Programming content on a device
View Patent ↗Discovering content on a device. Content stored on a device can be examined or searched based on the programming of channels that are available to the device. The content can be searched using other rules related to user preferences. Based on the results of the examination of the content, playlists are generated. Each playlist includes content from the device that matches or partially matches the content associated with one of the channels. Using the playlists, a user can load content from their device that has a theme consistent with a particular channel. The playlists can also be used to tune to the channels associated with the playlists and thereby discover the content on those channels.
1. A method, performed by a device that both stores audio files and receives streamed audio content from a plurality of radio channels, of organizing the audio files stored on the device based on characteristics of the stored audio files when compared to characteristics of each of the plurality of radio channels, the method comprising:
analyzing content received over at least a first radio channel and a second radio channel of the plurality of radio channels to determine characteristics of the audio content that is streamed over the first and second radio channels;
based on the analysis, determining that the first radio channel plays a first type of music and that the second radio channel plays a second type of music;
creating a first playlist based on the first radio channel;
creating a second playlist based on the second radio channel;
for each of a plurality of audio files stored on the device, comparing the audio file to the first and second radio channels to determine whether the audio file comprises the first type of music played on the first radio channel or the second type of music played on the second radio channel;
based on the comparison, placing each audio file in the first or second playlist such that audio files comprising music of the first type are placed in the first playlist while audio files comprising music of the second type are placed in the second playlist;
determining that the plurality of audio files stored on the device has changed such that one or more additional audio files are stored on the device;
for each of the one or more additional audio files, comparing the audio file to the first and second radio channels to determine whether the audio file comprises the first type of music played on the first radio channel or the second type of music played on the second radio channel;
based on the comparison, placing the one or more additional audio files in either the first or second playlist; and
displaying a listing of each playlist and its correlated channel.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein analyzing content received over at least a first radio channel and a second radio channel of the plurality of radio channels to determine characteristics of the audio content that is streamed over the first and second radio channels comprises determining metadata of a plurality of songs that are regularly streamed on each channel.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
indicating a degree to which the characteristics of at least some of the audio files within a particular playlist matches the characteristics of a particular channel.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of audio files comprise a subset of all audio files stored on the device, and wherein the audio files in the subset have been played more than audio files on the device that are not included in the subset.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving input from the user that selects one of the channels of audio content; and
displaying to the user one or more playlists that include audio files whose metadata most closely matches the characteristics of the selected channel.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
correlating the first playlist with the first radio channel; and
correlating the second playlist with the second radio channel.
7. The method as defined in claim 6 , further comprising:
setting at least some channels to which one or more playlists correlate as a preset channel on the device.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving user input that selects the first playlist; and
tuning the device to the first radio channel.
9. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising performing a subsequent analysis of the content received over at least some of the plurality of radio channels.
10. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the subsequent analysis is performed when audio files stored on the device changes or audio content streamed on the one or more channels changes.
11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein comparing the audio file to the first and second radio channels comprises comparing metadata of the audio files to the first and second radio channels, the metadata comprises at least one of an artist, a genre, or a time period of the audio files.
12. The method as defined in claim 11 , wherein at least one type of metadata is given a greater weight in the comparison than at least one other type of metadata.
13. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising loading the playlists on another device.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the plurality of audio files has changed comprises determining that the one or more additional audio files have been played more than a threshold number of times.
15. One or more non-transitory computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed on a device that both stores audio files and receives streamed audio content from a plurality of radio channels implements a method of organizing the audio files stored on the device based on characteristics of the stored audio files when compared to characteristics of each of the plurality of radio channels, the method comprising:
analyzing content received over at least a first radio channel and a second radio channel of the plurality of radio channels to determine characteristics of the audio content that is streamed over the first and second radio channels;
based on the analysis, determining that the first radio channel plays a first type of music and that the second radio channel plays a second type of music;
creating a first playlist based on the first radio channel;
creating a second playlist based on the second radio channel;
for each of a plurality of audio files stored on the device, comparing the audio file to the first and second radio channels to determine whether the audio file comprises the first type of music played on the first radio channel or the second type of music played on the second radio channel;
based on the comparison, placing each audio file in the first or second playlist such that audio files comprising music of the first type are placed in the first playlist while audio files comprising music of the second type are placed in the second playlist;
determining that the plurality of audio files stored on the device has changed such that one or more additional audio files are stored on the device;
for each of the one or more additional audio files, comparing the audio file to the first and second radio channels to determine whether the audio file comprises the first type of music played on the first radio channel or the second type of music played on the second radio channel;
based on the comparison, placing the one or more additional audio files in either the first or second playlist; and
displaying a listing of each playlist and its correlated channel.
16. The computer storage media of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving input from the user that selects the first radio channel;
displaying to the user the first playlist; and
playing the first playlist in response to the input.