Method and system for updating playlists

• US 8,495,246 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Heller, David, Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US13/357,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20120123998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

Improved techniques for automatic (or dynamic) updating (or maintaining) of playlists for a media system that stores and plays media content for a user of the media system. The automatic update to playlists can occur when additional media content is added to or removed from the media system. The automatic update to playlists can also occur when previously stored media content is otherwise altered.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for updating a playlist on a media player, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving playlist rules to be used to create the playlist;

computer program code for producing a playlist from a plurality of available media items in a media library and the playlist rules;

computer program code for subsequently automatically determining whether the playlist should be re-produced due to addition of new media items to the media library; and

computer program code for reproducing the playlist from the plurality of available media items in the media library and the playlist rules when the computer program code for determining determines that the playlist should be re-produced,

wherein the computer program code for reproducing of the playlist is initiated without requiring user interaction to initiate such reproducing.

2. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the media player comprises a personal computer.

3. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the media items pertain to one or more of audio, video or images.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the playlist rules include at least a numerical limit imposed on the number of media items in the playlist or the duration of the playlist.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to subsequently synchronize the playlist with a mobile electronic device temporarily connected with the media player, whereby the playlist once reproduced is automatically copied to the mobile electronic device.

6. A computing device, comprising:

a display for displaying a graphical user interface;

a data storage device for storing a playlist and media content library for a plurality of media items, the playlist being associated with one or more of the media items, and the data storage device storing playlist rules to be used to create the playlist; and

a processor configured to determine whether one or more new media items have been added to the media content library, determine whether the playlist should be re-produced due to addition of the one or more new media items being added to the media content library, and reproduce the playlist from the plurality of available media items in the media content library and the playlist rules when it is determined that the playlist should be reproduced,

wherein the reproduction of the playlist is initiated without requiring user interaction to initiate such reproduction.

7. A computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein the computing device is a personal computer.

8. A computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein the playlist rules include at least a numerical limit imposed on the number of media items in the playlist or the duration of the playlist.

9. A computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein the playlist rules include one or more of:

(i) a limit on total number of tracks in the playlist, (ii) a limit on a total duration of the playlist, or (iii) a limit on a total size of the playlist.

10. A computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to subsequently synchronize the playlist with a mobile electronic device temporarily connected with the computing device, whereby the playlist once reproduced is automatically copied to the mobile electronic device.

11. A computing device as recited in claim 10, wherein the computing device is a personal computer.

12. A computing device as recited in claim 11, wherein the media items pertain to one or more of audio, video or images.

13. A computing device as recited in claim 12, wherein the playlist rules include at least a numerical limit imposed on the number of media items in the playlist or the duration of the playlist.

14. A computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein the reproducing of the playlist is performed by the processor as a background process after one or more distinct alterations have been made to the media content library.

15. A computing device as recited in claim 14, wherein the background process is performed during an idle state.