Abstract: A media player is adapted to organize and display nearby media device information between communicating media devices before a complete connection is established. A nearby media device receives a message that is either generally or specifically sent from another media device. The nearby device determines whether the sending media device is blocked and whether to accept the message. The nearby device accepts the message if it originates from a compatible source. If the message is accepted, the nearby device sends an acknowledgement message containing a unique device name and a device status to the sending device. The sending device then displays the unique device name and status.

Abstract: By adjusting visual settings on a display behind a section of a background to emphasize menu options, a user can determine the status in the series of menus and sub-menus and can better read the menu options.

Abstract: Entertainment devices often display interfaces that are perceived from a distance. To render the interface intelligible at a distance, a limited interface is used. However, often the user is presented with a large number of choices, which can be tedious and time-consuming to review using such a limited interface. The selection from among multiple sorting mechanisms, all from within a single screen, can enable the user to quickly sort, in the manner most appropriate for that user, the available choices. If the sorting order results in the relevant choices being listed last, a reverse sort option can be used, again from within the same screen.

Abstract: Media devices that transfer content to other devices may man age a user's received media files by creating a media device inbox. Shared content may be stored in an inbox cache that is separate from the device's main content library to exclude limited-access inbox content from interaction with the device's main library. Further, inbox content may be altered upon expiration to reduce resource consumption and inbox clutter.

Abstract: A media object being played by a user may be marked by creating a mark object comprising the playback time when the mark was created. The time may be used to reference metadata with information about the media object at the time referenced. The metadata may be used to launch web searches corresponding to elements of the media at the time in question, for example, a back up singer at a point in a music track or the name of a resort in a movie. The searches may be performed from media player or the mark object may be transferred to a networked computer for performing the searches. The technique is equally applicable to portable media players, software or firmware media players on computers, or set top boxes.

Abstract: A user may always know that on a portable media device, by pressing an input field in particular location, such as the input field to the right of the center point of a plurality of input fields, the same function may occur no matter what the orientation of the device.

Abstract: A larger display can be directly attached to the portable device to enhance the experience of the portable device. In the case of video or pictures, the optimal resolution shows on the attachable display. When the attachable display is not connected, the local display on the device shows the appropriate resolution for the local display. The attachable display has a processor for decoding video from the device.

Abstract: User interfaces or input devices are provided with both touch-sensitive (e.g., capacitive) and mechanical hardware input portions. Mechanical switches are overlaid with a touch sensitive pad, providing improved versatility of input. An application programming interface (API) enables different modes of input operation for the mechanical and touch sensitive input portions, whereby various combinations and/or permutations of touch sensitive input portions and/or mechanical input portions are enabled or disabled to provide optimal input characteristics for a set of tasks at hand. Visual or audio indicators may be utilized to reveal the mode of operation to the user. The touch sensitive pad may be a capacitive touchpad, a touch sensitive display screen, a conveyor belt or a push pad. Up to 9 mechanical switches may be placed underneath the touch sensitive input portions.

Abstract: A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device.

Abstract: An active preview is played while navigating media items. The active preview automatically provides a user with more information about the media item such that they may more easily determine its content before having to commit to playing it back fully or navigating deeper into the media item. The active preview may be a selected segment of the media item, a random selection from the media item, or some other media content that is associated with the media item, such as a commercial or a trailer. The active preview may be for a single media item or may be for a collection of media items. The active preview may be shown automatically or may be shown based on an event, such as an event relating to the navigation through the media items.

Abstract: Improved scanning of digital video programs is provided for by adjusting scanning rates according to the length of the video program and/or the length of the remaining portion of the video program to be scanned. Shorter video programs are scanned at a slower speed, and longer video programs at a faster speed. In alternate embodiments, scanning speed is based in part on the length of the portion of the video program remaining to be scanned. Thus, when scanning in a video program a forward direction (“fast forward”) when only a given amount of the program remains to be scanned, the scanning speed is slowed. The amount of the program may be determined either according to a fixed length or relative to the length of the entire program. Additionally, in some embodiments, different scanning techniques are used based on the length of the video program being scanned or the length of the video program portion remaining to be scanned.

Abstract: A hierarchical system is used to store data items easily capable of thumbnail representation (such as images). Such a hierarchical system may allow a folder (or other grouping) to contain both data items and sub-folders. The display of such a folder uses two display areas. In one display area, sub-folders are displayed using a list view, where text is the primary method for the display of the sub-folders which are contained in the folder. In the other display area, a grid view is used to display the data items. Thumbnail images are the primary components of the grid view. Functionality available to a user will change based on whether the user is browsing the list view or the grid view.

Abstract: Stylistically relevant cover images for media items are generated based on metadata for the media items. The cover images are placeholders that visually represent the media items until original cover images (if any) are found. In one implementation, the cover images incorporate design elements like font, background art, color schemes, and layout that are chosen from a collection of such elements based on the metadata. The cover images are therefore unique and stylistically relevant to corresponding media items.

Abstract: A collection of digital media is stored at a source device and transferred to a target device. A subset of the collection may be transferred based on a priority related to a points assigned by a user's rating of particular digital media and on rules based on particular user actions.

Abstract: A list of digital elements is represented by a list of graphical elements where one of the graphical elements is highlighted. The non-highlighted graphical elements are overlapped over one another based on particular overlapping heuristics.

Abstract: Described herein is a technology for facilitating a user-configurable model for managing synchronization, transfer, or copying of one or more subsets of a collection of digital data items between source and target computing systems.

Abstract: Improved systems and methods for navigating media via a user interface, such as a user interface provided on a handheld or portable computing device, are provided. The methods for navigating media of the invention extend the navigation experience by allowing bi-axial context shifts, e.g., with respect to substantially orthogonal directions, allowing a user to conceptually preserve context associated with the navigation experience, context that is lost in one-dimensional hierarchical navigation experiences. In one embodiment, the bi-axial navigation mechanism of the invention includes a drill down twist, i.e., the transformation of a parent list of a parent screen from a vertical list to a horizontal band when moving from the parent screen to the child screen and a horizontal browsing mechanism allowing a user to browse multiple lists using a continuous band of headers.

Abstract: Systems and methods for interfacing with playback of media by a media player are provided. By combining the functionality of fast forward and skip forward into a single button control, the invention reduces the numbers of control buttons that need be included on a device, reducing device costs and consumer “button overload.” In one embodiment, by pressing (and releasing) a forward button, media being rendered by a media player skips to a predetermined location in the media. By pressing and holding (and then releasing) the forward button, the media being rendered is fast forwarded according to algorithms for fast forwarding. A backward button covers skipping backward and fast reversing in a similar fashion. A device including a play/pause button and the described forward and backward buttons advantageously reduces the number of buttons required by two buttons.