ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA VISUALIZATION AND INTERACTION METHOD

• US 20110035705A1
• Filed: 08/05/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Shen, Zhongnan, Faenger, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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

Abstract

A method of operating an entertainment system includes computer-implemented steps including accessing a source of audio/video content. The source is capable of providing a plurality of media items. The media items are analyzed to thereby determine a corresponding classification for each of the items. A visual representation of each of the classifications is provided on a display of the entertainment system. One of the classifications being selected by a user is sensed. In response to the sensing, one of the media items corresponding to the selected classification is played, and/or the user is offered a choice among a plurality of the media items corresponding to the selected classification.

Claims

1. A method of operating an entertainment system, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

accessing a source of audio/video content, the source being capable of providing a plurality of media items;

analyzing the media items to thereby determine a corresponding classification for each of the items;

providing a visual representation of each of the classifications on a display of the entertainment system;

sensing one of the classifications being selected by a user; and

in response to the sensing, at least one of;

playing one of the media items corresponding to the selected classification; and

offering the user a choice among a plurality of the media items corresponding to the selected classification.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the classification includes at least one of:

a category of music; and

a sub-category of music having characteristics of at least two of the categories.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the visual representations comprises a respective cell.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the source of audio/video content comprises at least one of:

a radio; and

a collection of recordings.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing step includes sensing the user touching an area of the display, the area corresponding to the one selected classification.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the user selecting a plurality of the classifications by touching a plurality of areas of the display, each of the areas corresponding to a respective one of the selected classifications.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of providing a marker on the visual representation of the classification of a currently-played media item.

8. A method of operating an entertainment system, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

accessing a source of audio/video content, the source being capable of providing a plurality of media items;

determining a corresponding classification for each of the items;

providing a respective representation for each of the classifications on a display of the entertainment system;

sensing a plurality of the classifications being selected by a user in a sequential order; and

in response to the sensing, playing ones of the media items having the selected classifications, the media items being played in an order of their classifications in the sequential order.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising the further step of providing a marker on the representation of the classification of a currently-played media item.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising the further steps of:

detecting the user moving the marker from a first said selected classification to a second said selected classification; and

in response to the detecting, switching from playing one of the media items having the first said selected classification to one of the media items having the second said selected classification.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the user slide his finger across a plurality of the classifications.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the user slide his finger in a path across a plurality of the classifications, the method comprising the further steps of:

providing a marker on the representation of the classification of a currently-played media item;

detecting the user moving the marker along the path from a first said selected classification to a second said selected classification; and

in response to the detecting, switching from playing one of the media items having the first said selected classification to one of the media items having the second said selected classification.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the source of audio/video content comprises a radio, the media items including a plurality of radio stations within reception range of the radio.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising the further step of enabling the user to set a time period that each of the media items are played before automatically switching to playing a next one of the media in the sequential order.

15. A method of operating an entertainment system, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

providing a visual representation of each of a plurality of categories of audio/video content on a display of the entertainment system;

sensing a user selecting an area in-between two of the representations on the display, the two representations corresponding to a first of the categories and a second of the categories, respectively; and

in response to the sensing;

playing a media item having characteristics of each of the first and second categories of audio/video content; and

/or

offering the user a choice among a plurality of media items, each of the media items having characteristics of each of the first and second categories of audio/video content.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the representations and the area comprises a respective cell on the display.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising the further steps of:

detecting;

the user selecting one of the cells more frequently than other ones of the cells; and

/or

a greater number available media items being associated with the one cell than are associated with the other ones of the cells; and

in response to the detecting, providing the one cell with a larger size than the other ones of the cells.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the sensing step comprises sensing the user touch a cell in-between the two representations on the display.

19. The method of claim 15 comprising the further steps of:

detecting that an other said media item has characteristics of each of a third and a fourth category of audio/video content;

rearranging the representations on the display such that said representations of the third and fourth categories of audio/video content are disposed adjacent to each other on the display; and

providing a representation of the other said media item on the display in-between said representations the third and fourth categories of audio/video content.

20. The method of claim 15 comprising the further step of providing representations of available media items on the display, each of the representations of the available media items being provided at a respective location that is indicative of characteristics of the associated available media item.