Variable I/O interface for portable media device

• US 20080077881A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pacurariu, Mihnea Calin, Gilley, Glenn Gregory, Ubillos, Randall Hayes, Brody, Sarah A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The present invention can include electronic devices having variable input/output interfaces that can allow a user to interact with the devices with greater efficiency and in a more ergonomic manner. An electronic device of the present invention can display icons associated with user-programmable parameters of a media file. By interacting with the icons, a user can change the user-programmable parameters during playback of the media file. Changes to the user-programmable parameters can affect playback of the remainder of the media file. An electronic device of the present invention also can automatically re-orient images shown on a display and re-configure user input components based on the orientation of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable media device for playing a media file, wherein the media file comprises at least one user-programmable parameter, the portable media device comprising:

one or more user input components that generate user input signals when actuated;

memory for storing the media file; and

a controller configured to adjust the at least one user-programmable parameter responsive to user input signals during playback of the media file and to store an adjustment to the at least one user-programmable parameter in memory.

2. The portable media device of claim 1, wherein:

the media file comprises first and second media modules;

the first media module comprises media information for a first activity; and

the second media module comprises media information for a second activity.

3. The portable media device of claim 1, wherein the user input component comprises at least one button and a touchpad.

4. The portable media device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the controller is configured to show on the display at least one icon associated with the at least one user-programmable parameter.

5. The portable media device of claim 1, wherein the portable media device comprises a hand-held media device.

6. A method for playing a media file, the method comprising:

accepting first signals from at least one user input component to initiate playback of the media file, wherein the media file comprises at least one user-programmable parameter;

accepting second signals from the at least one user input component, wherein the second signals are indicative of a user-request to adjust the at least one user-programmable parameter;

adjusting the at least one user-programmable parameter when the media file is playing; and

storing an adjustment to the at least one user-programmable parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the at least one user-programmable parameter comprises at least first and second user-programmable parameters;

the second signals are indicative of a user-request to adjust the first user-programmable parameter; and

adjusting the at least one user-programmable parameter comprises adjusting the first user-programmable parameter;

the method further comprising adjusting the second user-programmable parameter responsive to an adjustment of the first user-programmable parameter.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying at least one icon on a display, wherein the at least one icon corresponds to the at least one user-programmable parameter; and

visually distinguishing a selected icon from the at least one icon, wherein adjusting the at least one user-programmable parameter comprises adjusting a user-programmable parameter that corresponds to the selected icon.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying adjustments to the at least one user-programmable parameter on the selected icon.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the media file comprises at least first and second media modules, the first media module comprising media information for a first activity and the second media module comprising media information for a second activity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first media module comprises at least a first user-programmable parameter and the second media module comprises at least a second user-programmable parameter, the method further comprising:

displaying a first icon that corresponds to the first user-programmable parameter when the first media module is playing; and

displaying a second icon that corresponds to the second user-programmable parameter when the second media module is playing.

12. The portable media device of claim 6, further comprising:

showing an image from the media file on a display;

detecting an orientation of the portable media device; and

re-orienting the image shown on the display based on the detected orientation of the portable media device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising re-configuring the at least one user input component based on the detected orientation of the portable media device.

14. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

an orientation transducer that generates transducer signals indicative of the orientation of the portable electronic device; and

a controller configured to show an image on the display within a range of orientations based on the transducer signals, wherein the range of orientations comprises at least first and second orientations, and wherein the first orientation is rotated by less than 90 degrees with respect to the second orientation.

15. The portable electronic device of claim of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to show the image on the display in an orientation that continuously tracks the orientation of the portable electronic device.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the transducer signals are indicative of the orientation of the portable electronic device in three dimensions.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising at least one user input component, wherein the controller is configured to re-configure the at least one user input component based on the transducer signals.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to re-position at least one icon designating the at least one user input component so that the composite image formed by the image and the at least one icon stays the same.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to re-position at least one icon designating the at least one user input component so that the composite image formed by the image and the at least one icon changes with the re-configuration.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the display comprises a touchscreen display.

21. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display for showing an image;

an orientation transducer that generates transducer signals indicative of the orientation of the portable electronic device;

one or more user input components designated by one or more icons on the display; and

a controller configured to re-orient the image on the display and re-configure the one or more user input components based on the transducer signals, wherein the image and the one or more icons form a composite image that changes with re-configuration of the one or more user input components.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein:

the one or more user input components comprises a plurality of hardware input components; and

the controller is configured to re-configure the one or more user input components by re-assigning functions to at least one of the plurality of hardware input components.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein:

the one or more user input components comprises a plurality of software input components; and

the controller is configured to re-configure the one or more user input components by re-positioning at least one of the plurality of software input components.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the display comprises a touchscreen display.

25. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to re-orient the image on the display within a range of orientations based on the transducer signals, wherein the range of orientations comprises at least first and second orientations, and wherein the first orientation is rotated by less than 90 degrees with respect to the second orientation.

26. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to play a media file having at least one user-programmable parameter, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust the at least one user-programmable parameter responsive to user input signals during playback of the media file, wherein the user input signals are generated by the one or more user input components.

27. A portable media device comprising:

a housing;

a display for showing an image;

an orientation transducer that outputs transducer signals indicative of the orientation of the portable electronic device;

a controller configured to re-orient the at least one image shown on the display based on the transducer signals; and

a user input component disposed within the housing, wherein the user input component is manually re-configurable with respect to the housing.

28. The portable media device of claim 27, wherein the user input component comprises at least one button and a touchpad.

29. The portable media device of claim 27, wherein the user input component is configured to be rotated within the housing.

30. The portable media device of claim 27, wherein the orientation transducer comprises a multi-dimensional accelerometer.

31. The portable media device of claim 27, wherein the user input component provides tactile feedback to a user during re-configuration.