Song flow methodology in random playback

• US 9,396,760 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US13/536,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 715/704, 715/716, 715/721, 715/810, 715/825, 715853-855, 715/866, 715220-222, 715733-739, 715741-743, 715846-847, 700/94, 369 3008- 3009, 386/241, 713/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

An electronic device can play back media items using a random playback mode. To ensure that related media items are played back in a proper order (e.g., live music is played back in concert order), the electronic device can define metadata or other data coupling related media items in a predefined or preset sequence. For example, related media items can include metadata tags identifying the previous and next media items to play back in the sequence. As another example, the electronic device can store a listing of media items of a sequence and the order in which to play them back. When the electronic device reaches a media item that is part of a preset sequence during random playback, the electronic device can identify at least the subsequent media items in the sequence, and insert the subsequent media items in the playback queue.

Claims

1. A method for playing back media items with an electronic device, the method comprising:

generating an arbitrary ordering with the electronic device of a first plurality of media items, into a playback queue in the arbitrary order;

playing back a first media item of the first plurality of media items in the playback queue;

automatically determining, with the electronic device, that an upcoming first media item in the playback queue is associated with a first preset playback sequence of media items having a preset sequence order;

in response to the determining, identifying, with the electronic device, at least a subset of media items of the first preset playback sequence of media items; and

in response to the identifying, inserting, by the electronic device, the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items sequentially with the upcoming first media item in the playback queue in the first preset playback sequence order;

playing back the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items in accordance with the preset playback sequence order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items is less than all of the first preset sequence of media items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items has been played, then playback of media items continues automatically with the next item in the playback queue of the first plurality of media items in the arbitrary order.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that a second instance of a media item that was inserted into the playback queue from the first preset sequence of media items occurs within a portion of the playback queue that is arbitrarily ordered; and

deleting the second instance of the media item from the playback queue.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first preset playback sequence of media items is generated and stored when media items in the first preset playback sequence of media items become accessible to the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing back the ordered media items in the playback queue with the electronic device, wherein the determining occurs before the playing back of the first media item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing back the ordered media items in the playback queue with the electronic device, wherein the determining occurs before the playing back of any of the media items in the playback queue.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first preset playback sequence defines a particular order for the first media item and the subset of the first preset sequence of media items, and wherein the inserting comprises inserting the subset of the first preset sequence of media items sequentially with the first media item in the playback queue according to the particular order of the first preset playback sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the inserting comprises replacing the first media item in the playback queue with at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence, and wherein the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence comprises the first media item and the subset of the first preset sequence ordered according to a particular order of the first preset playback sequence.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence comprises every media item associated with the first preset playback sequence.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence comprises the first media item and each media item associated with the first preset playback sequence that follows the first media item according to the particular order of the first preset playback sequence.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the subset of first preset playback sequence is ordered before the first media item according to the particular order of the first preset playback sequence.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises analyzing metadata of the first media item.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting that title metadata of the first media item comprises at least one particular character.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one particular character comprises the “

>

”

character.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a second instance of a media item that was inserted into the playback queue from the first preset sequence of media items occurs within a portion of the playback queue that is arbitrarily ordered and has not yet been played back;

playing back the at least a subset of the first preset sequence of media items in the sequence order only once during the playback of the first plurality of media items in the playback queue.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first preset playback sequence of media items is generated and stored prior to generating the arbitrary ordering of the first plurality of media items into the playback queue in arbitrary order.

18. An electronic device comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate an arbitrary ordering of a first plurality of media items into a playback queue in the arbitrary order;

playback a first media item of the first plurality of media items in the playback queue;

automatically determine that an upcoming first media item in the playback queue is associated with a first preset playback sequence of media items having a preset sequence order;

in response to determining that the upcoming first media item in the playback queue is associated with the first preset playback sequence of media items, identifying at least a subset of media items of the first preset playback sequence of media items; and

in response to the identifying, inserting the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items sequentially with the upcoming first media item in the playback queue in the first preset playback sequence order;

playing back the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items in accordance with the preset playback sequence order.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the subset of the first preset sequence of media items is less than all of the first preset sequence of media items.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein when the subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items has been played, then the playback of media items continues automatically with the next item in the playback queue of the first plurality of media items in the arbitrary order.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to playback the ordered media items in the playback queue, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine that the first media item is associated with the first preset playback sequence before playing back the first media item.

22. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first preset playback sequence defines a particular order for the first media item and the subset of the first preset sequence of media items, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to revise the first order by inserting the subset of the first preset sequence of media items sequentially with the first media item in the playback queue according to the particular order of the first preset playback sequence.

23. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is configured to revise the first order by replacing the first media item in the first order with at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence, and wherein the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence comprises the first media item and the subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items is ordered according to a particular order of the first preset playback sequence.

24. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein when the first preset playback sequence of media items is generated and stored prior to generating the arbitrary ordering of the first plurality of media items into the playback queue in arbitrary order.

25. Non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions recorded thereon for:

generating an arbitrary ordering of a first plurality of media items into a playback queue in the arbitrary order;

playing back a first media item of the first plurality of media items in the playback queue;

automatically determining that an upcoming first media item in the playback queue is associated with a first preset playback sequence;

in response to the determining, identifying at least a subset of media items of the first preset playback sequence of media items; and

in response to the identifying, inserting the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items sequentially with the upcoming first media item in the playback queue in the first preset playback sequence order;

playing back the at least a subset of the first preset playback sequence of media items in accordance with the preset playback sequence order.