NAVIGATING MEDIA CONTENT BY GROUPS

• US 20060265403A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation), Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: LaChapelle, Kevin Leigh, Yanagawa, Yoshifumi, Takeguchi, Nobuyasu, Mercer, Ian Cameron, Matsumi, Chiyoko, Miyamoto, Harutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational

Abstract

Grouping media files via playlists on a computer-readable medium. One or more media files are selected according to a grouping criterion to define one or more playlists from the media files. A folder is associated with the playlists and stores values identifying each of the playlists associated with the folder along with references to each of the playlists.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating sub-groups of media files within a group, said computer-implemented method comprising:

selecting one or more media files according to a grouping criterion to define a first playlist from the media files, said first playlist referencing each of the selected media files;

creating a folder associated with the first playlist;

storing, in the created folder, a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying a second playlist; and

storing a first reference to the first playlist and a second reference to the second playlist in the created folder.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the media files to determine a playlist summary type associated with each of the media files.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the playlist summary type identifies each of the parsed media files as comprising one or more of the following:

audio data, video data, and image data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a user specifies the grouping criterion.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first reference and the second reference comprise one or more of the following:

a memory location offset and a pointer to a memory location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the grouping criterion comprises one or more of the following:

artist, genre, album, date, number of files in the playlist, and directory name.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first value comprises a name for the first playlist to enable displaying the name to the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected media files comprise one or more of the following:

audio files, video files, and image files.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method recited in claim 1.

10. A system comprising:

a playlist module for selecting one or more media files from a plurality of media files according to one or more grouping criteria to define a first playlist, said playlist module being further operable to select one or more of the plurality of media files according to one or more grouping criteria to define a second playlist;

a population module for generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist defined by the playlist module, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references each of the media files defined therein, and wherein the second playlist references each of the media files defined therein; and

a writer module for storing the first playlist, the second playlist, the selected media files associated with the first playlist, the selected media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group on a computer-readable medium.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising one or more computer-readable media for storing the playlist module, the population module, and the writer module.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the container group further comprises a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the media files comprise one or more of the following:

audio files, video files, and image files.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a data structure representing the container group, said data structure comprising:

a data field for storing a description of the container group;

a data field for storing the first value identifying the first playlist; and

a data field for storing the second value identifying the second playlist,

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data structure further comprises a reference between the first playlist and the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a starting point field storing a value representing a starting point of playback of the first playlist; and

an ending point field storing a value representing an ending point of playback of the first playlist.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a starting offset field storing a value representing a physical byte starting offset for the first playlist; and

an ending offset field storing a value representing a physical byte ending offset for the first playlist.

18. A media player comprising:

an input module for reading a folder associated with one or more playlists, each of the playlists referencing one or more media files, said folder comprising a value identifying each of the playlists;

an interface module for displaying, to a user, the value identifying each of the playlists; and

a selection module for navigating to at least one of the playlists responsive to input from the user based on the value displayed by the interface module.

19. The media player of claim 18, wherein a random play option enables random playback of the media files referenced by the playlists.

20. The media player of claim 18, wherein a shuffle play option enables shuffle playback of the media files referenced by the playlists.