Highly portable media device

• US 10,534,452 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2018
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jobs, Steve, Fadell, Anthony M., Ive, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mistry, Ram A
• Application Number:
  US16/052,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20190025943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00057 MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 audio layer III [MP3]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/60 Solid state media details of solid state memory devices G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/20 Memory cell initialisation circuits, e.g. when powering up or down, memory clear, latent image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

An improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the portable media device can also function as a solid-state drive for data storage. The form factor of the portable media device can be hand-held or smaller, such that it is highly portable. The portable media device can use one or more status indicators. The portable media device can also include a peripheral bus connector, a rechargeable battery, and one or more input devices. According to another aspect, the portable media device has the capability to store media device status information in persistent memory before powering down. Thereafter, when the portable media device is again powered up, the stored media player status information can be retrieved and utilized. According to still another aspect, the portable media device can form and/or traverse a media asset playlist in an efficient manner.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device including a status indicator and a battery, and not including a display, wherein the electronic device is an audio media peripheral device for a second electronic device, with which the electronic device is in communication;

receiving a trigger for providing device status associated with the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the trigger for providing device status associated with the electronic device;

in accordance with a determination that one or more first criteria are satisfied, providing, via the status indicator, a status corresponding to the battery of the electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more second criteria, different than the first criteria, are satisfied, providing, via the status indicator, a status corresponding to a respective component, other than the battery of the electronic device, associated with the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator provides a device status in response to receiving the trigger, and is inactive when not providing the device status in response to receiving the trigger.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the status indicator provides the device status for a predetermined period of time in response to receiving the trigger, and then becomes inactive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger is a user actuation of a mechanical button on the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indicator is a light indicator.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the light indicator provides different light based on the device status.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises providing different colors of light.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing different colors of light comprises:

in accordance with a determination that a battery level of the battery is a high level, providing a first color of light; and

in accordance with a determination that the battery level of the battery is a low level, providing a second color of light, different from the first color of light.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises, in accordance with the electronic device having a given device status different from a battery level of the battery being at a high level or a low level, flashing the light indicator on and off.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises:

in accordance with the electronic device having a given device status of charging the battery, providing light with a first characteristic; and

in accordance with the electronic device not having the given device status of charging the battery, providing light with a second characteristic, different from the first characteristic.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a status indicator;

a battery;

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising;

receiving a trigger for providing device status associated with the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the trigger for providing device status associated with the electronic device;

in accordance with a determination that one or more first criteria are satisfied, providing, via the status indicator, a status corresponding to the battery of the electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more second criteria, different than the first criteria, are satisfied, providing, via the status indicator, a status corresponding to a respective component, other than the battery of the electronic device, associated with the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device does not include a display, and the electronic device is an audio media peripheral device for a second electronic device, with which the electronic device is in communication.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the status indicator provides a device status in response to receiving the trigger, and is inactive when not providing the device status in response to receiving the trigger.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the status indicator provides the device status for a predetermined period of time in response to receiving the trigger, and then becomes inactive.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the trigger is a user actuation of a mechanical button on the electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the status indicator is a light indicator.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the light indicator provides different light based on the device status.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises providing different colors of light.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein providing different colors of light comprises:

in accordance with a determination that a battery level of the battery is a high level, providing a first color of light; and

in accordance with a determination that the battery level of the battery is a low level, providing a second color of light, different from the first color of light.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises, in accordance with the electronic device having a given device status different from a battery level of the battery being at a high level or a low level, flashing the light indicator on and off.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises:

in accordance with the electronic device having a given device status of charging the battery, providing light with a first characteristic; and

in accordance with the electronic device not having the given device status of charging the battery, providing light with a second characteristic, different from the first characteristic.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors of an electronic device with a status indicator and a battery, and not including a display, wherein the electronic device is an audio media peripheral device for a second electronic device, with which the electronic device is in communication, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

device; and

receiving a trigger for providing device status associated with the electronic in response to receiving the trigger for providing device status associated with the electronic device;

in accordance with a determination that one or more first criteria are satisfied, providing, via the status indicator, a status corresponding to the battery of the electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that one or more second criteria, different than the first criteria, are satisfied, providing, via the status indicator, a status corresponding to a respective component, other than the battery of the electronic device, associated with the electronic device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the status indicator provides a device status in response to receiving the trigger, and is inactive when not providing the device status in response to receiving the trigger.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the status indicator provides the device status for a predetermined period of time in response to receiving the trigger, and then becomes inactive.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the trigger is a user actuation of a mechanical button on the electronic device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the status indicator is a light indicator.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the light indicator provides different light based on the device status.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises providing different colors of light.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein providing different colors of light comprises:

in accordance with a determination that a battery level of the battery is a high level, providing a first color of light; and

in accordance with a determination that the battery level of the battery is a low level, providing a second color of light, different from the first color of light.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises, in accordance with the electronic device having a given device status different from a battery level of the battery being at a high level or a low level, flashing the light indicator on and off.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein providing different light based on the device status comprises:

in accordance with the electronic device having a given device status of charging the battery, providing light with a first characteristic; and

in accordance with the electronic device not having the given device status of charging the battery, providing light with a second characteristic, different from the first characteristic.