Method and system for sharing playlists

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715500-B2
Application number	US-83387904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2004
Priority date	Apr 27, 2004
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems for publishing a playlist are disclosed. A user generates or selects a playlist, which is then provided (e.g., uploaded) for publishing. A playlist identifying at least one of one or more tracks and one or more albums is received. The playlist may then be published such that the playlist is viewable by one or more individuals. A user may then purchase one or more tracks/albums identified in the playlist via an online store.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at an online media store, from a first client computing device, a first playlist created and stored by a user at the first client computing device, the first playlist identifying media items selected for the first playlist by the user at the first client computing device, the first playlist being received via a network;
receiving, from the first client computing device, a first request to publish the first playlist at the online media store;
in response to the first request to publish the first playlist at the online media store:
matching the media items identified in the first playlist against content items available at the online media store;
determining that at least one of the media items does not match any of the content items available at the online media store;
filtering the at least one of the media items from the first playlist to yield a second playlist comprising the first playlist without the at least one of the media items;
publishing the second playlist at the online media store for access by users from other client computing devices; and

receiving, by the online media store, from a second client computing device, a second request to purchase or download one or more media items identified in the second playlist.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the first request to publish the first playlist includes receiving permissions associated with the first playlist from the user, wherein the permissions associated with the first playlist identify one or more users or groups that can access the first playlist, and wherein publishing the second playlist comprises:
presenting the second playlist to at least one of the one or more users or groups identified by the permissions associated with the first playlist.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to contact an individual from whom the first playlist was received; and
sending an email to the individual, wherein an identity and email address of the individual are not provided in response to the request.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
after publishing the second playlist, identifying a media item from the second playlist that has become unavailable from the online media store since the second playlist was published;
removing the media item from the second playlist; and
after removing the media item from the second playlist, publishing a third playlist comprising the second playlist without the media item.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
filtering a media item from the first playlist based on a respective characteristic of the media item, the respective characteristic being separate from an availability status of the media item at the online media store; and
publishing the second playlist without the media item.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
unpublishing the second playlist by selecting an unpublish option at the online media store, the unpublish option being associated with the second playlist.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein publishing the second playlist comprises:
generating a uniform resource locator (URL) based on a location of the second playlist, the URL providing access to the second playlist;
providing the URL to one or more computing devices to allow one or more respective individuals to access the second playlist via the URL.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein receiving the first playlist and the first request to publish are both in response to a user selection of an option to publish the first playlist, the option to publish, when selected, causing the first client computing device to transmit both the first playlist and the first request to publish the first playlist to the online media store.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first playlist and the first request to publish the first playlist are both received from a media application operating at the first client computing device during a same application session at the first client computing device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein publishing the second playlist further comprises, for each media item associated with the second playlist, presenting a respective indication in the second playlist of a number of individuals who have accessed or purchased the media item from the online media store.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein each media item associated with the second playlist includes a purchase price.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
flagging an entry in the second playlist indicating at least one media item associated with the second playlist was purchased by an individual viewing the second playlist from the online media store.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising restricting user access to the second playlist by creating a publishing group defining a selected set of users who may access the second playlist, wherein the publishing group restricts access to the second playlist to those users from the selected set of users defined in the publishing group.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising adding a selected user to the publishing group to enable access to the second playlist by the selected user.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second request is to purchase, from the online store, all media items associated with the second playlist, the method further comprising:
processing the second request to purchase all of the media items associated with the second playlist; and
providing all of the media items to the second client computing device associated with the second request.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the second request to purchase or download the one or more media items;
providing the one or more media items to the second client computing device associated with the second request; and
presenting an indication in the second playlist that the one or more media items were purchased.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first playlist and the second request are received together.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second request is to purchase all media items associated with the second playlist, the method further comprising:
processing the second request to purchase all of the media items in the second playlist at a group cost that is different than a combined cost of each individual media item in the second playlist; and
providing all of the media items to the second client computing device associated with the second request.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second request is to purchase all media items associated with the second playlist, the method further comprising:
processing the second request to purchase all of the media items in the second playlist at a group cost that is different than a combined cost of each individual media item in the second playlist;
providing all of the media items to the second client computing device associated with the second request; and
flagging all of the media items in the second playlist as having been purchased from the online media store.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein publishing the second playlist includes receiving an instruction to publish the second playlist at the online media store, the instruction being received from a client media application at the fir

Assignees

• Cue Eddy
• Kondrk Robert
• Gautier Patrice
• Robbin Jeffrey L
• Heller David
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Cue Eddy
• Kondrk Robert
• Gautier Patrice
• Robbin Jeffrey L
• Heller David

Classifications

• G06Q30/0643

  graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• G06Q30/0203

  Market surveys; Market polls · CPC title

• G06Q30/0625

  by formulating product or service queries, e.g. using keywords or predefined options · CPC title