Music player and method

• US 20070257881A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tuorila, Heini, Nurmela, Marja-Leena, Reed, Dominick
• Application Number:
  US11/430,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A method for providing a user interface of a portable music player. The method uses a tap sensitive sensor and a memory, the method includes detecting a tap and a direction of the tap, and finding an action corresponding to the tap using a tap-action table stored in the memory, wherein the table associates a detected tap comprising a direction of the tap with an action. Corresponding portable music players and computer program product are also presented.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface of a portable music player comprising a tap sensitive sensor and a memory, said method comprising:

detecting a tap and a direction of said tap, and

finding an action corresponding to said tap using a tap-action table stored in said memory, wherein said table associates a detected tap comprising a direction of said tap with an action.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said tap data is differentiated between a double tap and a single tap by measuring a time difference between two subsequent taps in a same direction detected by the tap sensor and deciding whether this time difference is above or below a time threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said actions stored in said tap-action table comprise the actions play, pause, next track and previous track, and said actions are related to a media player application.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said action of play is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a display of said portable music player.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said action of pause is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a display of said portable music player.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said action of next track is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a first side surface of said portable music player.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein said action of previous track is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a second side surface of said portable music player.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said actions stored in said tap-action table comprise at least a subset of the actions mute, unmute, next radio station and previous radio station, and said actions are related to a radio application.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said action of mute is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a display of said portable music player.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said action of unmute is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a display of said portable music player.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said action of next radio station is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a first side surface of said portable music player.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein said action of previous radio station is associated with a direction being, within a margin of error from, a direction directed perpendicularly towards a second side surface of said portable music player.

19. A computer program product comprising software instructions that, when executed in a portable music player, performs the method according to claim 1.

13. A portable music player comprising a memory, a controller and a tap sensitive sensor, wherein

said tap sensitive sensor is configured to detect a tap and a direction of said tap, and

said controller is configured to, upon receiving tap data from said tap sensitive sensor, find a corresponding action using a tap-action table stored in said memory wherein said table associates a detected tap comprising a direction of said tap with an action.

14. The portable music player according to claim 13, wherein said actions stored in said tap-action table comprise the actions play, pause, next track and previous track.

15. The portable music player according to claim 13, wherein said controller is configured to differentiate between a double tap and a single tap by measuring a time difference between two subsequent taps in a same direction detected by the tap sensor and deciding whether this time difference is above or below a time threshold.

16. The portable music player according to claim 13, wherein said tap sensitive sensor comprises a motion sensor.

17. The portable music player according to claim 13, wherein said tap sensitive sensor comprises an accelerometer.

18. A portable music player configured to provide a user interface, said portable music player comprising:

a controller,

a tap sensitive sensor,

means for detecting a tap and a direction of said tap, and

means for finding an action corresponding to said tap using a tap-action table stored in said memory, wherein said table associates a detected tap comprising a direction of said tap with an action