Patent ID: 7003530

Claim:
A computer implemented method for selecting audio content for playback to a user comprising the steps of: providing a database having a plurality of audio selections, each said audio selection having predetermined selection criteria selectively assigned thereto; assigning a first weighting factor to each one of said plurality of audio selections; assigning a second weighting factor to each one of said plurality of audio selections; assigning a third weighting factor to each one of said plurality of audio selections; providing a first table of first selection criteria of said predetermined selection criteria; providing a second table of second selection criteria of said predetermined selection criteria; providing a third table of third selection criteria of said predetermined selection criteria; selecting audio selections from said database based upon a selected one of said first, second and third tables, wherein the selecting of audio selections is further based upon a logarithmic relationship between a predetermined probability of selection of each audio selection and the first weighting factor if the first table is selected, the second weighting factor if the second table is selected, and the third weighting factor if the third table is selected; playing audio selections from said database responsive to said step of selecting; determining whether a user liked or disliked each played audio selection; incrementing the first weighting factor in said first table for each played audio selection if the first table is selected and if the audio selection is liked; decrementing the first weighting factor in said first table for each played audio selection if the first table is selected and if the audio selection is disliked; incrementing the second weighting factor in said second table for each played audio selection if the second table is selected and if the audio selection is liked; decrementing the second weighting factor in said second table for each played audio selection if the second table is selected and if the audio selection is disliked; incrementing the third weighting factor in said third table for each played audio selection if the third table is selected and if the audio selection is liked; and decrementing the third weighting factor in said third table for each played audio selection if the third table is selected and if the audio selection is disliked.