PROTOCOL FOR REMOTE USER INTERFACE FOR PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICE WITH DYNAMIC PLAYLIST MANAGEMENT

• US 20090059512A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lydon, Gregory T., Bolton, Lawrence G., Schubert, Emily Clark
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists

Abstract

Remote user interfaces for portable media devices provided improved access by accessories to media assets and metadata stored in a database of a portable media device, enhancing a user'"'"'s ability to control operation of the portable media device using a remote user interface provided by the accessory. In one example, an accessory can determine whether the database of the portable media device was updated while the portable media device was disconnected from the accessory. In a second example, an accessory can create and manage a playlist for the portable media device and can incorporate into the playlist tracks already queued for playback when the accessory connects to the portable media device. In a third example, an accessory can obtain database navigation history and initialize a database navigation interface to match the database navigation history.

Claims

1. A method of operating an accessory to control a portable media device, the method comprising, by the accessory:

receiving a first user input indicating a selection to be made from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device;

sending a first command to the portable media device, the first command instructing the portable media device to make the selection and thereby select one or more media assets from the database;

receiving a second user input indicating that the selected one or more media assets are to be added to a playlist maintained in the portable media device; and

sending a second command to the portable media device, the second command instructing the portable media device to add the selected one or more media assets to the playlist.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third user input indicating that the playlist is to be played; and

sending a third command to the portable media device, the third command instructing the portable media device to begin playing the playlist.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

caching information identifying the media assets added to the playlist in a local cache of the accessory.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to receiving the second user input and prior to sending the second command to the portable media device, determining whether the playlist already exists; and

in the event that the playlist does not already exist, sending a third command to the portable media device, the third command instructing the portable media device to create the playlist, wherein the third command is sent prior to sending the second command.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving an acknowledgement command from the portable media device in response to the third command.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the acknowledgement command includes an identifier assigned to the playlist by the portable media device and wherein sending the second command includes sending the identifier as a parameter of the second command.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to sending the second command:

sending a third command to the portable media device, the third command instructing the portable media device to create the playlist.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising, prior to sending the third command:

receiving a third user input requesting creation of a new playlist,

wherein the third command is sent in response to receiving the third user input.

9. A method of operating an accessory to control a portable media device, the method comprising, by the accessory:

requesting, from the portable media device, information about one or more media assets in a playback queue of the portable media device;

receiving the requested information;

instructing the portable media device to define a remote playlist based on the received information;

receiving a user input modifying the remote playlist; and

in response to the user input, sending a playlist modification command to the portable media device, wherein the portable media device modifies the remote playlist based on the playlist modification command.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the user input modifying the remote playlist includes a user selection of a media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device to be added to the remote playlist.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the user input modifying the remote playlist includes a user selection of a group of media assets from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device to be added to the remote playlist.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the user input modifying the remote playlist includes a user selection of a media asset to be removed from the remote playlist.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying the remote playlist prior to receiving the user input.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

displaying a modified remote playlist in response to the user input.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein requesting the information about the one or more media assets is performed in response to detecting that the portable media device has become connected to the accessory.

16. An accessory for use with a portable media device, the accessory comprising:

a user interface including at least one input control operable by a user;

an input/output interface configured to exchange a plurality of commands with the portable media device; and

a controller coupled to the user interface and the input/output interface and configured to control the input/output interface to exchange commands with the portable media device based at least in part on user input received by the user interface via the at least one input control,

wherein the plurality of commands includes;

a first command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the first command instructing the portable media device to create a playlist in the portable media device;

a second command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the second command instructing the portable media device to add a specified media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device to the playlist; and

a third command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the third command instructing the portable media device to add a currently selected group of media assets from the database of media assets stored by the portable media device to the playlist.

17. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a fourth command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the fourth command instructing the portable media device to remove a specified media asset from the playlist.

18. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a fourth command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the fourth command instructing the portable media device to change an ordering of the media assets in the playlist.

19. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a fourth command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the fourth command instructing the portable media device to delete the playlist.

20. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

an acknowledgement command receivable by the accessory from the portable media device, the acknowledgement command acknowledging receipt by the portable media device of one of the plurality of commands sent by the accessory.

21. The accessory of claim 20 wherein an instance of the acknowledgement command received by the accessory in response to the first command includes an identifier of the created playlist.

22. The accessory of claim 21 wherein each instance of the second command or the third command includes the identifier of the created playlist as a parameter.

23. The accessory of claim 21 wherein each instance of the second command or the third command includes as a parameter the identifier of one of a plurality of playlists, wherein each one of the plurality of playlists was created using the first command.

24. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a fourth command sendable by the accessory to the portable media device, the fourth command instructing the portable media device to provide information about one or more media assets in a playback queue of the portable media device; and

a fifth command receivable by the accessory from the portable media device, the fifth command providing information about the one or more media assets in the playback queue of the portable media device.

25. The accessory of claim 24 wherein the controller is further configured to control the input/output interface to send the fourth command in response to detecting that the accessory has become attached to a portable media device.

26. The accessory of claim 25 wherein the controller is further configured to use the first and second commands together with information provided via the fifth command to define a playlist.

27. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the input/output interface comprises a wireless interface.

28. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the input/output interface comprises a connector.

29. A method of operating a portable media device, the method comprising:

receiving, from an accessory communicably coupled to the portable media device, a first command instructing the portable media device to make a selection from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device;

making the requested selection, thereby selecting one or more media assets from the database of media assets;

receiving, from the accessory, a second command indicating that the selected one or more media assets are to be added to a playlist maintained in the portable media device; and

adding the selected one or more media assets to the playlist in response to the second command.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

receiving, from the accessory, a third command indicating that the playlist is to be played; and

initiating playing of the playlist in response to the third command.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising, prior to receiving the second command:

receiving, from the accessory, a third command indicating that a new playlist is to be created; and

creating the new playlist in response to the third command.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

sending an acknowledgement command to the accessory in response to the third command.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein creating the new playlist includes assigning a playlist identifier to the new playlist and wherein the playlist identifier is included in the acknowledgement command as a parameter.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the second command, as received by the portable media device, includes the playlist identifier as a parameter.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

in response to receiving the second command, extracting the playlist identifier from the second command; and

using the playlist identifier to identify one of a plurality of playlists maintained in the portable media device as the playlist to which the selected one or more media assets are to be added.

36. A portable media device for use with an accessory, the portable media device comprising:

a storage device configured to store a database of media assets and metadata associated with the media assets and further configured to store one or more playlists;

an input/output interface configured to exchange a plurality of commands with the accessory; and

a processor coupled to the storage device and the input/output interface, the processor being configured to respond to commands received via the input/output interface,

wherein the plurality of commands includes;

a first command receivable by the portable media device from the accessory, the first command instructing the portable media device to create a playlist in the portable media device;

a second command receivable by portable media device from the accessory, the second command instructing the portable media device to add a currently selected media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device to the playlist; and

a third command receivable by the portable media device from the accessory, the third command instructing the portable media device to add a currently selected group of media assets from the database of media assets stored by the portable media device to the playlist.

37. The portable media device of claim 36 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a fourth command receivable by the portable media device from the accessory, the fourth command instructing the portable media device to provide information about one or more media assets in the playback queue; and

a fifth command sendable by the portable media device to the accessory in response to the fourth command, the fifth command providing information about the one or more media assets in the playback queue.

38. The portable media device of claim 36 wherein the input/output interface comprises a wireless interface.

39. The portable media device of claim 36 wherein the input/output interface comprises a connector.