Graphical user interface and methods of use thereof in a multimedia player

• US 20040055446A1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasko, Timothy, Jobs, Steve, Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,166,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

In a portable multimedia device, a method, apparatus, and system for providing user supplied configuration data are described. In one embodiment, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface are provided. A first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item. In one of the described embodiments, the lower order interface includes other user selectable items associated with the previously selected item from the higher order user interface.

Claims

1. A method of assisting user interaction with a multimedia asset player by way of a hierarchically ordered user interface, comprising:

displaying a first order user interface having a first list of user selectable items;

receiving a user selection of one of the user selectable items; and

automatically transitioning to and displaying a second order user interface based upon the user selection.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second order user interface includes a second list of user selectable items associated with the selected item.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second order user interface is a proper subset of the first order user interface.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first list of user selectable items includes at least a playlists item, an artists item, and a songs item.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein when the selected item is the playlists item, then the second list of user selectable items includes a list of configurable playlists.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein when the selected item is the artists item, then the second list of user selectable items includes a list of all artists and a list of particular artists.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein when the selected item is the songs item, then the second list includes a list of all songs.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transitioning is pathwise bidirectional.

9. In a portable media asset player, a method of selecting and playing a media asset from a group of media assets stored therein, comprising:

displaying at a first user interface displayed on the portable media asset player a first number of items each of which is associated with a particular grouping of the stored media assets;

receiving a selection of one of the first number of items;

automatically transitioning to a second user interface displayed on the portable media asset player based upon the selected one of the first number of items wherein the second user interface includes a second number of items each of which is associated with the selected item.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

selecting one of the second number of items;

automatically transitioning to a third user interface displayed on the portable media asset player based upon the selected one of the second number of items wherein the third user interface includes a third number of items each of which is associated with the selected one of the second number of items.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein when each of the second number of items corresponds to a particular media asset, then the second interface includes selected media asset information.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein when the selected media asset is an MP3 file, then the selected media asset information includes a song title, a song artist, a song album, a song length, and a stack position indicator indicative of the relative position of the selected MP3 file with regards to other stored MP3 files in the media asset player.

13. In a portable, pocket-sized multimedia asset player, a method of selecting and playing an multi media asset from a group of multimedia assets stored therein, comprising:

displaying at a home interface,

a playlist list item corresponding to a number of playlists stored in the multimedia asset player, wherein each playlist is a user customizable group of multimedia assets,

an artists item corresponding to all of a number of artists each of which is associated with at least one of the stored multimedia assets, and

a songs list item associated with each of the stored multimedia assets;

highlighting a desired one of the playlist list item, the artists item, or the songs list item;

receiving a selection of the highlighted item; and

automatically transitioning to a second interface based upon the selected item.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the selected item is the playlist list item, then the second interface is a playlist interface that includes at least one selectable playlist item associated with at least one playlist, wherein the playlist points to a group of songs or a group of artists or a group of albums or any combination thereof.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the playlist item;

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of songs corresponding to the song playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to a song playlist that points to the group of songs;

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of artists corresponding to the artists playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to an artists playlist that points to the group of artists; and

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of albums corresponding to the selected playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to an albums playlist that points to the group of albums.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

at the third interface,

when the songs playlist is displayed,

selecting one of the songs from the songs playlist; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia player.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

when the artists playlist is displayed,

selecting one of the artists from the artists playlist;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of artist songs;

selecting one of the songs from the list of artist songs; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia asset player.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

when the albums playlist is displayed,

selecting one of the albums from the albums playlist;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of albums;

selecting one of the albums;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of album songs;

selecting one song from the list of album songs; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia asset player.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the selected item is the artists item, then the second interface is an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all songs stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of named artists each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

selecting the all item; and

automatically transitioning to an albums interface that includes the all item and a list of albums associated with each of the named artists.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

selecting the all item; and

automatically transitioning to an all songs interface that includes a list of all songs stored in the multimedia asset player.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

selecting a particular album from the list of albums;

automatically transitioning to an all songs interface that includes a list of all songs of the selected album.

23. A method as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

selecting a particular artist from the list of artists; and

automatically transitioning to a third interface corresponding to the selected artist that includes a list of artist albums that are stored in the multimedia player and an all item associated with all songs of the selected artist stored in the multimedia asset player.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

selecting a particular album from the list of artist albums; and

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface having a list of all songs of the selected artist.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

selecting the all item; and

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface having a list of all songs of the selected artist.

