Media playlist construction for virtual environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9525746-B2
Application number	US-201414486525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 26, 2007
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for generating song playlists for use in an immersive virtual environment. Generally, playlists may be generated based on stored music preference data. The music preference data may be generated by storing user interactions with specific songs. The user interactions may be associated with characteristics of the user's situational context within the virtual world. The music preference data may be indexed by song name, and/or by musical properties. Subsequently, the music preference data may be used to generate a playlist adapted to the user's current situation within the virtual world.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a user-specific playlist based on feedback received during playing of a song in a virtual environment, the method being implemented by a computer that includes one or more physical processors, the method comprising:
receiving, by the computer, an instance of feedback about a song, from a user, during playing of the song in a virtual environment;
determining, by the computer, a first situational context that corresponds to a first situation of an avatar of the user in the virtual environment at a time of receipt of the instance of feedback;
populating, by the computer, a data structure with an entry for the instance of feedback, wherein the entry comprises, for the instance of feedback: (i) information identifying the song, and (ii) information corresponding to the first situational context;
determining, by the computer, a second situational context that corresponds to a second situation of the avatar of the user in the virtual environment; and
generating, by the computer, a playlist specific to the user in the virtual environment based on the instance of feedback responsive to a determination that the second situational context corresponds to the first situational context.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the instance of feedback comprises at least one of a command to repeat the song, or a command to increase volume of the song.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the instance of feedback comprises at least one of a command to skip the song, or a command to decrease volume of the song.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the instance of feedback comprises a rating of the song.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information corresponding to the first situational context includes information about at least one of: (i) a location of the avatar of the user in the virtual environment, (ii) one or more interactions of the avatar of the user with one or more virtual objects in the virtual environment, or (iii) one or more avatar companions of the avatar of the user within the virtual environment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information corresponding to the first situational context includes information about at least one of: (i) one or more topics included in a communication of the avatar of the user, (ii) one or more changes in activities of the avatar of the user, or (iii) participation in an event having a predefined list of songs.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating a playlist specific to the user in the virtual environment is further based on stored musical preferences of the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the musical preferences include a history of songs played during past interactions of the avatar of the user with the virtual world.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the musical preferences include one or more specified musical properties.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the specified musical properties include at least one of song genres, song rhythms, song tempos, lyrics, or instruments.

11. A system for creating a user-specific playlist based on feedback received during playing of a song in a virtual environment, the system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
a memory containing a program which, when executed by the one or more computer processors, is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving an instance of feedback about a song, from a user, during playing of the song in a virtual environment;
determining a first situational context that corresponds to a first situation of an avatar of the user in the virtual environment at a time of receipt of the instance of feedback;
populating a data structure with an entry for the instance of feedback, wherein the entry comprises, for the instance: (i) information identifying the song, and (ii) information corresponding to the first situational context; and
determining a second situational context that corresponds to a second situation of the avatar of the user in the virtual environment; and
generating a playlist specific to the user in the virtual environment based on the instance of feedback responsive to a determination that the second situational context corresponds to the first situational context.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instance of feedback comprises at least one of a command to repeat the song, or a command to increase volume of the song.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instance of feedback comprises at least one of a command to skip the song, or a command to decrease volume of the song.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instance of feedback comprises a rating of the song.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the information corresponding to the first situational context includes information about at least one of: (i) a location of the avatar of the user in the virtual environment, (ii) one or more interactions of the avatar of the user with one or more virtual objects in the virtual environment, or (iii) one or more avatar companions of the avatar of the user in the virtual environment.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the information corresponding to the first situational context includes information about at least one of: (i) one or more topics included in a communication of the avatar of the user, (ii) one or more changes in the activities of the avatar of the user, or (iii) participation in an event having a predefined list of songs.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein generating a playlist specific to the user in the virtual environment is further based on stored musical preferences of the user.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the musical preferences include a history of songs played during past interactions of the avatar of the user with the virtual world.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the musical preferences include one or more specified musical properties.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the specified musical properties include at least one of song genres, song rhythms, song tempos, lyrics, or instruments.

21. A computer program product to create a user-specific playlist based on feedback received during playing of a song in a virtual environment, the computer program product comprising:
a computer-readable storage memory device having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising:
computer-readable program code for causing a processor to determine a first situational context that corresponds to an avatar of a user at a time of receipt, from the user, of an instance of feedback about a song during playing of the song in a virtual environment;
computer-readable program code for causing a processor to populate a data structure with an entry for the instance of feedback, wherein the entry comprises, for the instance of feedback: (i) information identifying the song, and (ii) information corresponding to the first situational context; and
computer-readable program code for causing a processor to determine a second situational context that corresponds to a second situation of the avatar of the user in the virtual environment; and computer-readable program code for causing a processor to generate a playlist specific to the user in the virtual environment based on the instance of feedback responsive to a determination that

Assignees

• Activision Publishing Inc

Inventors

• Bates Cary Lee
• Chen Jim Chun-Ta
• Garbow Zachary Adam
• Young Gregory Edward

Classifications

• G06F17/30766

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L67/22 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F17/30764

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30772

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30749

  Physics · mapped topic