TAGGING OF BROADCAST CONTENT USING A PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICE CONTROLLED BY AN ACCESSORY

• US 20110053491A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yew, Jason J., Rathi, Shailesh, Bolton, Lawrence G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,130,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information

Abstract

Track-identifying information can be collected from a broadcast using a portable media device capable of receiving broadcast content in combination with an accessory capable of communicating user input to the portable media player. In some embodiments, the portable media player can detect the presence of track-identifying metadata (a “tag”) within a received broadcast and can alert the accessory when a tag is available for a currently-playing track. If the accessory instructs the portable media player to store the tag, the portable media player can do so and can alert the accessory when a tag for a track has been stored. In some embodiments, the accessory can also remotely control other broadcast-receiving functions of the portable media device, such as entering or exiting a broadcast-receiving mode of operation.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a portable media device, the method comprising, by an accessory communicatively coupled to the portable media device:

receiving a tag notification from the portable media device, the tag notification indicating that track identification information is available for a currently playing track of a broadcast being received by the portable media device;

receiving a tag request signal indicative of a user request to tag the track; and

in response to the tag request signal, transmitting a tagging command to the portable media device, wherein the tagging command instructs the portable media device to store the track identification information in a persistent storage medium in the portable media device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to receiving the tag notification, alerting the user that the track identification information is available.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

alerting the user includes illuminating a tag control of a user input device; and

receiving the tag request signal includes detecting user operation of the tag control.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to transmitting the tagging command, receiving a tag success notification from the portable media device, wherein the tag success notification indicates that the track identification has been stored in the persistent storage medium in the portable media device.

5. An accessory comprising:

a media device interface configured to exchange commands from a plurality of commands with a portable media device;

a user interface configured to receive user input; and

a controller coupled to the media device interface and the user interface, the controller being configured to interpret the received user input as instructions for invoking a functionality of a broadcast receiver and to instruct the media device interface to send a corresponding command from the plurality of commands, the controller being further configured to process commands received from the portable media device by the media device interface,

wherein the plurality of commands includes;

a button status command sendable by the accessory, the button status command including a button status bitmask, wherein different bits of the button status bitmask correspond to different functions of the broadcast receiver, the bits of the button status bitmask including a tag bit corresponding to an instruction to store track identifying metadata; and

a notification command receivable by the accessory, the notification command including one of a plurality of event identifiers, wherein the plurality of event identifiers includes a first event identifier indicating detection of track identifying metadata for a current track and a second event identifier indicating successful storing of the track identifying metadata.

6. The accessory of claim 5 further comprising:

a speaker,

wherein the media device interface is further configured to receive an audio signal from the portable media device for delivery to the speaker.

7. The accessory of claim 5 wherein the user interface includes a tag control and wherein the controller is further configured such that, in response to user operation of the tag control, the controller instructs the media device interface to send the button status command with the tag bit active.

8. The accessory of claim 7 wherein the user interface is further configured such that the tag control is made operative in response to receiving a notification command including the first event identifier.

9. The accessory of claim 5 wherein the plurality of event identifiers further includes:

a third event identifier indicating that the portable media device has entered a broadcast-receiving mode of operation; and

a fourth event identifier indicating that the portable media device has exited the broadcast-receiving mode of operation.

10. The accessory of claim 5 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a broadcast-receiving mode entry command sendable by the accessory to instruct the portable media device to enter a broadcast-receiving mode of operation; and

a broadcast-receiving mode exit command sendable by the accessory to instruct the portable media device to exit the broadcast-receiving mode of operation.

11. A method for operating a portable media device, the method comprising:

receiving a track of a broadcast;

detecting track identifying metadata associated with the track;

in response to detecting the track-identifying metadata, sending a tag notification to an accessory communicably coupled to the portable media device, the tag notification indicating that the track identifying metadata is available;

receiving, from the accessory, an instruction to tag the track;

in response to the instruction, storing the track identifying metadata in a storage medium of the portable media device; and

sending a success notification to the accessory, the success notification indicating that the track identifying metadata has been stored in the storage medium.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting an end of the track; and

in response to detecting the end of the track, sending an end-track notification to the accessory.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the end-track notification includes a notification that the track identifying metadata is no longer available.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the portable media device is operable in a broadcast-receiving mode or another mode, the method comprising:

