Method and system to display media content data

• US 20050057538A1
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Beauchesne, David, Morse, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,535,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/225 comprising a loadable character generator character generators per se G09G5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method and system is provided to display media content data for playback on a playback device. The system may include a playback unit and a remote control device. The playback unit may include a media content data storage communication interface to communicate with a media storage device thereby to receive the media content data. Further, the playback unit may include a display data processor to process the media content data and generate display metrics based on the media content data, and a bi-directional remote control communication interface. The remote control device may be used to select the digital media for playback on the playback device and include a complemental remote control communication interface communication with the communication interface of the playback unit. Further, the remote control device may include a display screen, and a display rendering module to display the media content data on the display screen based on the display metrics.

Claims

1. A system to display media content data for playback on a playback device, the system including:

a playback unit including;

a media content data storage communication interface to communicate with a media storage device thereby to receive the media content data;

a display data processor to process the media content data and generate display metrics based on the media content data; and

a bi-directional remote control communication interface; and

a separate remote control device to select the digital media for playback on the playback device, the remote control device including;

a complemental remote control communication interface for bi-directional communication with the remote control communication interface of the playback unit;

a display screen; and

a display rendering module to display the media content data on the display screen based on the display metrics.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display metrics are based on both the media content data and glyph data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote control device includes the glyph data and the playback unit receives the glyph data from the remote control device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the glyph data is associated with glyphs used in the visual representation of data on the display screen and includes glyph metrics including physical dimensions occupied by an associated glyph when displayed on the display screen.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the media content data identifies a plurality of media files and is arranged in a content hierarchy, the display data processor processing a title of a media file based on the glyph metrics to generate the display metrics that define a manner in which the title is displayed on the display screen.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the media files are at least one of audio files, video files, and picture files.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the display data processor processes a group description of a plurality of media files in the content hierarchy based on the glyph metrics to generate the display metrics that define a manner in which the group description is displayed on the display screen.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the display data processor determines at least one of a spacing between adjacent glyphs, and a proposed position of each glyph on the display screen.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the display data processor communicates a code that identifies each glyph, and the display metrics associated with the glyph to the remote control device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the display rendering module retrieves a glyph from a corresponding font table based on the code and places the glyph on the display screen based on the display metrics received from the playback unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the display rendering module updates only that portion of the display screen identified by the display metrics using glyphs identified by the display data processor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control device includes a user interface that allows a user to select digital media for playback on the playback device, the user interface operating in conjunction with the display screen to select the digital media.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface and the display screen operate in a menu-driven fashion, the user interface including a plurality of buttons that are separate from the display screen.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control device includes a display cache wherein the display metrics associated with the media content data are stored.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the display rendering module horizontally scrolls media content data on the display screen under control of the display data processor of the playback unit.

16. A system to display data to a user, the system including:

a master unit including a display data processor to generate display metrics associated with the data and wherein the master unit controls operation of electronic apparatus; and

a portable remote control device including a display screen and a display rendering module that renders images used in the visual representation of the data to the display screen based the display metrics.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the master unit receives glyph metrics from the remote control device and generates the display metrics based on the glyph metrics.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote control device includes a user interface separate from the display that operates in a menu-driven fashion, the master unit defining the functionality of the user interface.

19. A playback unit to control the playback of digital media on a playback device, the playback unit including:

a media content data storage communication interface to communicate with a media storage device thereby to receive media content data;

a bi-directional remote control communication interface to communicate with a separate remote control device for selecting the digital media for playback on the playback device; and

a display data processor to process the media content data and generate display metrics based on the media content data and communicate the display metrics to the remote control device for display on a display screen of the remote control device.

20. The playback unit of claim 19, wherein the display metrics are based on both the media content data and glyph data.

21. The playback unit of claim 19, wherein the playback unit receives the glyph data including glyph metrics from the remote control device.

22. The playback unit of claim 21, wherein the media content data identifies a plurality of media files and is arranged in a content hierarchy, the display data processor processing a title of a media file based on the glyph metrics to generate the display metrics that define a manner in which the title is displayed on the display screen.

23. A remote control device to display media content data to a user, the device including:

a remote control communication interface to receive display metrics associated with the media content data from a complemental remote control communication interface of a playback unit;

a display screen; and

a display rendering module to display the media content data on the display screen based on the display metrics.

24. The remote control device of claim 23, which includes a user interface to select digital media for playback on a playback device, the user interface and the display screen operating in a menu driven fashion to select the digital media from the media content data for playback via the playback unit.

25. The remote control device of claim 24, which stores glyph data and communicates the glyph data to the playback unit for use in determining the display metrics.

26. The remote control device of claim 25, wherein the glyph data is associated with glyphs used in the visual representation of data on the display screen and includes glyph metrics including physical dimensions occupied by an associated glyph when displayed on the display screen.

27. The remote control device of claim 26, wherein the display rendering module retrieves a glyph from a corresponding font table and places the glyph on the display screen based on the display metrics received from the playback unit.

28. The remote control device of claim 27, wherein the display rendering module updates only that portion of the display screen identified by the display metrics.

29. A method to display media content data to a user for playback of selected digital media on a playback device via a playback unit, the method including:

at the playback unit,

receiving media content data from a media storage device, the media content data identifying media available for playback on the playback device; and

processing the media content data to generate display metrics based on the media content data, the display metrics being associated with a display screen of a remote control device; and

at the remote control device,

receiving the display metrics communicated from the playback unit; and

displaying the media content data on the display screen based on the display metrics.

30. The method of claim 29, which includes processing the media content data based on both the media content data and glyph data.

31. The method of claim 30, which includes communicating the glyph data from the remote control device to the playback unit.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the glyph data is associated with glyphs used in the visual representation of data on the display screen and includes glyph metrics including physical dimensions occupied by an associated glyph when displayed on the display screen.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the media content data identifies a plurality of media files and is arranged in a content hierarchy, the method including processing a title of a media file based on the glyph metrics to generate the display metrics that define a manner in which the title is displayed on the display screen.

34. The method of claim 32, which includes processing a group description of a plurality of media files in the content hierarchy based on the glyph metrics to generate the display metrics that define a manner in which the group description is displayed on the display screen.

35. The method of claim 32, which includes at the playback unit determining at least one of a spacing between adjacent glyphs, and a proposed position of each glyph on the display screen.

36. The method of claim 32, which includes at the remote control device retrieving a glyph from a corresponding font table and placing the glyph on the display screen based on the display metrics received from the playback unit.

37. The method of claim 32, which includes updating only that portion of the display screen identified by the display metrics using glyphs identified by the display data processor.

38. The method of claim 32, which includes horizontally scrolling media content data on the display screen under control of the playback unit.

39. A system to display media content data to a user for playback on a playback device, the system including:

a playback unit including;

means to communicate with a media storage device thereby to receive the media content data;

means to process the media content data and generate display metrics based on the media content data; and

a bi-directional remote control communication means; and

a separate remote control device to select the digital media for playback on the playback device, the remote control device including;

a complemental remote control communication means for bi-directional communication with the remote control communication interface of the playback unit;

display means; and

display rendering means to display the media content data on the display means based on the display metrics.

40. A machine-readable medium embodying a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

communicate with a media storage device thereby to receive media content data;

communicate the media content data to a separate remote control device including a display screen for selecting digital media for playback on a playback device, the digital media being identified by the media content data;

process the media content data and generate display metrics based on the media content data; and

communicate the display metrics to the remote control device for display on the display screen.

41. A machine-readable medium embodying a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive media content data and display metrics associated with media content data from a playback unit; and

display the media content data on the display screen based on the display metrics.