Menu trails for a portable media player

• US 7,992,106 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Nelson, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuyetlien T
• Application Number:
  US11/851,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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

Abstract

A software and/or hardware facility for generating menu trails for a portable media player. A menu trail is a visual cue to a user, repeated on each menu item in the media player navigation interface, that highlights a path for the user to follow to a content item stored on or accessible by the media player, or to a capability of the media player. Menu trails may highlight new content and capabilities, or may highlight existing content or capabilities. A user using the media player may easily follow the visual cues through the player'"'"'s menus in order to navigate to the content item or capability.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a target item using a portable device, the method comprising:

identifying, by the portable device, a period of time during which the target item is accessible by the portable device, wherein the target item is configured to add a capability to the portable device;

determining, by the portable device, based at least on the period of time, that the target item is potentially of interest to the user; and

in response to said determining, associating a first visual cue with a first selectable menu item of a first user interface menu, the first user interface menu representing a node of a navigation structure having a plurality of nodes, and the first selectable menu item representing the target item, wherein the first selectable menu item is selectable by the user to add the capability to the portable device;

associating, by the portable device, a second visual cue with a second selectable menu item of a second user interface menu, the second user interface menu representing a second node of the navigation structure, the second selectable menu item representing said first node, wherein the second selectable menu item is selectable by the user to access the first user interface menu; and

removing, by the portable device, the second visual cue associated with the second selectable menu item in response to a viewing of the second user interface menu by the user, wherein the first visual cue remains associated with the first selectable menu item of the first user interface menu until the user selects the first selectable menu item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the target item comprises a software update.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the target item comprises a new functionality, feature, or menu item.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual cue is a symbol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual cue is highlighted text, bolded text, or distinctive color text.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said period of time is a period of time during which the target item was added to the portable device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said period of time is a period of time during which the target item is accessible from a network site by the portable device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second visual cues are the same.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second visual cue associated with the second selectable menu item is different from the first visual cue associated with the first selectable menu item.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the target item is configured to perform a task, and the first selectable menu item is selectable by the user to have the task performed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing, by the portable device, the first visual cue in response to a selection of the first selectable menu item by the user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual cue decreases in intensity each time the user views the first user interface menu.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first visual cue decreases in intensity over time.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying is pursuant to a user request.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically downloading, by the portable device, the target item, based at least on one or more implicit interests of the user.

16. A portable device comprising:

a processor; and

a tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled with the processor and having instructions configured to be executed by the processor, which in response to execution, cause the portable device to;

identify a period of time during which a target item is accessible by the portable device, wherein the target item is configured to add a capability to the portable device,

determine, based on the period of time, that the target item is potentially of interest to the user,

in response to determining that the target item is potentially of interest to the user, associate a first visual cue with a first selectable menu item of a first user interface menu, the first user interface menu representing a first node of a navigation structure having a plurality of nodes, and the first selectable menu item representing the target item, wherein the first selectable menu item is selectable by the user to add the capability to the portable device,

associate a second visual cue with a second selectable menu item of a second user interface menu, the second user interface menu representing a second node of the navigation structure, the second selectable menu item representing said first node, wherein the second selectable menu item is selectable by the user to access the first user interface menu, and

remove the second visual cue associated with the second selectable menu item in response to a viewing of the second user interface menu by the user, wherein the first visual cue remains associated with the first selectable menu item of the first user interface menu until the user selects the first selectable menu item.

17. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the target item comprises a software update.

18. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the target item comprises a new functionality, feature, or menu item.

19. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the first visual cue is a symbol.

20. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the first visual cue is highlighted text, bolded text, or distinctive color text.

21. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the first and the second visual cues are the same.

22. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured, in response to execution, to cause the portable device to automatically download the target item from the server.

23. The portable device of claim 16, wherein said period of time is a period of time during which the target item was added to the portable device.

24. The portable device of claim 16, wherein said period of time is a period of time during which the target item is accessible from a network by the portable device.

25. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the target item is configured to perform a task.

26. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the target item is configured to download software to the portable device or to install software on the portable device.

27. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured, in response to execution, to cause the portable device to remove the first visual cue in response to selection of the first selectable menu item by the user.

28. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured, in response to execution, to cause the portable device to decrease the intensity of the first visual cue each time the user views the first user interface menu.

29. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured, in response to execution, to cause the portable device to decrease the intensity of the first visual cue over time.

30. A method of generating a trail of visual cues to a target item on a portable media device, the method comprising:

selecting a target item that is accessible via a navigation structure comprised of a plurality of nodes in the portable media device;

identifying one or more nodes in the navigation structure that are traversable to reach the selected target item; and

displaying to the user a visual cue with menu items that correspond to each of the identified one or more nodes and with the selected target item, so that a user is able to traverse a trail of menu items having visual cues in order to reach the target item,

wherein the visual cues associated with the menu items disappear after the user views a navigation screen from which the target item is selectable, but the visual cue associated with the target item remains visible until the user selects the target item.

31. A system for generating a trail of visual cues to a target item on a portable media device, the system comprising:

a tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions operable, upon execution, to cause the portable media device to;

select a target item that is accessible via a navigation structure comprised of a plurality of nodes in the portable media device,

identify one or more nodes in the navigation structure that are traversable to reach the selected target item, and

display to the user a visual cue with menu items that correspond to each of the identified one or more nodes and the selected target item, so that a user is able to traverse a trail of menu items having visual cues in order to reach the target item,

wherein the visual cues associated with the menu items disappear after the user views a navigation screen from which the target item is selectable, but the visual cue associated with the target item remains visible until the user selects the target item.