Media player with instant play capability

Abstract

A media player and a method for operating a media player are disclosed. A media program is able to substantially immediately begin playing after a media play selection has been made. Through intelligent operation, the media program is able to start playing even before the media program has been substantially or completely loaded from disk storage into semiconductor memory (i.e., cache memory). Additionally, the media program can be loaded into semiconductor memory through use of a background process without disturbing the playing of the media program. Further, if desired, the disk storage is able to be aggressively “powered off” when not being accessed, thereby enhancing battery life when being battery-powered.

1 . A method for conserving power in a battery powered media player having a disk-based data store and a semiconductor-based data store having a faster access time than does the disk-based data store, and wherein the disk-based data store consumes more power than does the semiconductor-based data store, comprising: 
 retrieving a first portion of an identified media item from the semi-conductor based data store, wherein media data for the identified media item includes a plurality of data portions, the data portions including the first portion and remaining portions, the remaining portions being different than and not including the first portion;    playing the first portion without first storing to the semiconductor-based data store;    transferring substantially all of the remaining portions from the disk-based data store to the semi-conductor-based data store; and    de-activating the disk-based data store after substantially all of the remaining portions have been transferred thereby substantially reducing power consumption by the media player.    
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 playing the remaining portions of the media data retrieved from the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the playing of the remaining portions comprises: 
 determining when additional media data is needed beyond the first portion;    retrieving at least one of the remaining portions of the media data from the semiconductor-based data store when the determining determines that the additional media data is needed; and    playing the at least one of the remaining portions of the media data retrieved from the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first and remaining portions have a size in a range of about from 32 kilobytes to about 256 kilobytes.  
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the media player is a pocket-sized device.  
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the media player is a handheld music player.  
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the disk-based data store of the media player stores a plurality of media items, and wherein the media player comprises at least one of an audio player, a video player and an image viewer, and    wherein the media items include at least one of audio files of songs, video files of videos and image files of images.    
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a media item selection corresponding to the identified media item;    determining if the media data associated with the identified media item is stored in the semiconductor-based data store;    activating the disk-based data store if the media data associated with the identified media item is not stored in the semiconductor-based data store; and    transferring at least the first portion of the media data from the disk-based data store to the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         9 . In a portable media player having a disk-based data store and a semiconductor based data store, a method of selectively activating the disk-based data store, comprising: 
 receiving a media item selection wherein media data for the selected media item includes a plurality of data portions, the data portions including a first portion and remaining portions that are different than and do not include the first portion;    activating the disk-based data store and accessing at least the first portion;    playing the first portion retrieved from the disk-based data store without first storing to the semiconductor-based data store;    transferring the remaining portions from the disk-based data store to the semi-conductor-based data store concurrent with the playing of the first portion; and    de-activating the disk-based data store after the remaining portions are transferred thereby substantially reducing power consumption by the media player.    
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 playing the remaining portions retrieved from the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein if the media data for the selected media item is stored in the semiconductor data store, then playing the selected media item without activating the disk-based data store.  
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the playing of the remaining portions comprises: 
 determining when additional media data is needed beyond the first portion;    retrieving at least one of the remaining portions of the media data from the semiconductor-based data store when the determining determines that the additional media data is needed; and    playing the at least one of the remaining portions of the media data retrieved from the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first and remaining portions have a size in a range of about from 32 kilobytes to about 256 kilobytes.  
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the media player is a pocket-sized device.  
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the media player is a handheld music player.  
     
     
         16 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , 
 wherein the disk-based data store of the media player stores a plurality of media items, and wherein the media player comprises at least one of an audio player, a video player and an image viewer, and    wherein the media items include at least one of audio files of songs, video files of videos and image files of images.    
     
