Ratings switch for portable media players

• US 20100023144A1
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.), Best Buy Solutions, Inc. (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Waites, Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00014 the compressed signal being an audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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

A dedicated ratings input is presented for a portable media player. The input may take the form of a physical switch or pre-identified movements recorded by an accelerometer. Movement of the switch into one of the two positions sets a rating for the currently playing media file. The physical ratings switch is not used during the playing of media files for any purpose other than the rating of media files. This allows the user to alter the rating by moving the switch without requiring any visual interaction with the portable media player. Audio feedback is provided when the switch is used to change the ratings of the media files.

Claims

1. A portable media player comprising:

a) a case with an external surface and an interior;

b) media output circuitry for playing media so that the media is perceptible outside of the case;

c) a physical rating switch on the exterior surface of the case, the physical rating switch being movable between a first switch position and a second switch position, whereby movement of the physical rating switch into either switch position alters a rating for the media currently being played by the media output circuitry;

wherein the first and second switch positions of the physical rating switch are used for no other purpose during the playing of media than to alter the ratings for the media.

2. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising:

d) a persistent memory within the interior of the case, the persistent memory containing

i) media files, and

ii) meta data for the media files, the meta data including ratings for the media files that are changed by the movement of the physical rating switch.

3. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the physical ratings switch is a spring loaded switch wherein the spring returns the physical ratings switch to a rest position, and further wherein the rest position is located between the first and second switch positions.

4. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein movement of the physical ratings switch into the first or second switch position causes the portable media player to provide an audio feedback.

5. The portable media player of claim 4, wherein the audio feedback varies depending on the change in rating caused by movement of the physical ratings switch.

6. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the case has a generally cuboid shape with a length less than five inches, a width less than three inches, and a thickness less than three-quarters of an inch.

7. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the ratings for the media file includes a do not play rating that causes the portable media player to refrain from future playback of media receiving the do not play rating without first requiring a sync to a computing device external to the portable media player.

8. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the ratings for the media consist only of an unranked rating, a single positive rating, and a single negative rating.

9. The portable media player of claim 8, wherein the movement of the physical ratings switch into the first switch position immediately assigns the positive rating, and the movement of the physical ratings switch into the second switch position immediately assigns the negative rating.

10. The portable media player of claim 9, wherein movement of the physical ratings switch into the first switch position causes the portable media player to provide a first audio feedback and further wherein movement of the physical ratings switch into the second switch position causes the portable media player to provide a second audio feedback.

11. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising a display showing a rating indicator for a currently playing file, and further wherein the rating indicator is updated upon each rating change caused by the movement of the physical ratings switch.

12. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the portable media player contains no display and the only feedback of a change to the ratings for the media files caused by the movement of the physical rating switch is an audio feedback.

13. The portable media player of claim 12, wherein the audio feedback is provided through an audio output port that is also used to present audio media.

14. A portable media player comprising:

a) circuitry for playing media so that the media is perceptible by a user;

b) an accelerometer for registering acceleration of the media player,

c) a processor in electrical connection with accelerometer, the processor being able to distinguish between different movements, the processor programmed to assign a first movement to an increase rating command and to assign a second movement to a decrease rating command,

wherein the increase and decrease rating commands are used to increase and decrease the rating for the media currently being played, and wherein the first and second movements are used by the media player for no other purpose than to alter the ratings for the media while the media is being played.

15. A portable media player comprising:

a) network interface circuitry for receiving and transmitting network communications;

b) circuitry for playing a media stream received via the network interface;

c) a dedicated rating input mechanism used to rate the currently playing media, wherein the rating received through the rating input mechanism is transmitted over the network interface circuitry;

wherein the dedicated rating input mechanism is used for no other purpose in the portable media player than to rate media.

16. The portable media player of claim 15, wherein the dedicated rating input mechanism further comprises:

i) an accelerometer for registering acceleration of the media player,

ii) a processor in electrical connection with accelerometer, the processor being able to distinguish between different movements, the processor programmed to assign a first movement to an increase rating command and to assign a second movement to a decrease rating command,

wherein the first and second movements are used by the media player for no other purpose than to alter the ratings for the media while the media is being played.

17. The portable media player of claim 16, wherein the media player provides audio feedback to the user indicating when an increase rating command or a decrease rating command has been received by the player.

18. The portable media player of claim 15, wherein the dedicated rating input mechanism further comprises a physical switch on an exterior surface of the media player, the physical rating switch moving between an increase rating position and a decrease rating position.

19. The portable media player of claim 17, wherein the media player provides a first audio feedback when the switch is moved into the increase rating position and a second audio feedback when the switch is moved into the decrease rating position.

20. A portable media player comprising:

a) media output circuitry for playing media, the media output circuitry including an audio output port;

b) a dedicated rating input mechanism used to rate the currently played media, wherein the dedicated rating input mechanism is used for no other purpose in the portable media player than to rate media, and further wherein the dedicated rating input mechanism does not require visual feedback or interaction with a display in order for a user to provide ratings input for a currently playing media file; and

wherein the media player provides audio feedback over the audio output port when the rating input mechanism increases or decreases a rating for a currently playing media file.