Media player interface

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to graphic user interfaces for computer application programs, and more particulary to a graphic user interface for a medial player on a personal computer or similar user device.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Graphical users interfaces for media players are well known. Such interfaces typically provide a computer generated image that simulates a control panel of a hardware media player. In addition, the computer generated image may also include information not generally accessible in a hardware player. For example, the computer generated image may include an index of media files whose content is capable of being read by the media player. The index is generated by the media player usually by reading the entries of one or more directories of an operating system file system within a user computer. The media player may search all such directories such that only file types having an extension readable by the media player are displayed.

[0006] According to the present invention, a computer readable medium contains media player application code which implements the procedures of generating in a user interface an application window having a window frame and a plurality of stiles to define a plurality of panes within said frame, displaying in a first one of said panes a user selectable index of a plurality of media files, displaying in a second one of said first selected information for said media files, and displaying in a third one of said panes second selected information for said media files.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a user selectable browse button may be displayed in the frame such that the user may toggle the window between displaying all of the panes, and only the pane containing the index of the media files. In another embodiment, a fourth pane displays an index of all the sources for the media files. A feature of this embodiment is that a single user selectable button displayed with te frame may change states in accordance with the particular source of media files selected. In still another embodiment, the frame may contain a user accessible search box. As the user enters each character into the search box, the content of each of the panes is automatically updated to reflect only those entries of the index which match the search character string. In yet another embodiment, a user selectable button allows the window to toggle between display of the panes and a visual effect to accompany the presentation of the content of the media files.

[0008] These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following Description of the Exemplary Preferred Embodiments when read in conjunction with the attached Drawing and appended claims.

[0009] FIGS. 1-10 are representative of a graphic user interface of a media player in accordance with the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a network system useful in practicing one aspect of the present invention; and

[0011] FIG. 12 is a flow chart useful to describe a search function of the user interface of the present invention.

[0012] Referring now to FIGS. 1-10, there is shown an application window 10 having a window frame 12 and a plurality of stiles 14 to define a plurality of panes 16 within the frame 12. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the window 10 may be generated in a user interface, such as a monitor 18 of a computer 20, as seen in FIG. 11. The computer 20 contains a computer readable medium, such a disk 22, which contains an application code, such as a media player. The code, when executed, would then generate the application window 10 and implement the following described procedures.

[0013] As best seen in FIG. 1, an index 24 of a plurality of media files is displayed in a first one 26 of the panes 16, first selected information 28 for the media files is displayed in a second one 30 of the panes 16 and second selected information 32 for the media files is displayed in a third one 34 of the panes 16. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first selected information 28 is an index of a plurality of artists associated with each of the media files, and the second selected information 32 is an index of a plurality of albums associated with each of the media files. Each of the artist and album indices may further be selectable by a user of the computer 20 through its user interface to limit, respectively, the display of the index 24 of the media files to selected ones of the media files associated with the selected one of said artists, or to selected ones of the media files associated with one of the albums. It is to be understood that the term user interface as used herein may also include, as required to perform the procedures set forth herein, a keyboard 36 or mouse 38, as best seen in FIG. 11.

[0014] In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a browse button 40a,selectable through the user interface, may be displayed. Selecting the browse button 40atoggles the window 10 between all of the panes 16 being displayed and only a selected one of the panes 16 being displayed. For example, the selected one of the panes 16 may be the first one 26 of the panes 16. As best seen in FIG. 2, only the selected one of the panes 16 is displayed in the window 10 in lieu of the other ones of the panes 16 when the window is toggled.

[0015] As best seen in FIG. 1, the index 24 of the media files includes columnar categories 42a,42b,42cfor each of the media files. As is known, the index 24 is sortable by each of the categories 42a,42b,42c.To implement such sorting, a plurality of heading buttons 44a,44b,44c,associated with a respective one of the categories 42a,42b,42c,may be displayed. Each of the heading buttons 44a,44b,44care selectable through the user interface, such as by using the mouse 38 to place a cursor over the desired button and then performing a mouse click, to sort the index 24 by the respective one of the categories 42a,42b,42c.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the index 24 may further include a plurality of check boxes 46 also selectable through the user interface. As best seen in FIG. 1, each of the check boxes is associated with a respective one of each of the media files in the index 24. Status information 48 concerning the media files for which the associated one of the check boxes 46 has been selected may further be displayed in a selected portion of the frame 12.

[0017] In addition to the hereinabove described panes 16, a fourth one 50 of the panes 16 may contain information relating to a plurality of selectable sources 52 for the media files. For example, a first one 54 of the sources 52 may be a library source of all or selected ones of the media files stored in the disk 22 of the computer 20. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, when the library source is selected the first one 26, the second one 30 and the third one 34 of the panes 16 are displayed.

[0018] A second one 56 of the sources 52 may include a radio tuner. As best seen in FIG. 3, when the radio tuner is selected through the user interface, a fifth one 58 of the panes 16 is displayed in lieu of said first, second and third ones of said panes. The fifth one 58 of the panes 16 includes an index 60 of genre of the media files. Similarly as described hereinabove, the index 60 of genre may also include columnar categories 62a,62bfor each of the genre of the media files, and such categories 62a,62bmay also be sortable by each of these categories 62a,62b.Accordingly, a heading button 64a,64b,for each respective one of the categories 62a,62bmay be displayed in the fifth one 58 of the panes 16. Each of the heading buttons 64a,64bare selectable through the user interface to sort the index 60 of genre by the respective one of the categories 62a,62b.

