Persistent group of media items for a media device

• US 9,412,417 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jobs, Steven P., Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hope, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US11/097,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,148 Days
• Field of Search: 715/727, 709/219, 369/46.12, 369/46.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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

Abstract

Improved techniques to utilize and manage a group of media items (or media assets) on a computing device are disclosed. The group of media items can be utilized and managed at a host computer for the host computer as well as a media device (e.g., media player) that can couple to the host computer. One popular example of a group of media items is know as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks. One aspect pertains to providing a persistent media device playlist at a host computer. Another aspect pertains to imposing capacity limits to a playlist, such as a media device playlist. Still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that enables a user to trade-off storage capacity of a media device between media asset storage and data storage. Yet still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that assists a user with selecting media items to fill a group of media items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, on a display associated with a first computing device, a device indicator associated with a second computing device, the device indicator being associated with a media playlist on the second computing device;

receiving a selection of the device indicator;

displaying, on the display screen associated with the first computing device, a list of digital items that are in the media playlist associated with the second computing device, the digital items being stored locally on the first computing device and at least a portion of the digital items being also stored locally on the second computing device;

displaying, on the display screen, an indicator proximate to each digital item from the list of the digital items to visually indicate, for each digital item, whether the digital item is stored on the second computing device;

determining whether the second computing device is connected to the first computing device;

presenting, on the display screen, a graphical control element for defining relative storage capacity limits on the second computing device for different types of digital items;

receiving, via the graphical control element, a first storage capacity limit and a second storage capacity limit set for the second computing device, the first storage capacity limit corresponding to a first type of digital items and the second storage capacity limit corresponding to a second type of digital items, wherein the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items is relative to the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items;

adding or removing one or more digital items to or from the media playlist, regardless of whether the second computing device is connected to the first computing device and even if the one or more digital items were previously added to the media playlist and transferred to the second computing device for storage thereon, wherein a number of the one or more digital items added or removed to or from the media playlist is influenced by at least one of the first storage capacity limit or the second storage capacity limit; and

when the second computing device is connected to the first computing device, updating digital items stored on the second computing device once the user has added or removed the one or more digital items to or from the media playlist.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request, via the graphical control element, to make a relative adjustment of the first storage capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit; and

based on the request, increasing the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items and relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first storage capacity limit defines a maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device, and wherein the second storage capacity limit defines a maximum amount of storage space which can be allocated on the second computing device for storing the second type of digital items.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a request, via the graphical control element, to make a relative adjustment of the first storage capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit; and

based on the request, increasing the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items and relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items,

wherein increasing the first storage capacity limit comprises increasing the maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device, and

wherein relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items comprises decreasing the maximum amount of storage space which can be allocated for storing the second type of digital items based on an increase of the maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media playlist indicator is a graphic that provides a depiction of the second computing device.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the media playlist indicator is displayed in a media source region of a program window presented by a media management application.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the relative storage capacity limits correspond to a storage capacity of the second computing device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the relative storage capacity limits correspond to a storage capacity associated with the media playlist.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first storage capacity limit is an audio asset capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit is a storage capacity limit for non-audio data.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the user of the first computing device can set the capacity limit.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the user of the host computer can set the relative storage capacity limits using the graphical control element.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the graphical control element is a slider control.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection of a device indicator displayed on a display associated with the system, the device indicator being associated with a media device and a playlist;

displaying a representation of digital items in the playlist, the digital items being stored on the system and at least a portion of the digital items being stored on the media device;

displaying an indicator proximate to each of the digital items to indicate whether the digital items are stored on the media device;

generating a graphical control element for defining relative storage capacity limits on the media device for different types of digital items;

receiving, via the graphical control element, a first storage capacity limit and a second storage capacity limit set for the media device, the first storage capacity limit corresponding to a first type of digital items and the second storage capacity limit corresponding to a second type of digital items, wherein the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items is relative to the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items; and

managing the digital items within the playlist by adding or removing digital items to or from the playlist.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein managing the digital items comprises:

maintaining the digital items within the media device playlist consistent between those stored locally on the system and those stored on the media device while the media device is connected to the system.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the media device playlist indicator is a graphic that provides a depiction of the media device.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the graphic is an icon.

17. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the media device playlist indicator is displayed in a media source region of a program window presented by a media management application.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein said managing is limited by the first and second storage capacity limits.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first storage capacity limit corresponds to a storage capacity for audio data.

20. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the second storage capacity limit corresponds to a storage capacity for non-audio data.

21. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the graphical control element is a graphical slider.

22. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first storage capacity limit defines a maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device, and wherein the second storage capacity limit defines a maximum amount of storage space which can be allocated on the second computing device for storing the second type of digital items.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, the memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a request to make a relative adjustment of the first storage capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit; and

based on the request, increasing the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items and relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items,

wherein increasing the first storage capacity limit comprises increasing the maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device, and

wherein relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items comprises decreasing the maximum amount of storage space which can be allocated for storing the second type of digital items based on an increase of the maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the graphical user interface control is a slider control, the memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a request to make a relative adjustment of the first storage capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit by shifting the slider control; and

based on the request, increasing the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items and relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items.

25. A computer readable hardware storage device including at least executable computer program code stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying a media device indicator on a display screen of a first computing device, the media device indicator being associated with a media device playlist;

receiving a selection of the media device indicator;

displaying a list of media items associated with the selected media device indicator on the display screen, the media items being stored locally on the first computing device and at least a portion of the media items being stored on a second computing device associated with the media device indicator;

displaying, on the display screen, an indicator proximate to each media item from the list of the media items to visually indicate, for each media item, whether the media item is stored on the second computing device;

presenting, on the display screen, a graphical control element for defining relative storage capacity limits on the second computing device for different types of media items;

receiving, via the graphical control element, a first storage capacity limit and a second storage capacity limit set for the second computing device, the first storage capacity limit corresponding to a first type of digital items and the second storage capacity limit corresponding to a second type of media items, wherein the first storage capacity limit for the first type of media items is relative to the second storage capacity limit for the second type of media items;

permitting a user of the first computing device to add or remove media items to or from the list of media items, regardless of whether the second computing device is connected to the first computing device and even if the media items were previously added to the media device playlist and transferred to the second computing device; and

when the second computing device is connected to the first computer, updating media items stored on the second computing device once the media items have been added or removed to or from the list of media items.

26. A computer readable hardware storage having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of a device indicator displayed on a first device, the device indicator being associated with a playlist;

displaying a representation of media items in the playlist, the media items being stored locally on the first device and at least a portion of the media items being also stored on a second device associated with the device indicator;

displaying an indicator proximate to each media item from the playlist to visually indicate, for each media item, whether the media item is stored on the second device;

generating a graphical control element for defining relative storage capacity limits on the second device for different types of media items;

receiving, via the graphical control element, a first storage capacity limit and a second storage capacity limit set for the second computing device, the first storage capacity limit corresponding to a first type of medi items and the second storage capacity limit corresponding to a second type of media items, wherein the first storage capacity limit for the first type of media items is relative to the second storage capacity limit for the second type of media items;

managing the media items within the playlist by adding or removing media items to or from the playlist, wherein the media items can be transferred from the first device to the second device for storage thereon,

wherein the playlist is dedicated to the second device.