Audio scrubbing

• US 20050216839A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Salvucci, Keith
• Application Number:
  US10/809,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216839A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a graphical user interface. More particularly, the present invention relates to a graphical user interface for media file editing software designed to be used on a general purpose computer. The interface provides improved features for locating a point of interest with in the media file based on an audible portion of the file.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating a media file using a program having a graphical user interface on a display associated with a computer having access to the file, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a play head moveable to correspond to different locations within the media file, the method comprising:

continuously moving the play head on the graphical user interface from a first location to a second location; and

concurrently with moving the play head, displaying and audibly broadcasting portions of the media file passed by the play head.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed and audibly broadcast portions of the media file are not contiguous within the file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of displayed and audibly broadcast portions is inversely proportional to a speed of the movement of the play head.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing the media file at a normal speed starting from the second location after the play head has been moved to the second location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the play head is moved backwards.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying and audible broadcasting are at a variable speed determined in proportion to the distance between the first location and the second location.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the variable speed is limited to twice a normal playback speed.

8. A method for playing a media file in a player, wherein the player comprises a play head, the method comprising:

dragging the play head; and

concurrently with dragging the play head, displaying and audibly broadcasting portions of the media file that the play head passes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rate of displaying and audibly broadcasting portions of the media file is inversely proportional to a speed of dragging the play head.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying and broadcasting the media file at a normal speed starting from the frame to which the play head was dragged.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the play head is dragged backwards.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the displaying and audible broadcasting are at a variable speed determined in proportion to the distance between the first location and the second location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the variable speed is limited to twice a normal playback speed.

14. A computer readable medium, having disposed thereupon program instructions for a computer, the instructions configured to allow the computer to locate and playback a portion of a media file, wherein the locating and playback comprises the steps of:

receiving from a user interface signals corresponding to positioning a cursor over a scrubber bar in a position corresponding to a location of a playhead;

receiving from the user interface signals corresponding to grabbing and moving the playhead along the scrubber bar, wherein the cursor moves at a rate faster than the playhead such that there is a distance separating the playhead and the cursor; and

playing back an audible portion of the media file in response to the movement of the playhead along the scrubber bar.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the rate of playing back an audible portion of the media file is proportional to a distance separating the playhead and the cursor.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the variable speed is limited to twice a normal playback speed.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising displaying and audibly broadcasting the media file at a normal speed starting from a location to which the playhead was dragged.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the play head is dragged backwards.

19. A graphical user interface for a media viewing program executed by a computer, the graphical user interface comprising a scrubber bar, a cursor being movably positionable along the scrubber bar, and a playhead movable along the scrubber bar for indicating a current location in a media file, wherein a playback speed of an audible portion of the media file is determined in proportion to a distance separating the cursor and the playhead along the scrubber bar.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the playback speed is limited to twice a normal playback speed.