Navigating media content by groups

• US 8,886,685 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation), Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mercer, Ian Cameron, LaChapelle, Kevin Leigh, Miyamoto, Harutoshi, Yanagawa, Yoshifumi, Takeguchi, Nobuyasu, Matsumi, Chiyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US13/598,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 707/737, 707/802, 707/803, 707/769, 846/09, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational

Abstract

Grouping media files via playlists on a computer-readable medium. One or more media files are selected according to a grouping criterion to define one or more playlists from the media files. A container group is associated with the playlists and stores values identifying each of the playlists associated with the container group along with references to each of the playlists.

Claims

1. A computerized method executable by a processor of a computing device comprising:

receiving a list of user-selected media files having associated grouping criteria to define a first playlist, said selected media files being accessible by the computing device;

selecting one or more additional media files based on the user-selected media files according to a grouping criteria of the user-selection-based associated grouping criteria to define a second playlist;

generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references the user-selected media files and the second playlist references the user-selected media files and the second selected additional media files selected from user-selection-based associated grouping criteria defined therein; and

providing the first playlist, the second playlist, the user-selected media files associated with the first playlist, the user-selected media files and the additional media files selected according to user-selection-based associated grouping criteria and associated with the second playlist, and the container group to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, said container group further comprising a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of user-selected media files comprises one or more of the following:

audio files, video files, and image files.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the provided first playlist, second playlist, the user-selected media files associated with the first playlist, the user-selected media files and the additional media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group on a storage medium accessible by the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, said container group further comprising:

a data field for storing a description of the container group;

a data field for storing the first value identifying the first playlist; and

a data field for storing the second value identifying the second playlist.

6. The method of claim 5, said container group further comprising:

a data field storing a value representing a memory location offset to a previous playlist group for the first playlist; and

a data field storing a value representing a memory location offset to a next playlist group for the first playlist.

7. The method of claim 1, said container group including:

a starting point field storing a value representing a starting point of playback of the first playlist; and

an ending point field storing a value representing an ending point of playback of the first playlist.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable storage media has stored thereon instructions for performing the steps of receiving, selecting, generating, and providing.

9. A system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer processor-executable instructions, said instructions executable by the computer processor for;

receiving a list of user-selected media files having associated grouping criteria to define a first playlist, said selected media files being accessible by the computing device;

selecting one or more additional media files based on the user-selected media files according to a user-selection-based associated grouping criteria to define a second playlist;

generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references the user-selected media files and the second playlist references the user-selected media files and the second selected additional media files selected from user-selection-based associated grouping criteria defined therein; and

providing the first playlist, the second playlist, the user-selected media files selected according to user-selection-based associated grouping criteria and associated with the first playlist, the user-selected media files and the additional media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group to a user.

10. The system of claim 9, said container group further comprising a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist by the user.

11. The system of claim 10, said instructions executable by the computer processor further comprising instructions for displaying a navigation element to the user based on the reference from the first playlist to the second playlist and instructions for navigating between the first playlist and the second playlist responsive to the user selecting the navigation element.

12. The system of claim 9, said computer processor-executable instructions including instructions executable by the computer processor for storing the provided first playlist, second playlist, the user-selected media files associated with the first playlist, the user-selected media files and the additional media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group.

13. The system of claim 9, said container group further comprising:

a data field for storing a description of the container group;

a data field for storing the first value identifying the first playlist; and

a data field for storing the second value identifying the second playlist.

14. The system of claim 13, said container group further comprising:

a data field storing a value representing a memory location offset to a previous playlist group for the first playlist; and

a data field storing a value representing a memory location offset to a next playlist group for the first playlist.

15. The system of claim 9, said container group including:

a starting point field storing a value representing a starting point of playback of the first playlist; and

an ending point field storing a value representing an ending point of playback of the first playlist.

16. At least one computer-readable storage device having stored therein computer executable components executed by a computing device, said computer-readable storage device comprising:

a playlist module for;

receiving a list of user-selected media files having associated grouping criteria said associated grouping criteria defining a first playlist of the user-selected media files, said user-selected media files being accessible by the computing device;

selecting one or more additional media files based on the user-selected media files according to at least one grouping criterion of the user-selection-based associated grouping criteria, said at least one grouping criterion of the user-selected-based associated grouping criteria defining a second playlist of the selected additional media files and the user-selected media files; and

a population module for generating a container group associated with the first playlist and the second playlist, said generated container group comprising a first value identifying the first playlist and a second value identifying the second playlist, wherein the first playlist references the user-selected media files and the second playlist references the user-selected media files and the second selected additional media files selected from the user-selection-based associated grouping criteria defined therein; and

an interface module for providing the first playlist, the second playlist, the user-selected media files associated with the first playlist, the user-selected media files and the additional media files selected according to the user-selection-based associated grouping criteria and associated with the second playlist, and the container group to a user.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, said container group further comprising a reference from the first playlist to the second playlist to enable navigation between the first playlist and the second playlist by the user.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising a writer module for storing the provided first playlist, second playlist, the user-selected media files associated with the first playlist, the user-selected media files and the additional media files associated with the second playlist, and the container group on a storage medium accessible by the computing device.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, said container group further comprising:

a data field for storing a description of the container group;

a data field for storing the first value identifying the first playlist;

a data field for storing the second value identifying the second playlist;

a data field storing a value representing a memory location offset to a previous playlist group for the first playlist; and

a data field storing a value representing a memory location offset to a next playlist group for the first playlist.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, said container group including:

a starting point field storing a value representing a starting point of playback of the first playlist; and

an ending point field storing a value representing an ending point of playback of the first playlist.