User interface for media player program

• US 20030237043A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Patrick N., Novak, Michael, Cain, Jonathan M., Dideriksen, Tedd K., Nadalin, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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

Methods and system for enhancing user experience when rendering digital media content. Defining a visible region of the window in which a media player user interface (UI) is presented to clip undesirable portions of the window provides an improved media player UI. Further aspects are directed to enhancing user experience when rendering digital media content in full screen presentation mode.

Claims

1. A method of processing media content comprising:

rendering a media file by a media player program executed on a computer, said computer having a display for presenting a user interface (UI) associated with the media player program;

defining a window in which the media player program UI is presented on the display, said window having a frame controlled by an operating system of the computer;

setting a visible region of the window, said visible region excluding at least a portion of the frame from being viewable on the display; and

selectively removing the visible region of the window in response to user input via an input device whereby the window and the frame are viewable on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a pointing device for controlling a cursor and further comprising detecting the cursor being positioned adjacent an outer edge of the visible region of the window and selectively removing the visible region of the window in response thereto.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after the cursor is no longer positioned adjacent the outer edge of the visible region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a keyboard and further comprising detecting one or more keys on the keyboard being depressed and selectively removing the visible region of the window in response thereto.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more keys being depressed on the keyboard comprise an accelerator key for performing a predefined function.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after completion of the accelerator key function.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after a predetermined interval of time .

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the frame excluded by the visible region from being viewable on the display includes a title bar.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein selectively removing the visible region of the window causes the title bar to be viewable on the display and permits a menu control UI to be available to the user via the title bar.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after the menu control UI is no longer in use.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein setting the visible region of the window comprises defining a skin for the media player program.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the media file includes a visual rendering element and wherein rendering a media file includes playing the visual rendering element of the media file in a full screen presentation mode.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising alpha-blending a playback control UI with the visual rendering element while maintaining the full screen presentation mode.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the playback control UI is translucent.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising animating the playback control UI.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein animating the playback control UI comprises selectively fading in and fading out the playback control UI in response to user input.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein animating the playback control UI comprises selectively sliding in and sliding out the playback control UI in response to user input.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the input device comprises a pointing device for controlling a cursor and further comprising detecting movement of the cursor and selectively animating the playback control UI in response thereto.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising defining a skin for the media player program, said skin implementing the playback control UI.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising defining a non-rectangular region in which the playback control UI is viewable.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a playlist associated with one or more media files, including the media file being currently rendered by the media player program, while maintaining the full screen presentation mode.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing direct media access to each item in the playlist.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending an identifier of the media file from the computer to a server associated with a central database, said central database storing metadata corresponding to media files, said computer and said server being coupled to a data communication network;

retrieving metadata corresponding to the stored media file from the central database via the data communication network, said metadata being retrieved in response to the identifier sent from the computer to the server and including at least one image file corresponding to the media file being rendered by the media player program, said image file relating to content of the media file; and

displaying the image file by the computer when the media player program renders the media file corresponding thereto.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the media file includes digital content of one or more tracks of a compact disc and wherein the identifier is representative of offset of the tracks on the disc.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the media file includes digital content of a digital versatile disc and wherein the identifier is representative of menu information on the disc.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

11. The method of claim I wherein setting the visible region of the window comprises executing a SetWindowRgn application programming interface.

28. A method of processing media content comprising:

rendering a media file by a media player program executed on a computer, said media file having a visual rendering element, said computer having a display and said media player program playing the visual rendering element of the media file in a full screen presentation mode on the display; and

selectively presenting a playback control user interface (UI) on the display in response to user input via an input device, said playback control UI being viewable with the visual rendering element while maintaining the full screen presentation mode.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the playback control UI is translucent.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising animating the playback control UI.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein animating the playback control UI comprises selectively fading in and fading out the playback control UI in response to user input.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein animating the playback control UI comprises selectively sliding in and sliding out the playback control UI in response to user input.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the input device comprises a pointing device for controlling a cursor and further comprising detecting movement of the cursor and selectively animating the playback control UI in response thereto.

34. The method of claim 28 further comprising defining a skin for the media player program, said skin implementing the playback control UI.

35. The method of claim 28 further comprising defining a non-rectangular region in which the playback control UI is viewable.

36. The method of claim 28 further comprising providing a playlist associated with one or more media files, including the media file being currently rendered by the media player program, while maintaining the full screen presentation mode.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising providing direct media access to each item in the playlist.

38. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

defining a window in which a media player program UI is presented on the display, said window having a frame controlled by an operating system of the computer;

setting a visible region of the window, said visible region excluding at least a portion of the frame from being viewable on the display; and

selectively removing the visible region of the window in response to user input via an input device whereby the window and the frame are viewable on the display.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the input device comprises a pointing device for controlling a cursor and further comprising detecting the cursor being positioned adjacent an outer edge of the visible region of the window and selectively removing the visible region of the window in response thereto.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after the cursor is no longer positioned adjacent the outer edge of the visible region.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the input device comprises a keyboard and further comprising detecting one or more keys on the keyboard being depressed and selectively removing the visible region of the window in response thereto.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the one or more keys being depressed on the keyboard comprise an accelerator key for performing a predefined function.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after completion of the accelerator key function.

44. The method of claim 38 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after a predetermined interval of time .

45. The method of claim 38 where in the portion of the frame excluded by the visible region from being viewable on the display includes a title bar.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein selectively removing the visible region of the window causes the title bar to be viewable on the display and permits a menu control UI to be available to the user via the title bar.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising re-setting the visible region of the window for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after the menu control UI is no longer in use.

