SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING FOR THE CONTROL OF A MUSIC PLAYER TO A DEVICE DRIVER

• US 20110154202A1
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Chaney, Jeremy P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,650,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/101 for graphical creation, edition or control of musical data or parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/97 Instrumentation and component modelling, e.g. interactive control panel

Abstract

A system and method of providing for the control of a music player to a device driver. One embodiment of the system comprises an electronic music player that is connected to a plurality of music renderers via device drivers via a music renderer controller. The music renderer controller comprises a device integration application program interface for providing a standard interface for communicating with each of the device drivers. Each of the device drivers manage a selected music renderer. The device drivers can display a graphical interface for displaying notifications, customized controls, links to websites, or any other type of information desired by the manufacturer of the device driver. The device drivers can also customize the interfaces of the music render to rename textual elements that are displayed by the device driver. Furthermore, the device drivers can command the music player to suspend and resume playback of music items during selected periods.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer implemented method of controlling a media player, the method comprising:

a computer executing a media player that initiates the playback of a media content item;

the computer receiving a first request from a user, the first request being unrelated to suspending playback of the media content item;

the computer receiving at a device driver interface a second request from a device driver to suspend playback of the media content item;

responsive to receiving the second request, the computer suspending playback of the media content item.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the media content item is a music item.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the device driver is a device driver for an optical diskette drive.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

the computer receiving at the device driver interface a third request from the device driver to allow playback of the media content item; and

responsive to receiving the third request, the computer resuming playback of the media content item.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the media player is an application program.

26. A computer implemented method of providing a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

a computer displaying a graphical user interface, the user interface having a plurality of control objects;

the computer receiving a request at a device driver interface from a device driver to modify the plurality of control objects;

responsive to receiving the request, the computer modifying the plurality of control objects.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises adding a control object to the plurality.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises altering the label of a control object within the plurality.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises altering the function of a control object within the plurality.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises removing a control object from the plurality.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of control objects consists of buttons.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of control objects include media player control objects.

33. A computer system comprising:

a display; and

a memory comprising;

an application program having a graphical user interface displayed on said display, the graphical user interface having a plurality of control objects; and

a device driver, comprising;

a first component operable to communicate with the application program through a device driver interface; and

a second component operable to modify the plurality of control objects.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises adding a control object to the plurality.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises altering the label of a control object within the plurality.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises altering the function of a control object within the plurality.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein modifying the plurality of control objects comprises removing a control object from the plurality.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the plurality of control objects consists of buttons.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the application program is a media player.

40. An electronic system comprising:

a display; and

a memory comprising;

an application program having a graphical user interface displayed on said display, the graphical user interface having a plurality of control objects;

 

a media renderer; and

a device driver operable to interface with the application program and with the media renderer, the device driver further operable to modify the plurality of user controls.