(12) Unlted States Patent
`(10) Patent No.:
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`Mirrashidi et al.
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`US007860830B2
`
`(54) PUBLISHING, BROWSING AND
`PURCHASING 0F GROUPS OF MEDIA
`ITEMS
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Payam Mirrashidi, San Francisco, CA
`(US) Ellis M Verosub San Francisco
`’
`'
`’
`’
`CA (Us)
`
`.
`.
`(73) ASSlgneei Apple Inca 01136111110, CA (US)
`.
`.
`.
`.
`.
`( * ) Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofth1s
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154 b b 695 d
`.
`( ) y
`ays
`
`(21) APP1~ N0~¢ 11/115,090
`
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`
`Filed:
`
`Apr. 25, 2005
`
`EP
`
`0 917 077
`
`5/1999
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`Us 2005/0278377 A1
`
`Dec. 15, 2005
`
`(51)
`
`Int- Cl-
`(2006.01)
`G06F 17/30
`(52) us. Cl.
`...................................................... 707/626
`(58) Field of Classification Search ..................... 707/1,
`707/2, 7, 104.1, 10, 626; 705/51; 84/609
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
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`
`.
`(Commued)
`Primary ExamineriEtienne p LeRoux
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Improved techniques to create, browse and/or purchase
`media asset groups are disclosed. Media assets groups can be
`created by various persons and published to a digital assets
`manager. Thereafter, the media assets groups can be finalized
`and made available for on—line purchase. Once the media
`asset groups are made available for on-line purchase, users
`can browse and/or purchase the media asset groups at an
`on—line media store. One example of a media asset group
`(group of media items) is known as a playlist, which can
`Pertain to a group of audio tracks
`
`37 Claims, 17 Drawing Sheets
`
`114
`
`Z
`DKHTAL
`MEDM
`MANAGER
`
`16,100
`MEDM
`
`
`STORE
`”\4102
`
`SERVER
`
`
`
`
`DATA
`MEDM
`
`NEUNORK
`
`ASSETS
`
`DATABASE
`
`
`
`
` CLIENT DEVICE
`
`
`
`
`
`
`CUENTDEWCE
`
`(MEMAPROGRAMMER
`MMA
`
`W110
`
`(112
`
`106
`
`(END USER)
`
`
`
`
`
`104
`
`
`
`108
`
`Apple Exhibit 4445
`
`Apple V. SightSound Technologies
`CBM2013-00023
`
`Page 00001
`
`Apple Exhibit 4445
`Apple v. SightSound Technologies
`CBM2013-00023
`Page 00001
`
`

`

`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`Page2
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`

