System and method for searching, storing, and rendering digital media content using virtual broadcast channels

• US 9,219,634 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Morse, Lee, Tong, Vincent, Eaton, Brook Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): GREENE, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US11/059,750
• Time in Patent Office: 3,961 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 715/727, 715/771, 715/978, 715/763, 715/716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A user interface device provides access to at least one of a plurality of digital content sources. The interface device is configured to catalog the plurality of digital content sources to correspond to a plurality of channels in a tuning band, to present the plurality of channels sequentially in response to a user initiated tuning movement, and to select one of the sequentially presented channels for playback.

Claims

1. A user interface device for accessing at least one of a plurality of digital media files by a tuning movement in a single tuning band having a plurality of virtual channels, the interface device comprising:

a physical processor configured to associate the plurality of digital media files with the plurality of virtual channels and to assign each of the virtual channels to a corresponding location in the single tuning band, wherein the virtual channels are configured such that tuning through the virtual channels provides access to channels without traversing layers of metadata; and

a selection mechanism configured to select a first virtual channel from the plurality of virtual channels for playback in response to the tuning movement to a first location in the single tuning band corresponding to the first virtual channel, the first virtual channel being associated with digital media files determined, via examination of metadata, to have attributes similar to the attributes for the first virtual channel based on selection criteria, the selection criteria including one or more of the following;

past listening history of the user, genre, or tempo,

wherein rendering and playback of the digital media files associated with the first virtual channel occurs automatically in response to the tuning movement to the first location corresponding to the first virtual channel, wherein the digital media files associated with the first virtual channel are accessed from at least two different sources, including local storage and an internet streaming audio source,

wherein the selection mechanism comprises a display screen having a single linear dial corresponding to the single tuning band and the tuning movement for the first virtual channel corresponds to positioning of an indicator on the single linear dial to the first location corresponding to the first virtual channel, and

wherein the single linear dial comprises a plurality of sections, each of the plurality of sections corresponding to different categories in a primary level of a hierarchy relating to metadata for content of the digital media files.

2. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of virtual channels in the tuning band comprises a plurality of playlists, each containing a plurality of locally stored digital media files.

3. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the tuning band further comprises a broadcast channel integrated into the tuning band and wherein the selection mechanism is configured to select the broadcast channel for playback in response to the tuning movement to a second location in the tuning band corresponding to the broadcast channel.

4. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of virtual channels in the tuning band comprises a plurality of playlists, at least one of the playlists providing access to streamed digital files and at least one of the playlists providing access to locally archived digital media files.

5. The user interface device as recited in claim 4 wherein the locally archived digital media files are digital audio files.

6. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital media files associated with the plurality of virtual channels are accessed from at least one of a hard disk drive, a flash memory module, an optical drive, a terrestrial broadcast source, a satellite radio broadcast source, and an internet server source.

7. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital media files associated with at least one virtual channel are accessed from at least three different sources.

8. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 wherein selecting the first virtual channel occurs after a sequential presentation of a subset of the plurality of virtual channels.

9. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sections is further subdivided into a plurality of subsections, each of the subsections corresponding to a second level of the hierarchy at least one level below the primary level.

10. The user interface device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a preset interface having a plurality of presets, a first of the plurality of presets assigned to at least one of the virtual channels.

11. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is provided on a portable media player.

12. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the virtual channels is assigned to its corresponding location in the tuning band based on a function of metadata relating to the content of the digital media files.

13. A digital media file playback system comprising:

the user interface device as recited in claim 1; and

a client computer coupled to a network, wherein the user interface device is also coupled to the network and is configured to access at least one of a digital streaming source from a network server and a digital file stored on the client computer.

20. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein the corresponding location in the tuning band is user defined.

21. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital media files associated with the first virtual channel are simultaneously accessed from the at least two different sources.

22. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein the association between virtual channels and digital media files is based on past listening history, genre, or tempo.

23. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital media files being accessed are located at their respective sources.

24. The user interface device as recited in claim 1, wherein the linear dial is a continuous linear dial.

14. A method of navigating to a digital media file from a plurality of digital media files, the method comprising:

cataloging the plurality of digital media files into a plurality of virtual channels on a single tuning band, wherein the virtual channels are configured such that tuning through the virtual channels provides access to channels without traversing layers of metadata;

assigning each of the plurality of virtual channels to a corresponding location in the single tuning band;

tuning to the location within the single tuning band corresponding to the first virtual channel, the first virtual channel being associated with digital media files determined, via examination of metadata, to have attributes similar to the attributes for the first virtual channel based on selection criteria, the selection criteria including one or more of the following;

past listening history of the user, genre, or tempo, and automatically playing back the digital media files in response to the tuning to the location corresponding to the first virtual channel, wherein the digital media files associated with the first virtual channel are accessed from at least two different sources, including local storage and an internet streaming audio source,

wherein the single tuning band corresponds to a single linear dial and the tuning movement for the first virtual channel corresponds to positioning of an indicator on the single linear dial to the location corresponding to the first virtual channel, and wherein the single linear dial comprises a plurality of sections, each of the plurality of sections corresponding to different categories in a primary level of a hierarchy relating to metadata for content of the digital media files.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one virtual channel corresponds to a locally archived digital media file and one virtual channel corresponds to a digital file from a live streaming source.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein at least one of the virtual channels comprises digital media files stored in memory or removable media in at least one of a hard drive, a flash memory module, and an optical drive.

17. A method for playback of digital source content from a media player, the method comprising:

selecting a first source having a digital media file;

selecting a second source having a second digital media file, the second source being different from the first source;

assigning a first preset of a plurality of presets to provide access to the digital media files from the first and second sources, wherein the sources are selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, a flash memory module, an optical drive, a terrestrial broadcast source, a satellite radio broadcast source, and an internet server source, the first source being associated with digital media files determined, via examination of metadata, to have attributes similar to the attributes for the first source channel based on selection criteria, the selection criteria including one or more of the following;

past listening history of the user, genre, or tempo, and wherein the first preset is configured to automatically render and playback the digital media files from the first and second sources in response to a tuning movement to the first preset corresponding to a location in a single tuning band, wherein selecting a preset in the plurality of presets in a preset interface enables access to channels without traversing layers of metadata; and

recording the contents of the digital media files to memory storage, wherein the digital media files are accessed by the first preset of the media player,

wherein the single tuning band corresponds to a single linear dial and the tuning movement to the first preset corresponds to positioning of an indicator on the single linear dial to the location corresponding to the first preset, wherein the digital media files associated with the first virtual channel are accessed from at least two different sources, including local storage and an internet streaming audio source, and

wherein the single linear dial comprises a plurality of sections, each of the plurality of sections corresponding to different categories in a primary level of a hierarchy relating to metadata for content of the digital media files.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the first source is portable media located within an optical drive coupled to the media player.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the first source is an internet streaming source accessible by the media player.