PROTOCOL FOR REMOTE USER INTERFACE FOR PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICE WITH DATABASE NAVIGATION HISTORY
First Claim
1. A method of operating an accessory to control a portable media device, the method comprising, by the accessory:
- establishing a connection to the portable media device;
determining that a media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device is queued for playback by the portable media device;
requesting, from the portable media device, navigation history information indicating a navigational path by which the media asset was selected;
receiving the navigation history information from the portable media device; and
initializing a database navigation interface of the accessory according to the navigation history information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of operating an accessory to control a portable media device, the method comprising, by the accessory:
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establishing a connection to the portable media device; determining that a media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device is queued for playback by the portable media device; requesting, from the portable media device, navigation history information indicating a navigational path by which the media asset was selected; receiving the navigation history information from the portable media device; and initializing a database navigation interface of the accessory according to the navigation history information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An accessory for providing a remote user interface for a portable media device, the accessory comprising:
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a user interface including at least one input control operable by a user; an input/output interface configured to exchange commands and data with the portable media device; and a controller coupled to the user interface and the input/output interface, the controller being configured to detect a user input from the user interface and to control the input/output interface based at least in part on the user input, wherein the controller is further configured to; establish a connection to the portable media device via the input/output interface; request, from the portable media device, navigation history information indicating a navigational path by which a media asset currently queued for playback by the portable media device was selected from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device; and initialize the user interface of the accessory to provide a navigational interface for navigating the database of media assets stored by the portable media device, wherein an initial state of the navigational interface is determined based on the navigation history information. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An accessory for use with a portable media device, the accessory comprising:
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a user interface including at least one input control operable by a user; and 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, the controller being configured to detect a user input from the user interface and to control the input/output interface based at least in part on the user input, 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 provide navigation history information indicating a navigational path by which a media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device became selected for playback by the portable media device; and a second command receivable by the accessory from the portable media device, the second command providing at least a portion of the navigation history information. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for operating a portable media device, the method comprising:
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selecting a media asset from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device for playback, wherein selecting a media asset includes responding to a sequence of user inputs, the sequence of user inputs establishing a navigational path through the database; queuing the selected media asset for playback by the portable media device; establishing a connection to an accessory, the accessory providing a user interface; receiving from the accessory a request for navigation history information; and providing to the accessory information identifying the navigational path. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A portable media device for use with an accessory, the portable media device comprising:
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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 accessory, a storage device configured to store a database of media assets and metadata associated with the media assets; a playback engine configured to maintain a playback queue of media assets in the database and to play media assets from the playback queue in response to playback instructions received via the user interface or the input/output interface; and a database engine configured to respond to commands received from either the user interface or the input/output interface by navigating the database and selecting a media asset from the database to be added to the playback queue, wherein selecting a media asset includes responding to a sequence of user inputs, the sequence of user inputs establishing a navigational path through the database, wherein the input/output interface is further configured to receive a request from the accessory for navigation history information and to provide to the accessory information identifying a navigational path via which a media asset became included in the playback queue.
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21. A portable media device for use with an accessory, the portable media device comprising:
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a user interface including at least one input control operable by a user; a storage device configured to store a database of media assets and metadata associated with the media assets; a database engine configured to respond to navigational instructions received via the user interface by selecting one or more media assets from the database in accordance with the navigational instructions, wherein a sequence of received navigational instructions establishes a navigational path; a playback engine configured to maintain a playback queue of media assets to be played and to play media assets from the playback queue in response to playback instructions received via the user interface; and an input/output interface configured to exchange a plurality of commands with the accessory, the plurality of commands including; a first command receivable by the portable media device from the accessory, the first command instructing the portable media device to provide navigation history information indicating a navigational path by which a media asset from the database of media assets stored by the portable media device became included in the playback queue; and a second command sendable by the portable media device to the accessory, the second command providing the navigation history information. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification