MEDIA PORTION SELECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080263046A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KRISTENSSON, Andreas, ARONSSON, Par-Anders
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

A device may store a media file. A portion of the media file may be identified and played back in response to an event associated with the device. In one implementation, a portion of an existing audio file may be used as a ring tone in response to a received incoming telephone call.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a portion of an existing media file in a mobile communications device;

receiving an incoming call; and

playing back the identified portion of the existing media file in response to the received incoming call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified portion of the existing media file includes a starting time identification and an ending time identification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified portion includes one of a starting time identification or an ending time identification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing media file comprises a digital rights managed media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing media file is protected by digital rights management.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the existing media file comprises one of an audio file, a video file, an animation file, or a multimedia file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a portion of an existing media file in a mobile communications device further comprises:

automatically identifying an identifiable portion of the existing media file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiable portion of the existing media file comprises a chorus portion of the existing media file.

9. A method, comprising:

identifying a portion of an existing media file;

assigning the identified portion to an action; and

playing back the identified portion of the existing media file in accordance with the assigned action.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the action comprises one of:

receipt of an incoming call, receipt of an incoming message, execution of an alert, execution of a reminder, display of a background, display of a screensaver, or display of a caller identification element.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying a portion of an existing media file further comprises:

identifying a starting time within the existing media file; and

identifying an ending time within the existing media file.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying a portion of an existing media file further comprises:

automatically determining an identifiable portion of the existing media file;

setting a starting time for the portion of the existing media file to a starting time of the automatically determined identifiable portion; and

setting a ending time for the portion of the existing media file to an ending time of the automatically determined identifiable portion.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving adjustments to one of the starting time for the portion of the existing media file or the ending time for the portion of the existing media file.

14. A mobile device, comprising:

a display;

a speaker;

a memory for storing an existing media file;

first logic configured to identify a portion of the existing media file;

second logic configured to assign the identified portion to performance of an action associated with the mobile device; and

third logic configured to output the identified portion of the existing media file via at least one of the display or the speaker in response to an executed command.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the first logic is further configured to output a representation of the identified portion of the existing media file to the display.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the first logic is further configured to receive adjustments to the identified portion of the existing media file.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the action comprises a ring tone playback command generated in response to a received call.

18. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the action comprises a message alert playback command generated in response to a received message.

19. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises a portable communications device.

20. A portable communications device, comprising:

means for outputting audio and video;

means for storing a media file;

means for identifying a portion of the stored media file;

means for assigning the identified portion to an event; and

means for outputting the identified portion of the stored media file in response to the assigned event.

21. The portable media device of claim 20, wherein the identified portion of the stored media file comprises less than an entirety of the stored media file.