Method and system for updating playlists

• US 7,797,446 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Application Number:
  US10/198,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,982 Days
• Field of Search: 709/242, 386/44, 386/55, 386/14, 386/6, 386/52, 386/68, 386/69, 385104-105, 385/83, 707/200, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/242
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

Improved techniques for automatic (or dynamic) updating (or maintaining) of playlists for a media system that stores and plays media content for a user of the media system. The automatic update to playlists can occur when additional media content is added to or removed from the media system. The automatic update to playlists can also occur when previously stored media content is otherwise altered.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically updating a playlist on a media play system, said method being performed by the media play system which includes a processor and a memory, said method comprising:

determining whether new media content has been added to a media content library available to the media play system;

determining whether the playlist is affected by the added new media content to the media content library available to the media play system; and

automatically regenerating the playlist when said determining determines that the new media content has been added to the media content library available to the media play system,

wherein the playlist has at least one playlist condition associated therewith,

wherein said regenerating operates to regenerate the playlist using the at least one playlist condition,

wherein said regenerating is performed only when said determining determines that the new media content has been added to the media content library available to the media play system and when said determining determines that the playlist is affected by the added new media content to the media content library available to the media play system, and

wherein said regenerating is initiated without requiring user interaction to initiate such regeneration.

2. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the playlist has at least one playlist condition associated therewith, and

wherein said regenerating operates to regenerate the playlist using the at least one select playlist condition.

3. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

subsequently displaying the playlist after said regenerating.

4. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

re-drawing the playlist after said regenerating when the playlist is already being displayed.

5. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one playlist condition includes at least one filter criteria, and

wherein said regenerating operates to regenerate the playlist using the at least one filter criteria.

6. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one playlist condition includes at least one filter criteria and at least one limit criteria, and

wherein said regenerating operates to regenerate the playlist using the at least one filter criteria and the at least one limit criteria.

7. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the limit criteria is a numerical limit imposed on the number of items in the playlist or the duration of the playlist.

8. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media content comprises media items and media information.

9. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the media items pertain to one or more of audio, video or images.

10. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media play system comprises a personal computer.

11. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said regenerating is performed as a background process after a series of distinct alterations have been made to the media content available to the media play system.

12. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the background process is performed when the media play system is in an idle state.

13. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media content library stores a plurality of media items, and said method further comprises:

determining whether a media item is provided within the media content library; and

automatically regenerating the playlist when said determining determines that the media item has been deleted from the media content library.

14. A computer-implemented method for updating a playlist on a media player, said method being performed by the media player which includes a processor and a memory, said method comprising:

receiving playlist rules to be used to create the playlist, the playlist rules including at least one filter criteria and at least one limit criteria;

producing a playlist from a plurality of available media items in a media library and the playlist rules;

subsequently automatically determining whether the playlist should be re-produced due to addition of new media items to the media library; and

rebuilding the playlist from the plurality of available media items in the media library and the playlist rules when said determining determines that the playlist should be re-produced,

wherein said rebuilding of the playlist is initiated without requiring user interaction to initiate such rebuilding,

wherein said producing and said rebuilding operate to produce the playlist using the at least one filter criteria and the at least one limit criteria, and

wherein the at least one limit criteria includes or has a sort criteria associated therewith.

15. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 14, wherein the media items pertain to one or more of audio, video or images, and wherein the limit criteria is a numerical limit imposed on the number of media items in the playlist or the duration of the playlist.

16. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 14, wherein the media player comprises a personal computer.

17. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 14, wherein the limit criteria is a numerical limit imposed on the number of media items in the playlist or the duration of the playlist.

18. A computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for automatically updating a list of media items maintained by a media system, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for automatically determining whether at least one new media item has been added to a media content library available to the media system;

computer program code for determining whether the list of media items is affected by the at least one media item being added to the media content library available to the media system; and

computer program code for regenerating the list of media items when said computer program code for determining determines that at least one new media item has been added to the media content library available to the media system,

wherein the list of media items has at least one list condition associated therewith,

wherein said computer program code for regenerating operates to regenerate the list of media items using the at least one list condition,

wherein said computer program code for regenerating operates to regenerate the list of media items only when said computer program code for determining determines that the list of media items is affected by the at least one media item being added the media content library available to the media system, and

wherein said computer program code for regenerating operates without requiring user interaction to initiate such regeneration.

19. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 18,

wherein the at least one condition references at least one field, and

wherein said computer program code for determining whether the list of media items is affected by the at least one media item being added to the media content library available to the media system comprises computer program code for evaluating whether one or more fields of the at least one media item that has been added to the media content library available to the media system has been altered with reference to the at least one field referenced by the at least one condition associated with the list of media items.

20. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the list of media items has at least one list condition associated therewith, and

wherein said computer program code for regenerating operates to regenerate the list of media items using the at least one list condition.

21. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for subsequently displaying the list of media items after being regenerated.

22. A computing device, comprising:

a display for displaying a graphical user interface;

a data storage device for storing a playlist and media content library for a plurality of media items, the playlist being associated with one or more of the media items; and

a processor configured to determine whether a new media item has been added to the media content library, determine whether the playlist is affected by the added new media item to the media content library, and regenerate the playlist when said processor determines that the added new media item to the media content library available to said computing device affects the playlist,

wherein the regeneration of the playlist is performed automatically by said processor when it is determined that the new media item has been added to the media content library available to the media play system and when said processor determines that the playlist is affected by the added new media item of the media content library, whereby the regeneration of the playlist is initiated without requiring user interaction to initiate such regeneration,

wherein the playlist has playlist conditions associated therewith, the playlist conditions including at least one filter criteria and at least one limit criteria, and

wherein the regeneration of the playlist by said processor operates to regenerate the playlist using the at least one filter criteria and the at least one limit criteria.

23. A computing device as recited in claim 22, wherein said processor is further configured to subsequently synchronize the playlist with a mobile electronic device temporarily connected with said computing device, whereby the playlist once regenerated is automatically copied to the mobile electronic device.

24. A computing device as recited in claim 23, wherein said computing device is a personal computer.

25. A computing device as recited in claim 22, wherein the limit criteria is one or more of (i) a limit on total number of tracks in the playlist, (ii) a limit on a total duration of the playlist, or (iii) a limit on a total size of the playlist.

26. A computing device as recited in claim 22, wherein the playlist has at least one playlist condition associated therewith, and

wherein the regeneration of the playlist by said processor operates to regenerate the playlist using the at least one playlist condition.