Hierarchical Categorization of Media Assets and User Interface for Media Player

• US 20100017361A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yang Pan
• Original Assignee: Yang Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yang
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

An improved hierarchical user interface for a handheld media player is disclosed, which classifies media assets that an on-line merchandiser intends to sell to the user as hidden files. The files are invisible to a user without a user'"'"'s intended and persistent interaction with a user input device of the player. The media assets that an on-line merchandiser intends to sell to the user are stored in the unused storage capacity of the player and are organized in a single structure as those media assets owned by the user. A method includes a means that a user actuates a user input device until the hidden files are displayed. Furthermore, a method is disclosed to utilize a file storage system of a portable media player more effectively and efficiently. The unused storage capacity is then used by the on-line merchandiser to store media assets, which have not been purchased by the user at the moment when they are received by the media player. The capacity occupied by the media assets from the merchandiser is adjusted dynamically based upon the required capacity by the user at a specific time. The media assets stored are managed based on their assigned priorities.

Claims

1. A method of selecting at least one media asset from a plurality of media assets stored in a media player by way of a hierarchically ordered user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface having first list of user selectable items and;

actuating a user input device until a response is displayed on a user interface and;

actuating further a user input device until second list of user selectable items is displayed and;

receiving a user selection of one of user selectable items.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

Actuating in a reverse manner a user input device while said second list of user selectable items is displayed and;

displaying a user interface having said first list of user selectable items.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein actuating includes an operation by a user interacting with a rotational user input device by a finger in a predetermined direction.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein actuating in a reverse manner includes an operation by a user interacting with a rotational user input device by a finger in an opposite direction of said predetermined one.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said second list of user selectable items is at same hierarchical level as the first list.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said response includes a text message displayed on a display screen.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said response includes a visual symbol displayed on a display screen.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said response includes a means accompanying with an audio message.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media assets include ones delivered to the media player by an on-line merchandiser.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said media assets have not been purchased by a user at the moment of receiving by said media player.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said media assets associate with a media metadata that includes a format with a plurality of fields.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said format includes a field indicating visibility of the associated media asset on a display by a conventional means of user interaction with a user input device.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said format includes a field indicating priority of the associated media file.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said priority representing the priority with regards to using storage space when storage space is insufficient for said media assets.

15. A method of managing a file storage system in a media player, comprising:

identifying required storage capacity by a user and;

delivering media assets from an on-line merchandiser to occupy storage capacity other than said required storage capacity and;

adjusting said storage capacity for said media assets from said on-line merchandiser in accordance with said user required capacity when it varies.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said file storage system comprises a semiconductor memory device or a plurality of semiconductor memory devices.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said delivering includes a means that said media assets are transferred via internet.

18. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said delivering includes a means that said media assets are transferred via a media server.

19. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said adjusting includes a means that is performed when the media player is connected with a server containing media asset database.

20. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said adjusting further comprising:

measuring required storage capacity by a user and;

ranking priorities for each media asset and;

deleting lower priority assets to give room to said required capacity by the user or;

adding more media assets from said on-line merchandiser to occupy unused capacity.

21. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said method includes a means that is carried out without notice from a user.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said priority is determined based upon a means related to a user specific media asset database.

23. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said priority is determined based upon the most played artist list by the user.

24. A method of paying an on-line merchandiser, comprising

assigning a credit limit to a media player associated with a user by a merchandiser and;

using the assigned credit to purchase a selected media asset by a user and;

paying the merchandiser the used credits by a user and;

re-assigning a credit limit in accordance with payment balance by a merchandiser.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, where said method is conducted by the use of internet.