NAVIGATING MEDIA CONTENT BY GROUPS

• US 20100114986A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation), Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: LaChapelle, Kevin Leigh, Yanagawa, Yoshifumi, Takeguchi, Nobuyasu, Mercer, Ian Cameron, Matsumi, Chiyoko, Miyamoto, Harutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational

Abstract

Grouping media files via playlists on a computer-readable medium. One or more media files are selected according to a grouping criterion to define one or more playlists from the media files. A folder is associated with the playlists and stores values identifying each of the playlists associated with the folder along with references to each of the playlists.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a playlist module for;

receiving a list of user selected media files having an associated grouping criterion; and

selecting one or more additional media files according to the associated grouping criterion to define a first playlist, said playlist module being further operable to select one or more of the additional media files according to the associated grouping criterion to define a second playlist;

a population module for generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist defined by the playlist module, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references the user selected media files and the selected additional media files defined therein, and wherein the second playlist references the user selected media files and the selected additional media files defined therein; and

a writer module for storing the first playlist, the second playlist, the selected media files associated with the first playlist, the selected media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group on a computer-readable medium.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more computer-readable media for storing the playlist module, the population module, and the writer module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the container group further comprises a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media files comprise one or more of the following:

audio files, video files, and image files.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a data structure representing the container group, said data structure comprising:

a data field for storing a description of the container group;

a data field for storing the first value identifying the first playlist; and

a data field for storing the second value identifying the second playlist.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data structure further comprises a reference between the first playlist and the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a starting point field storing a value representing a starting point of playback of the first playlist; and

an ending point field storing a value representing an ending point of playback of the first playlist.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a starting offset field storing a value representing a physical byte starting offset for the first playlist; and

an ending offset field storing a value representing a physical byte ending offset for the first playlist.

9. A method executable by a processor of a computing device comprising:

receiving a list of user selected media files having an associated grouping criterion, said selected media files being accessible by the computing device;

selecting one or more additional media files according to the associated grouping criterion to define a first playlist, said playlist module being further operable to select one or more of the additional media files according to the associated grouping criterion to define a second playlist;

generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist defined by the playlist module, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references the user selected media files and the selected additional media files defined therein, and wherein the second playlist references the user selected media files and the selected additional media files defined therein; and

providing the first playlist, the second playlist, the selected media files associated with the first playlist, the selected media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group to a user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the container group comprises generating a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the list of user selected media files comprise one or more of the following:

audio files, video files, and image files.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the provided first playlist, the second playlist, the selected media files associated with the first playlist, the selected media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group on a computer storage medium accessible by the computing device.

13. A computer storage medium comprising:

a playlist module for;

receiving a list of user selected media files having an associated grouping criterion; and

selecting one or more additional media files according to the associated grouping criterion to define a first playlist, said playlist module being further operable to select one or more of the additional media files according to the associated grouping criterion to define a second playlist;

a population module for generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist defined by the playlist module, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references the user selected media files and the selected additional media files defined therein, and wherein the second playlist references the user selected media files and the selected additional media files defined therein; and

a writer module for storing the first playlist, the second playlist, the selected media files associated with the first playlist, the selected media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group on a computer-readable medium.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the container group further comprises a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the media files comprise one or more of the following:

audio files, video files, and image files.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a data structure representing the container group, said data structure comprising:

a data field for storing a description of the container group;

a data field for storing the first value identifying the first playlist; and

a data field for storing the second value identifying the second playlist.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the data structure further comprises a reference between the first playlist and the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a starting point field storing a value representing a starting point of playback of the first playlist; and

an ending point field storing a value representing an ending point of playback of the first playlist.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a starting offset field storing a value representing a physical byte starting offset for the first playlist; and

an ending offset field storing a value representing a physical byte ending offset for the first playlist.