device. For example, a few pushbuttons are usually provided to mrfon‘n all of the device’s
`
`control functions. Using such a compact user interface to navigate and select among hundreds of
`
`songs is ineflicient and often frustrating. The display screen can only show a few song titles at
`
`one time, and the limited controls make it difficult for a userto arbitrarily select, or move among,
`
`.
`
`the songs.
`
`'
`
`The creation of playlists is one technique to organize the playing of songs. A set
`
`of songs can be included in a playlist which is given a name and stored. When the playlist is
`accessed. the set of songs can be played utilizing various formats such as sequential play or
`shuffle.
`i
`.
`
`However, the cmtion of playlists itself becomes problematic as the number of
`songs increases, since the user often arbitrarily selects songs from a large number of tracks to
`
`form a playlist. This selection mechanism: can be fairly tedious; does not necessarily produce
`
`playlists that are of interest to the user over the course of time; may not remain up-to-date if new
`songs are added that logically fit into a previously created playlist (e.g. “Favorites by Band X“
`might become out of date if a new‘favorite by Band X is added after the playlist was created);
`
`and leads to “lost” songs that are not members of any playlist.
`
`Accordingly, improved techniques for organizing and grouping tracks useful in a
`portable music player are needed. Further, it is desirable to provide a use; interface suitable for a
`small device. The user interface should allow a user to efficiently navigate among, and select
`.from, many items stored in the device.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention provides an efficient user interface for a small Enable music player. The -
`
`invention is suitable for use with a limited display area and small number of controls to allow a
`user to efficiently and intuitively navigate among, and select, songs to be played. By using the
`
`inventign, veg lgge numbers of songs can be easily accessed and played.
`
`-
`
`One as cc! 0 t e ' vc tio inc udes an ove la
`
`in hierarch ofcate ories.
`
`Categ‘cries include items that can also be included in other categories so that the categories
`
`“overlap" with each other. Thus, a song title can be accessed in multiple different ways by
`starting with diFferent categories. For example, a preferred embodiment of the invention uses the
`
`IO
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5013
`
`

`

`toglevel categories “Albums”, “Artists", "Genres" (or files), and “Play Lists". Within the
`Albums categog are names of different albums pt songs stored in the device. Within each
`
`album are the album tracks, or songs, associated with that album. Similarly, the Artists categog
`
`includes names of artists which are, in turn, associated with their albums and songs, The Genre
`categog includes tms ot categories of music such as "Roch, “flip Hop", “Rap", “Easy
`
`Listening”, etc. Within these sub-categories are found associated songs. Finally, the “Play
`
`Lists" categoty includes collections of albums and/or songs which are typically defined by the
`1158!.
`
`Advantageous use is made of the overlapping hierarchy to allow the user to
`
`10
`
`quickly designate a songfor playback, The device uses three “sofl” pushbuttons that have
`
`assignable functions. The interface maintains consistent button functionality whenevet: mssiblg'
`and uses uniform command names and omrations on different types of items so that the ipterface
`
`is more intuitive, For example, the user cgt cm and Queue both albums and songs with
`
`predictable results.
`
`l5
`
`,
`
`The interface also provides for mpltiple functions for-a single control. For
`
`example, a “Play" button c_a_rt act, in a first functiop, to play a currently-selected song. The Play _
`button can act, in a second function, to cycle through different playback modes. The modes cg;
`
`be, e.g., (l ) playback of songs from a hard disk“, (2) playback of music from a radio receiver built
`into the device; and (3 t playback of voice messages. The first function for the Play button can be
`
`20
`
`activated by momentarily depressing the Play button for a short period of time. The second
`
`function is invoked by deprgsing the Play button for a longer p_etjod oftime whereupon the .
`device cycles through the diffmnt modes. Other ways of invoking the functions are mssiblc
`
`such as whete the second function is automatically entered from a powered-down state,
`
`.25
`
`In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for selecting songs to be
`playedin an electronic audio device, wherein the device includes a display and one or more user
`
`input controls, wherein songs are organized into categories, albums, wherein songs and albums
`are associated with artist names. The method includes steps of displan'ng categories on the
`
`display; accepting sigpals from a user input control to select a categog; displaying one or more
`
`songs in the selected catggou on the diglay; accepting sigpals from a user input control to select
`
`30
`
`it displayed song; and entering selected songs into a playlist Queue, wherein the device plays
`back songs in the playlist gueue.
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5014
`
`

