Remote user interface for media player
AssigneesSony Electronics Inc., Sony Corporation
InventorsChristian Lars Almstrand, Prem Aandand Venkatesan, Hiroyuki Shinkai, Hirokazu Imazeki, Masahiko Seki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable media player communicates with a host computer for enabling a user of the player to manage media distribution using the control software of the host computer. The host computer can send a GUI that is displayed on the otherwise “dumb” player, and the user can view the GUI and press a single button to command the control software to download a media title to the player. The host computer can periodically poll the player to determine its status.
Claims10
A system for managing media distribution, comprising:
- at least one host computer;
- at least one media player including a display and at least one input device, the media player communicating with the host computer;
- and
- at least one software-implemented control module in the host computer and rendering a user interface (UI) on the player, wherein
- a user can manipulate the input device in cooperation with the UI to manage distribution and/or playback of media between the host computer and player, and further wherein the input device includes at least one button on the player, and a media stream is downloaded to the player in response to the user depressing the button once and only once, without requiring the user to depress any other buttons, wherein the player cannot initiate communication with the host computer.
(canceled)
A system for managing media distribution, comprising:
- at least one host computer;
- at least one disk player communicating with the host computer and separate therefrom;
- at least one media player including a display and at least one input device, the media player communicating with the host computer and with the disk player;
- and
- at least one software-implemented control module in the host computer and rendering a user interface (UI) on the player, wherein
- a user can manipulate the input device in cooperation with the UI to cause the host computer to cause a copy of a user-selected media file to be sent from the disk player to the media player.
5-15. (canceled)
A media player, comprising:
- electronic media storing at least one media stream;
- means for playing the stream;
- and
- a display for presenting a user interface (UI) generated by a host computer and transmitted from the host computer to the media player, wherein the player includes at least one light emitting diode (LED) and the host computer energizes the LED to indicate to the user the availability of a music title at a disk player with which the media player communicates so that a copy of the music title can be sent from the disk player to the media player under control of the host computer.
A media player, comprising:
- electronic media storing at least one media stream;
- means for playing the stream;
- and
- a display for presenting a user interface (UI) generated by a host computer and transmitted from the host computer to the media player, wherein the player includes an input device including at least one button, and a media stream is downloaded to the player from a disk player separate from the host computer in response to the user depressing the button once and only once, without requiring the user to depress any other buttons.
20-33. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.