Graphical user interface and methods of use thereof in a multimedia player

• US 9,299,329 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robbin, Jeffrey L., Jobs, Steve, Wasko, Timothy, Christie, Greg, Chaudhri, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/608,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,400 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/856, 715/859, 715/860, 715/864
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

In a portable multimedia device, a method, apparatus, and system for providing user supplied configuration data are described. In one embodiment, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface are provided. A first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item. In one of the described embodiments, the lower order interface includes other user selectable items associated with the previously selected item from the higher order user interface.

Claims

1. A pocket-sized device comprising:

a display screen configured to display a graphical user interface comprising a group of items, and

an input device comprising a first surface of the pocket-sized device and a second surface of the pocket-sized device, the first surface surrounding the second surface,

wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to

scroll through each item of the group of items in different directions in response to different rotational inputs from a user received by the input device on the first surface,

invoke a selection protocol in response to a press input from a user received by the input device on the second surface, and

scroll through each item of the group of items in different directions in response to different press inputs from a user received by the input device.

3. The pocket-sized device of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises multiple buttons and a closed loop.

4. The pocket-sized device of claim 3, wherein the multiple buttons comprise a central button centrally located on the input device.

5. The pocket-sized device of claim 4, wherein the press input to invoke the selection protocol is received by the central button.

6. The pocket-sized device of claim 4, wherein the press input to scroll through the group of items is received by one of the multiple buttons.

7. The pocket-sized device of claim 3, wherein the rotational input is received by the closed loop.

8. The pocket-sized device of claim 3, wherein the closed loop comprises a wheel.

9. The pocket-sized device of claim 1, wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to scroll through the group of items in a vertical direction.

10. The pocket-sized device of claim 1, wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to transition along a path of user-selected items in a bi-directional manner.

11. The pocket-sized device of claim 1, wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to transition from a first order interface displaying an item to a lower order interface associated with the item in response to a selection of the item by the user.

12. The pocket-sized device of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises an indicator bar to indicate a relative position of a highlighted item in relation to the group of items.

13. The pocket-sized device of claim 1, wherein the items correspond to media assets.

14. The pocket-sized device of claim 13, wherein the media assets are stored on the pocket-sized device.

15. The pocket-sized device of claim 13, wherein the media assets comprise audio files.

16. The pocket-sized device of claim 13, wherein the audio files comprise songs.

2. A pocket-sized device comprising:

a display screen configured to display a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising a group of media assets and an indicator bar, the indicator bar indicating a relative position of a highlighted media asset in relation to the group of media assets, and

an input device comprising a closed loop and a central button centrally located on the input device,

wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to

scroll through each media asset of the group of media assets in different directions in response to different rotational inputs from a user received by the input device on the closed loop,

invoke a selection protocol in response to a press input from a user received by the input device on the central button, and

scroll through each media asset of the group of media assets in different directions in response to different press inputs from a user received by the input device.

17. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the closed loop comprises a wheel.

18. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the input device comprises multiple buttons.

19. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the press input to scroll through the group of media assets is received by one of the multiple buttons.

20. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to scroll through the group of media assets in a vertical direction.

21. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to transition along a path of user-selected items corresponding to a media asset in a bi-directional manner.

22. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the pocket-sized device is configured to transition from a first order interface displaying an item corresponding to a media asset to a lower order interface associated with the item in response to a selection of the item by the user.

23. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the media assets are stored on the pocket-sized device.

24. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the media assets comprise audio files.

25. The pocket-sized device of claim 2, wherein the audio files comprise songs.