Ratings switch for portable media players

• US 8,788,078 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.), Best Buy Solutions, Inc. (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Waites, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US12/459,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00014 the compressed signal being an audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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

Abstract

A dedicated ratings input is presented for a portable media player. The input may take the form of a physical switch or pre-identified movements recorded by an accelerometer. Movement of the switch into one of the two positions sets a rating for the currently playing media file. The physical ratings switch is not used during the playing of media files for any purpose other than the rating of media files. This allows the user to alter the rating by moving the switch without requiring any visual interaction with the portable media player. Audio feedback is provided when the switch is used to change the ratings of the media files.

Claims

1. A portable media player comprising:

a) a case with an external surface and an interior;

b) media output circuitry for playing media so that the media is perceptible outside of the case, the media output circuitry including an audio output port to play an audio component of the media;

c) a physical ratings switch on the exterior surface of the case, whereby movement of the physical ratings switch into a first switch position improves a rating, and movement of the physical ratings switch into a second switch position worsens a rating, for media currently being played by the media output circuitry, wherein the first and second switch positions of the physical ratings switch are used for no other purpose during the playing of media than to alter ratings for the media, and wherein the physical ratings switch is the unique physical ratings device on the exterior surface of the case; and

d) a processor that responds to movement of the physical ratings switch into one of the switch positions by generating an audio feedback over the audio output port during the playing of the audio component of the media, with different audio feedbacks differentiating between switch positions of the physical ratings switch.

2. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising:

e) a persistent memory within the interior of the case, the persistent memory containing

i) media files, and

ii) meta data for the media files, the meta data including ratings for the media files that are changed by the movement of the physical ratings switch.

3. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the physical ratings switch is a spring loaded switch wherein the spring returns the physical ratings switch to a rest position, and further wherein the rest position is located between the first and second switch positions.

4. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein movement of the physical ratings switch causes the processor to replace the audio component of the media being output over the audio port with the audio feedback.

5. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the rating for the media includes at least two separate rating states, with each rating state being associated with a distinct audio feedback signal, and further wherein the associated audio feedback signal is generated by the processor for a new rating state when the new rating state is created by movement of the physical ratings switch.

6. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the case has a generally cuboid shape with a length less than five inches, a width less than three inches, and a thickness less than three-quarters of an inch.

7. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the ratings for the media file includes a do not play rating that causes the portable media player to refrain from future playback of media receiving the do not play rating without first requiring a sync to a computing device external to the portable media player.

8. The portable media player of claim 5, wherein the ratings for the media consist only of an unranked rating state, a single positive rating state, and a single negative rating state.

9. The portable media player of claim 8, wherein the movement of the physical ratings switch into one of the first or second switch position changes the state for the media currently being played with transitions between states including a wrap-around directly between the positive rating state and the negative rating state.

10. The portable media player of claim 9, wherein the assignment of the positive rating state causes the portable media player to provide a positive rating audio feedback and further wherein the assignment of the negative rating state causes the portable media player to provide a negative rating audio feedback.

11. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising a display showing a rating indicator for a currently playing file, and further wherein the rating indicator is updated upon each rating change caused by the movement of the physical ratings switch.

12. The portable media player of claim 1, wherein the portable media player contains no display and the only feedback of a change to the ratings for the media files caused by the movement of the physical ratings switch is an audio feedback.

13. The portable media player of claim 12, wherein the audio feedback is provided by the processor through the audio output port that is also used to present audio media so that the audio feedback is output coincidentally with the audio media.

14. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising either or both of the following:

e) a user preference setting indicating whether a media file should be immediately removed from the media player upon rejection; and

f) a user preference setting indicating whether a media file should be played again once rejected.

15. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising:

e) a display that presents a user interface, whereby a user controls media file library review or file selection.

16. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising:

e) a display that presents a user interface, whereby a user controls play list creation or alteration.

17. The portable media player of claim 1, further comprising:

e) a display that presents a user interface, whereby a user controls selection of preferences.

18. The portable media player of claim 17, where the preferences controlled by the user include whether rejected files will continue to be played on the player.

19. The portable media player of claim 17, where the preferences controlled by the user include whether rejected files will be deleted from the player.

20. The portable media player of claim 17, where the preferences controlled by the user include selection of a movement corresponding to a ratings indication.