NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090063974A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bull, William, Rottler, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs

Abstract

Media players and associated methods are described that may allow a user to navigate content or other media assets. A media player or portable media device, can include features for generating and utilizing navigation information for navigating content, such as audio books. An audio book may be analyzed to determine one or more locations within the audio book that represent chapters, paragraphs, sentences, or the like. Navigation information may be generated indicative of the one or more locations that may be used by a media player or portable media device to play content in the audio book. The navigation information may include audio clips extracted from the audio book to represent the chapters and the like. In addition, a user may navigate content in response to predetermined user motions. A media player may scroll through content based on the predetermined user motions.

Claims

1. A method for processing content for navigation using a media player, the method comprising:

receiving content;

analyzing the content to determine one or more locations within the content;

generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content; and

navigating within the content to at least one of the one or more locations using the media player in response to the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving content comprises receiving an audio book.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the content comprises identifying one or more gaps in audio or video data associated with the content to determine the one or more locations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein analyzing the content comprises performing an inflection analysis to determine parts of speech within the content, one or more parts of speech representing a location in the one or more locations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content comprises generating chapter information for one or more locations associated with an audio book.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content comprises generating audio clips representing portions of an audio book at the one or more locations.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content comprises generating an audible citation representing the content at the one or more locations.

8. A method for navigating content using a handheld device, the method comprising:

receiving selection of audio book data from a user interacting with the handheld device;

determining navigation information associated with the audio book data, the navigation information indicative of a book structure within the audio book data;

outputting a portion of audio data specified by the navigation information using the handheld device, the portion of audio data representing content found at a location defined by the book structure within the audio book data; and

outputting the content found at the location.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining navigation information associated with the audio book data comprises identifying one or more gaps in audio information associated with the audio book data as the book structure.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein determining navigation information associated with the audio book data comprises performing an inflection analysis to determine parts of speech within the audio book data, one or more parts of speech representing the book structure.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein determining navigation information associated with the audio book data comprises generating chapter information for books structure.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein outputting the portion of audio data specified by the navigation information comprises outputting one or more audio clips representing portions of the audio book extracted from the content at the location.

13. An media player comprising:

a storage medium configured to store one or more audio books; and

a processor configured to;

receiving input identifying an audio book from the one or more audio books;

determine navigation information associated with the audio book, the navigation information specifying one or more user selectable locations within the audio book and information to be presented to a user at the one or more locations;

output information specified by the navigation information representative of content found at a location within the audio book; and

output the content found at the location in response to a user selecting the location.

14. A method for navigating content, the method comprising:

receiving input;

determining whether the input is indicative of a predetermined user motion; and

outputting content according to the predetermined user motion.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving input comprises receiving a first input and receiving a second input;

and

wherein outputting content according to the predetermined user motion comprises;

outputting content in response to the first input until the reception of the second input.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein outputting the content at the rate defined by the predetermined user motion comprises:

determining acceleration associated with the user input;

initially outputting the content at a first rate indicative of this acceleration; and

subsequently outputting the content and a second rate.

17. A media player comprising:

an output device;

an input device; and

a processor configured to;

receive input via the input device;

determine whether the input is indicative of a predetermined user motion; and

output content via the output device according to the predetermined user motion.

18. The media player of claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to output content according to a scrolling function associated with the predetermined user motion in response to a first input until reception of a second input.

19. The media player of claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to output content in response to determining acceleration associated with the input, wherein the content is initially output at a first rate indicative of the acceleration and thereafter the content is output and a second rate.

20. A computer readable medium configured to store a set of code modules which when executed by a processor of a computer system becomes operational with the processor for navigating content, the computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving content;

code for analyzing the content to determine one or more locations within the content; and

code for generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content.

21. A system for processing content for navigation, the method comprising:

means for receiving content;

means for analyzing the content to determine one or more locations within the content;

means for generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content, the information enabling a media player to navigate within the content to at least one of the one or more locations.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for receiving content comprises means for receiving an audio book.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for analyzing the content comprises means for identifying one or more gaps in audio or video data associated with the content to determine the one or more locations.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for analyzing the content comprises means for performing an inflection analysis to determine parts of speech within the content, one or more parts of speech representing a location in the one or more locations.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content comprises means for generating chapter information for one or more locations associated with an audio book.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content comprises means for generating audio clips representing portions of an audio book at the one or more locations.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for generating information indicative of the one or more locations within the content comprises means for generating an audible citation representing the content at the one or more locations.