Graphical user interface with improved media presentation

• US 8,782,521 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ward, Alan, Meldrum, Colin, Martin, Timothy Benjamin, Bell, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US12/835,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/200, 715/741
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/81 Monomedia components thereof

Abstract

Improved graphical user interfaces and techniques for providing remote media content to users are disclosed. According to one aspect, an application window display on a display device can expose a user not only to local media content but also to remote media content that is associated with the local media content. The local media content is stored locally, while the remote media content is stored remotely and available from a remote media server. According to another aspect, the remote media content to be displayed can be determined in a manner that is dependent on a user interaction with the local media content. According to still a further aspect, the manner by which the remote media content is displayed can be dependent on the availability of remote media content at the remote media server.

Claims

1. A method for displaying purchased media information and purchasable media information on a display screen associated with a computing device, said method comprising:

displaying purchased media information on a first part of the display screen, wherein the purchased media information corresponds to media information with access rights by a user;

receiving a selection of at least one of the purchased media information displayed on the display screen;

determining at least one media type based on the selected purchased media information;

determining a purchasable media presentation format, the purchasable media presentation format being determined from a plurality of available purchasable media presentation formats, based upon the determined media type; and

displaying the purchasable media information on a second part of the display screen in accordance with the determined purchasable media presentation format, wherein the purchasable media information corresponds to media items available for purchase through on-line interaction, and wherein the purchasable media information and the purchased media information are concurrently displayed on the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined purchasable media presentation format is an audio media presentation format when the determined media type is an audio item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the purchasable media presentation format is further based on an availability of purchasable media items associated with the selected purchased media information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the purchasable media information pertaining to purchasable media items stored on a remote media server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the purchasable media items are downloadable from a media storage server, and wherein the media storage server is different from the remote media server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media items pertain to one or more of songs, audiobooks, podcasts, and videos.

7. A method for displaying purchased media information and purchasable media information on a display screen associated with a computing device, said method comprising:

obtaining purchased media information pertaining to purchased media items, wherein the purchased media items corresponds to media items with access rights by a user;

displaying the purchased media information on a first part of the display screen;

receiving a selection of one of the purchased media items;

determining a purchasable media presentation format based on the selected purchased media item, the purchasable second media presentation format being determined from a plurality of available purchasable second media presentation formats;

acquiring purchasable media information pertaining to purchasable media items, wherein the purchasable media items corresponds to media items available for purchase through on-line interaction; and

displaying the purchasable media information on a second part of the display screen in accordance with the determined purchasable media presentation format, wherein the purchasable media information and the purchased media information are concurrently displayed on the display screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the purchased media items are stored on a first media source, and wherein the purchasable media items are stored in a second media source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the purchasable media presentation format further comprises:

determining available purchasable media items in the second media source associated with the selected purchased media item; and

determining the purchasable media presentation format based on the determined availability.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the selected purchased media item is a song and the available purchasable media items include an album associated with the song, then the determined purchasable media presentation format includes the album associated with the song.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein when the selected purchased media item is a song and the available purchasable media items include media content from an artist associated with the song, then the determined purchasable media presentation format includes media content from the artist associated with the song.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein when the selected purchased media item is associated with an artist and the available purchasable media items does not include media content associated with the artist, then the determined purchasable media presentation format is a default media presentation format which does not include any media content associated with the artist.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the purchasable media information is received from an online media store.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the purchasable media information is based on the user selection.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein when the selected purchased media item is a song and the available purchasable media items include an album associated with the song, then the determined purchasable media presentation format includes an album associated with the song.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when the available purchasable media items include an artist associated with the song, then the determined purchasable media presentation format includes media content from the artist associated with the song.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein when the selected purchased media item is a song and the available purchasable media items do not include any media content associated with the song, then the determined purchasable media presentation format is a default purchasable media presentation format which does not include any media content associated with the song.

18. A computing system capable of displaying media information, said computing device comprising:

a data storage device that stores media content;

a display device; and

a processor for storing, accessing and presenting the stored media content from said data storage device, said processor being configured to;

obtain purchased media information pertaining to purchased media items that correspond to media items with access rights by a user;

display the purchased media information on a first part of the display device;

receive a selection of at least one of the purchased media information displayed on the display screen;

determine a purchasable media presentation format based on the selection, the purchasable media presentation format being determined from a plurality of available purchasable media presentation formats;

acquire purchasable media information pertaining to purchasable media, wherein the purchasable media items correspond to media items available for purchase through on-line interaction; and

display the purchasable media information on a second part of the display device in accordance with the determined purchasable media presentation format, wherein the purchasable media information and the purchased media information are concurrently displayed on the display screen.

19. A computer readable medium including at least executable computer program code tangibly stored therein for displaying first media information and second media information on a display screen associated with a computing device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for obtaining purchased media information pertaining to purchased media items that correspond to media items with access rights by a user;

computer program code for displaying the purchased media information on a first part of the display screen;

computer program code for receiving a selection of one of the purchased media items;

computer program code for determining a purchasable media presentation format based on the selection, the purchasable media presentation format being determined from a plurality of available purchasable media presentation formats;

computer program code for acquiring purchasable media information pertaining to purchasable media items, wherein the purchasable media items correspond to media items available for purchase through on-line interaction; and

computer program code for displaying the purchasable media information on a second part of the display screen in accordance with the determined purchasable media presentation format, wherein the purchasable media information and the purchased media information are concurrently displayed on the display screen.