Multi-Content Presentation Of Unassociated Content Types

• US 20080065720A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pacurariu, Mihnea Calin, Ma, Jeffrey, Brodersen, Rainer, Goldeen, Rachel Clare, Seymour, Eric Taylor, Madden, Thomas Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

Audio files and video files are selected for playback. One or more unassociated video items are selected for presentation during a playback of a selected audio file and presented during the playback of the selected audio file.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting media files for playback;

for each media file selected;

selecting one or more unassociated video items for presentation during a playback of the selected media file if the selected media file is an audio file;

playing back the selected media file; and

presenting the selected one or more video items during the playback of the selected media file.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying video items eligible for presentation; and

selecting the one or more unassociated video items from the video items eligible for presentation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the video items comprise photographic data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the video items comprise video data.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting associated video items that are associated with the selected media file during the playback of the media file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the media file is a music file; and

the associated video items comprises a digital representation of album cover art associated with the music file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

selecting media files for playback comprises selecting media files according to a playlist.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

selecting media files for playback comprises randomly selecting media files.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

associating the selected one or more unassociated video items with the audio file;

storing the association; and

presenting video items during subsequent selections and playback of the selected audio file according to the stored association.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

selecting one or more unassociated video items comprises randomly selecting one or more unassociated video items.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting the selected one or more video items based on an audio tempo of the selected media file.

12. A method, comprising:

storing audio files;

storing video files;

selecting the audio files and the video files for playback;

for each selected audio file, selecting one or more unassociated video items for presentation during a playback of the selected audio file;

playing back the selected audio file or video file;

presenting the selected one or more video items during the playback of the selected audio file.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

identifying video items eligible for presentation; and

selecting the one or more unassociated video items from the video items eligible for presentation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the associated video items comprise photographic data.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the unassociated video items comprise video data.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising:

presenting associated video items that are associated with the selected audio file during the playback of the audio file.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the audio file is a music file; and

the associated video items comprises a digital representation of album cover art associated with the audio file.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

selecting the audio files and the video files for playback comprises selecting audio files and video files according to a playlist.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein:

selecting the audio files and the video files for playback comprises randomly selecting audio files and video files.

20. A method, comprising:

selecting audio files and video files for playback according to selection criteria;

playing back the video files;

for each audio file selected;

selecting one or more unassociated video items for presentation during a playback of the selected audio file; and

presenting the selected one or more unassociated video items during the playback of the selected audio file.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

selecting audio files and video files for playback according to selection criteria comprises selecting audio files and video files for playback according to shuffle criteria.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising:

associating the selected one or more unassociated video items with the audio file;

storing the association; and

presenting video items during subsequent selections and playback of the selected audio file according to the stored association.

23. The method of claim 20, comprising:

presenting the one or more unassociated video items based on a tempo characteristic of the selected audio file.

24. A method, comprising:

selecting a media item for presentation, the media item comprising at least a first media content type that is one of two media content types;

determining if the selected media item comprises a second media content type that is the other of the two media content types;

selecting one or more another media items that comprise the other of the two media content types if the selected media item does not comprise the second media content type; and

presenting the selected media item; and

presenting the selected one or more another media items during the presentation of the selected media item.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the selected one or more another media items comprise second media content type that is unassociated with the selected media item.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the two media content types comprise audio content and video content.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the video content comprise photographic data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the audio content comprises musical data.

29. The method of claim 24, comprising:

selecting the media item according to a shuffle criteria.

30. The method of claim 24, comprising:

associating the selected one or more another media items with the selected media item;

storing the association; and

presenting the selected one or more another media items according to the association when presenting the selected media item during subsequent presentations of the selected media item.

31. The method of claim 24, comprising:

reselecting one or more another media items that comprise the other of the two media content types if the selected media item is reselected;

wherein the reselection of the one or more another media items is independent of the selection of the one or more media items.