`

`According to one aspect ofthe present invention. a technique is provided for
`organizing tracks on a portable music player by automatically filing tracks in a hierarchical order
`based on attributes of the tracks.
`
`According to another aspect of the invention, metadata is associated with each
`
`5
`'
`
`track that is used to automatically define the track's appropriate place in the hierarchy.
`According to another aspect of the invention, the hierarchy is displayed on the
`portable music player so that a user can traverse the organizational hierarchy to find individual
`
`tracks.orfind playlists composed of logical groups of tracks.
`According to another aspect of the invention, the hierarchyts derived by using
`-
`10 metadata associated with the audio content that was obtained through any source of metadata
`(cg. CDDB metadata, id3v2 metadata, other obtainable metadata) and subsequently stored with
`or alongside the file that stores the track.
`V
`According to another aspect of the invention, a file is formatted so that an
`unaltered track is stored as file data and information about the track is stored in file attribute
`files.
`
`15
`
`Other features andadvantages of the invention will be apparent'tn View of the
`followingdetailed description and appended drawings.
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`Fig. l is a schematic diagram of a tree structure for hierarchical filing of tracks;
`
`Fig. 2 is a definition file that specifies the hierarchy depicted in Fig. I;
`
`Fig. 3 is a user's view of the hierarchy;
`
`Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a user interface displaying the hierarchical
`.
`category structure;
`I
`A
`Fig. 5 is a diagram of a file format for storing filed data and file attributes;
`
`Fig. 6 is a flow chart depicting steps for filing tracks according to thehierarchicnl
`
`tree structure;
`
`'
`
`Fig. 7 depicts a tree resulting from searching the tracks; and
`
`Fig. 8 depicts a format for a user interface[[.]];
`
`Fig. 9 illustrates the NOMAD Jukebox and its user interface controls;
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5015
`
`

`

`Eig. l0 illustrates a sequence of display screens describing how to navigate to
`
`MM:
`
`Fig. ll illustrates associations among iIems;
`
`Fig, I2 showg disglay sereeng used to search for a song a; other item;
`Fig. 13 illustrates detail; of different items; and
`
`Fig. 14 illustrates a glayback device coupled to a host eomguter system.
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5016
`
`

`

`DETAILED DESCRIYTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in‘ the context of a
`portable personal player that plays audio files stored in memory. The files may be in MP3, wav.
`or other digital formats.
`4
`i
`h
`'
`In the presently described embodiment, users are able to see the tracks on their
`player in some organized fashion other than as a single list of tracks. As will be described in
`
`5
`
`more detail below, in one embodiment tracks are sorted utilizing a tree structure having branches
`
`labeled according to types of metadnta associated with the tracks
`
`For example, a track recorded as “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles that appears
`
`10
`
`on their album “Hey Jude’; might appear as a track under the album “Abbey Road” as well as a
`
`track under the list of tracks by the Beatles. It might appear as a track under the genre “Pop
`Rock" as well as “Songs from the 60‘s." Furthermore, the organization can have more'complcx
`
`hierarchies. For example, the category of “Pop Rock" might contain subcategories “British
`
`I
`
`' Musicians.” “American Musicians" and “Other Musicians”. In all cases, the track is
`
`l5
`
`automatically filed into all appropriate locations without requiring user interaction.
`\
`In the currently defined embodiment, a tree structure is defined by a file having
`the following structure.
`'
`i
`i The first line of a TrecDefinf file contains a version number:
`V l .0
`
`20
`
`.
`
`Each subsequent line (at least in VI .0) contains lines of the following format:
`CATEGORY_NAMEITRACK_TYPE_MASKICATEG ORY_STRUCTURE '
`
`CATEGORY_NAME9 are the top-level names of the branch under which tracks ,
`are sorted. They include things like “Album,” “Artist," “Voice Tracks," “All Track," etc.
`
`TRACK_TYPE_MASK5 tell which types of tracks are to be filed under this
`25 . particular branch. The actual value is a hexadecimal numerical value (in ‘0x' format, e.g. 0x0l)
`
`generated by ORing the following flags together as appropriate:
`
`enum tTrackType
`
`i
`
`30
`
`k'l'lNothing=0xOO,
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5017
`
`

