PORTABLE DATA STORAGE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ALLOWING USER TO SELECT DIGITAL DATA USING THE PORTABLE DATA STORAGE APPARATUS

• US 20080263027A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHANG, Woo-yong
• Application Number:
  US11/933,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263027A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A data storage apparatus includes a data storage unit which stores digital data; a metadata storage unit which stores metadata regarding a plurality of categories for a plurality of pieces of digital data including the digital data stored in the data storage unit; a search criterion input unit which receives at least one category which is a search criterion, from among the plurality of categories; a list sorting unit which sorts a list of the plurality of pieces of digital data on the basis of item values of the at least one search category; a list display unit which displays the list of digital data; a selection input unit which receives a selected one piece of digital data selected by a user, from among the list of digital data. Accordingly, the user can easily and quickly search for his or her desired data.

Claims

1. A method of allowing a user to select one piece of digital data from among a plurality of pieces of digital data, in a data storage apparatus storing metadata regarding a plurality of categories for the plurality of pieces of digital data, the method comprising:

receiving a first category which is a search criterion, from among the plurality of categories;

sorting a list of the plurality of pieces of digital data on the basis of item values of the first category;

displaying the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of digital data; and

receiving a selected one piece of digital data selected by the user among the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of digital data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sorting of the list of the plurality of pieces of digital data further comprises sorting digital data having the same item value of the first category, on the basis of item values of a second category, wherein the second category is different from the first category, from among the plurality of categories.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the first category comprises successively receiving the first category and the second category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of the digital data comprises:

receiving an upward movement signal or a downward movement signal; and

moving the sorted list of digital data upwardly or downwardly, according to the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal, respectively, to generate a resultant list and displaying the resultant list.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the moving of the sorted list and the displaying of the resultant list comprises:

if the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal is a normal movement signal, moving the sorted list upwardly or downwardly in units of digital data pieces, and displaying the resultant list; and

if the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal is a fast movement signal, moving the sorted list in units of pages, and displaying the resultant list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital data is sound source data, and the plurality of categories comprise an artist, an album, a genre, and a title.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an item value for each of the plurality of categories, for the selected one piece of digital data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reproducing the selected one piece of digital data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the selected one piece of digital data is not stored in the data storage apparatus, requesting a different data storage apparatus to transmit the selected one piece of digital data, and receiving the selected one piece of digital data from the other data storage apparatus.

10. A data storage apparatus comprising:

a data storage unit which stores digital data;

a metadata storage unit which stores metadata regarding a plurality of categories for a plurality of pieces of digital data including the digital data stored in the data storage unit;

a search criterion input unit which receives at least one category which is a search criterion, from among the plurality of categories;

a list sorting unit which sorts a list of the plurality of pieces of digital data on the basis of item values of the at least one category;

a list display unit which displays the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of digital data;

a selection input unit which receives a selected one piece of digital data selected by a user, from among the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of digital data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the search criterion input unit comprises a plurality of input buttons corresponding to the plurality of categories, and if at least one input button of the plurality of input buttons is pressed, a category corresponding to the at least one input button is input to the list sorting unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, if an input button of the plurality of input buttons is pressed, a category corresponding to the input button is input as a first category to the list sorting unit, and the list storing unit sorts the list of the plurality of pieces of digital data on the basis of item values of the first category.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein,

if a first input button and a second input button of the plurality of input buttons are successively pressed, categories corresponding to the first input button and the second input button are input as a first category and a second category to the list sorting unit, respectively, and

the list sorting unit sorts the list of the plurality of pieces of digital data on the basis of item values of the first category, and then sorts a list of digital data having the same item value of the first category, on the basis of item values of the second category.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selection input unit further comprises a movement signal input unit receiving an upward movement signal or a downward movement signal, and transferring the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal to the list display unit,

wherein, if the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal is transferred from the movement signal input unit, the list display unit moves the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of digital data upwardly or downwardly according to the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal, respectively, to generate a resultant list and displays the resultant list.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein, if the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal is a normal movement signal, the list display unit moves the sorted list upwardly or downwardly in units of digital data pieces and displays the resultant list, and if the upward movement signal or the downward movement signal is a fast movement signal, the list display unit moves the sorted list in units of pages and displays the resultant list.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the movement signal input unit comprises an upward movement button and a downward movement button corresponding to the upward movement signal and the downward movement signal, respectively, and recognizes the normal movement signal as a movement signal having a direction corresponding to a pressed upward movement button or pressed downward movement button if the pressed movement button is pressed for a short time, and transfers the normal movement signal to the list display unit, and recognizes the fast movement signal as a movement signal having a direction corresponding to the pressed upward movement button or pressed downward movement button if the pressed movement button is pressed for a long time, and transfers the fast movement signal to the list display unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the digital data is sound source data, and the plurality of categories include an artist, an album, a genre, and a title.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a selected data display unit which displays an item value for each of the plurality of categories, for the selected digital data.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a data reproducing unit which reproduces the selected digital data.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a data interface unit which requests a second data storage apparatus to transmit the selected digital data, if the selected digital data is not stored in the data storage unit, receives the selected digital data from the second data storage apparatus, and stores the selected digital data in the data storage unit.

21. A computer readable recording medium having encoded thereon a program for executing a method which allows a user to select one piece of digital data from among a plurality of pieces of digital data, in a data storage apparatus which stores metadata regarding a plurality of categories for each of the plurality of pieces of digital data, the method comprising:

receiving a first category which is a search criterion, from among the plurality of categories;

sorting a list of the plurality of pieces of digital data on the basis of item values of the first category;

displaying the sorted list of the plurality of pieces of digital data; and

receiving a selection of one piece of digital data by the user, from among the list of the plurality of pieces of digital data.