Here is a list patents that was granted to Apple today. There aren’t any ‘BOOM’ patent in this bunch, but what the heck – not everyday is christmas too.
Seamless switching between radio and local media
This relates to seamlessly switching between the playback of media broadcasts and locally stored media in a single electronic device. In particular, this relates to switching back and forth from media items received as part of a broadcast stream, such as a radio stream, and media items locally stored in memory of an electronic device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Using a radio system, a user can receive radio waves broadcast from a radio station and provide an audio output associated with the received radio waves. Similarly, an electronic device can use communications circuitry to receive media broadcasts from non-radio media or content sources. The content of a particular radio broadcast, or more generally of a media broadcast, can vary with time. For example, a media broadcast can include a succession of different media items (e.g., different songs). As another example, a media broadcast can include a succession of segments (e.g., a succession of conversations or interviews with different guests). As still another example, a media broadcast can include content provided by advertisers that is interspersed between media items.
A user, however, may not be interested in every media item provided as part of a broadcast stream. For example, a user may not like a particular song broadcast by a radio station, or may not like a particular segment of a talk radio station (e.g., the user does not like the topic or guest of the segment). As another example, a user may not be interested in content originally generated by sources other than the media source (e.g., advertisement content). Because the user has no control over the media broadcast, the user can typically only tune to a different media broadcast, or listen to or consume the broadcast content that is not of interest.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This is directed to systems, methods, devices and computer readable media for seamlessly switching the playback of media between a broadcast media stream and media locally available to an electronic device. For example, the broadcast stream can include a radio stream provided over any communications network, and the locally available media can include media locally stored in memory or storage of the electronic device, or media items available as a dedicated unicast stream (e.g., from a host device) to the electronic device.
To allow a user to only consume the media items of interest in a media broadcast, the electronic device can determine when an upcoming broadcast segment or media item is not of interest to the user, and switch the playback from the media broadcast to media items locally stored on (e.g., stored in memory) or accessible to the electronic device (e.g., available as an on-demand stream from the user’s host device). The electronic device can identify the current and future media items to be broadcast using any suitable approach. In some embodiments, the electronic device can identify specific media items, broadcast segments, or broadcast elements from metadata broadcast along with the media items (e.g., Radio Data System, or RDS data), broadcast listings or schedules available from or published by one or more media sources, analysis of the audio or video provided by the content source (e.g., audio analysis to identify a song or voice), or any other approach.
The electronic device can determine which media items are of interest to a user, or are not of interest to the user using any suitable approach. For example, the electronic device can compare media items to a user preference profile generated for each user of an electronic device. The preference profile can include any suitable information, including for example metadata values describing media items of interest or not of interest (e.g., preferred or disliked genres, artists, media types), specific media items (e.g., media items in which the user has indicated a level of interest or disinterest), or any other suitable information for determining a user’s media interests. The preference profile can be generated using any suitable approach, including for example monitoring a user’s playback history, requesting response to a questionnaire, or any other suitable approach.
When the electronic device determines that a current or upcoming media item in a broadcast stream is not of interest to a user, the electronic device can identify an appropriate local media item to play back instead of the media stream. In some embodiments, the electronic device can apply a relevance algorithm to select a particular media item that is of interest to the user. For example, the electronic device can apply the relevance algorithm to the last media item of interest of the media stream to select a locally stored media item. This may ensure that the user is provided with a substantially coherent media consumption experience.
Viscoelastic material for shock protection in an electronic device
This invention is directed to reducing the effect of shocks on electronic device components. The electronic device component may be surrounded by a boundary element operative to deform in response to impacts. By deforming, the boundary element may be operative to absorb energy received by the shock or impact without passing the energy on to the electronic device component. To maximize the effectiveness of the boundary element over a range of different impacts (e.g., strong, instantaneous impacts and weak impacts over time), a viscoelastic material may be used. The characteristic properties of the viscoelastic material may be selected based on expected impacts to the electronic device component.