`

`kTTSong=0x01,
`kTTVoice=0x02,
`
`kTFBook=0$c04,
`
`k1TMacro=0x08,
`
`kmlaylisr=0x10
`
`);
`
`‘ So, for example, the “Album" branch has a TRACK_TYPE_MASK of kTI‘Song,
`
`because only songs are filed under that branch, but the “All Tracks” branch has a
`
`TRACK_'I'YPE_MASK of (kTTSong | kTTVoicc | k'I'I'Book).
`
`Other elements niight be, added to tTrackType (mg. k'l'l'Video) as appropriate.
`CATEGORY_STRUCTUREs tell how to file the songs based on their metadata
`infon-nation. The CATEGORY_STRUCTURE is a string of characters that tell, from left to .
`right. the order of hierarchy. The characters come from the following enum constants:
`
`enum tFileTag
`
`_ {
`
`kFTNone=‘@‘,
`
`kF’leckTypc=’l",
`
`kP'I'l‘itleé'N',
`kl‘TAudioFiledF',
`
`kFI‘Arti st='M',
`
`kl-‘I'Album‘fiL',
`
`kFI‘Gcnre—‘JG’,
`RFI‘SourcedS',
`
`_
`
`kFI'YenF’ Y‘,
`
`kFTArtistCountry=’ C’
`
`1;
`
`10
`
`15
`
`'20
`
`30
`
`Thus, a CATEGORY_STRUCTURE of LN tells to create a subcategory that is a
`list of Albums, each of which contains a list of Tracks.
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5018
`
`

`

`In total, a line like:
`
`AlbumIOXOl |LN
`' says to create a branch called "Album" which contains tracks of type kTI'Song
`organized first by album nameI and then by track name.
`
`5
`
`The following is an example of a tree definition file similar (though not identical)
`
`to the hierarchy presented in the Nomad Jukebox product (the ‘3' before each FileTag was used ‘
`
`to identify that these are basic tags so that we wouldn‘t run out of letters in the alphabet as we
`included more complex metadataf- thus each group of two letters represents a level in the
`hierarchy):
`
`to ‘
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`V1.0
`
`_
`
`l
`
`Album|0x01 [BLBN
`
`Artist|0x01|BMl3N
`
`GmreleOl lBGBN
`Voice TracklexOZlBSBGBN
`
`PIaylistlexlOlBN
`
`Macros]0x08lBN
`All Traclcs|OxO7lBN
`
`Fig. 1 depicts a hypothetical organization hierarchy. The tree shows how tracks
`might be listed (as leaves in the tree) after having been organized. Bitample values for nodes in
`the tree are shown as Well. The same track may appmr more than once as a leafin the tree, as
`
`described above, if it fits into multiple categories (c.g. a song that appears on the Abbey Road
`branch would also appear in the Beatles branch). In the example shown, the first branch contains
`
`tracks organized by album. As shown in the example, this music collection contains three tracks
`from “Abbey Road” and three tracks from “Hits from the 60’s". The second branch contains
`tracks organized by artist, and sub organized by where the artist is from. Thus, a user browsing
`would first select the "Artists" branch and then choose between "British Artists" and “American
`
`Artists". Finally, they would select the particular artist. In the third branch, all tracks are shown.
`The tree definition file that would specify the hierarchy shown in Figure l is
`
`30
`
`shown in Figure 2.
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5019
`
`

