USER INTERFACE FOR CREATING AND USING MEDIA KEYS

Abstract

User interface for creating and using media keys. A user interface is provided for outputting media data corresponding to one or more media keys. The same user interface may be used to output media data of different types. The user interface provides user selectable options for performing various actions such as scanning one or more media keys, accessing and loading media data corresponding to media keys, performing actions on the media data accessed for the media keys, generating media keys, creating collections and media keys for collections, performing actions on collections, and other actions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F depict various media keys according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a system that may be used to generate media keys according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a simplified high-level flowchart depicting processing for generating a media key according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram of modules that may be used to generate a media key according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a system that may be used to create media keys according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a simplified high-level flowchart depicting processing for generating a media key using previously generated media keys according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 depicts an example of a tablet reader that is configured to process multiple media keys according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram of a system that enables a user to use a media key to access media data corresponding to a media key according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a simplified high-level flowchart depicting processing performed for using a media key according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a simplified high-level flowchart depicting processing performed for using a media key corresponding to a collection of media data according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a simplified block diagram of modules that may be used to generate output media data for a media key according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 depicts a simplified system for transmission of digital media keys according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 depicts a simplified user interface that may be used for creating and/or using a media key according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 depicts a window that enables selection of a media source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 depicts a window that allows a user to select one or more media items or files to be loaded according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 depicts a user interface in which media items are displayed as a collection according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 depicts a user interface displaying an image of scanned media keys according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 depicts components of a collection area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 depicts a populated view of a collection area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 depicts a zoomed-in view of a complete view area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 depicts a zoomed-in version of a portion of a lens view area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 depicts an image generated for representing a collection where the collection comprises multiple media items according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 23 depicts components of a status area according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 depicts another user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25A depicts information displayed in the media output area upon selecting a media item comprising an image or photo according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25B depicts information displayed in the media output area upon selecting an audio or music media item according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25C depicts information displayed in the media output area upon selecting a media item comprising a playlist of music items according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25D depicts information displayed in the media output area upon selecting a video media item according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 25E depicts information displayed in the media output area upon selecting a media item comprising contact information according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 25F depicts information displayed in the media output area of a user interface upon selecting a media item comprising a document according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of using a media key, the method comprising: determining machine readable information from a media key;accessing a set of one or more media items using the machine readable information, the set of one or more media items storing media data;displaying a first set of visual representations for the set of one or more media items, each visual representation being individually selectable;displaying a set of user-selectable options, each user-selectable option corresponding to an action;receiving a signal indicating selection of a first user-selectable option from the set of user-selectable options; andperforming an action corresponding to the first user-selectable option using at least one media item from the set of one or more media items.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information indicating selection of a second set of one or more visual representations from the first set of visual representations, and wherein performing the action comprises performing the action corresponding to the first user-selectable option using media data from the one or more media items corresponding to one or more visual representations in the second set of visual representations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the action comprises: communicating media data from at least one media item in the set of one or more media items.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein: performing the action comprises determining contact information from a media item in the set of media items; andcommunicating the media data comprises communicating the media data from the at least one media item in the set of one or more media items to a person identified by the contact information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein performing the action comprises generating a second media key for at least one media item in the set of one or more media items, wherein media data stored by the at least one media item is accessible using the second media key.

6. A method of generating a media key, the method comprising: receiving information identifying media data;providing a user-selectable option for initiating generation of a media key;receiving a signal indicating selection of the user-selectable option; andresponsive to the signal, generating a media key for the identified media data, wherein the media data is accessible using the media key.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein generating the media key comprises: determining a data identifier for the identified media data;determining a decryption key for the identified media data;generating machine readable information comprising the data identifier and the decryption key; andassociating the machine readable information with the media key.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising displaying a set of visual representations for a set of media items storing media data, and wherein: receiving the information identifying the media data comprises receiving information indicating selection of one or more visual representations from the set of visual representations; andgenerating the media key comprises generating a media key for the media data stored by the one or more media items corresponding to the one or more visual representations selected from the set of visual representations.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein generating the media key comprises: for at least one visual representation from the one or more selected visual representations, determining a static visual representation for the media item corresponding to the at least one visual representation; andprinting the static visual representation on the media key.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the media key is a physical object.

11. A method of determining a collection of media items, the method comprising: providing a user interface comprising a set of user-selectable options;receiving a signal indicative of selection of a first user-selectable option from the set of user-selectable options;responsive to the signal, capturing an image of a set of media keys; anddetermining a collection of one or more media items based upon the image of the set of media keys.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the collection of one or more media items comprises: for each media key in the set of media keys: determining machine readable information for the media key from the image; andaccessing one or more media items for the media key using the machine readable information.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising: displaying a set of visual representations for the media items in the collection of media items, each visual representation corresponding to a media item in the collection of media items, each visual representation in the set of visual representations being individually selectable.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: receiving information indicating selection of one or more visual representations from the set of visual representations;receiving a signal indicative of selection of a second user-selectable option from the set of user-selectable options; andperforming an action corresponding to the second user-selectable option using the one or more media items corresponding to the selected one or more visual representations.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein displaying the set of visual representations comprises: for each visual representation in the set of visual representations, determining a category for the media item corresponding to the visual representation based upon the media data stored by the media item; anddisplaying the visual representation in a style representative of the determined category.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein displaying the visual representation in a style representative of the determined category comprises displaying the visual representation in a color representative of the determined category.

17. A method of using a media key, the method comprising: receiving machine readable information read from a media key;determining a data identifier and a decryption key from the machine readable information read from the media key;accessing media data corresponding to the media key using the data identifier;decrypting the media data using the decryption key to form decrypted media data;outputting the decrypted media data in a first area of a user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the user interface comprises a set of controls for controlling output of the decrypted media data.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the media data corresponding to the media key comprises at least one of audio data, video data, a photo, an image, a document, or contact information.

20. A system for using a media key, the system comprising: a reader adapted to read machine readable information from a media key; anda processor adapted to: access a set of one or more media items using the machine readable information, the set of one or more media items storing media data;cause a first set of visual representations to be displayed for the set of one or more media items, each visual representation being individually selectable;cause a set of user-selectable options to be displayed, each user-selectable option corresponding to an action;receive a signal indicating selection of a first user-selectable option from the set of user-selectable options; andcause an action to be performed corresponding to the first user-selectable option using at least one media item from the set of one or more media items.

21. A system for generating a media key, the system comprising: a display adapted to display a user-selectable option for initiating generation of a media key; anda processor adapted to: receive information identifying media data;receive a signal indicating selection of the user-selectable option; andresponsive to the signal, cause a media key to be generated for the identified media data, wherein the media data is accessible using the media key.