Graphical user interface and methods of use thereof in a multimedia player

• US 7,667,124 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wasko, Timothy, Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Jobs, Steve, Robbin, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher; Marlon T
• Application Number:
  US11/564,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

In a portable multimedia device, a method, apparatus, and system for providing user supplied configuration data are described. In one embodiment, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface are provided. A first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item. In one of the described embodiments, the lower order interface includes other user selectable items associated with the previously selected item from the higher order user interface.

Claims

1. In a portable, pocket-sized multimedia asset player having a display on a front face of the media asset player, a method of selecting and playing a multimedia asset from a group of multimedia assets stored therein, comprising:

displaying at a home interface on the display, the home interface including at least;

a playlist list item corresponding to a number of playlists stored in the multimedia asset player, wherein each playlist is a group of multimedia assets,

an artists list item corresponding to all of a number of artists each of which is associated with at least one of the stored multimedia assets, and

a songs list item associated with each of the stored multimedia assets;

highlighting a desired one of the playlist list item, the artists list item, or the songs list item;

receiving a selection of the highlighted item; and

automatically transitioning to a second interface based upon the selected item,

wherein when the selected item is the artists list item, then the second interface is an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all artists stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of named artists each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player, and

wherein said method further comprises;

receiving a selection of the all item from the artist interface;

automatically transitioning to an albums interface that includes an all item and a list of albums associated with each of the named artists;

receiving a selection of the all item from the album interface; and

automatically transitioning to an all songs interface that includes a list of all songs stored in the multimedia asset player.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the highlighted item has been selected with respect to the home interface, the selected item is noted so that if a user operates to transition backwards from the second interface back to the home interface, the previously selected highlighted item is visually distinguished as a list of user selectable items are subsequently displayed in the home interface.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular album from the list of albums; and

automatically transitioning to a songs interface that includes a list of all songs of the selected album.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selection of the highlighted item is received from a rotary input device located on the front face of the multimedia asset player.

5. In a portable, rocket-sized multimedia asset player having a display on a front face of the media asset player, a method of selecting and playing a multimedia asset from a group of multimedia assets stored therein, comprising:

displaying at a home interface on the display, the home interface including at least;

a playlist list item corresponding to a number of playlists stored in the multimedia asset player, wherein each playlist is a group of multimedia assets,

an artists list item corresponding to all of a number of artists each of which is associated with at least one of the stored multimedia assets, and

a songs list item associated with each of the stored multimedia assets;

highlighting a desired one of the playlist list item, the artists list item, or the songs list item;

receiving a selection of the highlighted item; and

automatically transitioning to a second interface based upon the selected item,

wherein when the selected item is the artists list item, then the second interface is an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all artists stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of named artists each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player, and

wherein when the selected item is the playlist list item, then the second interface is a playlist interface that includes at least one selectable playlist item associated with at least one playlist, wherein the playlist points to a group of songs or a group of artists or a group of albums or any combination thereof.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the playlist item;

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of songs corresponding to the playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to a song playlist that points to the group of songs;

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of artists corresponding to the playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to an artists playlist that points to the group of artists; and

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of albums corresponding to the playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to an albums playlist that points to the group of albums.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

at the third interface,

when the songs playlist is displayed,

receiving a selection of one of the songs from the songs playlist; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia player.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

when the artists playlist is displayed,

receiving a selection of one of the artists from the artists playlist;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of artist songs;

receiving a selection of one of the songs from the list of artist songs; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia asset player.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

when the albums playlist is displayed,

receiving a selection of one of the albums from the albums playlist;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of albums;

receiving a selection of one of the albums;

automatically transitioning to a fifth interface that includes a list of album songs;

receiving a selection of one song from the list of album songs; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia asset player.

10. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the playlist item;

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of songs corresponding to the playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to a song playlist that points to the group of songs;

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of artists corresponding to the playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to an artists playlist that points to the group of artists; and

automatically transitioning to a third interface that includes a selectable list of albums corresponding to the playlist when the selected playlist item corresponds to an albums playlist that points to the group of albums.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

at the third interface,

when the songs playlist is displayed,

receiving a selection of one of the songs from the songs playlist; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia player.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

when the artists playlist is displayed,

receiving a selection of one of the artists from the artists playlist;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of artist songs;

receiving a selection of one of the songs from the list of artist songs; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia asset player.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

when the albums playlist is displayed,

receiving a selection of one of the albums from the albums playlist;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of albums;

receiving a selection of one of the albums;

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface that includes a list of album songs;

receiving a selection of one song from the list of album songs; and

playing the selected song by the multimedia asset player.

14. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein when the selected item is the artists list item, then the method includes automatically transitioning to an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all artists stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of named artists each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the all item from the artists interface; and

automatically transitioning to an albums interface that includes an all item and a list of albums associated with each of the named artists.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the all item from the albums interface; and

automatically transitioning to an all songs interface that includes a list of all songs stored in the multimedia asset player.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular album from the list of albums; and

automatically transitioning to a songs interface that includes a list of all songs of the selected album.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular artist from the list of artists; and

automatically transitioning to a third order interface corresponding to the selected artist that includes a list of artist albums that are stored in the multimedia player and an all item associated with all songs of the selected artist stored in the multimedia asset player.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular album from the list of artist albums; and

automatically transitioning to a fourth order interface having a list of all songs of the selected album.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the all item from the third order interface; and

automatically transitioning to a fourth order interface having a list of all songs of the selected artist stored in the multimedia asset player.

21. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the selection of the highlighted item is received from a rotary input device located on the front face of the multimedia asset player.

22. In a portable, pocket-sized multimedia asset player having a display on a front face of the media asset player, a method of selecting and playing a multimedia asset from a group of multimedia assets stored therein, comprising:

displaying at a home interface on the display, the home interface including at least;

a playlist list item corresponding to a number of playlists stored in the multimedia asset player, wherein each playlist is a group of multimedia assets,

an artists list item corresponding to all of a number of artists each of which is associated with at least one of the stored multimedia assets, and

a songs list item associated with each of the stored multimedia assets;

highlighting a desired one of the playlist list item, the artists list item, or the songs list item;

receiving a selection of the highlighted item; and

automatically transitioning to a second interface based upon the selected item,

wherein when the selected item is the artists list item, then the second interface is an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all artists stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of named artists each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player, and

wherein said method further comprises;

receiving a selection of a particular artist from the list of artists; and

automatically transitioning to a third interface corresponding to the selected artist that includes a list of artist albums that are stored in the multimedia player and an all item associated with all songs of the selected artist stored in the multimedia asset player.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular album from the list of artist albums; and

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface having a list of all songs of the selected album.

24. A method as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the all item; and

automatically transitioning to a fourth interface having a list of all songs of the selected artist stored in the multimedia asset player.

25. A method of assisting user interaction with a multimedia asset player by way of a hierarchically ordered user interface, said method comprising:

displaying a first order user interface having a first list of user selectable items;

receiving a user selection of the one of the user selectable items in the first list; and

automatically transitioning to and displaying a second order user interface having a second list of user selectable items in response to the user selection, the second order user interface being based upon the user selection,

wherein the first list of user selectable items includes at least a playlists item, an artists list item, and a songs item, and

wherein when the selected item in the first list is the artists list item, then the second order user interface is an artists interface that includes an all item corresponding to all artists stored in the multimedia asset player and a list of named artists each of which has at least one associated song stored in the multimedia asset player,

wherein said method further comprises;

receiving a selection of the all item from the artist interface;

automatically transitioning to an albums interface that includes an all item and a list of albums associated with each of the named artists;

receiving a selection of the all item from the album interface; and

automatically transitioning to an all songs interface that includes a list of all songs stored in the multimedia asset player.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein after the user selection is made with respect to the first order user interface, the user selection with respect to the first order user interface is noted so that if a user operates to transition backwards from the second order user interface back to the first order user interface, the previously selected one of the user selectable items in the first list of user selectable items is visually distinguished as the first list of user selectable items are subsequently displayed in the first order user interface.

27. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein when the selected item is the playlists item, then the second list of user selectable items includes a list of playlists.

28. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein when the selected item is the artists list item, then the second list of user selectable items includes a list of particular artists.

29. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein when the selected item is the songs item, then the second list includes a list of all songs.

30. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

automatically transitioning directly from the first order interface to a third, or higher, order interface thereby skipping one or more intervening interfaces between the first order interface and the third, or higher, order interface.

31. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the user selection of the highlighted item is received from a rotary input device located on the front face of the multimedia asset player.