Media player framework

• US 9,946,583 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Newman, Lucas Christopher, Pisula, Charles John
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US12/603,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,100 Days
• Field of Search: 715727, 715741-743
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing media playback are described. In one embodiment, a third party media request is received from a third party application. A native media request is sent to a native media player in response to the third party media request. The native media request causes the native media player to access content or metadata. Metadata is returned to the third party application if the third party media request requested data. The native media player performs a content operation on the content if the third party media request requested a content operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a third party media request from a third party application executing on a hardware device, the third party media request requesting access to content and metadata by a native media player on behalf of the third party application, and received through an application programmer interface that provides calls to operations of the native media player, the native media player executing on the hardware device;

means for converting the third party media request into a native media player request configured to cause the native media player to perform a content operation on the content on behalf of the third party application when the third party application is prohibited from directly accessing the requested content, the content operation corresponding to the third party media request, the native media player request further configured to return the requested metadata to the third party application for display on a graphical user interface of the third party application, wherein the native media player is configured to be accessible through a native media player user interface and wherein the graphical user interface of the third party application and the native media player user interface are different interfaces;

means for storing a first state of the native media player, the first state of the native media player corresponding to a state of the native media player before the native media player performs the content operation;

means for performing, by the native media player, the content operation, wherein performing the content operation causes the native media player to transition into a second state; and

means for transitioning the native media player to the first state in response to an indication that the third party application has terminated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first state comprises performing a different content operation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first state comprises at least one configuration parameter different from a corresponding at least one configuration parameter of the native media player after performing the content operation corresponding to the third party media request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing the second state in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated;

means for transitioning the native media player to the second state in response to an indication that the third party application has started executing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that the third party application is a first type of application.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that a user option associated with the third party application indicates to transition the native media player to the second state in response to executing the third party application.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means for transitioning transitions the native media player to the first state if the third party application is of a first type.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for transitioning leaves the native media player in the second state if the third party application is of a second type.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second state causes the means for performing to continue to perform the content operation after the third party application has terminated.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a third party media request from a third party application executing on a hardware device, the third party media request requesting access to content and metadata by a native media player on behalf of the third party application, and received through an application programmer interface that provides calls to operations of the native media player, the native media player executing on the hardware device;

converting the third party media request into a native media player request configured to cause the native media player to perform a content operation on the content on behalf of the third party application when the third party application is prohibited from directly accessing the requested content, the content operation corresponding to the third party media request, the native media player request further configured to return the requested metadata to the third party application for display on a graphical user interface of the third party application, wherein the native media player is configured to be accessible through a native media player user interface and wherein the graphical user interface of the third party application and the native media player user interface are different interfaces;

storing a first state of the native media player, the first state of the native media player corresponding to a state of the native media player before the native media player performs the content operation;

performing, by the native media player, the content operation, wherein performing the content operation causes the native media player to transition into a second state; and

transitioning the native media player to the first state in response to an indication that the third party application has terminated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first state comprises performing a different content operation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first state comprises at least one configuration parameter different from a corresponding at least one configuration parameter of the native media player after performing the content operation corresponding to the third party media request.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing the second state in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated;

transitioning the native media player to the second state in response to an indication that the third party application has started executing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that the third party application is a first type of application.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that a user option associated with the third party application indicates to transition the native media player to the second state in response to executing the third party application.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the native media player transitions to the first state if the third party application is of a first type.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the native media player remains in the second state if the third party application is of a second type.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the native media player continues to perform the content operation in the second state after the third party application has terminated.

19. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, through an application programmer interface, a third party media request from a third party application executing on at least one of the processors, the third party media request requesting access to content and metadata by a native media player on behalf of the third party application, the application programmer interface providing calls to operations of the native media player, the native media player executing on at least one of the processors;

converting the third party media request into a native media player request configured to cause the native media player to perform a content operation on the content on behalf of the third party application when the third party application is prohibited from directly accessing the requested content, the content operation corresponding to the third party media request, the native media player request further configured to return the requested metadata to the third party application for display on a graphical user interface of the third party application, wherein the native media player is configured to be accessible through a native media player user interface and wherein the graphical user interface of the third party application and the native media player user interface are different interfaces;

storing a first state of the native media player, the first state of the native media player corresponding to a state of the native media player before the native media player performs the content operation;

performing, by the native media player, the content operation, wherein performing the content operation causes the native media player to transition into a second state; and

transitioning the native media player to the first state in response to an indication that the third party application has terminated.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first state comprises performing a different content operation.

21. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first state comprises at least one configuration parameter different from a corresponding at least one configuration parameter of the native media player after performing the content operation corresponding to the third party media request.

22. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing the second state in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated;

transitioning the native media player to the second state in response to an indication that the third party application has started executing.

23. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that the third party application is a first type of application.

24. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that a user option associated with the third party application indicates to transition the native media player to the second state in response to executing the third party application.

25. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the native media player transitions to the first state if the third party application is of a first type.

26. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the native media player remains in the second state if the third party application is of a second type.

27. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the native media player continues to perform the content operation in the second state after the third party application has terminated.

28. A system comprising:

one or more processors coupled to a memory through a bus;

executable instructions stored in the memory which when executed by one or more of the processors cause the processors to

receive, through an application programmer interface, a third party media request from a third party application executing on at least one of the processors, the third party media request requesting access to content and metadata by a native media player on behalf of the third party application, the application programmer interface providing calls to operations of the native media player, the native media player executing on at least one of the processors;

convert the third party media request into a native media player request configured to cause the native media player to perform a content operation on the content on behalf of the third party application when the third party application is prohibited from directly accessing the requested content, the content operation corresponding to the third party media request, the native media player request further configured to return the requested metadata to the third party application for display on a graphical user interface of the third party application, wherein the native media player is configured to be accessible through a native media player user interface and wherein the graphical user interface of the third party application and the native media player user interface are different interfaces;

store a first state of the native media player, the first state of the native media player corresponding to a state of the native media player before the native media player performs the content operation;

perform, by the native media player, the content operation, wherein performing the content operation causes the native media player to transition into a second state; and

transition the native media player to the first state in response to an indication that the third party application has terminated.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first state comprises performing a different content operation.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the first state comprises at least one configuration parameter different from a corresponding at least one configuration parameter of the native media player after performing the content operation corresponding to the third party media request.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the executable instructions further cause the processors to

store the second state in response to the indication that the third party application has terminated;

transition the native media player to the second state in response to an indication that the third party application has started executing.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that the third party application is a first type of application.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the indication that the third party application has started executing includes a determination that a user option associated with the third party application indicates to transition the native media player to the second state in response to executing the third party application.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the native media player transitions to the first state if the third party application is of a first type.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the native media player remains in the second state if the third party application is of a second type.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the native media player continues to perform the content operation in the second state after the third party application has terminated.