26. In a portable, pocket-sized multimedia asset player, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface accessible to a user suitable for receiving user supplied inputs that facilitate selecting a multimedia asset stored therein, comprising:

a first order interface having a first number of user selectable items;

a user activated first selection tool suitable for selecting at least one of the first number of user selectable items;

a second order interface having a second number of user selectable items based upon the selected at least one of the first number of user selectable items; and

a user activated second selection tool suitable for selecting at least one of the second number of user selectable items, wherein when the first selection tool selects the at least one of the first number of user selectable items, the first order interface automatically transitions to the second order interface.

27. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26 further comprising:

a third order interface having a third number of user selectable items based upon the selected at least one of the second number of user selectable items; and

a user activated third selection tool suitable for selecting at least one of the third number of user selectable items, wherein when the second selection tool selects the at least one of the second number of user selectable items, the second order interface automatically transitions to the third order interface.

28. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26 further comprising:

a fourth order interface having a fourth number of user selectable items based upon the selected at least one of the third number of user selectable items; and

a user activated fourth selection tool suitable for selecting at least one of the fourth number of user selectable items, wherein when the third selection tool selects the at least one of the third number of user selectable items, the third order interface automatically transitions to the fourth order interface.

29. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26, wherein the first order interface includes at least,

a user selectable playlist list item corresponding to a number of playlists stored in the multimedia asset player, wherein each playlist is a user customizable group of multimedia assets;

a user selectable artists list item corresponding to a number of artists each of which is associated with at least one of the stored multimedia assets; and

a user selectable songs list item associated with at least some of the stored multimedia assets that are songs.

30. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26, wherein the first, the second, the third, and the fourth user activated selection tools are each formed by highlighting portion of the display.

31. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26, wherein when the selected item is the playlist list item, then the second interface is a playlist interface that includes at least one selectable playlist item associated with at least one playlist.

32. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 31, wherein the playlist is associated with a group of songs or a group of artists or a group of albums or any combination thereof.

33. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26, wherein when the selected item is the artists list item, then the second interface is an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all songs stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of specific artists item each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player.

34. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 33, wherein when the selected item is the all item, then the third interface is an albums interface that includes an all songs item corresponding to all songs stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of albums for all artists each member being selectable and associated with at least one album stored in the multimedia asset player.

35. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 34, wherein when the selected item is the all songs item, then the fourth interface is a songs interface that includes a list of all songs each member being selectable and associated with at least one song stored in the multimedia asset player.

36. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 35, wherein when the selected item is at least one of the list of all songs corresponding to a selected song, further comprising:

a fifth order interface having a song information list corresponding to the selected song that includes,

a song title of the selected song,

a song artist of the selected song, and

a song album title corresponding to a song album in which the selected song is included, if any.

37. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 36, wherein based upon a received interface backward jump event, the fifth order interface automatically transitions to the first order interface, and wherein based upon a received forward jump event, the first order interface automatically transitions to the fifth order interface.

38. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 34, wherein when the selected item is one of the list of albums for all artists, then the fourth interface is a songs interface that includes a list of all songs of the selected album each member being selectable and associated with at least one song included in the selected album.

39. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 38, wherein when the selected item is at least one of the list of all songs of the selected album corresponding to a selected song, further comprising:

a fifth order interface having a song information list corresponding to the selected song that includes,

a song title of the selected song,

a song artist of the selected song, and

a song album title corresponding to the selected album.

40. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 33, wherein when the selected item is one of the list of specific artists, then the third interface is a selected artist interface that includes an all songs item corresponding to all songs stored in the multimedia asset player associated with the selected artist and a list of albums for the selected artist each member being selectable and associated with at least one album stored in the multimedia asset player.

41. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 40, wherein when the selected item is the all songs item, then the fourth interface is a songs interface that includes a list of all songs of the selected artist each member being selectable and associated with at least one song stored in the multimedia asset player associated with the selected artist.

42. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 41, wherein when the selected item is at least one of the list of all songs of the selected artist corresponding to a selected song, further comprising:

a fifth order interface having a song information list corresponding to the selected song that includes,

a song title of the selected song,

a song artist label of the selected song, and

a song album title corresponding to a song album in which the selected song is included, if any.

43. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 40, wherein when the selected item is one of the list of albums of the selected artist, then the fourth interface is an all songs interface that includes a list of all songs of the selected album each member being selectable and associated with at least one song stored in the multimedia asset player associated with the selected album.

44. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein when the selected item is at least one of the list of all songs of the selected album corresponding to a selected song, further comprising:

a fifth order interface having a song information list corresponding to the selected song that includes,

a song title of the selected song,

a song artist label of the selected song, and

a song album title corresponding to the selected album.

45. A hierarchically ordered graphical user interface as recited in claim 26, wherein the multimedia asset is a MP3 type multimedia asset.