Taskbar media player

• US 9,275,673 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Elliott, Geoffrey John, Saunders, Richard William, Thomas, Myron Clifford, Gupta, Madhuvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/495,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]

Abstract

A system and method for controlling media through a user interface integrated within a taskbar is described. This system and method enable a user to control media while a user interface of another application remains in perspective. Further, this system includes a taskbar media player, which can play media and enable a user to control the play of that media from within a taskbar.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing, to a computer output device, a media player application that includes a plurality of media player controls;

presenting, to a computer output device, a media player user interface that is integrated into an existing taskbar of an operating system, the media player user interface including one or more of the media player controls from the media player application, wherein the one or more of the media player controls includes at least a back button for an audio file; and

enabling, without the media player application being in perspective, user interaction with the one or more media player controls within the taskbar media player user interface.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the enabling includes enabling the user interaction with the one or more media player controls without disengaging from a non-media-playing application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the enabling includes enabling the user interaction with the one or more media player controls without first selecting the taskbar.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the enabling includes enabling the user interaction with the one or more media player controls with a single command.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the single command comprises a single mouse click on the one or more media player controls.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the single command comprises a single mouse hover on the one or more media player controls.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the media player user interface is presented on a touch screen display, and wherein the single command comprises a single touch on an area of the touch screen display corresponding to the one or more media player controls.

8. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a method comprising:

presenting one or more media player controls in an existing taskbar of an operating system without the media player application being in perspective, wherein the one or more media player controls includes at least a back button for an audio file, the one or more media player controls capable of controlling a media player application;

and enabling selection of the one or more media player controls with a single command.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein enabling the selection comprises enabling selection of the one or more media player controls with a single mouse click or a single mouse hover on the one or more media player controls.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the one or more media player controls are presented on a touch screen display, and wherein enabling the selection comprises enabling selection of the one or more media player controls by touching an area of the touch screen display that contains the taskbar.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the one or more controls are presented in the existing task bar while the non-media-playing application is in perspective.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the non-media-playing application is further in focus.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein enabling the selection includes enabling selection of the one or more media player controls with the single command without the media player application being in perspective.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the one or more media player controls include at least one of a play control, a pause control, or a stop control.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein enabling the selection comprises enabling selection of the one or more media player controls without first receiving selection of the one or more media player controls to put the controls into perspective.

16. A system for controlling media, the system comprising:

a computer processor in electronic communication with an input device, the input device configured to receive input to a taskbar media player user interface to control media played by a media player application, wherein the taskbar player user interface includes at least a back button to control audio playback, wherein the processor is configured to control the media based on the input received by the taskbar media player user interface while retaining perspective on a user interface of a non-media-playing application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the input comprises a single mouse click or a single mouse hover on a media player control of the taskbar media player user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the input device and the computer processor are configured to enable interaction with the taskbar media player user interface without first receiving selection of the media player application.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein input received by the taskbar media player user interface includes a touch.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the media player application includes an application to play an audio file.