Method and system for managing musical files

• US 8,078,966 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US11/944,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 715/273
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer system, including a display and a user-interface, for manipulating a plurality of music album elements and song elements is provided, a method for organizing a plurality of music album elements and song elements, at least some of the music album elements having a least one song element associated therewith, the method comprising displaying on the display a single music album elements axis illustrating a plurality of juxtaposed user-selectable music album elements, the music album elements axis being longitudinally scrollable, selecting a music album element from the displayed music album elements axis, retrieving song elements associated with the selected music album element and displaying the retrieved song elements along a song elements axis, the song elements axis being adapted to intersect the music album elements axis substantially at the selected music album element, the song element axis being adapted to be scrolled. A user graphical interface providing same and a system thereof are also provided.

Claims

1. At a computer system, including a display and a user-interface, for manipulating a plurality of music album information elements and song elements, a method for organizing a plurality of music album information elements and song elements, at least some of the music album information elements having a least one song element associated therewith, the method comprising:

displaying on the display a single music album information element axis illustrating a plurality of juxtaposed and partially overlapping selectable music album information elements, the music album information element axis being axially scrollable;

selecting a music album information element from the displayed music album information element axis;

retrieving song elements associated with the selected music album information element; and

displaying the retrieved song element along a song elements axis, the song elements axis being adapted to intersect the music album information element axis substantially at the selected music album information element, the song element axis being adapted to be scrolled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed song element axis is adapted to be substantially orthogonally located in respect with the music album information element axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the music album information element from the music album information element axis selects a song attribute associated with the selected music album information to retrieve song elements having the song attribute associated therewith and further associated with the selected music album information element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the music album information elements are adapted to be represented by their respective music album art.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each song element is adapted to have a music album attribute associated therewith.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the music album attribute is a music album title.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the music album information element axis and a portion of the song element axis are coplanar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected music album information element and the song element axis are coplanar.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the music album information element axis and the song element axis are graphically associated.

10. A graphical user interface for organizing a plurality of music album information elements and song elements, at least some of the music album information elements having a least one song element associated therewith, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first display area adapted to display a single music album information element axis illustrating a plurality of juxtaposed and partially overlapping music album information elements, the music album element axis being axially scrollable;

a plurality of selectable information elements on the displayed music album information element axis when the music album information element axis is displayed; and

a second display area adapted to display retrieved song element along a song element axis, the song element axis being adapted to intersect the music album information element axis substantially at a selected music album information element when the song element axis is displayed, the song element axis being adapted to be scrolled.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the displayed song element axis is adapted to be substantially orthogonally located in respect with the music album information element axis.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein a selection of a music album information element from the music album information element axis selects a song attribute associated with the selected music album information to retrieve song elements having the song attribute associated therewith and further associated with the selected music album information element.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the music album information elements are adapted to be represented by their respective music album art.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein each song element is adapted to have a music album attribute associated therewith.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 14, wherein the music album attribute is the music album title.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the music album information element axis is coplanar.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein selected music album information element and the song element axis are coplanar.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the music album information element axis and the song element axis are graphically associated.

19. A system for organizing music files in a computer system having a display device and being capable of manipulating a plurality of music album information elements and song elements, at least some of the music album information element having a least one song element associated therewith, at least some of the song elements having at least one music album information element associated therewith, the system comprising:

(A) a display device;

(B) a plurality of music album information elements, at least one music album information element having a plurality of song elements associated therewith;

(C) a storage device adapted to store the plurality of music album information elements and song elements;

(D) a user interface adapted to receive inputs from a user;

(E) a processing unit which is adapted to;

(i) generate a music album information element axis based on a music album attribute, the music album information element axis comprising a group of music album information elements having the music album attribute and being selected from the plurality of music album information elements stored in the storage device;

(ii) cause a display of a representation of the music album information element axis by the display device at a position;

(iii) determine a song attribute based at least in part on an action performed on at least one music album information element from the music album information element axis;

(iv) generate a song element axis based on a song attribute, the song element axis comprising a plurality of song elements having the song attribute and being selected from the plurality of song elements stored in the information storage device; and

(v) cause a display of a representation of the song element axis orthogonal to the position of the representation of the music album information element axis with the display device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the action performed on the at least one of the music album information elements from the music album information element axis selects a song attribute associated with the selected music album information element to retrieve song elements having the song attribute associated therewith and further associated with the selected music album information element.