Time handle in a media diary application for accessing media files

• US 20050138066A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Finke-Anlauff, Andrea, Hakari, Tomi, Schybergson, Olof, Huhtela-Bremer, Laura, Backgren, Tommi, Metsatahti, Vesa
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/447 Temporal browsing, e.g. timeline
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

A media management application implemented in a digital device that incorporates a media handle. The media handle is moveable within a display to provide the user of the application with viewable access to media file representations or calendar events. The media handle may be displayed in conjunction with a media view, a calendar view and/or a time bar, such that the media handle provides access to desired portions of the media view, the calendar view or the time bar. The media handle of the present invention provides the device user with a highly efficient means of locating time periods and the media files associated with the time periods. In addition, the media handle provides ergonomic benefit to the user, in that, user inputs to the device are limited and the user inputs that are required are user-friendly.

Claims

1. An application for providing access to media files on a digital device, the application comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

first instructions for generating a media view that provides access to digital media files and associates digital media files with a period of time; and

second instructions for generating a media handle, displayed in conjunction with a media view, wherein the media handle is moveable within the media view to provide viewable access to digital media files.

2. The application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for generating a time bar, displayed in conjunction with the media view, wherein the time bar provides for time to be divided into segments.

3. The application of claim 2, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a media handle that is moveable along the time bar to provide access to time segments.

4. The application of claim 3, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a media handle that is moveable along the time bar to provide access to time segments, wherein access to time segments provides for display in the media view of viewable media files associated with the time segment.

5. The application of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for generating a media view further provides for associating digital media files with a period of time based upon information associated with the digital media file.

6. The application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for generating a calendar view that represents time in calendar format and associates events with respective periods of time.

7. The application of claim 6, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a media handle that is moveable within the calendar view to provide viewable access to periods of time.

8. The application of claim 7, wherein second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a media handle that is moveable within the calendar view to provide viewable access to calendared events.

9. The application of claim 6, wherein the first instructions for generating a media view that provides access to digital media files and associates digital media files with a period of time, associates digital media files with a past period of time and wherein the third instructions for generating a calendar view that represents time in calendar format and associates events with respective periods of time, associates events with respective future periods of time.

10. The application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a center mark associated with the media handle that corresponds to period of time within the media view.

11. The application of claim 2, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a center mark associated with the media handle that corresponds to a time segment within the time bar.

12. The application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a center mark associated with the media handle that indicates a period of time when the media handle is deviated from the centerline position.

13. The application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a time indicator associated with the media handle that indicates a time period.

14. The application of claim 13, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a time indicator associated with the media handle that indicates a time period, wherein the time period indicated generally underlies the media handle.

15. The application of claim 13, wherein second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a time indicator associated with the media handle that indicates a time period, wherein the time period indicated changes as the media handle is moved.

16. The application of claim 2, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for a browsing step function that is proportional to a movement of the media handle along the time bar.

17. The application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for a speed of browsing that is proportional to the distance that the media handle is deviated from a centerline position on a view of the application.

18. The application of claims 17, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for a speed of browsing that accelerates when the media handle is deviated a certain distance from the centerline position on the view of the application.

19. The application of claim 17, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further includes instructions for increasing the speed of browsing as the distance from the centerline position is increased.

20. The application of claim 17, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further includes instructions for decreasing the speed of browsing as the distance from the centerline position is decreased.

21. The application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for generating a media handle further includes instructions for generating a media handle that is moveable horizontally.

22. An application for providing access to information on a digital device, the application comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

first instructions for generating an information view that provides access to items of information associated with a period of time and wherein the information view provides for a first time layer to be divided into segments in a first time scale;

second instructions for generating a time bar, displayed in conjunction with the information view, wherein the time bar provides for a second time layer to be divided into segments in a second time scale; and

third instructions for generating a moveable media handle, displayed in conjunction with the information view and the time bar,

wherein a movement of the media handle along the time bar moves simultaneously the information view and the time bar.

23. The application of claim 22, wherein the first instructions for generating an information view that provides access to items of information further comprises first instructions for generating a media view that provides access to media files.

24. The application of claim 22, wherein the first instructions for generating an information view that provides access to items of information further comprises first instructions for generating a calendar view that provides access to calendar events.

25. The application of claim 22, wherein a movement of the media handle along the time bar moves simultaneously the information view and the time bar an amount according to the amount of the movement of the media handle.

26. The application of claim 22, wherein a movement of the media handle along the time bar moves simultaneously the information view and the time bar an amount according to the amount of the movement of the time scales of the time layers.

27. The application of claim 22, wherein a movement of the media handle along the time bar moves simultaneously the information view and the time bar and provides viewable access to the items of information.

28. A digital device, the device comprising:

a processing unit that executes computer-readable program instructions for accessing media files, the computer-readable program instructions comprising;

first instructions for generating a media view that provides access to digital media files and associates digital media files with a period of time, and

second instructions for generating a media handle, displayed in conjunction with a media view, wherein the media handle is moveable with in the media view to provide viewable access to digital media files; and

a display in communication with the processing unit that presents a combined view of the media view and the media handle.

29. The digital device of claim 28, wherein the processing unit that executes computer-readable program instructions for accessing media files, the computer-readable program instructions comprising further comprises a third instructions for generating a time bar, displayed in conjunction with the media view, wherein the time bar provides for time to be divided into segments.

30. The digital device of claim 29, wherein the processing unit that executes computer-readable program instructions for accessing media files, the computer-readable program instructions second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a media handle that is moveable along the time bar to provide access to time segments.

31. The digital device of claim 29, wherein the processing unit that executes computer-readable program instructions for accessing media files, the computer-readable program instructions second instructions for generating a media handle further provides for generating a media handle that is moveable along the time bar to provide access to time segments, wherein access to time segments provides for display in the media view of viewable media files associated with the time segment.

32. A method for accessing media files in a media application, the method comprising the steps of:

providing for a media view that provides viewable access to digital media files in relation to a period of time;

providing for a media handle, in conjunction with the media view, that is stationary in a generally centerline position, the centerline position associated with a first period of time in the media view;

deviating the media handle a selected distance from a centerline position, the selected distance associated with a second period of time in the media view; and

releasing the media handle to the generally centerline position such that the centerline position is associated with the second period of time in the media view.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of releasing the media handle occurs automatically upon release of the deviated media handle.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of step of releasing the media handle further comprises the step of providing viewable access to media files associated with the second period of time.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of step of releasing the media handle further comprises the step of scrolling the media view such that the second period of time in the media view is generally aligned with the centerline position of the media handle.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of providing for a time bar, in conjunction with the media view and the media handle, which provides for time to be divided into segments.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of deviating, the media handle, a selected distance from a centerline position further comprises deviating the media handle a selected distance from the centerline position to generally align the media handle with a segment of time in the time bar.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein releasing the media handle in the generally centerline position further comprises releasing the media handle in the generally centerline position such that the centerline position is associated with the segment of time in the time bar.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein releasing the media handle in the generally centerline position such that the centerline position is associated with the segment of time in the time bar further comprises the step of providing viewable access to media files associated with the segment of time in the time bar.