 . A method of personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device, comprising:
 displaying, on a display element of the device, information associated with a first of a plurality of content items stored within the device, said information based at least in part on metadata associated with the first of the plurality of content items;   receiving, during the displaying of the information, user input through a control element of the device; and   updating a user profile in response to the user input;   wherein rendering of said media content by said device is based at least in part upon said user profile.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control element is a favorites control, said method further including increasing a playback frequency of certain of said plurality of content items in response to said user input. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first of said plurality of content items comprises an audio track. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said updating comprises modifying the user profile to increase a playback frequency of said audio track. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said updating comprises modifying the user profile to increase a playback frequency of content of an artist associated with said audio track. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control element is a ban control, said method further including at least decreasing a playback frequency of certain of said plurality of content items in response to said user input. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said first of said plurality of content items comprises an audio track. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said updating comprises modifying the user profile to inhibit playback of the audio track. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said updating comprises modifying the user profile to inhibit playback of content of an artist associated with the audio track. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving DJ content at the media playback device, said DJ content associated with said plurality of content items. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 providing, on the device, a DJ toggle control; and   adjusting, responsive to user actuation of the DJ toggle control, playback of the DJ content.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving content data; and   selectively storing, in accordance with said user profile, portions of said content data corresponding to said plurality of content items.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said adjusting comprises toggling the DJ content from an on state to an off state or from said off state to said on state wherein said on state is associated with rendering of said DJ content by said device. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing said control element through a web browser executing on the device. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  further including providing said control element through a standalone software application executing on the device. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 2  further including:
 displaying a favorites list comprised of content items established in response to said user input; and   receiving editing instructions relating to editing of said favorites list.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 6  further including:
 displaying a banned list comprised of content items established in response to said user input; and   receiving editing instructions relating to editing of said banned list.   
   
   
       18 . A method of personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device configured to render content corresponding to a plurality of stations, comprising:
 receiving user input through a station attributes control of the device; and   updating, in response to the user input, a station profile corresponding to one of the plurality of stations;   wherein rendering of said media content by said device in accordance with said one of the plurality of stations is based at least in part upon said station profile.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the station attributes control comprises a popularity control. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the station attributes control comprises an energy control. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the station attributes control comprises a year control. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the station attributes control comprises an artists control. 
   
   
       23 . A method for personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device, comprising:
 receiving, through a playback control element, a skip forward instruction;   determining whether at least a predetermined number of skip forward instructions have been received within a predetermined time period; and   conditionally advancing, based upon a result of the determining, to playback of a next content item in a sequence of content items scheduled to be rendered by the media playback device.   
   
   
       24 . A method of personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device, comprising:
 receiving, through a first control element of the device, a first user input;   increasing, in response to said first user input, a playback frequency of at least a first of a plurality of content items stored within the device;   receiving, through a second control element of the device, a second user input;   decreasing, in response to said second user input, a playback frequency of at least a second of a plurality of the content items.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising:
 updating a user profile in response to the first user input; and   further updating the user profile in response to the second user input.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  further including:
 displaying a favorites list comprised of content items established in response to user actuation of said first control element; and   receiving editing instructions relating to editing of said favorites list.   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  further including:
 displaying a banned list comprised of content items established in response to user actuation of said second control element; and   receiving editing instructions relating to editing of said banned list.   
   
   
       28 . A machine readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method of personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device comprising:
 displaying, on a display element of the device, information associated with a first of a plurality of content items stored within the device, said information based at least in part on metadata associated with the first of the plurality of content items;   receiving, during the displaying of the information, user input through a control element of the device; and   updating a user profile in response to the user input;   wherein rendering of said media content by said device is based at least in part upon said user profile.   
   
   
       29 . The machine readable medium of  claim 28  wherein the control element is a favorites control, said method further including increasing a playback frequency of certain of said plurality of content items in response to said user input. 
   
   
       30 . The machine readable medium of  claim 29  wherein the first of the plurality of content items comprises an audio track and said updating comprises modifying the user profile to increase a playback frequency of content of an artist associated with the audio track. 
   
   
       31 . The machine readable medium of  claim 28  wherein the control element is a ban control, the machine readable medium having additional instructions executable to at least decrease a playback frequency of certain of said plurality of content items in response to said user input. 
   
   
       32 . The machine readable medium of  claim 31  wherein the first of the plurality of content items comprises an audio track and said updating comprises modifying the user profile to decrease a playback frequency of content of an artist associated with the audio track. 
   
   
       33 . The machine readable medium of  claim 28  having additional instructions executable to:
 receive content data; and   selectively store, in accordance with said user profile, portions of said content data corresponding to said plurality of content items.   
   
   
       34 . The machine readable medium of  claim 29  having additional instructions executable to:
 display a favorites list comprised of content items established in response to said user input; and   receive editing instructions relating to editing of said favorites list.   
   
   
       35 . The machine readable medium of  claim 31  having additional instructions executable to:
 display a banned list comprised of content items established in response to said user input; and   receive editing instructions relating to editing of said banned list.   
   
   
       36 . A machine-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method of personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device comprising:
 receiving user input through a station attributes control of the device; and   updating, in response to the user input, a station profile corresponding to one of the stations;   wherein rendering of said media content by said device in accordance with said one of the stations is based at least in part upon said station profile.   
   
   
       37 . A method of personalizing media content rendered by a media playback device configured to render sequences of audio tracks corresponding to a plurality of stations, comprising:
 receiving, through a first control element of the device; a first user input relating to an audio track currently being rendered by the device;   modifying, in response to said first user input, a playback frequency of the audio track.   
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the modifying includes modifying a playback frequency of the audio track on a currently selected one of the plurality of stations. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the modifying includes modifying a playback frequency of the audio track on each of the plurality of stations. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the modifying includes modifying a playback frequency of other of the audio tracks associated with an artist corresponding to the audio track. 
   
   
       41 . A method of creating a customized station for a media playback device configured to render content corresponding to a plurality of stations, comprising:
 receiving an artist name;   generating a list of related artists corresponding to the artist name;   receiving indications of selection of one or more of the related artists; and   generating a set of artists for the customized station based upon the artist name and the indications of selection;   wherein at least certain content items rendered during playback of the customized station are associated with the set of artists.   
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  further including receiving ratings corresponding to favorite content wherein ones of the content items rendered during playback of the customized station are selected based upon the favorite content. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41  further comprising:
 receiving user input through a station attribute control; and   modifying an attribute of the customized station based upon the user input.   
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the station attribute control relates to content age. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the station attribute control relates to content popularity.