User-interface application for media file management

• US 20060069998A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Artman, Tuomas, Koskela, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/721
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A media management user-interface (UI) application that provides access to media items and media files and provides browsing and search capabilities for locating media items within media files. The UI application of the present invention relies on a hierarchical display of various levels or categories of media files and, as such, the application is uniquely suited for portable digital devices having small displays. The hierarchal display of media file levels allows the user to easily browse through levels to identify a desired media file and to locate and display a desired media item. In addition, the UI application of the present invention provides for an easily activated search function that provides for keyword searches to be performed based on information that has been associated with media files and media items. Thus, the application provides for the visual presentation of search results in a manner that is highly user-friendly and allows the user to efficiently browse the search results to locate the desired media item.

Claims

1. A user-interface application for providing access to media items on a display of 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 management view of one or more media item classification levels, wherein each level includes one or more media item icons;

second instructions for defining a focus point within one of the media item classification levels, wherein the focus point has a fixed position within the view and selects one of the one or more icons within the level for presentation of the one or more media items associated with the icon.

2. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further defines the levels as horizontally oriented bars that each includes one or more media item icons.

3. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further provides for a first level that includes a timeline icon.

4. The user interface application of claim 3, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further provides for a second level associated with the timeline icon that includes one or more media item icons displayed along a timeline.

5. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further provides for a first level that includes a media album icon.

6. The user interface application of claim 5, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further provides for a second level associated with the media album icon that includes one or more media album specific icons.

7. The user interface application of claim 6, wherein the second instructions provides for a second level associated with the media album icon that includes one or more media album specific icons, wherein the media album specific icons are defined by metadata associated with media items.

8. The user interface application of claim 6, wherein the second instructions provides for a second level associated with the media album icon that includes one or more media album specific icons, wherein the media album specific icons are defined by user-preference.

9. The user interface application of claim 8, wherein the second instructions provides for a second level associated with the media album icon that includes one or more media album specific icons, wherein one of the media album specific icons is defined as a user preferred media album.

10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further provides for a first level that includes a people icon.

11. The user interface application of claim 10, wherein the first instructions for generating the media management view of one or more media item classification levels further provides for a second level associated with the people icon that includes one or more people specific icons, wherein each people specific icon is associated with one or more people-specific media items.

12. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for defining the focus point within one of the media item classification levels, wherein the focus point has a fixed position within the view and selects one of the one or more icons within the level for presentation of the one or more media items associated with the icon further defines the focus point as aligned with a vertical centerline of the display.

13. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions further defines the fixed position of the focus point as aligned with a horizontal centerline of the uppermost media item classification level.

14. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions further defines the focus point as aligned with a vertical centerline of the display, aligned with a horizontal centerline of the uppermost media item classification level and positioned at a crossing of the vertical centerline and the horizontal centerline.

15. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions further defines the focus point as aligned with a vertical centerline of the display, aligned with a horizontal centerline of the media item classification level placed on a certain ratio of a height of the display, positioned at a crossing of the vertical centerline and the horizontal centerline.

16. The user interface application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for scrolling the one or more media item icons within the level into the focus point.

17. The user interface application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for scrolling the one or more media item classification levels such that a media item icon from one of the scrolled levels is scrolled into the focus point.

18. The user interface application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for scrolling in a first direction to move the one or more media item icons within the level into the focus point and scrolling in a second direction to move a media item icon from another level into the focus point.

19. The user interface application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for scrolling in a first direction to move the one or more media item icons within a first level into the focus point and scrolling in a second direction to move a media item icon from a second level into the focus point.

20. The user interface application of claim 19, wherein the second level is placed going through the focus point and the first level is placed underneath and adjacent to the second level.

21. The user interface application of claim 20, wherein on the first level a media item icon that was previously in the focus point is placed underneath and adjacent to the focus point.

22. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the second instructions for defining a focus point having a fixed-position within the first media item classification level that selects one of the one or more icons for presentation of the one or more media items associated with the icon further defines the presentation as an enlarged presentation window that is aligned with a vertical centerline of the display.

23. The user interface application of claim 22, wherein the enlarged presentation window has a fixed position that is aligned with the focus point.

24. The user interface application of claim 1, wherein the first instructions for generating a media management view of one or more media item classification levels, wherein each level includes one or more media item icons further includes generating a first level having a selected icon occupying the focus point and a second level wherein the one or more icons in the second level are related to the selected icon in the first level.

25. The user interface application of claim 24, wherein the first instructions for generating a first level and a second level further includes instructions for activating the selected icon in the first level to scroll from the first level to the second level and provide for a second level media icon to occupy the focus point.

26. The user interface application of claim 25, wherein the first level is moved underneath and adjacent to the second level.

