Media Player Framework

• US 20100235741A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Newman, Lucas Christopher, Pisula, Charles John
• Granted Patent: US 9,946,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing media playback are described. In one embodiment, a third party media request is received from a third party application. A native media request is sent to a native media player in response to the third party media request. The native media request causes the native media player to access content or metadata. Metadata is returned to the third party application if the third party media request requested data. The native media player performs a content operation on the content if the third party media request requested a content operation.

Claims

5. A method comprising:

receiving a third party media request from a third party application;

causing a native media request to be sent to a native media player executing on a data processing system in response to the third party media request, wherein responding to the native media request causes the native media player to change from a first state to a second state;

restoring, in response to terminating the third party application, the native media player back to the first state if the third party application is of a first type;

leaving the native media player in the second state if the third party application is of a second type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content operation is a request to play content and wherein the third party media request is made through an application program interface (API) which generates the native media request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first state is a state of the native media player at the end of the last usage of the native media player.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the native media player is playing content on behalf of the third party application when the third party application is terminated and wherein the native media player continues playing the content after the third party application is terminated.

7-1. The method of claim 7, wherein the native media player is playing content on behalf of the third party application when the third party application is terminated and wherein the native media player stops playing the content when the third party application is terminated.

8-2. The method of claim 6, wherein the first type of third party application is a video game and the second type of third party application is a third party media player.

9. A machine readable storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

playing content by a native media player in response to receiving a request from a third party application;

continuing playing content by the native media player after the third party application terminates;

displaying a graphical user interface of the native media player in response to a request from a user, wherein the graphical user interface includes information corresponding to the content playing in response to the request from the third party application.

10. The machine readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the native media player receives the request from the third party application through an application programmer interface (API).

11. The machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the API generates a native media player operation in response to the request from the third party application.

12. The machine readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the request from the third party application is a request to play content stored on a data processing system executing the native media player.

13. The machine readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the request from the third party application is a request to play content streamed from a remote data processing system to a data processing system executing the native media player.

14. The machine readable storage medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface corresponding to the third party application;

generating the request from the third party application in response to receiving user input through the graphical user interface corresponding to the third party application.

15. A machine readable storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

initiating, by a third party application using an application programmer interface (API), a native media request, wherein the native media request causes a native media player to perform a content operation and wherein the native media player is configured to be accessible through a native media player user interface;

terminating, by the third party application, wherein the native media player receives an indication that the third party application has terminated.

16. The machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the content operations includes playing media content by the native media player.

17. The machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the native media player stops playing the media content in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated.

18. The machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the native media player continues playing the media content in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated.

19. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the native media player stops playing the media content in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated and in response to a determination of a type of the third party application.

20. A system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory through a bus;

a sensor coupled to the processor through the bus;

executable instructions stored in the memory which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive a first third party media request from a third party application,

send a first native media player request to a native media player in response to receiving the first third party media request, wherein the native media player performs a content operation in response to receiving the first native media player request,

receive a second third party media request from the third party application, wherein the second third party media request is generated in response to an input from the sensor,

send a second native media player request to the native media player in response to receiving the second third party media request, wherein the native media player performs a modified content operation in response to receiving the second native media player request.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the content operation is playing digital music content.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor is a heart rate sensor physically attached to a user of the system.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a third party media request from a third party application executing on a hardware device, the third party media request received through an application programmer interface (API) corresponding to a native media player;

means for converting the third party media request into a native media player request configured to cause a native media player to perform a content operation corresponding to the third party media request;

means for storing a first state of the native media player, the first state of the native media player corresponding to a state of the native media player before the native media player performs the content operation;

means for performing, by the native media player, the content operation, wherein performing the content operations causes the native media player to transition into a second state;

means for transitioning the native media player to the first state in response to an indication that the third party application has terminated.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first state comprises performing a different content operation.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first state comprises at least one configuration parameter different from a corresponding at least one configuration parameter of the native media player after performing the content operation corresponding to the third party media request.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for storing the second state in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated;

means for transitioning the native media player to the second state in response to an indication that the third party application has started executing.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that the third party application is a first type of application.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that a user option associated with the third party application indicates to transition the native media player to the second state in response to executing the third party application.