`

`The first line identifies the version of the tree definition file.
`
`The second line defines the “Albums" branch. The first part of the line,
`
`“Albums" defines the name of the branch. The second part, “0x01," defines that all musical
`tracks should be categorized on this branch. The third part, “BLBN,” defines that the branch
`lists first the names of all albums (BL) and then tracks on those albums (BN). .
`The third line defines the “Artists" branch. The first partof the line “Artists"
`
`defines the name ofthe branch. .The second part, “0x01," defines that all musical tracks should
`
`be categorized on this branch. The third part, “BCBMBN,” defines that the branch lists first the
`names of all countries where artists in this collection come from (BC) and under those items, the
`artists names (BM), and then tracks by those artists (BN).
`
`Fig. 3 shows what a. user’s View of this hierarchy might be if he/shc were shown a
`
`fully expanded view ofthe 6-song tree. Notice that each song appears three times, once in each
`
`branch.
`
`.
`
`ln consumer products the tree define file is not edited directly but through a user
`
`interface, one example of which is depicted in Fig. 4. An example of a user interface for viewing
`
`songs by category and editing the tree structure is depicted in Fig. 4.
`
`An embodiment of the invention is utilized inthe Nomad® Jukebox,
`manufactured by the assignee ofthe present invention, and described more fully in the copending
`
`application, filed on the same date as the present application. entitled '“System for Selecting and
`
`Playing Songs in a Playback Device with a Limited User Interface." (Attny. Docket No. 17002-
`020800).
`‘
`'
`
`In a preferred embodiment, metadata is associated with each track and includes
`
`such information as title, genre, artist name, type, etc. In the preferred embodiment, software
`stored in a portable player and executed by the onboard processor automatically files each track '
`in the correct category utilizing the associated metadata and the tree define file. The program
`code can be stored in any computer readable medium including magnetic storage, CD ROM,
`
`_
`optical media, or digital data encoded on an electromagnetic signal.
`p
`‘
`Thus, the user is automatically provided with a powerful and flexible tool for
`organizing and categorizingthe tracks stored on the portable player.
`>
`if the tracks are formatted in MP3 format the metadata can be stored in 103 tags
`
`included in the MP3 file.
`
`in one embodiment of the invention, the tracks are stored in alternate
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5020
`
`

`

`file format including file data and file attributes. The file data is the music track itself and the
`
`~
`
`file attributes part of the file includes fields of arbitrary size which are used to store metadata A
`
`characterizing the track stored as the file data. Again this metadata includes information about
`the track such. as title, genre, artist name, type, etc.
`'
`There are Several advantages to using the alternate file format. Mctadata of types
`
`5
`
`. not easily included in an ID3 tag’can be utilized. Ftnther, the original track format is not
`changed, so that error correction data such as checksums are valid. Finally, any file format can
`
`be used (e. g. _WAV, WMA, etc.) because the metadata is stored separately, and thus audio
`formats that have limited support for metadata can still be stored on the portable player in native
`
`10
`
`format without transcoding. The formatted files are formed by software stored in the portable
`
`music player and executed by an on-board processor.
`
`The metadata for each track is utilized to file each track, using the categories
`defined in the hierarchical structure as described above, without any input from the user.
`Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the alternative file format including file data in
`
`15
`
`the form of an MP3 track, and metadata fields for holding data indicating the name of the album
`the track is from, the name of the song, the genre of the song, andthe type of track.
`'
`A particular embodiment of a file format will ‘now be described. All tracks are
`created with some set ofattributes as shown below:
`
`20
`
`Definition of Tracklnfo Data Field
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`The number of attribute follow for the track
`- Bina =0 ASCII=l
`
`2_
`
`_
`
`
`
`
`“2.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`_
`-_
`
`
`
`
`
`
`l0
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5021
`
`