at a time when the portable media device is operating in the other mode, receiving, from the accessory, an instruction to enter the broadcast-receiving mode; and

switching to the broadcast-receiving mode in response to the instruction.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

at a time when the portable media device is operating in the broadcast-receiving mode, receiving, from the accessory, an instruction to exit the broadcast-receiving mode; and

switching to the other mode in response to the instruction.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the instruction to tag the track comprises a command and an associated bitmask, wherein different bits of the bitmask correspond to different functions of a broadcast receiver of the portable media device, and wherein the bits of the bitmask include a tag bit corresponding to the instruction to tag the track.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing an audio signal corresponding to the track to the accessory.

18. A portable media device comprising:

a broadcast receiver configured to receive broadcast media content and to extract a content signal and track identifying metadata from the received broadcast media content;

an accessory interface configured to exchange commands from a plurality of commands with an accessory;

a storage device configured to store data; and

a processor coupled to the broadcast receiver and the accessory interface, the processor being configured to process the commands exchanged via the accessory interface,

wherein the plurality of commands includes a button status command receivable by the portable media device, the button status command including a button status bitmask, wherein the button status bitmask includes a tag bit indicative of an instruction to store at least a portion of the metadata extracted from the received broadcast media content,

and wherein the processor is further configured such that, in response to receiving the button status command with the tag bit set, the processor stores at least a portion of the track identifying metadata extracted by the broadcast receiver as a tag in the storage device.

19. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

a notification command sendable by the portable media device in response to detecting an event, the notification command including an event identifier corresponding to the detected event, wherein the detected events include detection of track identifying metadata for a current track and successful storing of the track identifying metadata; and

a registration command receivable from the accessory, the registration command indicating which of the plurality of event identifiers are to be sent to the accessory using the notification command.

20. The portable media device of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to execute an application program to control the broadcast receiver and wherein the plurality of commands further includes:

an enter broadcast mode command receivable by the portable media device, the enter broadcast mode command instructing the portable media device to launch the application program; and

an exit broadcast mode command receivable by the portable media device, the exit broadcast mode command instructing the portable media device to quit the application program.

21. The portable media device of claim 20 wherein the detected events further include launching the application program and quitting the application program.

22. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the broadcast receiver includes a radio tuner.

23. The portable media device of claim 22 wherein the radio tuner is further configured to receive a radio broadcast on at least one of an FM radio band, an AM radio band, or a satellite radio band.

24. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the broadcast receiver is configured to receive an Internet broadcast.

25. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the broadcast receiver is configured to receive a television broadcast.

26. The portable media device of claim 18 wherein the accessory interface is further configured to transmit the content signal from the broadcast receiver to the accessory.

27. A method for controlling a portable media device having a broadcast receiver, the method comprising, by an accessory communicatively coupled to the portable media device:

receiving a first notification from the portable media device, the first notification indicating whether the portable media device is operating in a broadcast-receiving mode or a stored media playback mode;

sending a mode switching command to the portable media device in response to the notification, wherein the mode switching command instructs the portable media device to switch between the broadcast-receiving mode and the stored media playback mode; and

in response to the mode switching command, receiving a second notification from the portable media device, the second notification also indicating whether the portable media device is operating in the broadcast-receiving mode or the stored media playback mode, wherein the second notification reflects an effect of the mode switching command on the portable media device.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising, by the accessory:

prior to receiving the first notification, sending a registration command to the portable media device, the registration command instructing the portable media device to register the accessory to receive a class of notifications associated with a broadcast-receiving application of the portable media device,

wherein the first notification and the second notification are included in the class of notifications associated with the broadcast-receiving application.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the class of notifications associated with the broadcast-receiving application further includes a tag notification indicating that track-identifying metadata is available for a currently playing track of a broadcast, the method further comprising, by the accessory:

while the portable media device is operating in the broadcast-receiving mode and playing a track, receiving the tag notification from the portable media device;

in response to the tag notification, determining whether a user requests to tag the track; and

in the event that the user requests to tag the track, sending a tagging command to the portable media device, the tagging command instructing the portable media device to tag the track.