Graphical user interface and methods of use thereof in a multimedia player

• US 7,521,625 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Wasko, Timothy, Jobs, Steve, Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher; Marlon T
• Application Number:
  US11/608,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20070084333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

In a portable multimedia device, a method, apparatus, and system for providing user supplied configuration data are described. In one embodiment, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface are provided. A first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item. In one of the described embodiments, the lower order interface includes other user selectable items associated with the previously selected item from the higher order user interface.

Claims

1. A method of assisting user interaction with a portable and pocket sized multimedia asset player by way of a hierarchically ordered user interface, the multimedia asset player comprising a display and a rotational input device, the method comprising:

displaying a first order user interface comprising a first list of user selectable items,

receiving at least one first rotational user input via the rotational input device, successively visually distinguishing one of the user selectable items in the first list as the first rotational user input is received,

thereafter receiving a user selection of the one of the user selectable items in the first list being visually distinguished,

automatically transitioning to and displaying a second order user interface comprising a second list of user selectable items in response to the user selection, the second order user interface being based on the user selection,

wherein after the user selection is made with respect to the first order user interface, the first list of user selectable items is removed from being displayed and the second order user interface is displayed in its place, the second order user interface comprising a list of media assets each of which is associated with the user selection from the first list of user selectable items, and

wherein after the user selection is made with respect to the first order user interface, the user selection with respect to the first order user interface is noted so that if a user operates to transition backwards from the second order user interface back to the first order user interface, the previously selected one of the user selectable items in the first list of user selectable items is visually distinguished as the first list of user selectable items are subsequently displayed in the first order user interface,

receiving a user selection of a media asset from the list of media assets, and

playing the selected media asset on the multimedia asset player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first list of user selectable items comprises a list of playlists, a list of artists, a list of songs, a list of albums, or a list of genres.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the user selectable items in the first list comprises an album, and the selected media asset comprises a song from the selected album.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the user selectable items in the first list comprises a playlist, and the selected media asset comprises a song from the selected playlist.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the user selectable items in the first list comprises a list of songs, and the selected media asset comprises a song from the selected list of songs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a button is used to provide the user selection of the one of the user selectable items in the first list being visually distinguished.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected media asset comprises an MP3 file.

8. A portable, pocket-sized multimedia asset player device comprising:

a first order interface comprising a first number of user selectable items,

a second order user interface comprising a list of media assets each of which is associated with the user selection from the first list of user selectable items,

a rotational user input device configured to receive a user input selecting at least one of the first number of user selectable items and configured to receive a user input selecting a media asset from the list of media assets,

wherein in response to a user selection of at least one of the first number of user selectable items, the first order interface automatically transitions to the second order interface,

wherein after the user selection is made with respect to the first order user interface, the first number of user selectable items of the first user interface are removed from being displayed and the second order user interface is displayed in its place,

wherein after the user selection is made with respect to the first order user interface, the user selection made with respect to the first order user interface is noted so that if a user operates to transition backwards from the second order user interface back to the first order user interface, the previously selected at least one of the first number of user selectable items in the first order user interface is visually distinguished as the first number of user selectable items are displayed in the first order user interface,

a processor configured to play the selected media item, and

an audio delivery device configured to output audio signals.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first number of user selectable items comprises a list of playlists, a list of artists, a list of songs, a list of albums, or a list of genres.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the user selection of at least one of the first number of user selectable items comprises a selection of an album, and the selected media asset comprises a song from the selected album.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the user selection of at least one of the first number of user selectable items comprises a selection of a playlist, and the selected media asset comprises a song from the selected playlist.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the user selection of at least one of the first number of user selectable items comprises a selection of a list of songs, and the selected media asset comprises a song from the selected list of songs.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the rotational user input device comprises a button and the button is used to provide the user selection.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the selected media item comprises an MP3 file.