`

`AttrNt-e .
`
`.
`
`Attr 1 name len
`
`
`
`Attrl data [an
`
`R . uired Attributes
`
`ITLE
`
`'
`
`CODEC
`
`ASCII strm
`
`
`R‘nuired B_ _ukcbox
`
`“ms”. ”WMA", “WAV”
`
`R- ouredi
`
`, Jed
`
`
`
`
`I
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`m _
`
`—m
`—_m
`
`. mcmm
`1-. mew-mm...“
`
`
`These attributes can be subsequently changeableyia a host application,
`
`‘ nmning on a personal computer connected to the portable music player.
`
`Fig. 6 shows a flow chart of an embodiment the process used to build the
`hierarchical database of tracks. It starts by iterating through each track, and, for each track;
`
`In this
`iterating through each branch to find if the track belongs on the branch, and, if so, where.
`case, the term track could refer to any content, e.g. a music track, a spoken‘word track, or even a
`video track.
`
`10
`
`it
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5022
`
`

`

`Also, the hierarchiéal catalog of tracks can be used to form playlists in a
`structured manner. For example, if a user wants to hear Jazz and Blues the entire sub-categories '
`can'be selected to form one playlist.
`_
`
`5
`
`An alternative hierarchical catalog generation technique will now be described.
`In this alternative embodiment, at system startup and as tracks are added or changed, the
`hierarchy is generated as an in-memory tree structure. Each track is added to the tree using the
`
`categories ALBUM, ARTIST and GENRE.
`‘
`The following example shows the algorithm for adding a tracle For clarity, only
`the attributes'used by the tree are shown.
`
`10
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`—m
`
`
`—_
`
`
`
`
`
`
`'I'he'following function is executed to build the in-memory memory tree.
`
`'
`
`and Tree 0
`
`_
`For each track,
`Add Track To Categorymlbum, Track)
`Add Track To Catcgory(Artist, Track)
`Add Track To Category(Genre,Track)
`End of Build Tree
`
`15
`
`20‘
`
`_
`
`Fig. 7 depicts a tree which could result from implementing Build TreeO function.
`
`Note that “Stardust” does not have any entries for Album or Artist. The host software running
`
`on a computer connected to the portable music player could be utilized to add missing attributes
`
`to the “Stardust" track and, optionally, edit the title attribute. The Build TrceO function would
`then reinsert this track in the correct location in the tree.
`
`25
`
`l2
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5023
`
`

`

`Fig. 8 is an embodiment of a user interface according to another embodiment of
`the invention. In this example the root node is labeled “My Configuration" and the Playlist
`category has been selected and the Plnylist subcategory “Meddle” has been selected. Note that
`the types of Metadata, in this example, Track Name, Artist, Album, Tempo and .
`
`Dance, are listed across the top of the screen, and the attribute values for each track are listed in a
`row across the screen. Various control buttons are displayed to the right of configuration
`
`window that facilitate quickly invoking selected processing on a selected track.
`As noted above, a preferred embodiment of the p_resent invention is incomorated
`into a groduc't manufactured and distributed by Creative Technology, Ltd, The product is called
`
`the “NOMAD Jukebox." The following degrigtion describes further details of the display
`screens and interface controls.
`
`Fig. 9 illustrates the NOMAD Jukebox and its user interface controls.
`
`In Eig. 2, electronic. audio device 100 measures about 5.5“ wide by 5.5" all by l'I
`thick. Disglay screen 102 is about 2" wide by 1" tall. Disglay screen 102 includes different
`
`regions such as main‘region 104 and sofi button function description region -1 06.
`Three sofi buttons are located at l08; including buttOns I"), I I2 and 1 14. The
`s ecific command 0
`ction that a
`f the sofi uttons
`orm W
`de ressed '5 indicated
`
`by the‘label in suit button function descrigtion region 106. Thus the function of son button 1 12
`(as shown in Fig. 9) is “open,” the function of sofi button I I4 is “search" while soft button “0 is
`currently not assiged a function. -
`
`The other eight buttons on device l00 gerfozm essentially the same functions at
`
`all times. In other words, they are 591' slt'ih'iect to Enction changes according to sofl button '
`
`function description area 1126. These buttons include Libm button 116, EQ and System
`
`button 118, Skip Backward button l20, Play button-122, Stop button 124, Skig Forward button ‘
`
`l26, Scroll Ug button l28 and Scroll Down button I30. However, as discussed below, these
`
`buttons (or any type of controls used with the device) can include alternate functionalig: that is
`invoked in diflerent ways.
`'
`
`l The device uses visual cues, or indicators, in the display, When an item is
`highlighted it indicates that the item is the “current" item, or currently-selected item which is
`
`susceptible to be operated on by a subseguent user action — such as glayback, or expansion ofthe
`
`item. In Fig. l,screen l02 shows that the item, “ALBUMS.” is highlighted. The highlighted
`
`10
`
`IS
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`13
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5024
`
`