[0019] As also seen in FIG. 3, user selectable refresh button 40bmay also be displayed in the frame 12 when the radio tuner has been selected. Selection of the refresh button 40bconnects the user computer 20 to the Internet 66, as best seen in FIG. 11, to obtain refreshed information for the media files, such as from a file server 68 or an Internet radio 70, and update the index 60 of genre as needed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the browse button 40adescribed in conjunction with FIGS. 1-2, and the refresh button 40bmay be the same button which changes states and icons in accordance with the selection of one of the sources 52, as described in commonly owned, copending application Ser. No. 09/757,109 filed on Jan. 8, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention, a third one 72 of the sources 52 may include a user definable playlist. Selected ones of the media files may be added to the playlist by dragging and dropping through the user interface from the index 24 of the media files to an icon 74 for the playlist in the fourth one 50 of the panes 16, as is known in the art. As best seen in FIG. 4, when the playlist icon 74 is selected, an index 76 of media files contained in the selected playlist is displayed in a sixth one 78 of the panes 16 in lieu of the first one 26, the second one 30 and the third one 34 of the panes 16 (FIG. 1).

[0021] Similarly as described hereinabove, the index 76 of the selected playlist may also include columnar categories 80a-efor each of the media files contained in the playlist. Each of the categories 80a-emay also be sortable. Accordingly, a plurality of heading buttons 82a-efor each respective one of the categories 80a-efor the index 76 of the selected playlist are selectable through the user interface to sort this index 76.

[0022] As best seen in FIG. 4, when a playlist is selected, a burn CD button 40cmay also be displayed in the frame 12. Selecting through the user interface of the burn CD button 40cinitiates a further procedure allowing media files indicated in said selected playlist to be recorded onto a compact disk. Also as described hereinabove, the burn CD button 40cmay be the same as the browse button 40adescribed in conjunction with FIGS. 1-2, and the refresh button 40bdescribed in conjunction with FIG. 3 which changes states and icons in accordance with the selection of one of the sources 52, as described in the hereinabove referenced application.

[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, a user selectable button 84 in a selected portion of the frame may also be displayed. Selecting of the button 84 through the user interface causes a new user definable playlist to be added to the sources 52.

[0024] As best seen in FIG. 5, another user selectable button 86 may be displayed in the frame 12. Selection of this button 86 may develop a visual effect in the window 10 in lieu of the panes 16. The visual effect may be developed responsive to at least one parameter of one of the media files while used by the media player.

[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 6-9, a search box 88 may be disposed in a selected portion of the frame 12. In this embodiment of the present invention, the search box is adapted to receive through the user interface successive characters of a search term or search string. As each one of the characters of the search string are entered, the index 24 of the media filed is automatically searched. In response to the search being performed, the index 24 of the media files is refreshed such that only selected ones of the media filed in the index 24 that match the successive ones of said characters are displayed.

[0026] In further reference to the flow chart 90 of FIG. 12, a search character is entered into the search box 88, as indicated 92. For example, as seen in FIG. 6, the character “p” may be entered into the search box 88. A query is made to determine if an artist or album has heretofore been selected, as indicated at 94. If yes, then the “All” selection of the artist and album is automatically selected, as indicated at 96, so that the index 24 may be refreshed, as indicated at 98, so that the entire index 24 is searched for this character, instead of the limited selected index 24 as described above when an artist or album had been selected. Upon the character “p” being entered, the index 24 is then displayed, as indicated at 100, to contain only those media files which contain this search character. Also as seen in FIG. 6, the status information 48 is also refreshed indicating that fewer media files are now selected.

[0027] The flow process of FIG. 12 repeats for each subsequent character entered into the search box 88. Progressively in FIGS. 7-9, the characters “r”, “i” and “m” are appended to the search string. In each of FIGS. 7-9, it is clearly shown that the index 24 of the media files becomes successively more limited, and the status information 88 also further refreshed, until only one match remains, as seen in FIG. 9.

[0028] With reference to FIG. 10, a plurality of user selectable control buttons 102 may be disposed in a selected portion of the frame 12. As is conventionally known, the control buttons 102 control execution of the media player, such as play, fast forward and fast reverse, when calling content from the media files in said index 24. Furthermore the media player may only call content from only user selected ones of the media files, such as through selection of the check boxes 46. At least one user selectable slider 104 in association with the control buttons 102 may also be displayed. The slider 104 controls at least one parameter of content of the media files, such as volume. A status pane 106 may also be displayed in a selected portion of the frame 12. The status pane 106 displays status of content of one of the media files when called by the media player. The stiles 14 are movable in the window 10 to change selectively through the user interface dimensions of the panes 16.

[0029] There has been described hereinabove exemplary preferred embodiments of a graphic user interface for a media player. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the hereinabove described exemplary preferred embodiments without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Accordingly, the present invention is to be described solely by the scope of the appended claims.