Persistent group of media items for a media device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9412417-B2
Application number	US-9703405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2005
Priority date	Apr 5, 2002
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Improved techniques to utilize and manage a group of media items (or media assets) on a computing device are disclosed. The group of media items can be utilized and managed at a host computer for the host computer as well as a media device (e.g., media player) that can couple to the host computer. One popular example of a group of media items is know as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks. One aspect pertains to providing a persistent media device playlist at a host computer. Another aspect pertains to imposing capacity limits to a playlist, such as a media device playlist. Still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that enables a user to trade-off storage capacity of a media device between media asset storage and data storage. Yet still another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that assists a user with selecting media items to fill a group of media items.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
displaying, on a display associated with a first computing device, a device indicator associated with a second computing device, the device indicator being associated with a media playlist on the second computing device;
receiving a selection of the device indicator;
displaying, on the display screen associated with the first computing device, a list of digital items that are in the media playlist associated with the second computing device, the digital items being stored locally on the first computing device and at least a portion of the digital items being also stored locally on the second computing device;
displaying, on the display screen, an indicator proximate to each digital item from the list of the digital items to visually indicate, for each digital item, whether the digital item is stored on the second computing device;
determining whether the second computing device is connected to the first computing device;
presenting, on the display screen, a graphical control element for defining relative storage capacity limits on the second computing device for different types of digital items;
receiving, via the graphical control element, a first storage capacity limit and a second storage capacity limit set for the second computing device, the first storage capacity limit corresponding to a first type of digital items and the second storage capacity limit corresponding to a second type of digital items, wherein the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items is relative to the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items;
adding or removing one or more digital items to or from the media playlist, regardless of whether the second computing device is connected to the first computing device and even if the one or more digital items were previously added to the media playlist and transferred to the second computing device for storage thereon, wherein a number of the one or more digital items added or removed to or from the media playlist is influenced by at least one of the first storage capacity limit or the second storage capacity limit; and
when the second computing device is connected to the first computing device, updating digital items stored on the second computing device once the user has added or removed the one or more digital items to or from the media playlist.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request, via the graphical control element, to make a relative adjustment of the first storage capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit; and
based on the request, increasing the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items and relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first storage capacity limit defines a maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device, and wherein the second storage capacity limit defines a maximum amount of storage space which can be allocated on the second computing device for storing the second type of digital items.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a request, via the graphical control element, to make a relative adjustment of the first storage capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit; and
based on the request, increasing the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items and relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items,
wherein increasing the first storage capacity limit comprises increasing the maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device, and
wherein relatively decreasing the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items comprises decreasing the maximum amount of storage space which can be allocated for storing the second type of digital items based on an increase of the maximum number of the first type of digital items that can be stored at the second computing device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media playlist indicator is a graphic that provides a depiction of the second computing device.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the media playlist indicator is displayed in a media source region of a program window presented by a media management application.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the relative storage capacity limits correspond to a storage capacity of the second computing device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the relative storage capacity limits correspond to a storage capacity associated with the media playlist.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first storage capacity limit is an audio asset capacity limit and the second storage capacity limit is a storage capacity limit for non-audio data.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the user of the first computing device can set the capacity limit.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the user of the host computer can set the relative storage capacity limits using the graphical control element.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the graphical control element is a slider control.

13. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving a selection of a device indicator displayed on a display associated with the system, the device indicator being associated with a media device and a playlist;
displaying a representation of digital items in the playlist, the digital items being stored on the system and at least a portion of the digital items being stored on the media device;
displaying an indicator proximate to each of the digital items to indicate whether the digital items are stored on the media device;
generating a graphical control element for defining relative storage capacity limits on the media device for different types of digital items;
receiving, via the graphical control element, a first storage capacity limit and a second storage capacity limit set for the media device, the first storage capacity limit corresponding to a first type of digital items and the second storage capacity limit corresponding to a second type of digital items, wherein the first storage capacity limit for the first type of digital items is relative to the second storage capacity limit for the second type of digital items; and
managing the digital items within the playlist by adding or removing digital items to or from the playlist.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein managing the digital items comprises:
maintaining the digital items within the media device playlist consistent between those stored locally on the system and those stored on the media device while the media device is connected to the system.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the media device playlist indicator is a graphic that provides a depiction of the media device.

16. A system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the graphic is an icon.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the media device playlist indicator is displayed in a media source region of a program window presented by a media management application.

18. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein said managing is limited by the first and second storage capacity limits.

19. A system as rec

Assignees

• Jobs Steven P
• Robbin Jeffrey L
• Heller David
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Jobs Steven P
• Robbin Jeffrey L
• Heller David

Classifications

• G11B27/031 Primary

  Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals · CPC title

• G06F17/30053

  Physics · mapped topic

• G11B27/11

  by using information not detectable on the record carrier · CPC title

• G11B27/34 Primary

  Indicating arrangements  {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)} · CPC title

• G11B2220/61

  wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content · CPC title