`

`item can be acted upon by usng the soft buttons, or another button, as discussed below. The
`current item can be changed by using Scroll Up button 128 and Scroll Down button 130 to move
`
`the highlight up or down, resgtively, throughout a list ot‘dimlayed items,
`I
`lcogs are used to provide additional yisual cues to: an item. ]n Fig. 1, each ofthe
`
`categories has a categogy icon to the left of iL The categogy icon, which may not be distinctly
`
`visible in the Figre, illustrates a first box connected by lines to additional boxes below the first
`box. The icon degicts a hierarchy and illustrates the promrty of categog'es, i.e., that categories
`
`can contain additional categories, songs or other items.
`Fig. 10 illustrates a sguence of display scxeens descflbiitg how to navigate to
`‘
`
`lower levels.
`
`In Fig. 10, libmg categogy screen 150 shows the display as it appears when the
`
`user depresses librau button I 16 of Fig. 9. A preferred embodiment of the device uses 4 first-
`
`level categories. These are “Albums", “Artists,” “Sgles” and “Play Lists”, Each of these
`categories can “contain,” or be associated with, other categories, songs, or items.
`
`__
`
`Note that in librag categog screen 150 ALBUMS is currently highlighted. By
`
`depressing soft button 1 12 of fig. 9, the “om” command is pgrforrned on the highlighted
`
`categog, as indicated by the labeling ofsoft button 112 and soft buttog function desm'ption area
`152 ofFig. 10.
`'
`'
`
`Lists screen ISM—displayed as a result of a uMeninme Albums category_o_f
`
`Ii 3g categog screen 150. Lists screen 154 shows items within the Albums categog such as
`commercial albums of multiple songs from a recold label, Ere-made lists or collections created
`by a user, or other gredefined lists or collections of songs or recordings.
`I
`_
`1
`In Fig. 10, lists screen 154 showg each item as a list ofsongs. This is shown
`
`visually by the icon to the left ofeach item which depicts a miniature list. Possible §ofl button
`commands are “Close“, "92m” and "Queue". These commands corresgond to soft buttons 1 10,
`
`112 and l 14I reggectively. 1f the user selects the Close command, the display reverts to libm
`
`category screen I 50. 1f the user selects the Op_en command, the display shows tracks screen 156.
`
`Alternatively, the user can-select the {gene command to instruct the device to place all the songs
`from the selected Le. ‘hi hli hte
`list into the la
`list for eventual
`la back. Yet another
`
`ogtion allows the user to press play button 122 of Fig. 9 to cause any currently-selected songs or
`
`a list ofsongs (e.g., an album) to immediately be played.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`30
`
`14
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5025
`
`

