Graphical user interface for browsing, searching and presenting media items

• US 20040268451A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David, Wiese, Mike, Wagner, Peter K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for reviewing, browsing, previewing and/or purchasing media items are also disclosed. The graphical user interfaces are suitable for reviewing or browsing numerous media items. The graphical user interfaces are also suitable for previewing or purchasing media items in an on-line manner. The graphical user interfaces are particularly useful for a system that provides purchase and distribution of media in a client-server environment.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface produced by an application program, comprising:

an application program window generated by the application program, said application program window concurrently including at least a first sub-window and a second sub-window,

wherein said first sub-window displays first content in a network browser-like manner, the first content being received by the application program from a remote server over a network, and

wherein said second sub-window displays second content in an application-like manner, the second content being received by the application program from the remote server over the network.

2. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said first sub-window uses hyperlinks, and wherein said second sub-window uses a table or a row and column format.

3. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program is a non-browser application program.

4. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the first content is descriptive information pertaining to media items.

5. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 4, wherein the second content includes at least a list of media items.

6. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 5, wherein the second content further includes a specific item request link presented for each of the particular media items in the list of media items.

7. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 5, wherein those of the media items in the list of media items that contain explicit content are visibly identified by an explicit content indicator.

8. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 5, wherein those of the media items in the list of media items that contain a cleaned version of an otherwise explicit content version are identified by a clean content indicator.

9. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 5, wherein those of the media items in the list of media items are identified by names for the media items, and

wherein when the name of a particular one of the media items contains an offensive word, the name of the particular one of the media items is displayed in a modified manner so as to not be offensive.

10. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the first content pertains to an album, and wherein the second content pertains to particular media items associated with the album.

11. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein the second content includes a buy button for each of the particular media items, the buy button allowing for one-click purchase of the associated media item.

12. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 10, wherein the first content includes a buy button for the album, and the selection of the buy button for the album causes one-click purchase of all the media items within the album.

13. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said application program window further includes an account window that displays an active account identifier.

14. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said application program window further includes a source window that is concurrently displayed with the first sub-window and the second sub-window.

15. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a toggle control which when selected causes the first content in the first sub-window to be replaced with a browse interface that facilitates a user browsing of a plurality of media items.

16. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 15, wherein said browse interface includes at least:

a first list of first selectable items, with at least one of the first selectable items being capable of being selected by the user;

a second list of second selectable items, with at least one of the second selectable items being capable of being selected by the user, the second selectable items of the second list being dependent on a first selection by the user of at least one of the first selectable items from the first list, and the second list being displayed along with the first list after the user has selected at least one of the first selectable items from the first list; and

a third list of third selectable items, with at least one of the third selectable items being capable of being selected by the user, the third selectable items of the third list being dependent on a second selection by the user of at least one of the second selectable items from the second list, and the third list being displayed along with the first list and the second list after the user has selected at least one of the second selectable items from the second list.

17. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 16,

wherein the first selectable items, the second selectable items, the third selectable items and the fourth selectable items are genre types, artists, albums and media items, respectively, and

wherein, for each of the particular media items in the fourth selectable items, a first specific item request link is presented for linking to an associated artist page, a second specific item request link is presented for linking to an associated album page, and a third specific item request link is presented for linking to an associated genre page.

18. A method for browsing through a plurality of media items, said method comprising:

requesting first selectable items for a first list from a remote server;

displaying a browse window with the first list of the first selectable items;

receiving a first user selection of one of the first selectable items in the first list;

distinctively displaying the one of the first selectable items in the first list that the user has selected;

requesting second selectable items for a second list from the remote server, the second selectable items being dependent on the one of the first selectable items in the first list that the user has selected;

displaying the browse window with the first list of the first selectable items and the second list of the second selectable items;

receiving a second user selection of one of the second selectable items in the second list;

distinctively displaying the one of the second selectable items in the second list that the user has selected;

requesting third selectable items for a third list from the remote server, the third selectable items being dependent on the one of the second selectable items in the second list that the user has selected; and

displaying the browse window with the first list of the first selectable items, the second list of the second selectable items, and the third list of the third selectable items.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the first selectable items, the second selectable items and the third selectable items are one of genre types, artists, albums and media items.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the media items are songs.

21. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a third user selection of one of the third selectable items in the third list; and

distinctively displaying the one of the third selectable items in the third list that the user has selected.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein a browse operation through the plurality of media items is achieved by the combination of the first user selection, the second user selection, and the third user selection.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said method further comprises:

requesting fourth selectable items for a fourth list from the remote server, the fourth selectable items being dependent on the one of the third selectable items in the third list that the user has selected; and

displaying the browse window with the first list of the first selectable items, the second list of the second selectable items, and the third list of the third selectable items.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein a browse operation through the plurality of media items is achieved by the combination of the first user selection, the second user selection, and the third user selection, and wherein the fourth selectable items in the fourth list represent results of the browse operation.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the first selectable items, the second selectable items, the third selectable items and the fourth selectable items are genre types, artists, albums and media items, respectively.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the media items are songs.

27. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

distinctively displaying the one of the third selectable items in the third list that the user has selected;

requesting fourth selectable items for a fourth list from the remote server, the fourth selectable items being dependent on the one of the third selectable items in the third list that the user has selected; and

displaying the browse window with the first list of the first selectable items, the second list of the second selectable items, the third list of the third selectable items, and the fourth list of the fourth selectable items.

28. A graphical user interface produced by an application program, comprising:

a browse window generated by the application program, said browse window enabling a user of the application program to browse through a plurality of media items, said browse window including at least;

a first list of first selectable items, with at least one of the first selectable items being capable of being selected by the user;

a second list of second selectable items, with at least one of the second selectable items being capable of being selected by the user, the second selectable items of the second list being dependent on a first selection by the user of at least one of the first selectable items from the first list, and the second list being displayed along with the first list after the user has selected at least one of the first selectable items from the first list; and

a third list of third selectable items, with at least one of the third selectable items being capable of being selected by the user, the third selectable items of the third list being dependent on a second selection by the user of at least one of the second selectable items from the second list, and the third list being displayed along with the first list and the second list after the user has selected at least one of the second selectable items from the second list.

29. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 28, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a media item window that includes at least a fourth list of fourth selectable items, with at least one of the fourth selectable items being capable of being selected by the user, the fourth list representing a subset of the plurality of the media items, and the fourth selectable items of the fourth list being dependent on a third selection by the user of at least one of the third selectable items from the third list.

30. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29, wherein the fourth list is displayed along with the first list, the second list after the user has selected at least one of the second selectable items from the second list, and the third list after the user has selected at least one of the third selectable items from the third list.

31. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 30, wherein the browse through the plurality of media items is achieved by the combination of the first selection, the second selection, and the third selection.

32. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 30, wherein the first selectable items, the second selectable items, the third selectable items and the fourth selectable items are genre types, artists, albums and media items, respectively.

33. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 32, wherein the media items are songs.

34. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 32, wherein a buy button is presented for each of the particular media items in the fourth selectable items.

35. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 34, wherein each of the buy buttons allows for one-click purchase of the associated media item.

36. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a toggle control which when selected causes the browse window to be replaced with an information window, the information window including information pertaining to at least one of the first selection, the second selection and a third selection by the user of at least one of the third selectable items from the third list.

37. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29, wherein a specific item request link is presented for each of the particular media items in the fourth selectable items.

38. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29,

wherein the first selectable items, the second selectable items, the third selectable items and the fourth selectable items are genre types, artists, albums and media items, respectively, and

wherein, for each of the particular media items in the fourth selectable items, a first specific item request link is presented for linking to an associated artist page, a second specific item request link is presented for linking to an associated album page, and a third specific item request link is presented for linking to an associated genre page.

39. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29, wherein those of the media items of the fourth selectable items that contain explicit content are visibly identified by an explicit content indicator.

40. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29, wherein those of the media items of the fourth selectable items that contain a cleaned version of an otherwise explicit content version are identified by a clean content indicator.

41. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 29, wherein those of the media items of the fourth selectable items being displayed in said browse window are identified by names for the media items, and

wherein when the name of a particular one of the media items contains an offensive word, the name of the particular one of the media items is displayed in a modified manner so as to not be offensive.

42. A graphical user interface produced by an application program, comprising:

an application program window generated by the application program, said application program window concurrently including at least a sub-window and a next control,

wherein the sub-window displays media information for a first set of media items, the media information for the first set of media items being received by the application program from a remote server over a network, and

wherein when the next control is activated, the sub-window displays media information for a second set of media items, the media information for the second set of media items being received by the application program from the remote server over the network.

43. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein the media items include albums, and the media information being displayed in the sub-window for each of the albums within the set includes at least a name and artwork associated therewith.

44. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein the media items in the second set of media items are completely different from the media items in the first set of media items.

45. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein the media items include videos, and the media information being displayed in the sub-window for each of the videos within the set includes at least a name and artwork associated therewith.

46. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein said application program window comprises a plurality of next controls.

47. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 46, wherein each of the next controls provides a transition to a next set of media items in a particular direction.

48. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 46, wherein each of the next controls provides a scroll to a next set of media items in a particular direction.

49. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein the next control has a transaction effect associated therewith that specifies how the transition from the first set of media items to the second set of media items is achieved.

50. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 42, wherein the next control is, in effect, displayed on top of the sub-window.

51. A method for reviewing information on a plurality of media items, said method comprising:

displaying a window having at least one sub-window and at least one next control, the at least one sub-window displaying first media data pertaining to a first set of the media items, the first media data being provided by a remote server;

determining whether a user selects the at least one next control;

requesting next media data pertaining to a next set of the media items from the remote server when said determining determines that the user has selected the at least one next control;

subsequently receiving the next media data pertaining to the next set of the media items; and

displaying the next media data in the at least one sub-window of the window.