STORAGE DEVICE MANAGING PLAYABLE CONTENT

• US 20100169780A1
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: HAHN, Judah Gamliel, GOODMAN, Daniel Isaac, BRYANT-RICH, Donald Ray
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• 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: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Displaying storage device-generated menus for playback includes connecting a storage device to a host capable of playing back video content, and presenting to the host a root directory through which a content selection file allows selecting video files for playback through user-storage device interaction, and, optionally, one or more service files that provide various useful information that are also playable back through user-storage device interaction. This typically further includes displaying a Main Menu that represents these files and playing Main Menu items as regular video files/contents. While the content selection file is played back, a content selection menu is generated by the storage device and displayed by the host, and each content selection menu item is playable by transmitting a playback command to the storage device rather than to the host. A storage device is also provided, which uses such method.

Claims

1. A storage device for providing a video stream to a host, the storage device comprising:

a first memory for storing content, the content including video files;

a user interface, for receiving user inputs;

a host interface for communicating with a host, the communicating including receiving data requests from and transferring a video stream to the host;

a controller operatively connected to the memory, user interface, and host interface, the controller being configured for sending a root directory to the host, via the host interface, for use by the host in generating and displaying a main menu, the main menu including one or more main menu items, one of the one or more main menu items referencing a content selection menu, the content selection menu including content selection menu items, each of the content selection menu items referencing one of the video files in the first memory;

wherein, if a first user input sent to the host corresponds to a user'"'"'s main menu selection of the content selection menu, a communication between the controller and the host via the host interface includes;

(A) returning to the host, in response to a host request for the content selection menu, a first video stream of the content selection menu from a content selection menu file for display by the host as a list of at least some of the video files in the first memory other than the content selection menu file;

(B) receiving a second user input, via the user interface, corresponding to a user'"'"'s content selection menu selection referencing one of the video files of the list; and

(C) in response to receipt of the second user input and consequent host requests for data contained in the content selection menu file, returning to the host, via the host interface, a second video stream of content of the video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection.

2. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the content selection menu is stored in the first memory or in a second memory.

3. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to repeatedly transfer to the host a video frame of the content selection menu within the first video stream of the content selection menu.

4. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to concatenate the second video stream of the content of the video file to the first video stream of the content selection menu.

5. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide to the host a video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection by concatenating the video file to the content selection menu file.

6. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to receiving a user input, modify a graphical presentation of the content selection menu items.

7. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein one of the one or more main menu items references a training file in the memory, and wherein the controller is further configured to use the training file to learn remote control commands.

8. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein one of the one or more main menu items references a selection menu, the selection menu including selection menu items, each of the selection menu items referencing a service file in the first memory and wherein, if the first user input sent to the host corresponds to a user'"'"'s main menu selection of the selection menu, a communication between the controller and the host via the host interface includes:

(D) returning to the host, in response to a host request for the selection menu, a third video stream of the selection menu from a selection menu file for display by the host as a list of service files;

(E) receiving a second user input, via the user interface, corresponding to a user'"'"'s selection menu selection referencing one of the service files of the list; and

(F) in response to receipt of the second user input and consequent host requests for data contained in the selection menu file, returning to the host, via the host interface, a fourth video stream of content of the service file referenced by the user'"'"'s selection menu selection.

9. The storage device as in claim 8, wherein one of the service files is a training file, and wherein the controller is further configured to use the training file to learn remote control commands.

10. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the root directory that the controller presents to the host is contingent on the type of the host.

11. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically revert to the video stream of the content selection menu after playback of the video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection is completed.

12. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the controller provides to the host the video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection responsive to receiving a password through the user input interface.

13. The storage device as in claim 12, wherein the password is used per video file, per group of video files, or per user of the host.

14. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the memory is a flash memory.

15. The storage device as in claim 1, wherein the user input interface includes a wireless communication interface.

16. A method for providing a video stream to a host, the method comprising:

connecting a storage device to a host capable of playing back video content, the storage device including,

a memory for storing content, the content including video files,

a user interface for receiving user inputs,

a host interface for communicating with the host, the communicating including receiving data requests from and transferring a video stream to the host;

a controller operatively connected to the memory, user interface, and host interface;

sending a root directory by the controller to the host, via the host interface, for use by the host in generating and displaying a main menu, the main menu including one or more main menu items, one of the one or more main menu items referencing a content selection menu, the content selection menu including content selection menu items, each of the content selection menu items referencing one of the video files in the first memory;

if a first user input sent to the host corresponds to a user'"'"'s main menu selection of the content selection menu,

(A) returning to the host, in response to a host request for the content selection menu, a first video stream of the content selection menu from a content selection menu file for display by the host as a list of at least some of the video files in the first memory other than the content menu file;

(B) receiving a second user input, via the user interface, corresponding to a user'"'"'s content selection menu selection referencing one of the video files of the list; and

(C) in response to receipt of the second user input and consequent host requests for data contained in the content selection menu file, returning to the host, via the host interface, a second video stream of content of the video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein returning to the host the first video stream of the content selection menu includes repeatedly transferring to the host a video frame of the content selection menu.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein returning to the host the second video stream of the content of the video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection includes concatenating the second video stream of the content of the video file to the first video stream of the content selection menu.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein providing to the host a video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection includes concatenating the video file to the content selection menu file.

20. The method as in claim 16, wherein the root directory presented by the controller to the host is contingent on the type of the host.

21. The method as in claim 16, further comprising:

providing to the host the video file referenced by the user'"'"'s content selection menu selection responsive to receiving a password through the user input interface.