Method and system for transferring button status information between a media player and an accessory

• US 8,135,891 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lydon, Gregory T., Bolton, Lawrence G., Schubert, Emily C., Dorogusker, Jesse Lee, Novotney, Donald J., Filson, John B., Tupman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US12/537,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 710104-105, 710313-315, 710 62- 64, 710 72- 73, 710300-305, 710/110
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/027 Remotely controlled remote control systems in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6456 comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2105/00 Three poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A method, system, and connector interface for transferring status information between a media player and an accessory. The method includes determining, by the accessory, when a button event occurs; and transmitting, by the accessory, at least one button status command to the media player, where the one or more button status commands comprise a context-specific button status command and at least one command associated with a particular media type. According to the method and system disclosed herein, the media player and accessory may utilize a plurality of commands in a variety of environments such as within a connector interface system environment to facilitate the transfer of status information.

Claims

1. A method for operating a media player, the method comprising:

receiving, by the media player, a button status command from an accessory communicatively coupled to the media player, the button status command being a command from a group of supported commands consisting of a context-specific button status command to control particular actions of the media player and one or more media-type-specific button status commands to control playback of one or more different media types,

wherein the received button status command includes a bitmask in which different bits are associated with different controls of the media player and wherein the association of the bits with the controls is different for different commands in the group of supported commands;

determining, by the media player, an action to be performed in response to the button status command, wherein the determination is based in part on the bitmask and in part on whether the button status command is the context-specific button status command or one of the one or more media-type-specific button status commands; and

performing the determined action.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bits in the bitmask for the context-specific button status command are arranged such that the most frequently used controls are assigned low bit positions.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bits in the bitmask for one of the media-type-specific button status commands are arranged such that the most frequently used controls associated with that media type are assigned low bit positions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in the event that the context-specific button status command is received, the determining is performed in a context associated with an active application executing on the media player.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending to the accessory, by the media player, an acknowledgement status command in response to the button status command.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more media-type specific button status commands include:

an image button status command associated with a playback application for still images;

a video button status command associated with a playback application for video; and

an audio button status command associated with a playback application for audio.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the bitmask for the context-specific button status command indicates the state of each of at least:

a play/pause control;

a volume control;

a next track control; and

a previous track control.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein in the event that the media-type-specific button status command is received, the determining is performed in a context associated with an application on the media player that plays media of the specific type.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the bitmask for the image button status command indicates the state of each of at least:

a play/pause control;

a next image control; and

a previous image control.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the bitmask for the video button status command indicates the state of each of at least:

a play/pause control;

a next video control;

a previous video control;

a fast-forward control;

a rewind control;

a previous chapter control; and

a next chapter control.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the bitmask for the audio button status command indicates the state of each of at least:

a play/pause control;

a volume control;

a next track control;

a previous track control;

a next album control; and

a previous album control.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the bitmask for the context-specific button status command further indicates the state of each of at least:

a next album control;

a previous album control;

an up arrow control; and

a down arrow control.

13. A media player comprising:

control logic configured to execute a plurality of applications for playing back stored media, each application associated with a different media type;

an interface configured to communicably couple the media player to an accessory; and

command logic coupled to the control logic and the interface, the command logic being configured to receive from the accessory a button status command from a group of supported commands consisting of a context-specific button status command associated with particular functions of the media player and one or more media-type-specific button status commands, each media-type-specific button status command being associated with a playback application for a different media type,

wherein each button status command includes a bitmask in which different bits are associated with different controls of the media player and wherein the association of the bits with the controls is different for different commands in the group of supported commands;

wherein the control logic is further configured to determine an action to be performed in response to the button status command, wherein the determination is based in part on the bitmask and in part on whether the button status command is the context-specific button status command or one of the one or more media-type-specific button status commands, and to perform the determined action.

14. The media player of claim 13 wherein the bits in the bitmask are arranged such that the most frequently used controls are assigned low bit positions.

15. The media player of claim 13 wherein the command logic is further configured to transmit to the accessory an acknowledgement status command in response to the button status command.

16. The media player of claim 13 wherein the one or more media-type specific button status commands include:

an image button status command associated with a playback application for still images;

a video button status command associated with a playback application for video; and

an audio button status command associated with a playback application for audio.