MULTIMEDIA CONTROL CENTER

• US 20150227272A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran A., Madden, Thomas Michael, Forstall, Scott J., Kerr, Duncan Robert, King, Nicholas V., Lemay, Stephen O., Fabrick, Richard W. II, Ording, Bas, Seymour, Eric Taylor, van Os, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 9,405,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Techniques and systems for centralized access to multimedia content stored on or available to a computing device are disclosed. The centralized access can be provided by a media control interface that receives user inputs and interacts with media programs resident on the computing device to produce graphical user interfaces that can be presented on a display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices;

displaying a user interface including a set of selectable objects arranged in a plane, wherein;

a first object of the set of objects is highlighted;

a plurality of other objects in the set of selectable objects, including a second object, are not highlighted; and

displaying the user interface includes;

displaying the first object highlighted with a plurality of layers that are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the plane; and

displaying the second object without the plurality of layers; and

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, receiving a request to highlight the second object; and

in response to receiving the request to highlight the second object, updating the display of the user interface, including;

displaying the first object without the plurality of layers; and

displaying the second object highlighted with the plurality of layers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each selectable object in the set of selectable objects represents a media item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, one or more layers of the plurality of layers displayed with the first object are higher in the direction perpendicular to the plane than any other object in the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, detecting a selection input; and

in accordance with the detection of the selection input, selecting the first object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein while the first object is displayed without the plurality of layers that are spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the plane, the first object is displayed as a single layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein while the second object is not highlighted, the second object is displayed as a single layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers displayed with the second object when the second object is highlighted include a layer that is specific to the second object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the display of the user interface further comprises moving a first layer of the plurality of layers displayed with the first object relative to a second layer of the plurality of layers displayed with the second object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating of the display of the user interface further comprises moving a first layer of the plurality of layers displayed with the first object relative to a background on which the set of objects are displayed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers form a sleeve including an upper layer and a lower layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the upper layer is semi-transparent.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the lower layer produces a shadow effect.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the updating of the display of the user interface further comprises concurrently sliding the upper layer and the lower layer from highlighting the first object to highlighting the second object.

14. A system comprising:

a display;

one or more input devices;

one or more processors configured to;

display a user interface including a set of selectable objects arranged in a plane, wherein;

a first object of the set of selectable objects is highlighted;

a plurality of other objects in the set of selectable objects, including a second object, are not highlighted; and

displaying the user interface includes;

displaying the first object highlighted with a plurality of layers that are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the plane; and

displaying the second object without the plurality of layers; and

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, receive a request to highlight the second object; and

in response to receiving the request to highlight the second object, update the display of the user interface, including;

displaying the first object without the plurality of layers; and

displaying the second object highlighted with the plurality of layers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each selectable object in the set of selectable objects represents a media item.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, one or more layers of the plurality of layers displayed with the first object are higher in the direction perpendicular to the plane than any other object in the user interface.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, detect a selection input; and

in accordance with the detection of the selection input, select the first object.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein while the first object is displayed without the plurality of layers that are spaced apart in the direction perpendicular to the plane, the first object is displayed as a single layer.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein while the second object is not highlighted, the second object is displayed as a single layer.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

displaying a user interface including a set of selectable objects arranged in a plane, wherein;

a first object of the set of selectable objects is highlighted;

a plurality of other objects in the set of selectable objects, including a second object, are not highlighted; and

displaying the user interface includes;

displaying the first object highlighted with a plurality of layers that are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the plane; and

displaying the second object without the plurality of layers; and

while displaying the user interface with the first object highlighted and the second object not highlighted, receiving a request to highlight the second object; and

in response to receiving the request to highlight the second object, updating the display of the user interface, including;

displaying the first object without the plurality of layers; and

displaying the second object highlighted with the plurality of layers.