Multimedia control center

• US 8,621,393 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Madden, Thomas, Forstall, Scott, Kerr, Duncan Robert, King, Nick, Lemay, Stephen O., Fabrick, Richard W. II, Ording, Bas, Seymour, Eric, van Os, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US13/134,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20110243525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/765, 715/810, 715/811, 715/815, 715/835, 715/838, 715/839, 715/823
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Techniques and systems for centralized access to multimedia content stored on or available to a computing device are disclosed. The centralized access can be provided by a media control interface that receives user inputs and interacts with media programs resident on the computing device to produce graphical user interfaces that can be presented on a display device.

Claims

1. A menu associated with a media control center, said menu comprising:

a plurality of media items arranged in a list, at least some of the media items having viewable media content associated therewith;

a movable selector feature capable of traversing through the list of media items so as to highlight one of the media items; and

a view region displaying;

viewable media content associated with a highlighted media item, the viewable media content comprising at least a representative image; and

a reflection that continuously mirrors the viewable media content.

2. The menu as recited in claim 1 wherein the viewable media content is skewed in the view region.

3. The menu as recited in claim 1 wherein the viewable media content is a single image.

4. The menu as recited in claim 1 wherein the viewable media content is a collection of images, and wherein the images are continuously presented one after the other while the media item is highlighted.

5. The menu as recited in claim 1 wherein the viewable media content is video, and wherein the video is continuously presented while the media item is highlighted.

6. A method of operating a menu of a media control center, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of media items, each media item having viewable media content associated therewith, the viewable media content comprising at least a representative image;

presenting the media items in a list and including a movable selector feature capable of traversing through the list so as to highlight one of the media items; and

when a media item is highlighted;

presenting the viewable media content associated with the highlighted media item next to the list of media items;

transforming the viewable media content associated with the highlighted media item; and

displaying the transformed viewable media content.

7. The menu as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

launching the viewable media content when the highlighted media item is activated.

8. The menu as recited in claim 6 wherein:

the step of presenting the viewable media content includes;

retrieving the viewable media content;

playing the viewable media content; and

wherein;

transforming the viewable media content associated with the highlighted media item transforms individual segments of the viewable media content as the viewable media content is played.

9. The menu as recited in claim 8 wherein the step of transforming the viewable media content includes one or more of the following:

resizing the viewable media content to fit inside a desired area;

reconfiguring the viewable media content into another shape;

or

generating a reflected version of the viewable media content and combining the reflected version with the actual viewable media content.

10. The menu as recited in claim 8 wherein the step of transforming comprises:

receiving an input image of the viewable media content;

varying the darkness of the input image from lighter to darker from the middle to right edge of the input image;

making a copy of the darkened input image;

flipping the copied input image upside down;

cropping the flipped input image;

varying the transparency of the cropped input image from partially transparent to fully transparent from the top edge to bottom edge of the input image;

combining the transparent input image with the darkened input image, the top edge of the transparent image being attached to the bottom edge of the darkened input image; and

skewing the combined input image by lowering the right upper corner of the combined image and raising the right bottom corner of the combined image.

11. The menu as recited in claim 6 wherein the step of transforming comprises reflecting and skewing the viewable media content.

12. The menu as recited in claim 6 wherein the step of transforming comprises:

receiving an input image of the viewable media content;

varying the darkness of the input image from lighter to darker from the middle to right edge of the input image;

copying of the darkened input image;

flipping the copied input image upside down;

cropping the flipped input image;

varying the transparency of the cropped input image from partially transparent to fully transparent from the top edge to bottom edge of the input image;

combining the transparent input image with the darkened input image, the top edge of the transparent image being attached to the bottom edge of the darkened input image; and

skewing the combined input image by lowering the right upper corner of the combined image and raising the right bottom corner of the combined image.

13. The menu as recited in claim 6 wherein the step of transforming comprises:

receiving an input image of the viewable media content;

copying of the input image;

flipping the copied input image upside down;

cropping the flipped input image; and

combining the flipped input image with the input image, the top edge of the flipped image being attached to the bottom edge of the input image.