Automatic hierarchical categorization of music by metadata

Abstract

A method, performed by software executing on the processor of a portable music playback device, that automatically files tracks according to hierarchical structure of categories 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 overlapping hierarchy of categories. A song title can be accessed in multiple different ways by starting with different categories. A preferred embodiment of the invention uses the top-level categories “Albums”, “Artists”, “Genres” (or styles), and “Play Lists”. Within the Albums category are names of different albums of songs stored in the device. Within each album are the album tracks, or songs, associated with that album. Navigation is performed by presenting a sequence of display screens for each level of the hierarchy.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A handheld electronic device for playing media tracks, comprising:
 an onboard processor;   a display;   an audio output;   a computer readable medium storing a definition of,
 a plurality of categories for categorizing said plurality of media tracks, wherein at least a subset of the categories are overlapping, and 
 an ordering of metadata types associated with each category, wherein one or more of the metadata types of the ordering correspond to one or more subcategories of one or more of the categories; 
   the computer readable medium further containing instructions executable by the onboard processor to create an overlapping hierarchical structure having a plurality of branches in a memory of the handheld electronic device by performing operations including,
 iterating through multiple tracks of a plurality of media tracks stored on the handheld electronic device, wherein the multiple media tracks have corresponding metadata elements stored on the handheld electronic device, wherein the corresponding metadata elements are organized according to a plurality of predefined metadata types, including,
 for each such track of the multiple media tracks, iterating through each branch of the plurality of branches of the hierarchical structure, wherein the branches correspond to the plurality of categories, 
 for each such track of the multiple media tracks, and for each such branch, using the ordering associated with the category corresponding with such branch and metadata elements corresponding to such media track to traverse such branch and place such media track in the appropriate position in the hierarchical structure; 
 
   the computer readable medium further containing instructions executable by the onboard processor to present a user interface with first, second, and third sequentially presented display screens on the display of the handheld electronic device for navigating said hierarchical structure, by performing operations including,
 displaying at least a portion of said plurality of categories in a listing presented in the first display screen, 
 receiving a selection of a category displayed in the first display screen, 
 displaying a plurality of subcategories belonging to the selected category in a listing presented in the second display screen, 
 receiving a selection of a subcategory displayed in the second display screen, 
 displaying a plurality of items belonging to the selected subcategory in a listing presented in the third display screen, and 
 accessing at least one media track based on a selection made in one of the display screens. 
   
     
     
         3 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the operations to present a user interface further comprise receiving a selection of at least one item displayed in the third display screen. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the accessing of at least one media track comprises playing the at least one media track. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the accessing of at lea one media track comprises adding the at least one media track to a playlist. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the playlist is an active queue list of songs being played. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the media tracks comprise audio tracks. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the accessing of at least one media track is performed in response to receiving a selection of a subcategory displayed in the second display screen, and wherein the accessing comprises playing a plurality of media tracks associated with the selected subcategory. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the accessing of at least one media track is performed in response to receiving a selection of a subcategory displayed in the second display screen, and wherein the accessing comprises adding a plurality of media tracks associated with the selected subcategory to a playlist. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the playlist is an active queue list of songs being played. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the accessing at least one media track is performed in response to receiving the selection of at least one item displayed in the third display screen, and wherein the accessing comprises playing at least one media track associated with the selected at least one item. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the selected at least one item in the third display screen is associated with a plurality of media tracks, and wherein the accessing at least one media track comprises adding the plurality of media tracks associated with the selected at least one item to a playlist. 
     
     
         13 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the playlist is an active queue list of songs being played. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the accessing of at least one media track occurs after displaying the third display screen and in response to receiving an input to revert back to one of the second and first display screens, the second display screen presented sequentially after the third display screen. 
     
     
         15 . A handheld electronic device for playing media tracks, comprising:
 an onboard processor;   a display;   an audio output;   a computer readable medium storing a definition of,
 a plurality of categories for categorizing said plurality of media tracks, wherein at least a subset of the categories are overlapping, 
 a plurality of media track types, 
 one or more associations specifying which media track types are permitted to be included in each of the categories, and 
 an ordering of metadata types associated with each category, wherein one or more of the metadata types of the ordering correspond to one or more subcategories of one or more of the categories; 
   the computer readable medium further containing instructions executable by the onboard processor to create an overlapping hierarchical structure having a plurality of branches in a memory of the handheld electronic device by performing operations including,
 iterating through multiple tracks of a plurality of media tracks stored on the handheld electronic device, wherein the multiple media tracks have corresponding metadata elements stored on the handheld electronic device, wherein the corresponding metadata elements are organized according to a plurality of predefined metadata types, including,
 for each such track of the multiple media tracks, iterating through each branch of the plurality of branches of the hierarchical structure, wherein the branches correspond to the plurality of categories, 
 for each such track of the multiple media tracks, and for each such branch, using the stored definition and metadata elements corresponding to such media track to determine whether such media track belongs in such branch, and 
 for each branch that each such media track belongs in, using the ordering associated with the category corresponding with such branch to traverse such branch and place such media track in the appropriate position in the hierarchical structure; 
 
   the computer readable medium further containing instructions executable by the onboard processor to present a user interface with first, second, and third sequentially presented display screens on the display of the handheld electronic device for navigating said hierarchical structure, by performing operations including,
 displaying at least a portion of said plurality of categories in a listing presented in the first display screen, 
 receiving a selection of a category displayed in the first display screen, 
 displaying a plurality of subcategories belonging to the selected category in a listing presented in the second display screen, 
 receiving a selection of a subcategory displayed in the second display screen, 
 displaying a plurality of items belonging to the selected subcategory in a listing presented in the third display screen, and 
 accessing at least one media track based on a selection made in one of the display screens. 
   
     
     
         16 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the operations to present a user interface further comprise receiving a selection of at least one item displayed in the third display screen. 
     
     
         17 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of media track types identify one or more of: a song media track, a voice media track, a book media track, a video media track, and a playlist of media tracks.