Patent Application
20090323260
Personal media players such as MP3 (Moving Pictures Expert Group, MPEG-1, audio layer 3) players, and other devices like PDAs (personal digital assistants), mobile phones, smart phones, and the like typically enable users to interact with and consume media content such as music and video. Such players are generally compact and lightweight and operate on battery power to give users a lot of flexibility in choosing when and where to consume media content. As a result, personal media players have become widely accepted and used in all kinds of environments, including those where users are very active or out and about in their busy lifestyles. For example, when at the beach, a user might watch an episode of a favorite television show. The personal media player can then be placed in a pocket so that the user can listen to music while exercising, or when riding on the train back home.
Personal media players commonly provide a lock switch that when set to the ‘Locked’ position disables the user controls so that stray pushes or other activations are ignored. This can be a useful feature particularly when the player is being used on the go and could easily get bumped. In addition, if the personal media player is turned off when the switch is set to ‘Locked’, the player cannot be turned on accidentally and have its battery get run down. While current locking arrangements can often perform satisfactorily, additional features and functionalities would still be desirable.
This Background is provided to introduce a brief context for the Summary and Detailed Description that follow. This Background is not intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter nor be viewed as limiting the claimed subject matter to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages or problems presented above.
In a personal media player, a slide and click combination switch enables several operational functions to be integrated into a single interface. In various illustrative examples, the operational functions include user control lock and power state management. The combination switch includes a button that is arranged to laterally slide between two discrete switch positions (locked and unlocked) as well as move axially between unactuated and actuated positions against a spring force that is normally biased towards the unactuated position. The button can thus be clicked by a user to provide a momentary contact, or be clicked and held in the actuated position. When the button is slid to the locked position, the button cannot be actuated, the user controls on the personal media player are disabled, and the power status of the player (i.e., either on or off) is maintained in its current state. When the button is slid to the unlocked position, the user controls on the player are enabled, and the button may be actuated to implement different device power management scenarios.
When the button is in the unlocked position and clicked, the power state of the personal media player may be toggled between ‘On’ and ‘Off.’ When the button is in the unlocked position, the use of the ‘Click’, and ‘Click and Hold’ features, enable the user to switch the personal media player between three power states including ‘On,’ ‘Off,’ and ‘Standby.’ In the ‘Standby’ state, the operations of the player will typically be minimal and the display screen will be deactivated. Manipulation of any user control on the player, or another click of the button in the combination switch will toggle the player back to the full ‘On’ power state from the ‘Standby’ state.
Advantageously, the present slide and click combination switch provides a compelling user interface that is intuitive and easy to use to control the locking and power management features in the player. In addition, combining multiple operational functions into a single control reduces control proliferation which is often important from both device packaging and aesthetic points of view.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Like reference numerals indicate like elements in the drawings. Elements are not drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated.
The usage environment 100 for portable devices commonly extends to a home or office environment when a device is being synchronized with other devices or being charged. For example,
The dock 206 also typically provides a charging functionality to charge an onboard battery in the personal media player 110 when it is docked. It is noted that the sync cable 212 may also be directly coupled to the personal media player 110 (i.e., without the player being inserted into the dock 206). However, the dock 206 may generally be used to position the docked personal media player 110 into a convenient position so that the player's display 222 may be easily seen and the controls 225 readily accessed by the user 105.
The synchronization process implemented between the PC 220 and the personal media player typically enables media content such as music, video, images, games, information, and other data to be selected by a user and then downloaded from an on-line source or media content delivery service 234 over a network 241 such as the Internet to the PC 220. The downloaded media content can then be transferred and stored in the docked media player shuttle. In this way, the PC 220 operates as an intermediary or proxy device between the service 234 and the personal media player 110.
The user controls 225, in this example, include a gesture pad 428, called a G-Pad, which combines the functionality of a conventional directional pad (i.e., a “D-pad”) with a touch sensitive surface as described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/987,399, filed Nov. 12, 2007, entitled “User Interface with Physics Engine for Natural Gestural Control,” owned by the assignee of the present application and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety having the same effect as if set forth in length. A “back” button 430 and a “play/pause” button 436 are also provided. However, other types of user controls may also be used depending on the requirements of a particular implementation. The user 105 will manipulate the user controls 225 to make selections of media content, control operation of the personal media player 110, set preferences, and the like through the GUI 410.
An audio jack 430 is located on the top of the body 432 of the personal media player 110. The audio jack 430 interfaces with a corresponding plug 434 that is located at the end of the earphones 120.
In addition to lateral linear motion within the slot 506, the button 503 may be actuated, in some cases, along an axial motion path. The button 503 is provided with a spring force that is normally biased in an unactuated position, which in this example, is in an upward position for the button 503. The button 503 can thus be actuated by the user 105 to provide a momentary contact in a ‘Click’ mode, or be utilized in a ‘Click and Hold’ mode where the button is held by the user in the actuated (i.e., down) position for a period of time such as a second or two (i.e., non-momentary contact). Use of these actuation modes is discussed below in the power management scenarios shown in
It is noted that the total axial excursion of the button 503 in the slide and click combination switch 405 can vary by implementation. In addition, the position of the button in its unactuated (i.e., ‘up’) position with respect to the top surface of the personal media player 110 may also vary. In some cases, for example, it may be desirable to set the unactuated position of the button 503 so that it has a relatively low profile with respect to the player 110.
The button 503 is arranged to laterally slide between two discrete switch positions (i.e., switch states) that are located at either end of the button's travel path in the slot 506. In this particular example as shown in
When the user 105 slides the button 503 to the ‘Locked’ switch position 514, the slide and click combination switch 405 can interact through an interface in the player 110 to implement locking functionality in the player 110. Illustratively, the locking functionality includes disabling the user controls 225 and maintaining the power status of the player 110 in its current state. For example, if the player 110 is turned on and operating when the user 105 slides the button 503 to the ‘Locked’ switch position 514, the player will stay on and continue operating (for example, by playing successive songs in a playlist) and any attempted actuations of the user controls 225 will be ignored.
