Patent ID: 7533091
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G11B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for suggesting a list of media items utilizing one or more computers by a user, said method comprising: presenting a user with a selection element for gathering a seed for generating a list of media items related to the seed, said selection element including a plurality of media items, each of presented media items in the selection element remaining unselected and un-played by a media player system; receiving a seed selection from the user, said seed being a starting point for determining what media items to suggest to the user, said received seed selection remaining un-played by the media player system upon being selected, said seed selection including at least one of a media item, an artist, an album name, and another media identifier, said selection being displayed as highlighted and distinguished over other media items in at least one of a playlist, a pull-down menu, a dialog box, and a search result on the selection element; in response to the received seed selection, identifying one or more characteristics of said seed; in response to the identified characteristics of the seed, generating a suggested list of media items with characteristics corresponding to the one or more characteristics of said seed selection without playing the seed selection, wherein said generating comprises determining a score for said seed, determining the score for each media item in a candidate list of media items, and selecting at least one media item from said candidate list based upon the relationship between the score of the seed and the score of the at least one media item, wherein each of the media items in the generated suggested list remains separate from any user playlist or group of selected media items until deliberate selection of one of the media items in the suggested list, wherein said determining the score for said seed comprises at least one of the following: evaluating at least two characteristics of media items on an album when said seed is said album; and evaluating at least two characteristics of media items performed by the artist when said seed is said artist, wherein said evaluating at least two characteristics of media items on the album when said seed is said album comprises averaging the scores of each media item on the album in candidate list of media items to create said seed score, and wherein said evaluating at least two characteristics of media items performed by the artist when said seed is said artist comprises averaging the scores of each media item performed by said artist in said candidate list of media items to create said seed score; and on the one computer, presenting the user with the suggested list of media items and presenting the user with the score for said seed and the scores for each media item in said candidate list of media items.