Metro for creating and using linear time line and play rectangle

• US 20040027371A1
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBOR Corp.
• Original Assignee: NBOR Corp.
• Inventors: Jaeger, Denny
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Methods and controls for playing media include a Blackspace Timeline (BTL), and the Play Rectangle (PR). Both of these structures exist as graphic objects and they permit users to both navigate and operate (e.g., edit, scrub, assemble, combine, etc.) media without the use of external tools, e.g., a zoom tool, a play cursor, which must be entered as a separate mode, etc. Media objects are dragged to the timeline, which is rescalable, and re-ranged by click and drag techniques. BTL and PR may function as a time scale device, or as a length measurement device.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display, a method for playing media files, including providing a blackspace timeline, dragging a media object to the timeline, and playing the media.

2. The method of claim 1, further including providing a play cursor on the time line, and clicking and dragging on the play cursor in a first direction to play the media and set the playback speed.

3. The method of claim 2, further including clicking and dragging on the play cursor in a second direction opposite the first direction to play the media backwards.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of clicking on the time line to create a play cursor at the click point.

5. The method of claim 1, further including gridlines spaced along said time line to demarcate units of a parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said parameter units represent time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said parameter units represent onscreen distance and length.

8. The method of claim 5, further including the step of clicking and dragging on said gridlines to rescale said timeline.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said gridlines include scale lines at regular intervals among said gridlines.

10. The method of claim 9, further including providing alphanumeric labels for said scale lines.

11. In a computer system having a display, a method for playing media files, including providing a play rectangle, said play rectangle having a continuous rectangular perimeter formed as a continuous time line, and dragging a media object to the play rectangle, and playing the media.

12. The method of claim 11, further including providing a play cursor on the time line, and clicking and dragging on the play cursor in a first direction to play the media and set the playback speed.

13. The method of claim 12, further including clicking and dragging on the play cursor in a second direction opposite the first direction to play the media backwards.

14. The method of claim 11, further including the step of clicking on the time line to create a play cursor at the click point.

15. The method of claim 11, further including gridlines spaced along said time line to demarcate units of a parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said parameter units represent time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said parameter units represent onscreen distance and length.

18. The method of claim 15, further including the step of clicking and dragging on said gridlines to rescale said timeline.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said gridlines include scale lines at regular intervals among said gridlines.

20. The method of claim 19, further including providing alphanumeric labels for said scale lines.