Likewise, if the personal media player 110 is off and not operating when the user 105 slides the button 503 to the ‘Locked’ switch position 514, the player will stay off even if the user controls 225 are manipulated. Locking the player 110 can be helpful to prevent the onboard battery from being run down inadvertently when the player is being stored, for example in a pocket or backpack, where the user controls 225 are exposed and could be actuated unintentionally. In addition, when the button 503 is slid to the ‘Locked’ position 514, it cannot be clicked (i.e., actuated axially downward).
With such minimized operations, the player 110 will suspend currently playing media content, but will not shut down. Instead, readiness will be maintained to resume full operations by another ‘Click’ 915 of the button 503 which switches the player 110 back to the ‘On’ state 804. In addition to using the button 503, the activation of any user control 225 will also switch the player 110 from ‘Standby’ to ‘On.’ When back in the ‘On’ power state 804, the display 222 is turned back on and the suspended playback of media content will be resumed. Use of the ‘Standby’ power state 910 will advantageously help to preserve battery power while eliminating the boot up time that is normally required when the personal media player 110 is started from the fully ‘Off’ power state 807.
If the player 110 is in the ‘On’ power state 804 and a ‘Click and Hold’ operation is performed by the user 105 using the button 503 as indicated by reference numeral 918, then the personal media player 110 will be switched to the ‘Off’ power state 807. The amount of time that the button 503 needs to be actuated to disambiguate a ‘Click’ from a ‘Click and Hold’ can vary. Typically if the button is actuated and held in a down position for several seconds the action will be recognized as a ‘Click and Hold’ operation.
As with the first illustrative scenario shown in
The digital media processing system 1002 is the central processing system for the personal media player 110 and provides functionality that is similar to that provided by the processing systems found in a variety of electronic devices such as PCs, mobile phones, PDAs, handheld game devices, digital recording and playback systems, and the like.
Some of the primary functions of the digital media processing system 1002 may include receiving media content files downloaded to the player 110, coordinating storage of such media content files, recalling specific media content files on demand, and rendering the media content files into audio/visual output on the display for the user 105. Additional features of the digital media processing system 1002 may also include searching external resources for media content files, coordinating DRM (digital rights management) protocols for protected media content, and interfacing directly with other recording and playback systems.
As noted above the digital media processing system 1002 further comprises three subsystems: the video rendering subsystem 1035 which handles all functionality related to video-based media content files, which may include files in MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) and other formats; the audio rendering subsystem 1038 which handles all functionality related to audio-based media content including, for example music in the commonly-utilized MP3 format and other formats; and the image rendering subsystem 1030 which handles all functionality related to picture-based media content, including for example JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), GIF (Graphic Interchange Format), and other formats. While each subsystem is shown as being logically separated, each may in fact share hardware and software components with each other and with the rest of the personal media player 110, as may be necessary to meet the requirements of a particular implementation.
Functionally coupled to the digital media processing system 1002 is the user interface system 1008 through which the user 105 may exercise control over the operation of the personal media player 110. A display unit system 1013 is also functionally coupled to the digital media processing system 1002 and may comprise the display screen 222 (
The data port system 1024 is also functionally coupled to the digital media processing system 1002 and provides a mechanism by which the personal media player 110 can interface with external systems in order to download media content. The data port system 1024 may comprise, for example, a data synchronization connector port, a network connection (which may be wired or wireless), or other means of connectivity.
The personal media player 110 has a power source system 1028 that provides power to the entire device. The power source system 1028 in this example is coupled directly to the digital media processing system 1002 and indirectly to the other systems and subsystems throughout the player. The power source system 1028 may also be directly coupled to any other system or subsystem of the personal media player 110. Typically, the power source may comprise a battery, a power converter/transformer, or any other conventional type of electricity-providing power source, personal or otherwise.
The physical components include a central processor 1102 coupled to a memory controller/chipset 1106 through, for example, a multi-pin connection 1112. The memory controller/chipset 1106 may be, in turn, coupled to random access memory (“RAM”) 1115 and/or non-volatile memory 1118 such as solid-state or Flash memory. These physical components, through connectivity with the memory controller/chipset 1106, may be collectively coupled to a hard disk drive 1121 (or other solid-state memory) via a controller 1125, as well as to the rest of the functional component systems via a system bus 1130.
In the power supply system 1028, a rechargeable battery 1132 may be used to provide power to the components using one or more connections (not shown). The battery 1132, in turn, may also be coupled to the external AC power adapter 305 (
The display screen 222 is associated with a video graphics controller 1134. The video graphics controller will typically use a mix of software, firmware, and/or hardware, as is known in the art, to implement the GUI on the display screen 222. Along with the audio jack 430 and its associated audio controller/codec 1139, these components comprise the display unit system 1013 and may be directly or indirectly connected to the other physical components via the system bus 1130.
The user controls 225 are associated with a user control interface 1142 in the user interface system 1008 that implements the user control functionality that is used to support the interaction with the GUI as described above. A network port 1145 and associated network interface 1148, along with the sync port 1153 and its associated controller 1152 may constitute the physical components of the data port system 1024. These components may also directly or indirectly connect to the other components via the system bus 1130.
It will be appreciated that the principles of the present slide and click combination switch may be generally applied to other devices beyond media players. Such devices include, for example, mobile phones, PDAs, smart phones, handheld game devices, ultra-mobile computers, devices including various combinations of the functionalities provided therein, and the like.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