`

`US 7,860,830 B2
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`[retrieved on Mar. 26, 2008]. Retrieved from the Internew <URL:
`http://www.pocketpcdubai.com/DinarSoft/memmaidireview.
`htm1>.
`Torrone, Phillip, How-To: Getting Podcasts on a Portable Media
`Center (and other Windows Media Devices, Oct. 2004.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Page 00004
`
`Page 00004
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`iDec.28,2010
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`Sheet10f17
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`US 7,860,830 B2
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 2 of 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`202
`
`204
`
`206
`
`208
`
`210
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`214
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`FIG. 2
`
`Page 00006
`
`Page 00006
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 3 of 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`[ 30°
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`End
`
`Page 00007
`
`302
`
`304
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`306
`
`308
`
`310
`
`312
`
`314
`
`FIG. 3
`
`Page 00007
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 4 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`® [4”
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`CREATE MULTI-GROUP PLAYLIST
`
`402
`
`ACCESS ON—LINE MUSIC STORE
`
`404
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`406
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`
`Page 00008
`
`Page 00008
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 5 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
` REORDER
`
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`GROUPS
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`OF FAILED
`AUTHENTICATION
`
`Page 00009
`
`Page 00009
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 6 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`RECEIVE VALIDATED MULTI-GROUP PLAYLIST
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`436
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`PLAYUST
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`438
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`WITH THE DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION
`
`FIG. 40
`
`Page 00010
`
`Page 00010
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 7 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`® [5”
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`502
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`INITIAL
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`
`SUCCESSFUL RESPONSE
`
`FIG. 5A
`
`Page 00011
`
`Page 00011
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 8 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`IDENTIFY EACH TRACK WITHIN
`THE MULTI-GROUP PLAYLIST
`
`516
`
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`
`
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`
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`520
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`528
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`
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`?
`
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`YES
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`
`FIG. 58
`
`Page 00012
`
`Page 00012
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 9 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`RECEIVE SUBMITTED MULTI—GROUP
`
`PLAYLIST AND ASSOCIATED
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`DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION
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`MULTI-GROUP PLAYLIST
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`PLAYLIST AND ASSOCIATED
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`DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION
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`
`ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SUBMITTED
`
`FIG. 50
`
`532
`
`534
`
`536
`
`Page 00013
`
`Page 00013
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 10 0f 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`FIG. 6
`
`Page 00014
`
`Page 00014
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 11 of 17
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`US 7,860,830 B2
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 28, 2010
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`Sheet 13 of 17
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`US 7,860,830 B2
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`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 28, 2010
`
`Sheet 17 of 17
`
`US 7,860,830 B2
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`US 7,860,830 B2
`
`1
`PUBLISHING, BROWSING AND
`PURCHASING OF GROUPS OF MEDIA
`ITEMS
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is related to US. patent application Ser.
`No. 10/833,879, filed Apr. 27, 2004, and entitled “METHOD
`AND SYSTEM FOR SHARING PLAYLISTS”, which is
`hereby incorporated by reference herein.
`This application is also related to (i) US. patent application
`Ser. No. 1 1/1 14,914, filed concurrently herewith, and entitled
`“PUBLISHING, BROWSING, RATING AND PURCHAS-
`ING OF GROUPS OF MEDIA ITEMS”; (ii) US. application
`Ser. No. 11/097,034, filed Apr. 1, 2005, and entitled “PER-
`SISTENT GROUP OF MEDIA ITEMS FOR A MEDIA
`
`DEVICE”, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference;
`(iii) US. patent application Ser. No. 11/078,583, filed Mar.
`11, 2005, and entitled “AUTOMATED CREATION OF
`MEDIA ASSET ILLUSTRATION COLLAGE”; (iV) US.
`patent application Ser. No. 10/833,399, filed Apr. 27, 2004,
`and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIG-
`URABLE AUTOMATIC MEDIA SELECTION”, which is
`hereby incorporated by reference herein;
`(V) US. patent
`application Ser. No. 10/832,984, filed Apr. 26, 2004, and
`entitled “GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR BROWS-
`ING, SEARCHING AND PRESENTING MEDIA ITEMS”;
`(Vi) US. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/622,280,
`filed Oct. 25, 2004, and entitled “ONLINE PURCHASE OF
`DIGITAL MEDIA BUNDLES”; (Vii) U.S. PrOVisional Patent
`Application Ser. No. 60/620,223, filed Oct. 18, 2004, and
`entitled “NETWORK-BASED PURCHASE AND DISTRI-
`BUTION OF DIGITAL MEDIA ITEMS”, all of which are
`hereby incorporated by reference herein; (Viii) US. patent
`application Ser. No. 10/832,812, filed Apr. 26, 2004, and
`entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURE NET-
`
`(ix)
`WORK-BASED DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT”;
`US. patent Application Ser. No. 10/833,267, filed Apr. 26,
`2004, and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NET-
`WORK-BASED PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF
`
`MEDIA”; (X) US. patent application Ser. No. 10/277,418,
`filed Oct. 21, 2002, and entitled “INTELLIGENT INTER-
`ACTION BETWEEN MEDIA PLAYER AND HOST COM-
`
`PUTER”, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference;
`and (xi) US. patent application Ser. No. 10/198,639, filed Jul.
`16, 2002, and entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR
`UPDATING PLAYLISTS”, which is hereby incorporated by
`reference herein.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the InVention
`
`The present inVention relates to media asset groups and,
`more particularly, to publishing, browsing and purchasing
`media asset groups.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`A media player stores media assets, such as audio tracks,
`that can be played or displayed on the media player. One
`example of a media player is the iPod® media player, which
`is aVailable from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.
`Often, a media player acquires its media assets from a host
`computer that serves to enable a user to manage media assets.
`In managing media assets, a user can create playlists for audio
`tracks. These playlists can be created at the host computer
`with the help of a media management application. Media
`assets within the playlists can then be copied to the media
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`player. As an example, the host computer can execute a media
`management application to manage media assets. One
`example of a media management application is iTunes® pro-
`duced by Apple Computer, Inc.
`Typically, at a host computer, a user would create a playlist
`for their own personal use using a media management appli-
`cation. HoweVer, the grouping of the Various media assets
`within the playlist can be useful to other users. Indeed, if the
`users that are performing the grouping are well-known or
`noteworthy, there may be particular interest in sharing such
`playlists. One difficulty with sharing playlists is that the
`media assets within the playlist can originate from a wide
`Variety of different sources. As a result, giVen that a playlist
`does not include the songs or audio tracks themselVes, the
`recipient of the playlist needs to haVe access to the identified
`songs or audio tracks in order to re-create the playlist on their
`own media management application (e.g., host computer).
`Another difiicultly with sharing playlists is that, although
`on-line music stores pr0Vide users of media management
`application with the ability to purchase songs or albums,
`playlists are themselVes not saleable groupings of media
`assets, at least not according to the recording industry.
`Thus, there is a need for impr0Ved techniques to facilitate
`sharing and purchasing of playlists.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The inVention pertains to impr0Ved techniques to create,
`browse and/or purchase media asset groups. Media assets
`groups can be created by Various persons and published to a
`digital assets manager. Thereafter, the media assets groups
`can be finalized and made aVailable for on-line purchase.
`Once the media asset groups are made aVailable for on-line
`purchase, users can browse and/or purchase the media asset
`groups at an on-line media store. One example of a media
`asset group (group of media items) is known as a playlist,
`which can pertain to a group of audio tracks.
`One aspect of the inVention pertains to creation of media
`asset groups haVing media assets arranged in multiple sub-
`groups. Another aspect of the inVention is the ability to pro-
`cess a created media asset group to ensure appropriate aVail-
`ability of each of the constituent media assets of the media
`asset group. Still another aspect of the inVention pertains to
`presenting different sub-groups of a media asset group while
`browsing and/or purchasing Via an on-line music store. Yet
`still another aspect of the inVention is the ability to purchase
`constituent assets of a media asset group.
`The inVention can be implemented in numerous ways,
`including as a method, system, deVice, apparatus (including
`graphical user interface), or c