Remotely configured media device

• US 7,930,369 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hodge, Andrew Bert, Marriott, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman; Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US11/583,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/208, 709/220, 709/221, 709/223, 709/228, 369/30.08, 369/30.38, 369/24.01
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/084 Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Improved techniques for controlling operation of a portable electronic device are disclosed. Portable electronic devices which interact with a host electronic device can have their operational settings (e.g., configurations or preferences) remotely controlled. As a result, a host electronic device can offer a more sophisticated user interface and portable electronic devices need less local user interface features because these operational settings can be remotely controlled. The remotely-controlled (i.e., host controlled) operational settings are transferred to the portable electronic devices, whereby the portable electronic devices can thereafter operate in accordance with such settings.

Claims

1. A method for remotely providing operational settings from a host electronic device to a client electronic device, the host electronic device having a display, said method comprising:

establishing a communication link between the client electronic device and the host electronic device;

presenting a user interface on the display of the host electronic device, the user interface presenting a list of selectable operational settings, each operational setting permitting a user of the host electronic device to persistently change general device settings affecting the persistent operation of the client electronic device, wherein the client electronic device lacks an interface for altering the operational settings;

receiving a user selection of at least one operational setting for the client electronic device, the user selection being from the user while interacting with the user interface on the host electronic device;

transferring the at least one operational setting from the host electronic device to the client electronic device over the communication link, wherein the client electronic device stores the at least one operational setting;

at the completion of the transferring, terminating the communication link between the host electronic device and the client electronic device, wherein when the client electronic device and the host electronic device are physically separated from one another, the client electronic device operates independently of the host electronic device in accordance with the stored at least one operational setting; and

transferring a first playlist and any subsequent playlists to the client electronic device to be played by the client electronic device using the at least one operational setting, wherein at least one of the subsequent playlists is different than the first playlist.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the user interface permits the user of the host electronic device to select operational settings for use with the client electronic device only while the client electronic device is connected to the host electronic device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the host electronic device is a host computer, and wherein the client electronic device is a portable media player.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the host computer executes a media management application, and wherein the user interface pertains to the media management application.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one operational setting of the portable media player is one of an equalization setting, a repeat setting, a shuffle setting or a playback speed setting.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the portable media player lacks a display.

7. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein in order to transfer the at least one operational setting from the host computer to the portable media player, the host computer operates to:

informs the host computer of at an identifier and at least one attribute of the portable media player; and

receives from the host computer the operational settings data that is associated with the identifier and the at least one attribute of the portable media player.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the communication link is a wireless communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational settings are equalization settings.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational settings are playback speed Settings.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational settings are sound check settings.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational settings are clicker settings.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational settings are language settings.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational settings are menu configuration settings.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least computer program code for remotely providing operational settings from a host device to a client device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for establishing a communication link between the client electronic device and the host electronic device;

computer program code for presenting a user interface on a display of the host device, the user interface presenting a list of selectable operational settings, each operational setting permitting a user of the host electronic device to persistently change general device settings affecting the persistent operation of the client electronic device, wherein the client electronic device lacks an interface for altering the operational settings;

computer program code for receiving a user selection of at least one operational setting for the client device, the user selection being from the user while interacting with the user interface on the host device;

computer program code for transferring the at least one operational setting from the host electronic device to the client electronic device over the communication link, wherein the client electronic device stores the at least one operational setting;

computer code for terminating the communication link between the host electronic device and the client electronic device at the completion of the transferring, wherein when the client electronic device and the host electronic device are physically separated from one another, the client electronic device operates independent of the host electronic device in accordance with the stored at least one operational setting; and

computer code for transferring a first playlist and any subsequent playlists to the client electronic device to be played by the client electronic device using the at least one operational setting, wherein at least one of the subsequent playlists is different than the first playlist.

16. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 wherein the user interface permits the user of the host device to select operational settings for use with the client device only while the client device is connected to the host electronic device.

17. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the at least one operational setting of the client device is one of an equalization setting, a repeat setting, a shuffle setting or a playback speed setting.

18. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the client device is a portable media player.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 wherein the user interface permits the user of the host electronic device to select operational settings for use with the client electronic device only while the client electronic device is connected to the host electronic device.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15, wherein the host electronic device is a host computer, and wherein the client electronic device is a portable media player.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein the host computer executes a media management application,

wherein the user interface pertains to the media management application, and

wherein the at least one operational setting of the portable media player is one of an equalization setting, a repeat setting, a shuffle setting or a playback speed setting.

22. A media system, comprising:

a host computer for storing and presenting host media assets, the host computer in communication with a client media player over a communication link established to transfer data between the host computer and the client media player, the client media player for storing and presenting client media assets,

wherein said host computer includes at least;

a host input/output interface that that facilitates the establishment of the communication link with said client media player;

a host media management application that (i) presents a list of selectable operational settings, each operational setting permitting a user of the host electronic device to persistently change general device settings affecting the persistent operation of the client electronic device, wherein the client electronic device lacks an interface for altering the operational settings, (ii) transfers one or more of the host media assets and the user preferences set by the user from the host computer to the client media player over the communication link to become the client media assets at the client media player; and

transfers a first playlist and any subsequent playlists to the client media player to be played by the client media player using the at least one operational setting, wherein at least one of the subsequent playlists is different than the first playlist; and

at least one host data storage device that stores the host media assets and the user preferences for said client media player, the user preferences being set by a user of said host computer using the media management application, wherein at the completion of the transfer over the communication link, the communication link is terminated, wherein when the client media player is physically separated from the host computer, the client media player operates independent of the host computer in accordance with the transferred user preferences set by the user.

23. The media system as recited in claim 22 wherein the user interface permits the user of the host device to select operational settings for use with the client media player only while the client media player is connected to the host computer.

24. The media system as recited in claim 23, wherein the at least one operational setting of the client media player is one of an equalization setting, a repeat setting, a shuffle setting or a playback speed setting.

25. The media system as recited in claim 22, wherein the client media player is a portable media player.

26. The media system as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

wherein said client media player includes at least;

a client input/output interface that provides connection with said host computer;

at least one client data storage device that stores the client media assets and the user preferences, the user preferences being provided over the communication link from said host computer; and

a client media management application that presents one or more of the client media assets at said client media player in accordance with the user preferences.