Creative wins patent for MP3 player interface
Creative Technology said Tuesday it has been awarded a patent for a user interface found in its portable media players and in competing devices, such as Apple Computer's iPod.
The digital entertainment company said that on Aug. 9 it received U.S. Patent No. 6,928,433, described as "automatic hierarchical categorization of music by metadata." Creative applied for the patent--which it has dubbed the "Zen Patent," named for its Zen music player--on Jan. 5, 2001.
According to a Creative press release, the interface "enables selection of at least one track in a portable media player as a user sequentially navigates through a hierarchy using three or more successive screens on the display of the player." For example, when a person selects the name of an artist, the player than displays a list of albums for that artist. Selecting the album name then brings up a list of the album's tracks.
Creative first started using the interface in its Nomad Jukebox MP3 player, which it began shipping in September 2000, according to the press release. Apple did not announce its iPod until more than a year later.
Apple filed for a patent on a "user interface in a multimedia player" in late 2002, but its application was recently rejected, Creative's press release said.
Hoping to cut into Apple's market share, Creative recently released a new version of its Zen player that boasts a color screen and a built-in FM radio player and, unlike its iPod rival, can play video. The company also dropped prices on its digital music players during the spring.
Well... this should be interesting...
Creative Technology said Tuesday it has been awarded a patent for a user interface found in its portable media players and in competing devices, such as Apple Computer's iPod.
The digital entertainment company said that on Aug. 9 it received U.S. Patent No. 6,928,433, described as "automatic hierarchical categorization of music by metadata." Creative applied for the patent--which it has dubbed the "Zen Patent," named for its Zen music player--on Jan. 5, 2001.
According to a Creative press release, the interface "enables selection of at least one track in a portable media player as a user sequentially navigates through a hierarchy using three or more successive screens on the display of the player." For example, when a person selects the name of an artist, the player than displays a list of albums for that artist. Selecting the album name then brings up a list of the album's tracks.
Creative first started using the interface in its Nomad Jukebox MP3 player, which it began shipping in September 2000, according to the press release. Apple did not announce its iPod until more than a year later.
Apple filed for a patent on a "user interface in a multimedia player" in late 2002, but its application was recently rejected, Creative's press release said.
Hoping to cut into Apple's market share, Creative recently released a new version of its Zen player that boasts a color screen and a built-in FM radio player and, unlike its iPod rival, can play video. The company also dropped prices on its digital music players during the spring.
Well... this should be interesting...
