REMOTE USER INTERFACE FOR MEDIA PLAYER

• US 20130254664A1
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Imazeki, Hirokazu, Seki, Masahiko, Almstrand, Christian Lars, Venkatesan, Prem Aandand, Shinkai, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/89 which are wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/93 Wired transmission systems

Abstract

A portable media player communicates with a host computer for enabling a user of the player to manage media distribution using the control software of the host computer. The host computer can send a GUI that is displayed on the otherwise “dumb” player, and the user can view the GUI and press a single button to command the control software to download a media title to the player. The host computer can periodically poll the player to determine its status.

Claims

1. A system for managing media distribution, comprising:

at least one host computer;

at least one media player including a display and at least one input device, the media player communicating with the host computer; and

at least one software-implemented control module in the host computer and rendering a user interface (UI) on the player, wherein

a user can manipulate the input device in cooperation with the UI to manage distribution and/or playback of media between the host computer and player, and further wherein the input device includes at least one button on the player, and a media stream is downloaded to the player in response to the user depressing the button once and only once, without requiring the user to depress any other buttons, wherein the player cannot initiate communication with the host computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user can manipulate the input device to cause the host computer to transfer at least one media stream to the player.

3. (canceled)

4. A system for managing media distribution, comprising:

at least one host computer;

at least one disk player communicating with the host computer and separate therefrom;

at least one media player including a display and at least one input device, the media player communicating with the host computer and with the disk player; and

at least one software-implemented control module in the host computer and rendering a user interface (UI) on the player, wherein

a user can manipulate the input device in cooperation with the UI to cause the host computer to cause a copy of a user-selected media file to be sent from the disk player to the media player.

5-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A media player, comprising:

electronic media storing at least one media stream;

means for playing the stream; and

a display for presenting a user interface (UI) generated by a host computer and transmitted from the host computer to the media player, wherein the player includes at least one light emitting diode (LED) and the host computer energizes the LED to indicate to the user the availability of a music title at a disk player with which the media player communicates so that a copy of the music title can be sent from the disk player to the media player under control of the host computer.

17. The media player of claim 16, further comprising at least one input device, wherein a user can manipulate the input device in cooperation with the UI to manage distribution of media between the host computer and player.

18. The media player of claim 17, wherein the user can manipulate the input device to cause the host computer to transfer at least one media stream to the player.

19. A media player, comprising:

electronic media storing at least one media stream;

means for playing the stream; and

a display for presenting a user interface (UI) generated by a host computer and transmitted from the host computer to the media player, wherein the player includes an input device including at least one button, and a media stream is downloaded to the player from a disk player separate from the host computer in response to the user depressing the button once and only once, without requiring the user to depress any other buttons.

20-33. -33. (canceled)