Methods and systems for navigating content on a portable device

• US 8,826,132 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bull, William, Rottler, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): ALVESTEFFER, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/145,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,261 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• 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: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs

Abstract

Media players and associated methods are described that may allow a user to navigate content or other media assets. A media player or portable media device, can include features for generating and utilizing navigation information for navigating content, such as audio books. An audio book may be analyzed to determine one or more locations within the audio book that represent chapters, paragraphs, sentences, or the like. Navigation information may be generated indicative of the one or more locations that may be used by a media player or portable media device to play content in the audio book. The navigation information may include audio clips extracted from the audio book to represent the chapters and the like. In addition, a user may navigate content in response to predetermined user motions. A media player may scroll through content based on the predetermined user motions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, content, wherein receiving content includes receiving an audio book;

analyzing the content to determine a plurality of locations within the content;

generating navigation information for the content, the navigation information including information indicative of the plurality of locations within the content;

extracting a portion of the content for each of the plurality of locations, the extracted portion of the content for each location being representative of content at that location;

generating a playlist for the content using the navigation information, the playlist including a plurality of items corresponding to the plurality of locations;

receiving a selection directed at a particular item from the plurality of items in the playlist, the particular item corresponding to a particular location in the plurality of locations; and

providing a particular extracted portion of the content corresponding to the particular location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the content comprises identifying one or more gaps in audio or video data associated with the content to determine the plurality of locations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the content comprises performing an inflection analysis to determine parts of speech within the content, one or more parts of speech representing a location in the plurality of locations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating navigation information indicative of the plurality of locations within the content comprises generating chapter information for plurality of locations associated with the audio book.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating navigation information indicative of the plurality of locations within the content comprises generating audio clips representing portions of the audio book at the plurality of locations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating navigation information indicative of the plurality of locations within the content comprises generating an audible citation representing the content at the plurality of locations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the content to determine the plurality of locations includes identifying one or more gaps, inflections, or other audio/visual patterns that provide an indication where to segment the content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the content to determine the plurality of locations within the content includes determining a plurality of content segments, the plurality content segments being identified using the plurality of locations, wherein the extracted portion of the content for each of the plurality of locations is extracted from a corresponding content segment from the plurality of content segments.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving another selection directed at the particular extracted portion of the content, providing a corresponding portion of the content represented by the particular extracted portion of the content.

10. A method for navigating content using a handheld device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the handheld device, selection of audio book data from a user interacting with the handheld device including navigation information for the audio book data, wherein the navigation information is indicative of a book structure within the audio book data;

determining, by the handheld device, one or more portions of the audio book data for one or more locations within the audio book data based on the navigation information;

extracting the one or more portions of the audio book data, the one or more portions of the audio book data being representative of content at the one or more locations;

generating, by the handheld device, a playlist using the one or more portions, the playlist including one or more items corresponding to the one or more locations;

receiving a selection directed at a particular item from the one or more items in the playlist, the particular item corresponding to a particular location in the one or more locations; and

outputting a particular extracted portion of the audio book data corresponding to the particular location.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein outputting the content comprises outputting one or more audio clips.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

segmenting the audio book data into one or more sub-contents, wherein each of the one or more portions of the audio book data is determined and extracted from each of the one or more sub-contents of the audio book data.

13. A media player comprising:

a storage medium configured to store one or more audio books; and

a processor configured to;

receive input identifying an audio book from the one or more audio books;

determine navigation information associated with the audio book, the navigation information specifying one or more locations within the audio book;

extract a portion of the audio book for each of the one or more locations within the audio book, the extracted portion of the audio book for each location being representative of content at that location;

generate a playlist for the audio book using the navigation information, the playlist including one or more items corresponding to the one or more locations;

receive a selection directed at a particular item from the one or more items in the playlist, the particular item corresponding to a particular location in the one or more locations; and

provide a particular extracted portion of the audio book corresponding to the particular location.

14. A system comprising:

means for receiving audio book data, the audio book data including navigation information for navigating the audio book data, wherein the navigation information includes one or more locations and wherein each location from the one or more locations is associated with a portion of the audio book data;

means for extracting one or more portions of the audio book data, the one or more portions of the audio book data being representative of content at the one or more locations;

means for generating a playlist using the one or more portions, the playlist including one or more items corresponding to the one or more locations;

means for receiving a selection directed at a particular item from the one or more items in the playlist, the particular item corresponding to a particular location in the one or more locations; and

means for outputting a particular extracted portion of the audio book data corresponding to the particular location.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a portable device, content including navigation information associated with the content, the navigation information including information indicative of a plurality of locations within the content, wherein receiving content includes receiving an audio book;

determining, by the portable device, one or more portions of the content based on the navigation information;

extracting a portion of the content for each of the plurality of locations, the extracted portion of the content for each location being representative of content at that location;

generating, by the portable device, a playlist for the content using the navigation information, the playlist including a plurality of items corresponding to the plurality of locations;

receiving a selection directed at a particular item from the plurality of items in the playlist, the particular item corresponding to a particular location in the plurality of locations; and

playing a particular extracted portion of the content corresponding to the particular location.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a set of program instructions that, when executed, causes one or more processors in a computing device to execute a method, the method comprising:

instructions that cause the processor to receive audio book data;

instructions that cause the processor to determine navigation information associated with the audio book, the navigation information specifying one or more locations within the audio book;

instructions that cause the processor to extract a portion of the audio book data for each of the one or more locations within the audio book, the extracted portion of the audio book data for each location being representative of content at that location;

instructions that cause the processor to generate a playlist for the audio book using the navigation information, the playlist including one or more items corresponding to the one or more locations;

instructions that cause the processor to receive a selection directed at a particular item from the one or more items in the playlist, the particular item corresponding to a particular location in the one or more locations; and

instructions that cause the processor to provide a particular extracted portion of the audio book data corresponding to the particular location.