`

`Returning to Fig'. 10, tracks screen 156 shows that a single song called “JukeBox
`Demo" is in the i t.
`e list is also called ukeBox Demo as sho
`in li
`a 154. Track
`
`screen 156 shows mssible sofi commands assigned to buttons, namely “Close”, “Details" and
`
`“Qneue.” The Close button performs the same function as before —- it returns the user to the
`previgus screen which, in this case, is lists screen 154. The user can also select the Details
`
`command to cause details of the song JukeBox Demo to be displayed in details screen 158 as
`
`shown in Fig. 10,
`1 be user can select the Queue command by sofl button 1 14 to enter the
`sglected song into the glax list gueue. As before, the user can also degress glax button 122 of
`Fi
`. 9 to cause i mediate la back 0 the selected son .
`
`Details screen 158 shows information about the selected song including the name
`of the song, album (or list] name containing the song; the track number, ifagglicable, and track
`d
`tion. Notet at ot er in rrnatio canbeinc uded. The userca
`reviewthe son
`close the
`
`Details screen to return to the Tracks screen or gueue the song on the nlax list gueue.
`
`The device nrovides the ability to “nreview" audio tiles even while a cogent song,
`
`V or nlaylist, is being glayed. When a user chooses to preview an audio file, the audio file is
`
`nlax=ed for about 10 seconds while any currently-played file or glaxlist is susnended. Afier
`
`previewing is complete, the susgended file or nlaxlist resumes glayback. In other embodiment,
`the meview duration can van, or be stonp_ed by user selection.
`'
`
`Fig. ll illustrates usocialions among items.
`in Fig. ll, song 168 is one 9f many songs stored in the device. Categgn'es such as .
`
`IO
`
`15
`
`20
`
`albums 160. anists I62, play lists 164 and genres 166 each include sub-categories, Eor examgle,
`
`albums 160 includes the names of various albums. Songs are associated with albums, genres and
`
`playlists. Such association can be by using pointers, a data structure including items to be
`
`25
`
`associated, etc. "Assgciation" as used herein, includes a first item associated with a second item;
`and the second item associated with the first item. In othe; words, albums can be associated with
`
`one or more songs in the database of the device so that an automated search to find all songs
`‘
`. ll is not intended to
`ociated with an al um is easier. The direction of arrow
`
`
`
`
`limit. the manner of associations among items in the Qresent invention.
`
`‘
`
`Similarto albums, the categom of artists 162 includes names of artists, or
`
`30
`
`Erformers, of songs. Each artist name is associated with one or more songs in the database.
`
`Playlists 164 includes names of glaylists. These are collections of songs that can be defined by
`
`lS
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5026
`
`

`

`the user, the device manufacturer, or others. Each playlist can be associated with one or more '
`
`songs. Genres 166 includes various styles of music which are associated with one or more songs
`
`in the database. Note that items'can exist without being associated with a song. Also, items can
`
`be associated With other items as where an artist name is associated with the albums containing
`the songs that the artist has created.
`
`promrties, details, etc,, associated with the. item. For example, a song can have information such
`as play timel artist mme, artist album, comm'ght owner, etc., associated path the song.
`'
`
`'10.
`
`'
`
`'~ fig, [2 illustrates display screens used to search for a song or other item.
`lh Fig. 12, screen 180 is the initial tibmpy screen, as discussed above. lfthe use:
`
`invokes the Search commapd (via the appropriate soft button) with albums selected then screen
`182 is displayed. Note that the search function can he applied to any of the categories. The user
`can depress the Plus or Mintts spft buttons to cycle through the alphabet and change the character
`I
`cc
`nt 0
`'
`indicat
`b the cu
`ecu or
`si'onischan edb usin the
`
`15
`
`scroll up/scroll down buttons 128 and 130, respectively, of Fig. 9. As each' letter is entered the
`
`leners ate compared and the nearest match of the stored albums’ ngmg is displayed as shown in
`screen
`4
`e
`thed iedmatchis dis la ed the use selectst eGo! co
`:1 d
`
`screen 186 shows the result ofselecting the Go! command.~ A list of album; is
`displayed with the matched alhum centered and selected. The user can close, Qpeh or queue the
`
`20
`
`,album as discpgsed amve.
`
`Fig. 13 illustrates details of difl‘erent items.
`In F'
`l
`c e
`200 ii
`tes details dis la ed
`
`a result of selecti
`
`t e
`
`25
`
`“Details" command {10m sofl button 1A track is selected. Screen 200 shows that details of the
`
`track “Jukebox Demo" shows the name of the album that the track resides on, the creator, or
`
`copm'ght o'wnetj, of the track. and the playing time of the track.
`Screen 202 illustrates details ofan item on the active Queue list. Items are plaged
`
`onto the active gueue list by selecting the "Queue" command when an album, song, truck or
`
`other item is selected, as discussed above. For example, screen 204 shows the active gueuelist
`
`where the track "Jukebox Demo" is selected. By invoking the “Details" command screen 202 is
`- brought pp to show details of the Jukebox Demo track.
`
`30
`
`16
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5027
`
`

