Media management and routing within an electronic device

• US 8,504,738 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Batson, James D., Borogove, Meriko L., Chapman, Gregory R., Coffman, Patrick L., Guetta, Anthony J., Lindahl, Aram, Rostaing, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Chirstopher
• Application Number:
  US13/345,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 710 5- 7, 710 36- 45, 719/322, 719/328, 719/329, 700/94
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

A method and apparatus for intelligently routing and managing audio signals within an electronic device is disclosed. The routing is responsive to a set of logical and physical policies which are stored in data tables which can be updated as needed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving to-be-outputted media information;

receiving a designation of a media category for the media information;

determining a manner for outputting the media information based at least in part on the media category designation; and

causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined;

wherein the method is performed by a computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a plurality of output ports for outputting the media information, at least one of which is a line out port, a headphone port, a docking port, or a speaker.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the manner for outputting the media information includes outputting the media information from a particular port of the plurality of output ports;

and

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes routing the media information to the particular port.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the manner for outputting the media information includes attempting to output the media information from a first output port of the plurality of output ports, and if that attempt fails, attempting to output the media information from a second output port of the plurality of output ports that is different from the first output port;

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes;

attempting to cause the media information to be outputted from the first output port,

detecting that the attempt failed, and

attempting to cause the media information to be outputted from the second output port.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the media category from a software application executing on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the software application executing on the computing device is an e-mail application, a web browser application, a short messaging service (SMS) application, a media player application, a camera application, or a slideshow application.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the media category in a request from the software application executing on the computing device to output the media information from the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the manner for outputting the media information includes outputting the media information at a particular volume level;

and

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes causing the media information to be outputted at the particular volume level.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to detecting that a headphone port of the computing device has been enabled, changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from the headphone port.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to detecting that a mute function of the computing device has been enabled, changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes not outputting media information that belongs to the media category from any output port of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to user input to the computing device selecting a particular output port of the computing device, changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from the user-selected output port.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from an output port that is different from a current output port for the media category.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the manner for outputting the media information by consulting one or more data tables mapping the media category to a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of a method comprising:

maintaining, for each of a plurality of media categories, metadata that indicates a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the each media category;

receiving to-be-outputted media information;

receiving a designation of a particular media category of the plurality of media categories for the media information;

determining, from the metadata and based on the particular media category designation, a manner for outputting the media information; and

causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the method further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the particular media category from a software application executing on a computing device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the particular media category in a request from a software application executing on a computing device to output the media information from the computing device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14:

wherein the metadata for the particular media category indicates that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category at a particular volume level; and

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes causing the media information to be outputted at the particular volume level.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the method further comprising in response to detecting that a headphone port of a computing device has been enabled, changing the metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from the headphone port.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the method further comprising in response to detecting that a mute function of a computing device has been enabled, changing the metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes not outputting media information that belongs to the media category from any output port of the computing device.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the method further comprising in response to user input to a computing device selecting a particular output port of the computing device, changing metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category from the user-selected output port.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the method further comprising changing metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category from an output port that is different from a current output port for the particular media category.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of media categories is music, video soundtrack, voice telephone call, telephone voice mail, e-mail notification, short message service (SMS) notification, user interface sound, ring tone, or alert.

23. A computing device comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of a method comprising:

maintaining, for each of a plurality of media categories, metadata that indicates a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the each media category;

receiving to-be-outputted media information;

receiving a designation of a particular media category of the plurality of media categories for the media information;

determining, from the metadata and based on the particular media category designation, a manner for outputting the media information; and

causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined.

24. The computing device of claim 23, the method further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the particular media category from a software application executing on the computing device.

25. The computing device of claim 23, further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the particular media category in a request from a software application executing on the computing device to output the media information from the computing device.

26. The computing device of claim 23:

wherein the metadata for the particular media category indicates that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category at a particular volume level; and

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes causing the media information to be outputted at the particular volume level.

27. The computing device of claim 23, the method further comprising in response to detecting that a headphone port of the computing device has been enabled, changing the metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from the headphone port.

28. The computing device of claim 23, the method further comprising in response to detecting that a mute function of the computing device has been enabled, changing the metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes not outputting media information that belongs to the media category from any output port of the computing device.

29. The computing device of claim 23, the method further comprising in response to user input to the computing device selecting a particular output port of the computing device, changing metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category from the user-selected output port.

30. The computing device of claim 23, the method further comprising changing metadata for the particular media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the particular media category from an output port that is different from a current output port for the particular media category.

31. The computing device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the plurality of media categories is music, video soundtrack, voice telephone call, telephone voice mail, e-mail notification, short message service (SMS) notification, user interface sound, ring tone, or alert.

32. The computing device of claim 23, wherein the to-be-outputted media information comprises video information.

33. The computing device of claim 23, wherein the to-be-outputted media information comprises video and audio information.

34. The computing device of claim 23, wherein the to-be-outputted media information comprises audio information.

35. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of a method comprising:

receiving to-be-outputted media information;

receiving a designation of a media category for the media information;

determining a manner for outputting the media information based at least in part on the media category designation; and

causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined;

wherein the method is performed by a computing device.

36. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, wherein the computing device comprises a plurality of output ports for outputting the media information, at least one of which is a line out port, a headphone port, a docking port, or a speaker.

37. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the manner for outputting the media information includes outputting the media information from a particular port of the plurality of output ports;

and

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes routing the media information to the particular port.

38. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the manner for outputting the media information includes attempting to output the media information from a first output port of the plurality of output ports, and if that attempt fails, attempting to output the media information from a second output port of the plurality of output ports that is different from the first output port;

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes;

attempting to cause the media information to be outputted from the first output port,

detecting that the attempt failed, and

attempting to cause the media information to be outputted from the second output port.

39. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the media category from a software application executing on the computing device.

40. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 39, wherein the software application executing on the computing device is an e-mail application, a web browser application, a short messaging service (SMS) application, a media player application, a camera application, or a slideshow application.

41. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 39, further comprising receiving the to-be-outputted media information and the designation of the media category in a request from the software application executing on the computing device to output the media information from the computing device.

42. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, wherein the manner for outputting the media information includes outputting the media information at a particular volume level;

and

wherein causing the media information to be outputted in the manner determined includes causing the media information to be outputted at the particular volume level.

43. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, further comprising in response to detecting that a headphone port of the computing device has been enabled, changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from the headphone port.

44. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, further comprising in response to detecting that a mute function of the computing device has been enabled, changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes not outputting media information that belongs to the media category from any output port of the computing device.

45. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, further comprising in response to user input to the computing device selecting a particular output port of the computing device, changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from the user-selected output port.

46. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, further comprising changing metadata for the media category to specify that a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category includes outputting media information that belongs to the media category from an output port that is different from a current output port for the media category.

47. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 35, further comprising determining the manner for outputting the media information by consulting one or more data tables mapping the media category to a manner for outputting media information that belongs to the media category.