Navigation history
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment represent previously-accessed data items as nodes in a tree or trees and display the tree or trees with the access time on an axis. The root node of a tree represents a data item accessed via an address entered by a user while a child node of the tree represents a data item selected from a parent node of the child node. In an embodiment, data items that were displayed in the same window as their parents have different connectors between their associated nodes than do data items that were displayed in different windows from their parents.
Heterogeneous video conferencing
Some embodiments provide an architecture for establishing a multi-participant conference. This architecture has one participant’s computer in the conference act as a central content distributor for the conference. The central distributor receives data (e.g., video and/or audio streams) from the computer of each other participant, and distributes the received data to the computers of all participants. In some embodiments, the central distributor receives A/V data from the computers of the other participants. From such received data, the central distributor of some embodiments generates composite data (e.g., composite image data and/or composite audio data) that the central distributor distributes back to the participants. The central distributor in some embodiments can implement a heterogeneous audio/video conference. In such a conference, different participants can participate in the conference differently. For instance, different participants might use different audio or video codecs. Moreover, in some embodiments, one participant might participate in only the audio aspect of the conference, while another participant might participate in both audio and video aspects of the conference.
A Edge-lit backlight unit with thin profile
An edge-lit backlight unit for a display is provided. In one embodiment, the backlight unit may include a light guide configured to receive light from a source and emit such light in a broad distribution to a turning film disposed over the light guide. The turning film may be configured to redirect light received from the light guide toward a normal of the turning film. In one embodiment, the light guide may be configured such that peak light distribution therefrom occurs at an incident angle of approximately sixty degrees, with broad light distribution substantially occurring over an angular range between incident angles of thirty-five and eighty-five degrees. Additionally, in one embodiment, the turning film may include multiple prisms that receive and redirect the light emitted from the light guide, and that include apex angles of less than or about sixty degrees. Additional edge-lit backlight units and methods are also disclosed.
DisplayPort control and data registers
Circuits, methods, and apparatus for registers to store information that may be used by devices in a display system. One example provides control and data registers in a display to store information pertaining to a display system that includes the display. The registers can store attributes of the display, a host device, and a branch device. The information may include an organizationally unique identifier, chip identification, major and minor chip revision information, and firmware major and minor revision information.
Hold switch
This invention is directed to a switch for use in an electronic device. As the user actuates the switch, different labels may be visible to indicate to the user the current state of the switch. To allow the switch to be positioned adjacent to an edge of the device, the switch may include only a single label that moves with the switch. For example, the switch may include a label positioned adjacent to a nub that the user may operate. The label may be sized such that only the label is visible when the switch is in a first position. The electronic device may also include a second label that is fixed to a non-moving portion of the electronic device. When the user moves the switch, the switch may move away from and uncover the second label while hiding the label that is included in the switch.
Multi-pin connector for advanced signaling
Receptacle connectors and male plug connectors having a reduced size in at least one direction can be provided. One example reduces height by not including a center contact tab or tongue, but instead places contacts on an insulator that is adjacent to a bottom portion of the receptacle. Another example may reduce width by reducing contact pitch, and may use a particular shape of contact to achieve god signal quality. Receptacle connectors and male plug connectors can also provide support for one or more new high-speed communication standards, such as USB 3.0 and DisplayPort. Methods can provide one or more standardized connector components to speed connector design and manufacture of new electronic devices such as media players, thus reducing their time to market.
Techniques and systems for supporting podcasting
Improved podcasts and techniques that facilitate their use are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to creating, publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts. According to one aspect, a client application can subscribe to podcasts and then automatically monitor the podcasts for updates to be downloaded. In the event that user interest in a podcast becomes inadequate, downloading of further updates can be restricted. According to another aspect, a podcast can be subscribed to through use of a portable subscription file. According to still another aspect, podcast feeds can be enhanced to include segment elements and other metadata.
Sources: USPTO
