Implicit ranking of audio content
A media player device configured to store and play content for a user uses an implicit rank to add and delete content from the device. The rank is determined implicitly by gathering available information about a user directly and by monitoring user listening activity. The gathered information about the user and the monitored information are used to determine the user rank. Content is managed by comparing content stored on the media player device to the user rank to determine a preference order for storing content on the device; receiving content at the media player device; deleting one or more stored content objects from a computer readable storage medium so there is sufficient space to store the received content; and storing the received content on the computer readable storage medium.
1. A media player device operable to store and play content for a user, the device comprising:
a media receiver operable to receive media content;
a computer readable storage medium configured for storing items of media content received at the media receiver;
an implicit rank generation module operable to automatically generate an implicit ranking for each item of media content indicative of a user's listening preferences,
wherein the implicit rank generation module is operable to generate the implicit ranking for each item of media content based on user information, metadata associated with the media content experienced by the user, and user listening history,
the implicit generation module further operable to automatically adjust the implicit ranking for each item of media content over a period of time, the automatic adjustment based on analyzing patterns of each item of media content, the patterns being indicative of and based on the user's listening preferences,
wherein the patterns include a number of times a user has manually skipped a particular item of media content while the particular item of media content is being played except when the skip occurs at an hour break in which case the skip is not added to the number of times the user has manually skipped the particular item of media content,
wherein the number of times a user has manually skipped the particular item of media content does not include a skip to a radio station that is broadcasting news or traffic at the time of the skip, and
wherein the media player device is configured to: determine that the computer readable storage medium of the media player device lacks sufficient storage space for an additional item of media content;
compare the implicit ranking of a first item of media content stored on the computer readable storage medium of the media player device with an implicit ranking of the additional item of media content;
determine that the implicit ranking of the first item of media content stored on the computer readable storage medium of the media player device is less than the implicit ranking of the additional item of media content; and
based on the determination that the computer readable storage medium of the media player device lacks sufficient storage space for the additional item of media content and the determination that the implicit ranking of the first item of media content stored on the computer readable storage medium of the media player device is less than the implicit ranking of the additional item of media content from the computer readable storage medium of the media player device and automatically add the additional item of media content to the computer readable storage medium of the media player device; and
a media player for playing media content stored on the computer readable storage medium to the user.
2. A device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the media receiver comprises one or more of: a satellite radio receiver, a DAB receiver, an FM receiver, an AM receiver, a Web based audio receiver, and a networked connection for receiving media content from a network or a linked computing device.
3. A device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a user input mechanism whereby a user can designate controls regarding the storage of media content on the computer readable storage medium.
4. A device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the computer readable storage medium comprises one or more of: magnetic disk storage, optical disk storage, and solid state storage.
5. A device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the patterns includes one or more of: the frequency a selected content object is played; changes to playlists; changes to purchased content; changes to uploaded content; time at which content is played or skipped; the time position of content at which play is terminated; or changes to the volume while playing a content object.