Song flow methodology in random playback

• US 8,214,740 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US12/610,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 715/704, 715/716, 715/721, 715/810, 715/825, 715853-855, 715/866, 700/94, 369 3008- 3009, 386/241, 713/100
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

An electronic device can play back media items using a random playback mode. To ensure that related media items are played back in a proper order (e.g., live music is played back in concert order), the electronic device can define metadata or other data coupling related media items in a predefined or preset sequence. For example, related media items can include metadata tags identifying the previous and next media items to play back in the sequence. As another example, the electronic device can store a listing of media items of a sequence and the order in which to play them back. When the electronic device reaches a media item that is part of a preset sequence during random playback, the electronic device can identify at least the subsequent media items in the sequence, and insert the subsequent media items in the playback queue. The electronic device can then play back the entire sequence before moving to the next media item in the playback queue.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for playing back media items, comprising:

detecting a random playback mode;

defining a random playback queue in which media items are arbitrarily ordered;

identifying a media item in the random playback queue that is associated with a preset playback sequence;

retrieving at least one other media item of the preset playback sequence;

introducing the retrieved at least one other media item in the playback queue, wherein the identified media item and the retrieved at least one media item are ordered according to the preset playback sequence;

identifying another media item in the random playback queue that is associated with the preset playback sequence; and

reordering the identified another media item in the random playback queue, wherein the identified media item and the reordered another media item are ordered according to the preset playback sequence in the random playback queue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a subset of available media items for playback; and

wherein defining a random playback queue further comprises defining a random playback queue including only the selected subset of available media items.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying the media items of the preset playback sequence that are part of the selected subset; and

wherein introducing further comprises introducing the identified media items of the preset playback sequence that are part of the selected subset in the random playback queue in the preset sequence order.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

retrieving media items from the preset playback sequence that are not in the selected subset of media items; and

introducing the retrieved media items that are not in the selected subset in the random playback queue to complete the preset playback sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving all of the media items of the preset playback sequence; and

inserting the media items of the entire preset playback sequence in the random playback queue instead of the identified media item.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the media items of the preset playback sequence that follow the identified media item; and

inserting the retrieved media items of the preset playback sequence following the identified media item in the random playback queue after the identified media item.

7. An electronic device for playing back media items, comprising output circuitry and control circuitry, the control circuitry operative to:

enable a shuffle playback mode;

define a shuffled playlist in which media items are played back in an arbitrary order;

identify at least two media items in the shuffled playlist that are part of a predefined sequence; and

reorder the identified at least two media items in the shuffled playlist such that the at least two media items are played back in the order defined by the predefined sequence.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

identify all of the media items in the shuffled playlist that are a part of the predefined sequence; and

reorder all of the identified media items such that the predefined sequence is played back in order in its entirety within the shuffled playlist.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine that at least one media item of the predefined sequence is not in the shuffled playlist;

retrieve the missing at least one media item; and

add the retrieved missing at least one media item in the shuffled playlist in a position defined by the predefined sequence.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

play back a media item within the shuffled playlist that is part of the predefined sequence;

receive an instruction to skip playback forward; and

skip playback to the next media item of the predefined sequence.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

play back a media item within the shuffled playlist that is part of the predefined sequence;

receive an instruction to skip playback forward; and

skip playback to the next media item in the shuffled playlist after the predefined sequence.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the at least two media items that are part of the predefined sequence comprise recordings of live music.

13. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

review metadata associated with each media item of the shuffled playlist; and

identify media items of the shuffled playlist having metadata associated with a particular sequence.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

identify metadata defining at least one of a previous and next media item in the particular sequence.

15. Computer readable media for playing back media items, comprising computer-readable instructions for:

detecting a random playback mode;

defining a random playback queue in which media items are arbitrarily ordered;

identifying a media item in the random playback queue that is associated with a preset playback sequence;

retrieving at least one other media item of the preset playback sequence;

introducing the retrieved at least one other media item in the playback queue, wherein the identified media item and the retrieved at least one media item are ordered according to the preset sequence;

identifying another media item in the random playback queue that is associated with the preset playback sequence; and

reordering the identified another media item in the random playback queue such that the identified media item and the identified another media item are ordered according to the preset playback sequence.

16. The computer readable media of claim 15, further comprising additional computer-readable instructions for:

selecting a subset of available media items for playback; and

wherein defining a random playback queue further comprises defining a random playback queue including only the selected subset of available media items.

17. The computer readable media of claim 15, further comprising additional computer-readable instructions for:

retrieving at least one other media item of the preset playback sequence; and

introducing the retrieved at least one other media item in the random playback queue such that the identified media item and the retrieved at least one media item are ordered according to the preset playback sequence within the random playback queue.