METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR A PLAYER/RECORDER SYSTEM

• US 20010011194A1
• Filed: 09/24/1997
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: CLAAR, JEFFREY M., DUVALL, ROGER M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios

Abstract

Graphical user interface methods are described. In a player/recorder system, a graphical user interface method allows central control of one or more tracks of a plurality of audio processing modules. The plurality of audio processing modules are connected to a computer system having a processor and a display. The method includes the steps of generating a first display portion on the display by the processor, the first display portion including one or more control boxes to control a corresponding one or more tracks of the plurality of audio processing modules and generating a second display portion on the display by the processor, the second display including a central control mechanism for controlling all of the one or more tracks of the audio processing modules.

Claims

1. In a player/recorder system having a plurality of audio processing modules each having one or more tracks and each connected to a computer system having a processor and a display, a graphical user interface method of centrally controlling each of the one or more tracks of the plurality of audio processing modules, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a first display portion on the display by the processor, the first display portion including one or more control boxes to control a corresponding one or more tracks of the plurality of audio processing modules; and

generating a second display portion on the display by the processor, the second display including a central control mechanism for controlling all of the one or more tracks of the plurality of audio processing modules.

2. The method of

claim 1

further including the steps of:

selecting one of the control boxes corresponding to one of the tracks;

transmitting a control command associated with the one of the control boxes from the computer system to an audio processing module having the one of the tracks; and

performing a function assigned to the control command by the audio processing module.

3. The method of

claim 1

further including the steps of:

selecting a record button of a specific track;

transmitting a record command from the computer system to an audio processing module having the specific tracks; and

causing the specific track to record an audio sound by the audio processing module.

4. The method of

claim 1

further including the steps of:

selecting the central control mechanism;

transmitting a global control command associated with the central control mechanism from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and

each audio processing module, performing a function assigned to the global control command by the audio processing module.

5. The method of

claim 1

wherein the step of generating a second display portion includes the step of said second display portion, including a global play command for controlling the one or more tracks of the audio processing modules.

6. The method of

claim 5

further including the steps of:

selecting the global play command;

transmitting the global play command from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and

each audio processing module, causing all the tracks to each play an audio sound by the audio processing module.

7. The method of

claim 1

wherein the step of generating a second display portion includes the step of said second display portion, including a global stop command for controlling the one or more tracks of the audio processing modules.

8. In a player/recorder system having a plurality of audio processing modules each having one or more input/output (“

I/O”

) channels and each connected to a computer system having a processor and a display, a graphical user interface method of centrally controlling each of the one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules, the method comprising the steps of;

generating a first display portion, the first display portion including one or more control boxes to control a corresponding one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules;

displaying the first display portion by the processor on the display for control by a user;

selecting a control command on a specified control box by the user;

transmitting the control command from the computer system to the audio processing module having the I/O channel corresponding to the specified control box; and

performing a task assigned to the control command by the audio processing module with respect to the I/O channel.

9. In a player/recorder system having a plurality of audio processing modules each having one or more input/output (“

I/O”

) channels and each connected to a computer system having a processor and a display, a graphical user interface method of centrally controlling all of the one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules, the method comprising the steps of;

generating a display portion, the display portion including a central control mechanism to control all of the one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules;

displaying the display portion by the processor on the display for control by a user;

selecting the central control mechanism;

transmitting a global control command associated with the central control mechanism from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and

each audio processing module, causing all the I/O channels to perform a task assigned to the global control command.

10. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of audio processing modules in a player/recorder system, each of the plurality of audio processing modules having one or more input/output (“

I/O”

) channels, the apparatus comprising;

a processor; and

a display including

a first display portion produced by the processor, the first display portion including one or more control boxes to control corresponding I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules, and

a second display portion produced by the processor, the second display portion including a central control mechanism to control all of the one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules.

11. The apparatus of

claim 10

further comprising a selection device to select one of the control boxes corresponding to one of the I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules.

12. The apparatus of

claim 11

wherein the selection device is a keyboard.

13. The apparatus of

claim 11

wherein the selection device is a mouse.

14. The apparatus of

claim 11

further comprising an I/O device to transmit a control command associated with the one of the control boxes selected by the selection device to an audio processing module having the one of the I/O channels.

15. The apparatus of

claim 14

further comprising an audio processing module to receive the control command and perform a function assigned to the control command.

16. The apparatus of

claim 10

further comprising a selection device to select the central control mechanism.

17. The apparatus of

claim 16

further comprising an I/O device to transmit a global control command associated with the central control mechanism to the plurality of audio processing modules.

18. The apparatus of

claim 17

further comprising a plurality of audio processing modules, each of which is to receive the global control command and perform a function assigned to the control command with respect to all of the I/O channels.