Audio control for web browser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10387104-B2
Application number	US-201514869981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 7, 2015
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

The present aspects relate to audio management for a web browser. For example, an electronic device such as a mobile device may enable a user to navigate to a webpage within a web browser. In some embodiments, the webpage may automatically initiate presentation of audio content. However, the user may wish to quickly silence the audio content that is playing without locating the media player controls of the audio content within the webpage. Accordingly, the present aspects provide audio control for a web browser. Specifically, an audio control affordance may be displayed at a noticeable and recognizable position or area in the web browser, and based on a determination that a webpage includes audio content and/or determination of playback of the audio content. The user may in turn readily adjust a property of the audio content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of an electronic device, the one or more programs including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to:
display a browser interface of a browser application, the browser interface including a first portion configured to display content in a set of tabbed windows that include a plurality of tabbed windows and a second portion distinct from the first portion that includes one or more control affordances, wherein displaying the second portion of the browser interface includes:
in accordance with a determination that a first tabbed window of the tabbed windows includes audio content, display an audio control affordance in the second portion of the browser interface, wherein the audio control affordance is displayed in a first tab of the first tabbed window from the set of tabbed windows;

while the audio control affordance is displayed, receive a first input representing a selection of the audio control affordance;
in response to receiving the first input representing the selection of the audio control affordance, determine whether a characteristic of the first input meets or exceeds a characteristic threshold;
in accordance with a determination that the first input does not meet or exceed the characteristic threshold, adjust a property of the presentation of the audio content; and
in accordance with a determination that the first input meets or exceeds the characteristic threshold, display a menu associated with the audio content, wherein the menu includes one or more affordances for interacting with background tabbed windows that have associated audio content, wherein the one or more affordances for interacting with background tabbed windows includes a first affordance;

while a second tabbed window of the set of tabbed windows is a background tabbed window, and while a third tabbed window of the set of tabbed windows is a foreground tabbed window, receive a second input representing a selection of the first affordance; and
in response to receiving the second input:
switch the third tabbed window from a foreground tabbed window to a background tabbed window; and
switch the second tabbed window from a background tabbed window to a foreground tabbed window.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to:
while the audio control affordance is displayed, determine that presentation of the audio content has terminated; and
in response to determining that presentation of the audio content has terminated, cease display of the audio control affordance.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to, in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more tabbed windows do not include audio content, forgo display of the audio control affordance in the second portion of the browser interface.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to:
while the audio control affordance is displayed, determine that presentation of the audio content has terminated; and
in response to determining that presentation of the audio content has terminated, change an appearance of the audio control affordance to indicate that the presentation of the audio content has terminated.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the audio content is associated with a webpage rendered in a background tab.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the menu associated with the audio content includes one or more of:
a second affordance that mutes presentation of the audio content associated with a foreground tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows,
a third affordance that mutes presentation of an audio content associated with a background tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows,
a fourth affordance that unmutes presentation of the audio content associated with a foreground tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows,
a fifth affordance that unmutes presentation of the audio content associated with a background tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows, and
one or more affordances indicating respective tabbed windows that are associated with audio content.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to:
receive a third input representing a selection of the second affordance; and
in response to receiving the third input, mute presentation of the audio content associated with a foreground tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to:
receive a fourth input representing a selection of the third affordance; and
in response to receiving the fourth input, mute presentation of an audio content associated with a background tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to:
receive a fifth input representing a selection of the fourth affordance; and
in response to receiving the fifth input, unmute presentation of the audio content associated with a foreground tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions which cause the electronic device to:
receive a sixth input representing a selection of the fifth affordance; and
in response to receiving the sixth input, unmute presentation of the audio content associated with a background tabbed window of the browser application without adjusting presentation of the audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the menu associated with the audio content further includes one or more of:
a sixth affordance that mutes presentation of the audio content associated with a foreground tabbed window of the browser application and a second audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows,
a seventh affordance that unmutes presentation of the audio content associated with the foreground tabbed window of the browser application and the second audio content associated with one or more other tabbed windows, and
an eighth affordance that mutes presentation of one or more audio contents associated with each background tabbed window of the browser application without adjusti

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Decker Kevin
• Falkenburg Steven
• Hshieh Alan
• Coffman Patrick L
• Chan Ada
• MONDELLO Richard
• Karunamuni Chanaka G

Classifications

• G06F16/957

  Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title