Dynamic management and organization of media assets in a media player device

• US 20020055934A1
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zapmedia Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zapmedia Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Muntz, Eric N., Morrison, Kelly I., Petritis, John B., Hirsch, Michael D., Lipscomb, Kenneth O., Robison, Richard D.
• Application Number:
  US09/768,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055934A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists

Abstract

A system and method for the management and organization of media assets involving nested keylists. A keylist is created comprising an ordered sequence of items, each item referencing either to a media asset or a keylist. User selections of reference data for media assets identified from a plurality of available media assets to be assigned to each keylist.

Claims

1. A method for the management and organization of media assets, comprising the steps of:

creating a keylist comprising an ordered sequence of items, each item referencing either a media asset or a keylist; and

receiving user selections of reference data for media assets identified from a plurality of available media assets to be assigned to each keylist.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of creating a parent keylist that comprises an ordered sequence of one or more keylists.

3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising the step of utilizing the media assets in accordance with the sequence of the parent keylist.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving user selections of reference data for media assets stored locally and/or remotely from a device on which the media assets are to be used.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media assets may comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of:

audio assets, video assets, streaming audio or video assets and interactive software.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising utilizing items within a keylist in a random sequence.

7. A media player device comprising:

memory that stores reference data identifying a plurality of media assets;

a user interface that receives user input;

processor coupled to the memory and to the user interface, wherein the processor is responsive to user input via the user interface to execute a process to;

(i) create a keylist comprising an ordered sequence of items, each item referencing either a media asset or a keylist; and

(ii) receive user selections of reference data for media assets identified from a plurality of available media assets to be assigned to each keylist.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the memory stores reference data for media assets stored locally and/or remotely from the device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to select a media asset selected from the group consisting of:

audio assets, video assets, streaming audio or video assets and interactive software.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor utilizes items in a keylist in a random sequence.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to create a parent keylist comprising an ordered sequence of one or more keylists.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to execute usage of media assets in accordance with the sequence of the parent keylist.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, and further comprising data representing instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to create a parent keylist comprising an ordered sequence of one or more keylists.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, and further comprising data representing instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute usage of media assets in accordance with the sequence of the parent keylist.

13. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, said sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to:

(i) create a keylist comprising an ordered sequence of items, each item referencing either a media asset or a keylist; and

(ii) receive user selections of reference data for media assets identified from a plurality of available media assets to be assigned to each keylist

16. A method for the management and organization of media assets, comprising the steps of:

creating a keylist comprising an ordered sequence of the following items;

(1) an ordered sequence of a plurality of media assets and (2) one or more keylists; and

receiving user selections of reference data for media assets identified from a plurality of available media assets to be assigned to a keylist.