GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF MUSIC USING VARYING LEVELS OF DETAIL

• US 20100229088A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rahul, Pareet, Lin, Gloria, Nakajima, Taido
• Application Number:
  US12/398,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• 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: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for providing graphical representations of music of varying levels of detail. An electronic device can determine the attributes of a first type (e.g., genre) associated with the music. The electronic device can display a graphical representation of the music using the attributes. The graphical representation can be based on a spiral, helix, map, or any other geometric shape or curve. A user can zoom into a portion of the graphical representation to select the music of a particular genre in which to view more detailed information. In response, the electronic device can determine the attributes of a second, more detailed type (e.g., artist) associated with the selected music and can revise the graphical representation to use the attributes of the second type. The revised graphical representation can include album cover art associated with the selected music.

Claims

1. A method of providing a plurality of music elements to a user of an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining a first plurality of attributes of a first attribute type associated with the music elements;

displaying a first graphical representation of the music elements using the first plurality of attributes;

receiving a user request to view more detailed information about the music elements associated with at least one of the first plurality of attributes;

determining a second plurality of attributes of a second attribute type for the music elements associated with the at least one of the first plurality of attributes; and

displaying a second graphical representation using at least a portion of the second plurality of attributes, wherein the second graphical representation comprises a plurality of album cover art.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first or second plurality of attributes comprises:

identifying a plurality of different genres, artists, release dates, dates of purchase or acquisition, or beats per minute each associated with at least one of the music elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the graphical representation comprises:

presenting a plurality of regions on a display screen, each of the regions representing the music elements associated with one of the plurality of attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

detecting whether the user-requested music elements are associated with other attributes of the first attribute type; and

distributing the second plurality of attributes in the second graphical representation based on the detecting.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining an initial plurality of attributes of an initial attribute type associated with the music elements;

displaying an initial graphical representation using the initial plurality of attributes; and

receiving an initial user request to view more detailed information about at least one of the initial plurality of attributes, wherein the first plurality of attributes are determined responsive to receiving the initial user request.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of album cover art; and

performing an action based on an album associated with the selected album cover art, wherein performing the action comprises at least one of;

playing a song from the album, creating a playlist using songs from the album, and providing a menu with the songs from the album.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a user instruction to move the graphical representation;

determining a third plurality of attributes of the second attribute type, wherein the third plurality of attributes are associated with another one of the first plurality of attributes; and

revising the graphical representation to include at least a portion of the third plurality of attributes.

8. An electronic device for providing a plurality of music elements to a user, the music elements each associated with a first attribute and a second attribute, wherein the electronic device comprises a display, a user input interface, and control circuitry configured to:

direct the display to provide a graphical representation of the music elements, wherein the graphical representation comprises a curve, and wherein the music elements are represented along the curve using the first attributes of the music elements;

receive, from the user input interface, a user request to view more detailed information about a portion of the music elements; and

direct the display to revise the graphical representation, wherein the revised graphical representation represents the portion of the music elements along the curve using the second attributes of the music elements.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the curve comprises a spiral.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the curve comprises a helix.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive, from the touch screen, a user input directed in a particular direction; and

update the graphical representation to represent additional music elements along one end of the curve based on the particular direction.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the graphical representation comprises a first plurality of graphics displayed along the curve, each of the graphics associated with one of the first attributes.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the revised graphical representation comprises a second plurality of graphics displayed along the curve in place of the first plurality of graphics, and wherein the second plurality of graphics are each associated with one of the second attributes.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user input interface comprises a multi-touch touch screen, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive, as the user request to view more detailed information, a multi-touch input from the multi-touch touch screen over an area of the graphical representation; and

direct the display to revise the graphical representation based on the area of the multi-touch input.

15. An electronic device for presenting a plurality of music elements to a user, the electronic device comprising a display, a user input interface, and control circuitry configured to:

determine a plurality of attributes of a particular attribute type associated with the music elements;

direct the display to present a map, the map comprising a plurality of regions corresponding to real-life geographic areas, wherein each of the regions represents the music elements associated with one of the plurality of attributes;

receive, from the user input interface, a user selection of one of the regions;

direct the display to present a graphical representation of a portion of the music elements associated with the selected region.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the graphic representation represents the portion of the music elements using attributes of a different attribute type.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the graphical representation comprises a grid of album cover art.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the selected region borders at least another one of the regions, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the music elements associated with the selected region are also related to the attribute associated with the other region; and

distribute the album cover art in the grid based on the determination.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the real-life geographic area corresponding to each region is related to the one of the attributes of that region.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein each of the attributes is related to a real-life geographic area based on at least one of:

the attribute originated in the area, famous events relating the attribute occurred in the area, or a famous artist relating to the attribute lives or performs in the area.

21. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein each of the regions represents music elements associated with the corresponding real-life geographic area.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein music elements are associated with a real-life geographic area based on one of:

an artist of the music elements lives or lived in the geographic area, the music element was recorded in the real-life geographic area, or the music element is from a concert taking place in the real-life geographic area.

24. The machine-readable media of claim 22, wherein the first or second attribute type comprises at least one of:

genre, artist, release date, date of purchase or acquisition, and song speed.

25. The machine-readable media of claim 22, the machine-readable media further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of album cover art; and

performing an action based on an album associated with the selected album cover art, wherein performing the action comprises at least one of;

playing a song from the album, creating a playlist using songs from the album, and providing a menu with the songs from the album.

23. Machine-readable media for providing a plurality of music elements to a user of an electronic device, the machine-readable media comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

determining a first plurality of attributes of a first attribute type associated with the music elements;

displaying a first graphical representation of the music elements using the first plurality of attributes;

receiving a first user request to view more detailed information about the music elements associated with at least one of the first plurality of attributes;

determining a second plurality of attributes of a second attribute type for the music elements associated with the at least one of the first plurality of attributes; and

displaying a second graphical representation using at least a portion of the second plurality of attributes, wherein the second graphical representation comprises a plurality of album cover art.