     
         17 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 receiving a media item selection corresponding to the identified media item;    determining if the media data associated with the identified media item is stored in the semiconductor-based data store;    activating the disk-based data store if the media data associated with the identified media item is not stored in the semiconductor-based data store; and    transferring at least the first portion of the media data from the disk-based data store to the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         18 . Computer program product executable by a processor for conserving power in a battery powered media player having a disk-based data store and a semiconductor-based data store having a faster access time than does the disk-based data store, and wherein the disk-based data store consumes more power than does the semiconductor-based data store, comprising: 
 computer code for retrieving a first portion of an identified media item from the semi-conductor based data store, wherein media data for the identified media item includes a plurality of data portions, the data portions including the first portion and remaining portions, the remaining portions being different than and not including the first portion;    computer code for playing the first portion without first storing to the semiconductor-based data store;    computer code for transferring substantially all of the remaining portions from the disk-based data store to the semi-conductor-based data store;    computer code for de-activating the disk-based data store after substantially all of the remaining portions have been transferred thereby substantially reducing power consumption by the media player; and    computer readable medium for storing the computer code.    
     
     
         19 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 computer code for playing the remaining portions of the media data retrieved from the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         20 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the playing of the remaining portions comprises: 
 computer code for determining when additional media data is needed beyond the first portion;    computer code for retrieving at least one of the remaining portions of the media data from the semiconductor-based data store when the determining determines that the additional media data is needed; and    computer code for playing the at least one of the remaining portions of the media data retrieved from the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         21 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the first and remaining portions have a size in a range of about from 32 kilobytes to about 256 kilobytes.  
     
     
         22 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the media player is a pocket-sized device.  
     
     
         23 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the media player is a handheld music player.  
     
     
         24 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 18 , 
 wherein the disk-based data store of the media player stores a plurality of media items, and wherein the media player comprises at least one of an audio player, a video player and an image viewer, and    wherein the media items include at least one of audio files of songs, video files of videos and image files of images.    
     
     
         25 . Computer program product as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 computer code for receiving a media item selection corresponding to the identified media item;    computer code for determining if the media data associated with the identified media item is stored in the semiconductor-based data store;    computer code for activating the disk-based data store if the media data associated with the identified media item is not stored in the semiconductor-based data store; and    computer code for transferring at least the first portion of the media data from the disk-based data store to the semiconductor-based data store.    
     
     
         26 . A consumer electronics product, comprising: 
 a first storage device that stores a plurality of media items;    a user input device that enables a user of the consumer electronics product to at least select a particular media item from the plurality of media items, the particular media item having a first portion and subsequent portions, the subsequent portions being different than and not including the first portion;    an output device for playing back the particular media item;    a second storage device capable of storing at least one of the media items, the second storage device has substantially faster access than does the first storage device; and    a processor operatively connected to the first storage device, the user input device and the second storage device, the processor causes the output device to play back the particular media item substantially immediately following the selection of the particular media item by the user without regard to whether media data for the particular media item resides in the second storage device or on the first storage device,    wherein when the media data for the particular media item is not initially stored in the second storage device, the processor concurrently activates the first storage device and retrieves and plays a first portion of the media data directly from the first storage device while substantially concurrently initiating background loading subsequent portions of the media data for the particular media item from the first storage device into the second storage device, and    wherein once substantially all the subsequent portions of the media data for the particular media items are available in the second storage device due to the background loading of the subsequent portions of the media data for the particular media item, the processor de-activates the first storage device when the consumer electronic product is battery powered thereby substantially reducing power consumption of the consumer electronic product and retrieves the subsequent portions of the media data for the particular media item from the second storage device    
     
     
         27 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein at least a portion of the loading of the media data from the first storage device to the second storage device is performed concurrently with the playing of the first portion of the media data.  
     
     
         28 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the consumer electronics product further comprises: 
 a display screen operatively connected to the processor, the display screen displays a list of the media items.    
     
     
         29 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the consumer electronics products is a portable, battery powered media player.  
     
     
         30 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the consumer electronics product is a handheld media player.  
     
     
         31 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the first storage device of the handheld media player stores a plurality of media items, and wherein the handheld media player comprises an audio player, and wherein the media items include at least audio files of songs.  
     
     
         32 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 31 , wherein at least a portion of the loading of the media data from the first storage device to the second storage device is performed concurrently with the playing of the first portion of the media data.  
     
     
         33 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the first storage device of the consumer electronics product stores a plurality of media items, and wherein the consumer electronics product comprises a video player, and wherein the media items include at least video files of videos.  
     
     
         34 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the consumer electronics product is a handheld media player.  
     
     
         35 . A consumer electronics product as recited in  claim 26 , wherein the first storage device is a disk-based storage device and wherein the second storage device is a semiconductor-based storage device.