48. The method of claim 38 wherein setting the visible region of the window comprises executing a SetWindowRgn application programming interface.

49. The method of claim 38 wherein setting the visible region of the window comprises defining a skin for the media player program.

50. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

sending an identifier of the media file from the computer to a server associated with a central database, said central database storing metadata corresponding to media files, said computer and said server being coupled to a data communication network;

retrieving metadata corresponding to the stored media file from the central database via the data communication network, said metadata being retrieved in response to the identifier sent from the computer to the server and including at least one image file corresponding to the media file being rendered by the media player program, said image file relating to content of the media file; and

displaying the image file by the computer when the media player program renders the media file corresponding thereto.

51. The method of claim 28 wherein the media file includes digital content of one or more tracks of a compact disc and wherein the identifier is representative of offset of the tracks on the disc.

52. The method of claim 28 wherein the media file includes digital content of a digital versatile disc and wherein the identifier is representative of menu information on the disc.

53. The method of claim 28 wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 28.

54. A method of processing media content comprising:

rendering a media file by a media player program executed on a computer, said media file having a visual rendering element, said computer having a display and said media player program playing the visual rendering element of the media file in a full screen presentation mode on the display;

displaying a playlist associated with one or more media files, including the media file being currently rendered by the media player program, while maintaining the full screen presentation mode; and

providing direct media access to each item in the playlist in response to user input via an input device.

55. The method of claim 54 further comprising selectively presenting a playback control user interface (UI) on the display in response to user input via the input device, said playback control UI being viewable with the visual rendering element while maintaining the full screen presentation mode.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the playback control UI is translucent.

57. The method of claim 55 further comprising animating the playback control UI.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein animating the playback control UI comprises selectively fading in and fading out the playback control UI in response to user input.

59. The method of claim 57 wherein animating the playback control UI comprises selectively sliding in and sliding out the playback control UI in response to user input.

60. The method of claim 55 wherein the input device comprises a pointing device for controlling a cursor and further comprising detecting movement of the cursor and selectively animating the playback control UI in response thereto.

61. The method of claim 55 further comprising defining a skin for the media player program, said skin implementing the playback control UI.

62. The method of claim 55 further comprising defining a non-rectangular region in which the playback control UI is viewable.

63. The method of claim 54 wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 54.

64. A system for processing media content comprising a computer executing a media player program for rendering a media file, said computer having a display for presenting a user interface (UI) associated with the media player program, said display having a window in which the media player program UI is presented, said window having a frame controlled by an operating system of the computer, said window further having a visible region applied thereon, said visible region excluding at least a portion of the frame from being viewable on the display unless selectively removed in response to user input via an input device whereby the window and the frame are viewable on the display.

65. The system of claim 64 wherein the input device comprises a pointing device for controlling a cursor and wherein the visible region of the window is selectively removed in response to the cursor being positioned adjacent an outer edge of the visible region of the window.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein the visible region of the window is reset for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after the cursor is no longer positioned adjacent the outer edge of the visible region.

67. The system of claim 64 wherein the input device comprises a keyboard and wherein the visible region of the window is selectively removed in response to one or more keys on the keyboard being depressed.

68. The system of claim 67 wherein the one or more keys being depressed on the keyboard comprise an accelerator key for performing a predefined function.

69. The system of claim 68 wherein the visible region of the window is reset for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after completion of the accelerator key function.

70. The system of claim 64 wherein the visible region of the window is reset for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after a predetermined interval of time.

71. The system of claim 64 wherein the portion of the frame excluded by the visible region from being viewable on the display includes a title bar, said title bar permitting a menu control UI to be available to the user via the title bar when viewable on the display.

72. The system of claim 70 wherein the visible region of the window is reset for excluding the portion of the frame from being viewable on the display after the menu control UI is no longer in use.

73. The system of claim 64 further comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for executing a SetWindowRgn application programming interface to define the visible region

74. The system of claim 64 wherein the media player program has a full screen presentation mode for playing a visual rendering element of the media file.

75. The system of claim 74 further comprising a playback control UI alpha-blended with the visual rendering element while maintaining the full screen presentation mode.

76. The system of claim 75 wherein the playback control UI is translucent.

77. The system of claim 75 wherein the playback control UI selectively fades in and fades out in response to user input.

78. The system of claim 77 wherein the playback control UI selectively slides in and slides out in response to user input.

79. The system of claim 75 wherein the playback control UI is viewable in a non-rectangular region.

80. The system of claim 74 further comprising a playlist UI associated with one or more media files, including the media file being currently rendered by the media player program, while maintaining the full screen presentation mode, said playlist UI providing direct media access to each item in the playlist.

81. The system of claim 64 further comprising a central database storing metadata corresponding to a plurality of media files and a server associated with the central database, said server and said computer being coupled to a data communication network, said server receiving and responsive to an identifier of the media file sent by the computer via the data communication network for retrieving metadata corresponding to the media file from the central database, said metadata including at least one image file corresponding to the media file, said image file relating to content of the media file, said computer displaying the image file when the media player program renders the media file corresponding thereto.

82. The system of claim 64 wherein the media file includes digital content of one or more tracks of a compact disc and wherein the identifier is representative of offset of the tracks on the disc.

83. The system of claim 64 wherein the media file includes digital content of a digital versatile disc and wherein the identifier is representative of menu information on the disc.