1048results about "Solid state media carriers" patented technology

Improved techniques to utilize and manage a group of media items (or media assets) on a computing device are disclosed. The group of media items can be utilized and managed at a host computer for the host computer as well as a media device (e.g., media player) that can couple to the host computer. One popular example of a group of media items is know as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks. One aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that enables a user to trade-off storage capacity of a media device between media asset storage and data storage. Another aspect pertains to a graphical user interface that assists a user with selecting media items to fill a group of media items. Still another aspect pertains to providing a persistent media device playlist at a host computer. Yet still another aspect pertains to imposing capacity limits to a playlist, such as a media device playlist.

A filesystem-aware storage system locates and analyzes host filesystem data structures in order to determine storage usage of the host filesystem. To this end, the storage system might locate an operating system partition, parse the operating system partion to locate its data structures, and parse the operating system data structures to locate the host filesystem data structures. The storage system manages data storage based on the storage usage of the host file system. The storage system can use the storage usage information to identify storage areas that are no longer being used by the host filesystem and reclaim those areas for additional data storage capacity. Also, the storage system can identify the types of data stored by the host filesystem and manage data storage based on the data types, such as selecting a storage layout and / or an encoding scheme for the data based on the data type.

The memory device contains control structures that allow media content to be stored securely and distributed in a manner envisioned by the content owner, or service providers involved in the distribution. A wide variety of different avenues become available for distributing media content using such memory devices, such as where the devices contain one or more of the following: abridged preview media content, encrypted unabridged media content, prepaid content, rights and / or rules governing access to such content. The memory device has a type of control structures that enable a service provider (who can also be the content owner) to create a secure environment for media content distribution where end users and terminals register with the service provider, and gain access to the content in a manner controlled by the service provider. The various components to be loaded (e.g. abridged preview media content, encrypted unabridged media content, prepaid content, rights and / or rules governing access to such content) may be generated and loaded in a secure and efficient manner.

The invention is directed to a method of displaying multimedia data and providing multitasking features and a mobile communications terminal capable of implementing the same; and cradle for the mobile communications terminal. A mobile communications terminal includes a transceiver, a memory, a first display unit, a second display unit, a processor, a sensor to detect a rotational movement of a body, and a cradle for displaying multimedia contents is provided. The display unit can display the multimedia data in a fixed viewing angle regardless of which direction a user rotates the terminal. A method comprises the steps of displaying multimedia data playback on at least one of a first and a second display screens, displaying information related to the multimedia data, on at least a portion of the at least one of the display screens, providing multimedia control functions and / or indications to the user in a minimally intrusive manner, and displaying a multimedia playback control menu on the at least one of the two display screens.

Consistent user experience of playlist capabilities, despite differences in available resources and on-line connectivity, is provided. Data embedded in a playback device compensates for lack of connectivity. For compactness, embedded data can be targeted to geographic region(s) by selecting metadata for recordings containing audio using statistics on playback of the recordings in many geographic regions. The statistics and corresponding metadata are segregated by the geographic regions. Then a portion of the corresponding metadata is selected for at least one of the geographic regions based on the statistics. By using statistics that indicate popularity of recordings within geographic regions based on frequency of playback or requests for information about a recording when it is played, the portion of the corresponding metadata that is selected can be tailored for individual geographic regions. To ensure that subregions and genres are not totally excluded, the portion selected may not be solely based on popularity.

An image detecting apparatus has an edit function with good operability and compatibility. When a chapter mark key on a remote control is pressed while an image reproducing system including an MPEG video decoder, a video signal post-processing circuit, a combining circuit, and an NTSC encoder is reproducing image data recorded on a recording medium, a CPU obtains information for identifying the image being reproduced and displayed, and then records the information on the recording medium. With reference to the image provided with a chapter mark, a still image generating circuit displays reduced still images, for example, so that a target image can be specified. Reproduction and editing can be performed with reference to the specified image.