27. The user interface application of claim 1, further comprising third instructions for activating a search window that is displayed in conjunction with the media management view.

28. The user interface application of claim 27, further comprising fourth instructions for displaying search results in a search result level that includes media item icons associated with the search results.

29. The user interface application of claim 28, wherein the fourth instructions further provide for defining the focus point within the search result level and selecting a generic icon within the search result level for presentation search result information.

30. A user-interface application for locating media items 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 search input field on a display of the digital device; and

second instructions for generating a search result level that includes one or more icons, wherein each icon is related to search result media items.

31. The user interface application of claim 30, wherein the first instructions for generating a search input field on a display of the digital device is further defined as overlaying a media management view having one or more media item classification levels, wherein each level includes one or more media item icons.

32. The user interface application of claim 30, wherein the first instructions further defines the search input field as a keyword search input field.

33. The user interface application of claim 30, wherein the second instructions for generating a search result level that includes one or more icons, wherein each icon is related to search result media items further defines the search result level as a horizontally oriented bar.

34. The user interface application of claim 30, wherein the second instructions for generating a search result level that includes one or more icons, wherein each icon is related to search result media items further includes instructions for providing a search result information icon that is located at a focus point in the display upon initial display of the search results.

35. The user interface application of claim 34, wherein the second instructions for providing a search result information icon that is located at a focus point in the display upon initial display of the search results further provides for a search result information window displayed when the search result information icon is located at the focus point.

36. The user interface application of claim 35, wherein the second instructions for providing for a presentation window displayed when the search result information icon is located at the focus point and including detailed search result information entries further defines the detailed search result information entries as a breakdown of search results by media type.

37. The user interface application of claim 36, wherein the second instructions for providing for a presentation window that includes detailed search result information further provides for instructions for selecting one of the detailed search result information entries to provide for a second search result level that includes one or more icons, wherein each of the icons are related to the selected detailed search result information.

38. 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 management view of one or more media item classification levels, wherein each level includes one or more media item icons;

second instructions for defining a focus point within one of the media item classification levels, wherein the focus point has a fixed position within the view and selects one of the one or more icons within the level for presentation of the one or more media items associated with the icon.; and

a display in communication with the processing unit that presents the media management view.

39. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the digital device is a portable digital device.

40. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the portable digital device is chosen from the group consisting of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an image camera, a video camera, an audio record and playback device, a video player, a portable TV, a global positioning system (GPS) device, a wrist watch, a set-top box (STB), a car navigation system, an on-board computer (e.g. in an automotive), and a domestic appliance.

41. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including first instructions further defines the media item classification levels as horizontally oriented bars that each includes one or more media item icons.

42. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions further comprises third instructions for scrolling the one or more media item icons within the level into the focus point.

43. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions further comprises third instructions for scrolling the one or more media item classification levels such that a media item icon from one of the scrolled levels is scrolled into the focus point.

44. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions further comprises third instructions for scrolling in a first direction to move the one or more media item icons within the level into the focus point and scrolling in a second direction to move a media item icon from another level into the focus point.

45. The digital device of claim 38, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including first instructions further includes instructions for generating a first level having a selected icon occupying the focus point and a second level wherein the one or more icons in the second level are related to the selected icon in the first level.

46. The digital device of claim 45, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including first instructions further includes instructions for activating the selected icon in the first level to scroll from the first level to the second level and provide for a second level media icon to occupy the focus point.

47. 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 search input field on a display of the digital device; and

second instructions for generating a search result level that includes one or more icons, wherein each icon is related to search result media items; and

a display in communication with the processing unit that presents the search input field and the resulting search input level.

48. The digital device of claim 47, wherein the digital device is a portable digital device.

49. The digital device of claim 48, wherein the portable digital device is chosen from the group consisting of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an image camera, a video camera, and an audio record and playback device.

50. The digital device of claim 47, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including first instructions further defines the search input field as overlaying a media management view having one or more media item classification levels, wherein each level includes one or more media item icons.

51. The digital device of claim 47, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including second instructions further defines the search result level as a horizontally oriented bar.

52. The digital device of claim 47, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including second instructions further includes instructions for providing a search result information icon that is located at a focus point in the display upon initial display of the search results.

53. The digital device of claim 52, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including second instructions further includes instructions for providing a presentation window displayed when the search result information icon is located at the focus point.

54. The digital device of claim 53, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including second instructions further defines the presentation window as including detailed search result information.

55. The digital device of claim 48, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including second instructions further defines the detailed search result information entries as a breakdown of search results by media type.

56. The digital device of claim 55, wherein the processor that executes computer-readable program instructions including second instructions further includes instructions for selecting one of the detailed search result information entries to provide for a second search result level that includes one or more icons, wherein each of the icons are related to the selected detailed search result information.