Systems and methods for using playlists

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically generating a playlist of series assets and systems and methods for grouping assets of a playlist in clusters are provided. In one embodiment, series assets may automatically be included into a playlist for that series. In another embodiment, an interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters based on one or more user selected parameters or may group assets in cluster based on automatically determined parameters. In yet another embodiment, the interactive media guidance application may group assets in clusters and display at least one identifier in connection with each cluster to indicate a basis for forming the cluster. The identifier may be a key word or catch phrase that succinctly identifies a trait or characteristic of assets in a particular cluster associated with the identifier.

1 . A method for using an interactive media guidance application, comprising:
 allowing a user to configure recording options, the options comprising a playlist designation option;   designating a playlist using the playlist designation option;   recording at least one asset according to the configured recording options;   automatically including the at least one recorded asset in the designated playlist; and   arranging the assets in the designated playlist according to a predetermined order.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recording options comprise series recording options. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating a playlist comprises designating a series playlist. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating a playlist comprises creating a playlist. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating a playlist comprises selecting an existing playlist. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configured recording options comprise recording attributes and recording at least one asset comprises recording a set of assets, which assets have the recording attributes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the designated playlist includes a plurality of assets, the method further comprising:
 playing back recorded assets included in the designated playlist.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 playing back the assets according to the predetermined order.   
     
     
         9 . The method or  claim 1 , further comprising updating the designated playlist as a function of the availability of at least one of the assets in the designated playlist. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the designated playlist includes a plurality of assets, the method further comprising:
 grouping the assets in clusters according to at least one parameter.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the parameter is user selected. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the parameter is automatically selected as at least a function of the attributes of the plurality of assets. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least designating a playlist using the playlist designation option is performed remotely from where assets in the playlist are displayed. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising user equipment for implementing an interactive media guidance application, the user equipment operative to:
 allow a user to configure recording options, the options comprising a playlist designation option;   designate a playlist using the playlist designation option;   record at least one asset according to configured recording options;   include the at least one recorded asset in the designated playlist; and   arrange the assets in the designated playlist according to a predetermined order.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein recording options comprise series recording options. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein designate a playlist comprises designate a series playlist. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is operative to create a new playlist for the designated playlist. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is operative to select an existing playlist for the designated playlist. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the configured recording options comprise recording attributes and recording at least one asset comprises recording a set of assets, which assets have the recording attributes. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the designated series playlist includes a plurality of assets, and the user equipment is operative to:
 play back recorded assets included in the designated playlist.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 play back the assets according to the predetermined order.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is further operative to update the designated playlist as a function of the availability of at least one of the assets in the designated playlist. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the designated playlist includes a plurality of assets, the user equipment operative to:
 group the assets in clusters according to at least one parameter.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the parameter is user selected. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the parameter is automatically selected as at least a function of the attributes of the plurality of assets. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is operative to receive a designated playlist from a source remote to the user equipment. 
     
     
         27 . A method for using an interactive media guidance application, comprising:
 generating a playlist associated with a selected asset;   automatically including other related available assets into the playlist substantially at the time of the generation of the playlist;   arranging the assets in the playlist according to a predetermined order; and   dynamically updating the playlist as a function of changes associated with the assets in the playlist.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the selected asset is a recorded asset that is part of a series and other related assets are assets that belong to the same series as the selected asset. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein including other related available assets into the playlist comprises including assets that are related by a specified set of criteria. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 displaying program guide information, the program guide information including the selected asset;   receiving a user selection of the selected asset; and   determining whether the selected asset belongs to a series; wherein, generating a playlist comprises generating a series playlist when a playlist associated with the series does not already exist.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising:
 enabling a user to designate at least one series playlist option for the playlist.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the including is based on the at least one designated series playlist option. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the updating is based on the at least one designated series playlist option. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the playlist includes assets only for a series associated with the selected asset. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the playlist includes assets of at least one particular type, the method further comprising:
 determining assets of the at least one particular type that are available and correlating those determined assets to the selected series; and   including the available assets having the at least one particular type in the series playlist.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one particular type is selected from the group consisting of locally recorded assets, remotely recorded assets, server stored assets, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 rearranging the order of assets in the playlist.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 adding a new series asset to the playlist when the new series asset becomes available.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the new series asset is added to the playlist when the new series asset is recorded. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the new series asset is added to the playlist when the new series asset is made available on a server. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 changing the representation of an asset within the playlist when that asset's accessibility changes state.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein changing the representation of an asset within the playlist comprises removing the asset from the playlist while maintaining the integrity of the rest of the playlist. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein changing the representation of an asset within the playlist comprises changing a characteristic of the visual representation of the asset within the playlist and changing some aspect of the functionality of the asset's representation. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein changing some aspect of the functionality of the asset's representation comprises skipping playback of the asset during execution of the playlist. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 removing an asset from the playlist when that asset has been deleted.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 removing an asset from the playlist when that asset is no longer accessible.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 preventing playback of an asset from the playlist when that asset is not authorized for viewing according to a digital rights management system.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the updating comprises:
 removing an asset from the playlist when that asset has been viewed.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising a providing a remote user interface to allow a user to at least select the selected asset. 
     
     
         50 . A system for using an interactive media guidance application, the system comprising user equipment operative to:
 generate a playlist associated with a selected asset;   automatically include other related available assets into the playlist substantially at the time of the generation of the playlist;   arrange the assets in the playlist according to a predetermined order; and   dynamically update the playlist as a function of changes associated with the assets in the playlist.   
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the selected asset is a recorded asset that is part of a series and other related assets are assets that belong to the same series as the selected asset. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to include the other related available assets into the playlist that are related by a specified set of criteria. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 50 , the user equipment further operative to:
 display program guide information, the program guide information including the selected asset;   receive a user selection of the selected asset;   determine whether the selected asset belongs to a series; and   generate a series playlist when a playlist associated with the series does not already exist.   
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 50 , the user equipment further operative to:
 enable a user to designate at least one series playlist option for the playlist.   
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the user equipment is operative to include the other related available assets into the playlist based on the at least one designated series playlist option. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the user equipment is operative to update the playlist based on the at least one designated series playlist option. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the playlist includes assets only for a series associated with the selected asset. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the playlist includes assets of at least one particular type, the user equipment further operative to:
 determine assets of the at least one particular type that are available and correlating those determined assets to the selected series; and   include the available assets having the at least one particular type in the series playlist.   
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the at least one particular type is selected from the group consisting of locally recorded assets, remotely recorded assets, server stored assets, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 rearrange the order of assets in the playlist.   
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 add a new series asset to the playlist when the new series asset becomes available.   
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the new series asset is added to the playlist when the new series asset is recorded. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the new series asset is added to the playlist when the new series asset is made available on a server. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 change the representation of an asset within the playlist when that asset's accessibility changes state.   
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein the user equipment is operative to change the representation of an asset within the playlist by removing the asset from the playlist while maintaining the integrity of the rest of the playlist. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein the user equipment is operative to change the representation of an asset within the playlist by changing a characteristic of the visual representation of the asset within the playlist and changing some aspect of the functionality of the asset's representation. 
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 66 , wherein the user equipment is operative to change some aspect of the functionality of the asset's representation by skipping playback of the asset during execution of the playlist. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 remove an asset from the playlist when that asset has been deleted.   
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 remove an asset from the playlist when that asset is no longer accessible.   
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 prevent playback of an asset from the playlist when that asset is not authorized for viewing according to a digital rights management system.   
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the user equipment is operative to:
 remove an asset from the playlist when that asset has been viewed.   
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 50 , further comprising a remote user interface, the remote user interface allowing a user to at least select the selected asset.