Media player with acceleration protection

• US 20040252397A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodge, Andrew Bert, Bar-Nahum, Guy, Labrosse, Jean-Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/60
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/042 due to external shock or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/044 by using a data buffer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5582 system adaptation for working during or after external perturbation, e.g. in the presence of a mechanical oscillation caused by a shock

Abstract

An improved media player and a method for operating a portable computing device (e.g., media player) are disclosed. According to one aspect, a portable computing device is able to protect its disk drive when being subjected to undesired levels of acceleration. The portable computing device protects its disk drive by monitoring for such accelerations and operating to avoid usage of the disk drive during periods of acceleration. Through such protection, the likelihood of damage to the disk drive or loss of data stored on the disk drive is able to be substantially reduced. According to another aspect, a user of a portable computing device can be alerted when the portable computing device is being subjected to undesirable levels of acceleration.

Claims

1. A method for operating a portable media player having media stored on a disk drive, said method comprising:

(a) evaluating acceleration of the portable media player;

(b) determining whether the acceleration is substantial; and

(c) altering an operation of the portable media player when said determining (b) determines that the acceleration is substantial.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acceleration of the portable media player pertains to vibration of the portable media player.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said evaluating (a) of the acceleration is based on information provided by the disk drive.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the information provided by the disk drive includes at least a failure count.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said determining determines that the acceleration is substantial when the failure count exceeds a threshold level.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable media player further includes an acceleration monitor, and wherein said evaluating (a) of the acceleration is based on information provided by the acceleration monitor.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable media player further includes an accelerometer, and wherein said evaluating (a) of the acceleration is based on information provided by the accelerometer.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining (b) includes at least:

(b1) comparing the acceleration with at least one threshold level, and

(b2) determining that the acceleration is substantial when the acceleration exceeds the at least one threshold level.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation is a read/write operation from the disk drive, and wherein said altering (c) of the operation operates to defer the read/write operation.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the read/write operation is deferred until after the accelerations substantially cease.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation is a read/write operation from the disk drive, and wherein said altering (c) of the operation operates to stop or prevent the read/write operation.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation is a read/write operation from the disk drive, and wherein said altering (c) of the operation operates to slow a rate at which the read/write operation is retried.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(d) initiating user feedback when said determining (b) determines that the acceleration is substantial.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user feedback is at least one of auditory, tactile, and visual.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user feedback alerts the user that the portable media player is undergoing substantial accelerations.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user feedback is a predetermined audible message.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user feedback is an artificial skip sound that is presented to the user.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation is unrelated to the disk drive.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said altering (c) of the operation is dependent on past or expected usage behaviors.

20. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for operating a portable media player having media stored on a disk drive, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for evaluating acceleration of the portable media player;

computer program code for determining whether the acceleration is substantial; and

computer program code for altering an operation of the portable media player when it is determined that the acceleration is substantial.

21. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the acceleration of the portable media player pertains to vibration of the portable media player.

22. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer program code for evaluating evaluates the acceleration based on information provided by the disk drive.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the portable media player further includes an acceleration monitor, and

wherein said computer program code for evaluating evaluates the acceleration based on information provided by the acceleration monitor.

24. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the operation is a read/write operation from the disk drive, and

wherein said computer program code for altering the operation operates to defer the read/write operation until after the accelerations substantially cease.

25. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the operation is a read/write operation from the disk drive, and

wherein said computer program code for altering the operation operates to slow a rate at which the read/write operation is retried.

26. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for initiating user feedback when said computer program code for determining determines that the acceleration is substantial.

27. A portable media player, comprising:

a storage disk drive that stores media content for each of a plurality of media items;

an acceleration monitor that monitors acceleration of said portable media player;

a cache that temporarily stores the media content for a subset of the plurality of media items stored on said storage disk drive; and

a processor operatively connected to said storage disk drive, said acceleration monitor and said cache, said processor controls said portable media player to play the media content from said cache and to refresh the media content in said cache by storing the media content for another subset of the plurality of media items stored on said disk drive,

wherein said processor controls said portable media player to evaluate the acceleration of said portable media player, and wherein said processor operates to restrict access to the media items stored on said storage disk drive when said portable media player is undergoing acceleration.

28. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said portable media player is battery-operated.

29. A portable media player as recited in claim 28, wherein said portable media player is pocket-sized.

30. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said storage disk drive provides magnetic data storage.

31. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said display device is a liquid crystal display with a light-emitting diode backlight.

32. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said portable media player comprises an audio player, and wherein the media content for the media items includes at least audio files of songs.

33. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said portable media player comprises a video player, and wherein the media content for the media items includes at least video files of videos.

34. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said portable media player comprises an image viewer, and wherein the media content for the media items includes at least image files of images.

35. A portable media player as recited in claim 27, wherein said portable media player further comprises:

a user input device that enables a user of said portable media player to at least select a particular media item from the plurality of media items through a rotational action with respect to said user input device.

36. A portable media player as recited in claim 35, wherein said processor controls said portable media player to load said cache from said storage disk drive with at least a portion of the media content of the particular media item that was selected using said user input device.

37. A portable media player as recited in claim 35, wherein said user input device comprises a rotary dial or a touchpad.

38. A portable media player, comprising:

a storage disk drive that stores media content for each of a plurality of media items;

an acceleration monitor that monitors acceleration of said portable media player;

a cache that temporarily stores the media content for a subset of the plurality of media items stored on said storage disk drive; and

a processor operatively connected to said storage disk drive, said acceleration monitor and said cache, said processor controls said portable media player to play the media content from said cache and to refresh the media content in said cache by storing the media content for another subset of the plurality of media items stored on said disk drive,

wherein said processor controls said portable media player to evaluate the acceleration of said portable media player, and wherein said processor operates to produce a user feedback when said portable media player is undergoing acceleration.

39. A portable media player as recited in claim 38, wherein the user feedback is one or more of audio, visual, mechanical, and user sensory.