`

`
`
`
`As shown in some 202 th etail screen sh ws wha track number the selected
`
`
`’track is which album the track is from- the create or co towner of the track and the title ‘
`
`of the track. Additional] the deta'ls for an item on the acne list also Show la back settin s.
`
` c c are shown b two-letter abb . viations at the bottom of the screen. The settin are as
`
`
`show in Table II below.
`
`5
`
`Environmental Preset
`
`Parametric
`
`_
`
`Headphone Spatialization
`
`.
`
`Time Scaling
`
`TABLE 1'
`
`1'7
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5028
`
`

`

`lhesc settings htive their common meanings, as is known in' the art. Note that the
`setting 48 is not shown in screen 202 as it is not currently active.
`I
`Fig. 14 illustrates the Nomad Jukebox cougled to a host computer smem.
`DMWWWM
`
`In a Qrefened embodiment host system 302 is a personal computer, such as an IBM-PC ‘
`compatible computer, Host mtem 302 includes a user interface having display 304 and user
`
`ingut devices such as keyboard 306 and mouse 308.
`
`in other embodiments the host §ystem need
`
`not be a full compgter sEtem. Any type of processing system having a user interface is mssible.
`
`10
`
`For example, it is msible to couple the device to a laptop cgmguter, game console, web-enabled
`
`television, or any consumer electronic device or digital glatfgtm. in general. The host user
`interface need not provide a difllay and can be much more minimal than the keyboard and
`mouse
`0
`in Fi
`-. l
`. A referred embodiment of the invention uses a Universal
`
`I
`
`Smchronous Bus (QSB) connection but any type of connection such as IEEE' 1394 tEireWire),
`
`15
`
`Emmet, Serial 203, etc. can be usedl A wireless (i.e.,’ optical or radio figuency) connection
`Eagles);
`
`Once device 300 is counted to host system 302, a user of host system 302 can
`launch a bridge inteflace to allow for the transfer of files between device 300 and host mtem
`
`302. In a meferred embodiment. once the bridge interface is launched. the controls of device '
`
`300 are inograblgy The user interface of host system 302 is used to ogerate the ind ge interface
`to transfer files.
`
`20
`
`The invention has now been described with reference to the preferred
`embodiments. Alternatives and substitutions will now be apparent to persorLs of skill in the art.
`
`18
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5029
`
`

`

`WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
`
`.
`
`'19
`
`SONY Exhibit 1004 - Page 5030
`
`

`

`Attorney Docket No.: l7002-022500US
`Client Reference No.: CT-1 I39
`
`PATENT
`
`AUTOMATIC HJERARCHICAL CATEGORIZATION OF MUSIC BY METADATA
`
`ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
`A method, performed by software executing on the processor of a portable music
`playback device, that automatically files tracks according to hierarchical structure ofcategories
`
`to organize tracks in a logical order. A user interface is utilized to change the hierarchy, view
`track names, and select tracks for playback or other operations. The user interface uses an
`overhanging hierarchy of categories. A song title can be accessed in multiple diflerem ways by '
`starting \_vith different categories. A preferred embodiment of the invention uses the tomlevel
`categories “Albums", "Artists". “Genres" [or sales), and “Play Lists",