Media management for groups of media items

• US 20060156236A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasko, Timothy, Miller, Jeff, Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David, Jobs, Steven P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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

Improved techniques to utilize and manage a group of media items (or media assets) on a computing device are disclosed. The group of media items can be utilized and managed at a host computer for the host computer as well as a media device (e.g., media player) that can couple to the host computer. One popular example of a group of media items is know as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks. One aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that enables a user to trade-off storage capacity of a media device between media asset storage and data storage. Another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that assists a user with selecting media items to fill a group of media items. Still another aspect pertains to providing a persistent media device playlist at a host computer. Yet still another aspect pertains to imposing capacity limits to a playlist, such as a media device playlist.

Claims

1. A method of providing audio tracks for a playlist for use on a host computer and a media device, said method comprising:

(a) displaying a listing of audio tracks that are within the playlist on a display screen of the host computer, all of the audio tracks being stored locally on the host computer and at least a portion of the audio tracks being stored on the media device;

(b) obtaining a capacity limit for the playlist;

(c) receiving a user selection to fill the playlist with additional audio tracks; and

(d) filling the playlist with additional audio tracks to the capacity limit after the user selection is received.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said filling (d) selects the additional audio tracks from an audio source available to the host computer.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said filling (d) selects the additional audio tracks from an audio source available to the host computer in a random manner.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said filling (d) selects the additional audio tracks from an audio source available to the host computer based on a user rating.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said filling (d) comprises:

(d1) initially removing one or more existing audio tracks from the playlist; and

(d2) filling the playlist with audio tracks to the capacity limit.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said filling (d) selects the additional audio tracks from an audio source available to the host computer.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said filling (d) selects the additional audio tracks from an audio source available to the host computer in a random manner.

8. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said filling (d) selects the additional audio tracks from an audio source available to the host computer based on a user rating.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the playlist is a dedicated media device playlist for the media device, and wherein the capacity limit is not more than the storage capacity of the media device.

10. A graphical user interface for providing audio tracks for a playlist for use by a host computer and a media device, said method comprising:

a list of audio tracks that are within the playlist, said list being displayed on a display device of the host computer; and

a selectable user interface control displayed on the display device of the host computer, said selectable user interface control, upon selection, initiates a filling of the playlist with audio tracks.

11. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein said selectable user interface control is a button.

12. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

an audio track source selector that determines a media source from which audio tracks are available to be used in filling of the playlist.

13. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 12, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

an audio track replacement selector that determines whether pre-existing audio tracks within the playlist are to be removed before filling of the playlist.

14. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

an audio track replacement selector that determines whether one or more pre-existing audio tracks within the playlist are to be removed before filling of the playlist.

15. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more pre-existing audio tracks being removed are those that have been played by the media device.

16. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a random selection selector that determines whether audio tracks used to fill the playlist are to be randomly chosen.

17. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a rating selection selector that determines whether audio tracks used to fill the playlist are to be chosen based on ratings.

18. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein the playlist has a capacity limit.

19. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 18, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

an available capacity indication that indicates an available capacity of the playlist.

20. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein the playlist has a capacity limit, and

wherein the playlist is a dedicated media device playlist for the media device, and wherein the capacity limit is not more than the storage capacity of the media device.

21. A graphical user interface for providing media items for a playlist for use by a host computer and a media device, said method comprising:

a list of media items that are within the playlist, said list being displayed on a display device of the host computer; and

a selectable user interface control displayed on the display device of the host computer, said selectable user interface control, upon selection, initiates a filling of the playlist with media items.

22. A graphical user interface provided on a host computer for reserving storage capacity of a media device, said method comprising:

a user selection control that enables a user of the host computer to reserve a portion of the storage capacity of the media device for storage of non-audio track data.

23. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 22, wherein a remaining portion of the storage capacity of the media device is for storage of audio track data.

24. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 23, wherein the audio track data are associated with a playlist.

25. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 22, wherein said graphical user interface comprises:

a user selector that enables a user of the host computer to determine whether or not to reserve a portion of the storage capacity for storage of non-audio track data.

26. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 22, wherein the non-audio track data is associated with a disk mode usage of the media device.

27. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for providing media items for a media item grouping for use on a host computer and a media device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for displaying a listing of media items that are within the media item grouping on a display screen of the host computer, all of the media items being stored locally on the host computer and at least a portion of the media items being stored on the media device;

computer program code for obtaining a capacity limit for the media item grouping;

computer program code for receiving a user selection to fill the media item grouping with additional media items; and

computer program code for filling the media item grouping with additional media items to the capacity limit after the user selection is received.