Techniques for improved playlist processing on media devices

• US 7,865,745 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Girish, Muthya K., Woodson, Morgan, Lindahl, Aram
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin C
• Application Number:
  US12/397,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00057 MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 audio layer III [MP3]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/60 Solid state media details of solid state memory devices G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/20 Memory cell initialisation circuits, e.g. when powering up or down, memory clear, latent image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

An improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, the portable media device has the capability to store media device status information in persistent memory before powering down. Thereafter, when the portable media device is again powered up, the stored media player status information can be retrieved and utilized. According to another aspect, the portable media device can form and/or traverse a media asset playlist in an efficient manner.

Claims

1. A method for presenting media assets on a portable media player having a non-volatile memory and a controller that operates the player in a media play mode and a data mode, said method comprising:

the controller in the data mode, receiving non-media assets and storing the non-media assets to the non-volatile memory;

the controller in the media play mode, determining whether a multi-position switch is in one of a shuffle play mode position indicating a shuffle play mode or a continuous play mode position indicating a continuous play mode;

the controller in the media play mode, identifying a list of media assets to be presented on the portable media player; and

the controller in the media play mode and the shuffle play mode, shuffling the list of media assets, said shuffling being deferred until a media asset of the list of media assets being presented, if any, has completed.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said shuffling only occurs if the multi-position switch input still signals the shuffle action at the time when the media asset of the list of media assets being presented has completed.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of media assets is a playlist of songs.

4. A method for presenting media assets on a portable media player having a non-volatile memory and a controller that operates in a media play mode and a data mode, said method comprising:

the controller in the data mode, receiving non-media assets and storing the non-media assets to the non-volatile memory;

the controller in the media play mode,

1) identifying a list of media assets to be presented on the portable media player;

2) selecting one of the media assets from the list of media assets;

3) presenting the selected media asset via the portable music player;

4) determining whether a multi-position switch is in one of a shuffle play mode position indicating a shuffle play mode or a continuous play mode position indicating a continuous play mode;

the controller in the media play mode and the shuffle play mode,

a) processing the shuffle action, if still present, once said presenting of the selected media asset has completed;

b) shuffling the list of media assets following said processing, thereby producing a shuffled list;

c) selecting another of the media assets from the shuffled list; and

d) presenting the selected another media asset via the portable music player.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the selected another media asset is a first media asset of the shuffled list.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said method further comprises:

thereafter sequentially playing each of the remaining media assets of the shuffled playlist.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the list of media assets is a continuous playlist, and the shuffled list is a shuffle playlist.

8. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the list of media assets is a first shuffled playlist, and the shuffled list is a second shuffle playlist.

9. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the list of media assets is a current shuffle playlist, and wherein the shuffle list is a new shuffle playlist.

10. A method as recited in claim 9,

wherein said processing of the shuffle action includes at least invalidating the current shuffle playlist, and

wherein said shuffling the list of media assets to produce the new shuffle playlist includes at least validating the new shuffle playlist.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether the current shuffle playlist is valid; and

generating the new shuffled playlist when said determining determines that the current shuffle playlist is invalid.

12. A portable media player comprising:

a housing;

a multi-position switch including at least a shuffle play mode position indicating a shuffle play mode or a continuous play mode position indicating a continuous play mode;

a non-volatile memory;

a controller configured to operate in a data mode and a media play mode;

the controller in the data mode configured to

     1) receive non-media assets and

     2) store the non-media assets to the non-volatile memory; and

the controller in the media play mode configured to

     1) determine whether the multi-position switch is in one of the shuffle play mode position or the continuous play mode position and

     2) identify a list of media assets to be presented on the portable media player;

the controller in the media play mode and the shuffle play mode, configured to shuffle the list of media assets

said shuffling being deferred until a media asset of the list of media assets being presented, if any, has completed.

13. A portable media player as recited in claim 12, wherein said shuffle only occurs if the multi-position switch input still signals the shuffle action at the time when the media asset of the list of media assets being presented has completed.

14. A portable media player as recited in claim 12, wherein the list of media assets is a playlist of songs.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in a tangible form, including:

executable computer program code operable to control a portable media player in a data mode or a media play mode;

executable computer program code operable in the data mode to receive non-media assets and store the non-media assets to a non-volatile memory in the portable media player;

executable computer program code operable in the media play mode to determine whether a multi-position switch is in one of a shuffle play mode position indicating a shuffle play mode or a continuous play mode position indicating a continuous play mode;

executable computer program code operable in the media play mode to identify a list of media assets to be presented on the portable media player;

and

executable computer program code operable in the media play mode and the shuffle play mode to shuffle the list of media assets, said shuffling being deferred until a media asset of the list of media assets being presented, if any, has completed.