Remotely configured media device

• US 8,078,685 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marriott, Greg, Hodge, Andrew Bert
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US13/047,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/208, 709/220, 709/248, 700/94
• US Class Current: 709/208
• 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 device to a client media device, the host device having a display, the method comprising:

determining, at the host device, operational settings supported by the client media device;

enabling, at the host device, display screens that correspond only to operational settings supported by the client media device, wherein the display screens present user interfaces presenting a list of selectable operational settings for the client media device, wherein the client media device lacks an interface for altering the operational settings;

receiving a user selection of at least one operational setting for the client media device;

causing the client media device to persistently run using the user-selected operational setting, until the host device is utilized to alter the user-selected operational setting; and

terminating a communication link between the host device and the client media device once the client media device is caused to persistently run using the user-selected operational setting, wherein when the client electronic device and the host device are physically separated from one another, the client media device operates independent of the host device in accordance with the user-selected operational setting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving client media device information from the client media device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the client media device information pertains to software features available at the client media device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the client media device information pertains to hardware features available at the client media device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the client media device information includes a type indication for the client media device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the client media device information includes an identifier for the client media device.

7. A host device comprising:

a display;

a communications interface capable of communicatively coupling the host device with a client media device;

a settings management process designed to determine operational settings supported by the client media device, wherein the client media device lacks an interface for altering the operational settings;

a user interface designed to;

display a list of selectable operational settings on the display, wherein the list of selectable operational settings comprise only those operational settings determined to be supported by the client media device;

receive a user selection of at least operational setting for the client media device;

cause the client media device to persistently run using the user-selected operational setting, until the host device is utilized to alter the user-selected operational setting; and

terminate a communication link between the host device and the client media device once the client media device is caused to persistently run using the user-selected operational setting, wherein when the client electronic device and the host device are physically separated from one another, the client media device operates independent of the host device in accordance with the user-selected operational setting.

8. The host device of claim 7, wherein the user interface is designed to cause the client media device to persistently run using the user-selected operational setting by transmitting the user-selected operational setting to the client media device when the client media device is connected to the host device.

9. The host device of claim 7, wherein the client media device is a portable media player.

10. The host device of claim 7, wherein the user interface is part of a media management application.

11. The host device of claim 7, wherein the at least one operational setting of the client media device is one of an equalization setting, a repeat setting, a shuffle setting or a playback speed setting.

12. 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 client media player, wherein the client media player lacks an interface for altering operational settings;

wherein the host computer includes;

an interface for establishing a communication link with the client media player; and

a media management application that detects available operational settings at the client media player when the client media player is connected to the interface, provides a menu allowing a user to select only from the available operational settings, receives input from the user indicating one of the available operational settings to modify, transmits the selected operational setting to the client media player over the communication link, and terminates the communication link between the host device and the client media device after the operational setting is transmitted, wherein when the client electronic device and the host device are physically separated from one another, the client media device operates independent of the host device in accordance with the selected operational setting.

13. The media system of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein the client media player is designed to;

receive the selected operational setting from the media management application of the host computer;

persistently store the selected operational setting and operate using the selected operational setting until the selected operational setting is changed.

14. The media system of claim 13, wherein the operational setting is persistent at the client media player even after the client media player is disconnected from the host computer.

15. The media system of claim 12, wherein the interface is a wireless interface.

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

computer program code for receiving information at the host device about available operational settings on the client media device, wherein the client media device lacks an interface for altering the operational settings;

computer program code for providing a user interface having selectable operational settings including only the available operational settings;

computer program code for receiving a user selection of at least one operational setting for the client media device;

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

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

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operational setting is a sound check setting.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operational setting is a clicker setting.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operational setting is a language setting.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one operational setting is a menu configuration setting.