Vehicle Player System

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a user-definable multimedia or digital library are disclosed. Also disclosed are systems and methods for selecting and playing multimedia or digital files from within the library. The selection and playback systems and methods involve a limited number of user activated buttons, which are implemented both for mapping directly to storage locations of particular multimedia or digital files, and for accepting and playing a multimedia or digital file once selected. The limited number of buttons required for the various features of these systems and methods provide vehicle operators, such as automobile drivers, with a safe mechanism and procedure for retrieving and playing customized play lists and particular songs while driving.

1 . A method for a driver to select and play a multimedia file from a set of multimedia files while driving a vehicle, each multimedia file being assigned to one or more multimedia file classifications, comprising: 
 a) the driver actuating a first user-operated control one or more times while driving the vehicle;    b) incrementally scrolling through the set of multimedia file classifications each time the first user-operated control is actuated to cause the next multimedia file classification to be selected;    c) the driver actuating a second user-operated control one or more times while driving the vehicle;    d) incrementally scrolling through the subset of multimedia files that are assigned to the currently-selected multimedia file classification each time the second user-operated control is actuated to cause the next multimedia file within the subset to be selected;    e) communicating a description of each currently-selected multimedia file to the driver after it is selected without also communicating a description of any other multimedia file to the driver at the same time;    f) the driver actuating a third user-operated control; and    g) causing the currently-selected multimedia file to be played in response to the actuating of the third user-operated control.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communicating includes displaying the description of each currently-selected multimedia file to the driver without also displaying the description of any other multimedia file to the driver at the same time.  
   
   
       3 . A multimedia player configured to allow a driver to select and play a multimedia file from a set of multimedia files while driving a vehicle, each multimedia file being assigned to one or more multimedia file classifications, comprising: 
 a) a selection system comprising: 
 (1) a first user-operated control;  
 (2) a first scrolling system configured to scroll through the set of multimedia file classifications each time the first user-operated control is actuated so as to cause the next multimedia file classification to be selected;  
 (3) a second user-operated control;  
 (4) a second scrolling system configured to scroll through the subset of multimedia files that are assigned to the currently-selected multimedia file classification each time the second user-operated control is actuated so as to cause the next multimedia file within the subset to be selected;  
   b) a communication system configured to communicate to the driver while he is driving a description of each currently-selected multimedia file after it is selected without also communicating a description of any other multimedia file to the driver at the same time;    c) a third user-operated control;    d) a player that causes the currently-selected multimedia file to be played in response to the actuating of the third user-operated control.    
   
   
       4 . The player of  claim 3  wherein the communication system includes a display configured to display the description of each selected multimedia file to the driver without also displaying the description of any other multimedia file to the driver at the same time.  
   
   
       5 . A method for selecting a multimedia file from a library of multimedia files, each multimedia file being associated with a category in a first group of categories, comprising: 
 a) actuating a first user-operated control a plurality of times, each actuation of the first user-operated control causing a different category in the first group of categories to be selected; and    b) actuating a second user-operated control that is different from the first user-operated control a plurality of times, each actuation of the second user-operated control causing a different multimedia file to be selected that is associated with the category selected by the first user-operated control.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein each multimedia file is also associated with a category in a second group of categories, the method further comprising actuating a third user-operated control that is different from the first and second user-operated controls a plurality of times, each actuation of the third user-operated control causing a different category in the second group of categories to be selected, and wherein the multimedia file selected by the each actuation of the second user-actuated control is also associated with the category selected by the third user-actuated control.  
   
   
       7 . A multimedia player for selecting and playing a multimedia file from a library of multimedia files, each multimedia file being associated with a category in a first group of categories, comprising: 
 a) a first user-operated control configured to select a different category in the first group of categories after each of a plurality of actuations of the first user-operated control;    b) a second user-operated control different from the first user-operated control and configured to cause a different multimedia file to be selected that is associated with the category selected by the first user-operated control after each of a plurality of actuations of the second user-operated control;    c) an acceptance user-operated control different from the first and second user-operated controls and configured to accept the multimedia file that is selected by the second user-operated control after actuation of the acceptance user-operated control; and    d) a multimedia player configured to play the multimedia file that is accepted by the acceptance user-operated control.    
   
   
       8 . The multimedia player of  claim 7  wherein each multimedia file is also associated with a category in a second group of categories and further including a third user-operated control different from the first, second and acceptance user-operated controls and configured to select a different category in the second group of categories after each of a plurality of actuations of the third user-operated control, and wherein the multimedia file selected by each actuation of the second user-actuated control is also associated with the category selected by the third user-actuated control.