Method and system for transferring album artwork between a media player and an accessory

• US 7,797,471 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lydon, Gregory T., Filson, John B., Novotney, Donald J., Tupman, David, Laefer, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zaman; Faisal M
• Application Number:
  US11/476,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 710/33, 710/105, 700/94, 715719-732, 715/736
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6456 comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2105/00 Three poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A method, system, and connector interface for transferring album artwork between a media player and an accessory. The method comprises obtaining, by the accessory, artwork information associated with album artwork from the media player; and obtaining, by the accessory, the album artwork from the media player based on the artwork information. According to the system and method disclosed herein, the media player and accessory may utilize a plurality of commands utilized in a variety of environments, such as within a connector interface system environment, to facilitate the transfer of album artwork.

Claims

1. A method for use in an accessory configured to be communicatively coupled to a media player, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the accessory from the media player, a list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

specifying, by the accessory to the media player, one of the artwork formats from the list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

obtaining, by the accessory from the media player, a list of one or more images associated with an audio track, wherein each image in the list has a timestamp associated therewith, the timestamp indicating a time during playback of the audio track at which the image is to be displayed, and wherein the list of one or more images includes only images that are available in the specified artwork format;

subsequently to obtaining the list of one or more images, selecting, by the accessory, an image from the list to be displayed during playback of the audio track;

subsequently to selecting the image from the list, requesting, by the accessory, the image from the media player; and

receiving, by the accessory, the image from the media player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each artwork format specifies dimensions of an image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each artwork format specifies a pixel format for an image.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by the accessory:

requesting from the media player a count of images associated with the track;

receiving from the media player a count of the images separately for each of the artwork formats supported by the media player;

selecting one of the supported formats;

requesting from the media player the associated timestamps for at least some of the images in the selected format; and

receiving from the media player the requested timestamps.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by the accessory:

playing the audio track; and

during playing of the audio track, displaying the image at a time determined based on a timestamp associated with the image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein requesting the image includes sending to the media player a request that identifies the image by reference to a track identifier and a timestamp.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein requesting the image includes sending to the media player a request identifying the image by reference to a track identifier, a timestamp, and the specified artwork format.

8. An accessory comprising:

an interface configured to communicatively couple the accessory to a media player configured to store an audio track and one or more images associated with the audio track, wherein each of the one or more images has a timestamp associated therewith, the timestamp indicating a time during playback of the audio track at which the image is to be displayed; and

control logic configured to;

obtain from the media player via the interface a list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

specify to the media player via the interface one of the artwork formats from the list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

obtain from the media player via the interface a list of the one or more images associated with the audio track, wherein the list includes only images that are available in the specified artwork format;

subsequently to obtaining the list of one or more images, select an image from the list to be displayed during playback of the audio track; and

subsequently to selecting the image from the list, obtain the image from the media player via the interface.

9. The accessory of claim 8 wherein the control logic is further configured to play the audio track and to display the image during playing of the audio track at a time determined based on a timestamp associated with the image.

10. The accessory of claim 8 wherein each artwork format specifies dimensions of an image.

11. The accessory of claim 8 wherein each artwork format specifies a pixel format for an image.

12. A system comprising:

a media player configured to store an audio track and one or more images associated with the audio track, wherein each of the one or more images has a timestamp associated therewith, the timestamp indicating a time during playback of the audio track at which the image is to be displayed; and

an accessory communicatively coupled to the media player,

wherein the accessory is configured to;

obtain from the media player a list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

specify to the media player one of the artwork formats from the list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

obtain from the media player a list of the one or more images associated with the audio track, wherein the list includes only images that are available in the specified artwork format;

subsequently to obtaining the list of one or more images, select an image from the list to be displayed during playback of the audio track; and

subsequently to selecting the image from the list, obtain the image from the media player.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the accessory is further configured to play the audio track and to display the image during playing of the audio track at a time determined based on a timestamp associated with the image.

14. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processing component of an accessory configured to be communicatively coupled to a media player, cause the processing component of the accessory to:

obtain from the media player a list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

specify to the media player one of the artwork formats from the list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

obtain from the media player a list of one or more images associated with an audio track, wherein each image in the list has a timestamp associated therewith, the timestamp indicating a time during playback of the audio track at which the image is to be displayed, and wherein the list of one or more images includes only images that are available in the specified artwork format;

subsequently to obtaining the list of one or more images, select an image from the list to be displayed during playback of the audio track;

subsequently to selecting an image from the list, request the image from the media player; and

receive the image from the media player.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the series of instructions further cause the processing component to play the audio track and to display the image during playing of the audio track at a time determined based on a timestamp associated with the image.

16. A media player comprising:

a storage device configured to store an audio track and one or more images associated with the audio track, wherein each of the one or more images has a timestamp associated therewith, the timestamp indicating a time during playback of the audio track at which the image is to be displayed;

an interface configured to communicatively couple the media player with an accessory; and

control logic configured to;

send to the accessory via the interface a list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

receive from the accessory via the interface a specification of one of the artwork formats from the list of artwork formats supported by the media player;

send to the accessory via the interface a list of the one or more images associated with audio track, wherein the list includes only images that are available in the specified artwork format;

subsequently to sending the list of the one or more images, receive from the accessory via the interface a selection made by the accessory of an image from the list to be displayed during playback of the audio track; and

subsequently to receiving the selection, send to the accessory via the interface the image.

17. A method for use in an accessory configured to be communicatively coupled to a media player, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the accessory from the media player, a list of one or more images associated with an audio track, wherein each image in the list has a timestamp associated therewith, the timestamp indicating a time during playback of the audio track at which the image is to be displayed, and wherein the obtaining includes, by the accessory;

requesting from the media player a count of the one or more images associated with the track;

receiving from the media player a count of the one or more images separately for each of a plurality of supported formats;

selecting one of the supported formats;

requesting from the media player the associated timestamps for at least some of the images in the selected format; and

receiving from the media player the requested timestamps;

subsequently to obtaining the list of one or more images, selecting, by the accessory, an image from the list to be displayed during playback of the audio track;

subsequently to selecting the image from the list, requesting, by the accessory, the image from the media player; and

receiving, by the accessory, the image from the media player.