User interface for controlling audio functions in a web browser

A client processing system for communicating over a network with at least one server processing system, the client processing system coupled to a display device, the client processing system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
• retrieving audio data from the server processing system;
• determining whether the retrieved audio data comprises a live audio stream;
• and
• upon receiving the retrieved audio data, displaying on the display device an audio control panel that includes a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects, when selected by a user, activates one of a plurality of audio functions that can be applied to the audio data, wherein, if it has been determined that the audio data comprises a live audio stream, at least one audio function that does not apply to live audio streams is disabled on the audio control panel by displaying a corresponding button on the audio control panel in a manner that indicates that the at least one audio function ia unavailable;
• receiving a user input designating one of the objects;
• and
• in response to the user input, performing one of the audio functions.

In a client processing system coupled to a server processing system over a network and coupled to a display device, a method of providing a user interface for controlling audio functions of the client processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving user input designating that an audio control panel is to be automatically displayed on the display device if audio information is being downloaded from the network;
• downloading audio information from the network;
• determining whether the downloaded audio information comprises a live audio stream;
• and
• in response to receiving the downloaded audio information, automatically displaying the audio control panel on the display device, the audio control panel including a plurality of displayable objects, wherein each of the displayable objects, when selected by a user, activates one of a plurality of audio functions that can be applied to the downloaded audio information, wherein, if it has been determined that the downloaded audio information comprises a live audio stream, at least one audio function that does not apply to live audio streams is disabled on the audio control panel by displaying a corresponding button on the audio control panel in a manner that indicates that the at least one audio function is unavailable.

In a networked computer system that includes a plurality of servers and a plurality of clients that are interconnected with the plurality of servers, one or more of the plurality of clients including a processor that provides a graphical user interface displayed on a television set, enabling information from the Internet to be displayed thereon, a method of a method of providing a user interface for controlling audio functions associated with audio data, the method comprising the acts of:

• at one of the plurality of clients, determining that said one of the plurality of clients is receiving audio data from one of the plurality of servers;
• determining whether the audio data comprises a live audio stream;
• and
• in response to determining that said one of the plurality of clients is receiving audio data, displaying, on a display device associated with said one of the plurality of clients, an audio control panel that provides a user interface for allowing a user to control a plurality of audio functions associated with the audio data, wherein, if it has been determined that the audio data comprises a live audio stream, at least one audio function that does not apply to live audio streams is disabled on the audio control panel, by displaying a corresponding button on the audio control panel in a manner that indicates that the at least one audio function is unavailable so as to communicate to the user whether the at least one audio function applies to the audio data.