METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLAYING CONTENT

• US 20140321671A1
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Yonggil, An, Jinwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,181,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems

Abstract

A method for operating a user device includes playing a media content on a screen, detecting a user input for lowering a volume of the media content, and decreasing the volume of the media content in response to the user input, determining whether a user input enters a play control zone after the detection of the user input for lowering the volume, and performing a pause of the media content in response to the user input entering the play control zone. A user device includes a touch screen configured to receive a user input for controlling a volume of the media content, and a controller configured to decrease the volume of the media content in response to a user input for decreasing a volume during playing of the media content, and perform a pause of the media content when the user input enters a play control zone.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user device, the method comprising:

playing a media content on a screen;

detecting a user input for lowering a volume of the media content, and decreasing the volume of the media content in response to the user input;

determining whether a user input enters a play control zone after the detection of the user input for lowering the volume; and

performing a pause of the media content in response to the user input entering the play control zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input for lowering volume comprises a drag of a volume control key or a touch-based user gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the play control zone is a section for controlling a specific function for playing the media content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the play control zone overlaps with a volume turn-off section for setting the volume of the media content to be zero.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein performing the pause comprises setting the volume of the media content to be zero, and pausing the media content in response to the user input'"'"'s entrance into the volume turn-off section.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the play control zone is lower than the volume turn-off section.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the pause comprises:

setting the volume of the media content to zero in response to the user input'"'"'s entrance into the volume turn-off section; and

pausing the media content in response to the entrance by user input of the volume turn-off section into the play control zone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a user input for increasing the volume in a pause state of the media content;

adjusting up the volume of the media content; and

controlling the play of the media content in response to the user input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user input of raising the volume comprises a drag of a volume control key or a touch-based user gesture.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a user input by a play/stop button in a pause state of the media content; and

playing the media content in a status in which volume turn-off setting of the media content is maintained in response to the user input.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the pause comprises:

displaying a silent pause icon in a certain area of a screen when pausing the media content in response to the user input of the volume down.

12. A method of processing a function of a user device, the method comprising:

playing a media content on a screen;

adjusting a volume of the media content in response to a user input for adjusting the volume; and

controlling a preset play function of the media content in response to the user input of adjusting the volume.

13. A user device comprising:

a touch screen configured to display a screen according to a play of a media content and receive a user input for controlling a volume of the media content; and

a controller configured to decrease the volume of the media content in response to a user input for decreasing a volume during playing of the media content, and perform a pause of the media content when the user input enters a play control zone.

14. The user device of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises:

a content player configured to play the media content in response to an execution of the media content, and display a screen of the played media content;

a volume controller configured to adjust the volume of output sound of the media content in response to the user input; and

a function processor configured to control a play function of the media content in response to the user input of adjusting the volume.

15. The user device of claim 14, wherein the content player is configured to play the media content in response to the user input for raising the volume in a status in which the media content is paused by the volume down.

16. The user device of claim 14, wherein the function processor is configured to operate to pause the media content when the user input of the volume down enters the play control zone.

17. The user device of claim 16, wherein the function processor is configured to operate to set the volume of the media content to zero and pause the media content in response to the user input when the play control zone is overlapped with a volume turn-off section.

18. The user device of claim 16, wherein when the play control zone is lower than a volume turn-off section, the function processor is configured to set the volume of the media content to zero in response to the user input'"'"'s entrance to the volume turn-off section, and pause the media content in response to the entrance by user input of the volume turn-off section into the play control zone.

19. The user device of claim 13, wherein the user device comprises a user input unit configured to receive a user input for execution of the media content, and receive a user input for volume control within a volume control zone during a play of the media content.

20. A user device comprising:

a computer-implemented content player configured to play a media content in response to execution of the media content and display a screen of the played media content;

a computer-implemented volume controller configured to adjust output sound of the media content in response to a user input; and

a computer-implemented function processor configured to control a play function of the media content in response to a user input of adjusting the volume.

21. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded a program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

playing a media content in response to execution of a media content,

displaying the played media content over a screen,

adjusting a volume of the media content in response to a user input, and

performing a preset play function of the media content in response to the user input of adjusting the volume.