SELECTIVE LOCKING OF INPUT CONTROLS FOR A PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER

• US 20080249643A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Skins LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Mobil LLC
• Inventors: Nelson, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence

Abstract

A portable media player configured to selectively enable or disable one or more input controls, such as volume controls, is described herein. In some examples, the player contains a physical button or switch that provides for the selective enabling or disabling of input controls. In some examples, the player is configured to dynamically determine when to enable or disable input controls based on information received about the player or characteristics of the player. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A portable media player, comprising:

a media storage component, wherein the media storage component stores one or more media files;

a media playback component, coupled to the media storage component, wherein the media playback component is configured to selectively play the one or more stored media files;

a first control component, coupled to the media playback component, wherein the first control component is configured to receive input from a user of the portable media player and to respond by adjusting a first characteristic related to a selective play of the one or more stored media files;

a second control component, coupled to the media playback component, wherein the second control component is configured to receives input from the user of the portable media player and to respond by adjusting a second characteristic related to a selective play of the one or more stored media files; and

a control selection component, coupled to the first and second control components, configured to cause the portable media player to be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein in the locked state the media playback component is prevented from acting on any received input from the second control component but is allowed to act on any received input from the first control component, and in the unlocked state the media playback component is allowed to act on any received input from the first control component and from the second control component.

2. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic comprises a volume level associated with a selective play of the one or more stored media files.

3. The portable media player of claim 2, wherein the second characteristic comprises a change of status of a selective play of the one or more stored media files.

4. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the control selection component is further configured to enable the user to select the first characteristic.

5. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic is selected by a manufacturer of the portable media player.

6. A portable media player, comprising:

a housing;

a memory to store media files;

a screen to display information to a user of the portable media player, wherein the screen is partially contained within the housing;

a touch-based controller to receive input from a user, wherein the touch-based controller is partially contained within the housing;

one or more buttons to receive input from the user, wherein the one or more buttons are partially contained within the housing; and

an input lock controller configured to lock the touch-based controller when the input lock controller is selected by the user without locking the one or more buttons, so that received input on the touch-based controller is not acted upon by the portable media player but received input on the one or more buttons is acted upon by the portable media player.

7. The portable media player of claim 6, further comprising:

an audio playback component to present audio of the stored media files to the user; and

a volume component, coupled to the audio playback component, to adjust the loudness of the presented audio, wherein the volume component is controlled by the one or more buttons.

8. The portable media player of claim 6, further comprising:

a media navigation component to enable the user to select a media file via the screen, wherein the media navigation component is controlled by the touch-based controller.

9. The portable media player of claim 6, wherein the portable media player further comprises a slidable switch partially contained within the housing, and the input lock controller is selected by the user via the slidable switch.

10. The portable media player of claim 6, wherein the input lock controller is configured to be selected by the user via the touch-based controller.

11. The portable media player of claim 6, wherein the input lock controller is configured to be selected by the user by a pattern of inputs entered by the user.

12. The portable media player of claim 6, wherein the screen and touch-based controller are located on a first surface of the housing, and the one or more buttons are located on a second surface of the housing, the first and second surfaces being different surfaces.

13. A method in a portable media device of selectively enabling previously locked volume controls, the method comprising:

determining by the portable media device that a volume level of an audio file currently playing on the portable media device is different from a volume level of a previously played audio file on the portable media device, and that the difference is not the result of a change to the volume level input by a user of the portable media device; and

in response to said determining, automatically unlocking by the portable mediable device a user control of the portable media device related to playback volume of the portable media device to enable the user to modify the volume level.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving by the portable media device, input from a user of the portable media device to adjust the volume using the unlocked user control; and

in response, automatically locking by the portable media player the user control after receiving the input.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the volume level of the currently playing audio file is a selected of higher or lower than the volume level of the previously played audio file, and wherein the method further comprising the unlocked user control allowing the user to correspondingly lower or raise the volume level.

16. A method of controlling a portable media player, the method comprising:

receiving by the portable media player, a selection from a user to disable a first input component of the portable media player related to control of the portable media player, wherein the first input component controls playback of media stored in the portable media player;

disabling by the portable media player, the first input component related to control of the portable media player;

receiving by the portable media player, input from the user at a second input component of the portable media player, wherein the second input component controls functionality of the portable media player; and

adjusting by the portable media player, a functionality of the portable media player based on the received input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the functionality comprises a playback volume of the portable media player or lighting a screen of the portable media player.

18. A computer-readable medium whose contents are configured to cause a portable media player to perform a method of disabling an input control of the portable media player, the method comprising:

Identifying by the portable media player a pattern of two or more input commands received at the portable media player;

analyzing by the portable media player, the identified pattern in view of a predetermined pattern stored within the portable media player, wherein the predetermined pattern is related to an input control; and

disabling by the portable media player, the input control based at least in part on the result of the analysis.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the input control is provided to modify the playback volume of the portable media player.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the analyzing includes matching a portion of the identified pattern with one or more predetermined patterns.

21. A computer-readable medium whose contents are configured to cause a portable media player to perform a method of unlocking a locked input control, the method comprising:

Identifying by the portable media player, a characteristic related to playback of media from the portable media player;

determining by the portable media player that the characteristic related to the playback of media satisfies a predetermined condition; and

unlocking by the portable media player, an input control of the portable media player related to the characteristic.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

locking by the portable media player, the input control after receiving an input command at the input control related to the characteristic.

23. A method of preventing unwanted user inputs to be received by a portable media player, the method comprising:

receiving by the portable media player, a selection from a user of the portable media player to associate one or more input controls of the portable media player with an input locking component of the portable media player; and

locking by the portable media player, the selected one or more input controls in response to an action associated with the input locking component.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the action associated with the input locking component comprises moving a slide bar on the portable media player to a position indicative of a locked state.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the action associated with the input locking component comprises receiving input from the user via a touchpad on the portable media player.