Method and apparatus for multiplexing audio program channels from one or more received broadcast streams to provide a playlist style listening experience to users

摘要

Methods and apparatuses provide personalized radio by outputting selected songs from multiple channels from one or more source streams. Users can specify favorite channels for building their personal playlists, or multiple default playlist channels can be provided by genre or other criteria. User like/dislike inputs via the radio receiver generate filter data used to search all channels for matches or block songs from playback. Filter data can also be based on virtual DJ recommendations. Channel searching for matches involves monitoring real-time song and artist labels or other metadata for all channels carried in a separate data channel. Personalization can also be provided by using filter data to select content from a mixed channel comprising content from a selected group of channels. Connectivity options and web interfaces are provided to facilitate transfer and sharing of customization parameters for personalized radio configuration.

主权项

1. A method of outputting selected content segments from one or more received streams comprising:
receiving, at a receiver, at least one source stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed program channels, each of the program channels comprising content segments; receiving, at the receiver, metadata corresponding to the content segments in the source stream and representing attributes of the content segments; simultaneously buffering a designated plurality of the channels at the receiver; correlating the metadata of the content segments in the designated plurality of the channels with filter data indicating user preferences regarding the content segments in the source stream to select content segments in the buffered channels for playback; and generating an automatically mixed channel at the receiver by playing back the selected content segments in the buffered channels in a designated order; wherein generating the automatically mixed channel comprises playing back the selected content segments in at least one modified buffered channel and content segments from at least one unmodified buffered channel, wherein the modified buffered channel is filtered using the filter data and the unmodified buffered channel is not filtered using the filter data.