Abstract:
A method and an apparatus for selecting media files are provided. In the present invention, three keys are used for selecting a plurality of media files, wherein one of the keys is used for rotating and selecting a presently displayed media file, one of the keys is used for directly selecting the presently displayed media file, and another key is used for skipping the presently displayed media file. Complete select functions can be executed to a plurality of media files stored in any path by using foregoing three keys. The selected media files are stored in another path as being selected without spending time in actions such as moving, copying, and deleting, etc. Thus, the media file select operation is greatly simplified.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/832,655 filed Aug. 2, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,416,221, which application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 200710102630.X, filed Apr. 24, 2007. All such applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for selecting media files, in particular, to a method and an apparatus for selecting media files with at least three keys. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Along with the rapid advancement of information technology, digital electronic products, such as digital cameras and digital video cameras, have been broadly applied in our daily lives. These digital electronic products are usually used for capturing various media files, such as pictures and video files etc. On the other hand, along with the capacity expansion of hard disk and memory, the number of media files stored in a digital electronic product has been increased. Thus, it takes a lot of time and energy for a user to select from a large quantity of media files and adjust the orientations and resolutions of these media files. 
     For example, the pictures taken with a digital camera may be in different orientations due to different shooting angles (for example, taking landscape or portrait pictures) and have to be adjusted. In addition, the pictures taken usually have various contents and in large quantity due to different shooting environments, techniques, and personal preferences, but the user may want to select and keep only those important or good pictures and delete the others, then the user has to inspect, select, or delete the pictures one by one, which may be very tedious and time-consuming. 
     Most commonly adopted methods for selecting media files are to adjust and select media files by using buttons in picture viewer software. For example, a media file is selected by clicking the elements, for example, buttons, menus, and toolboxes, in a software interface with a mouse, or the media file may be further rotated, adjusted, deleted, copied, or saved as a new media file (i.e. selected) by pressing down a hotkey on a keyboard (for example, “Ctrl” or “Alt”). 
     For example, two methods are usually used for selecting pictures through picture viewer software, wherein one method is to delete those unwanted pictures, and the other method is to select those needed pictures and save them in another folder. According to the former method, while inspecting the pictures, those unwanted pictures are deleted by pressing down the “Delete” key on the keyboard or a “delete” button on the software interface, and those pictures in wrong orientations are adjusted by pressing down the “rotate left” or “rotate right” button on the software interface. However, according to this method, it is impossible to save all the pictures after some of the pictures are deleted, and it is very time-consuming to press down the “delete” button and the “rotate” buttons repeatedly. 
     According to the latter method, while inspecting the pictures, similarly, the orientations of pictures are adjusted by pressing down the “rotate” buttons; however, while selecting the pictures, the pictures are copied into another folder by pressing down a “copy” button or by dragging the pictures into the other folder. When the pictures are in large quantity, it is very complicated and time-consuming to perform foregoing actions of “rotate”, “copy”, and “paste” etc repeatedly. 
     Additionally, if such a media file selection mechanism is established in a remote operation environment (for example, 10 feet), a remote controller has to be used for selecting the media files. Thus, according to the conventional technique, navigated control is performed through the direction keys on the remote controller in order to select, delete, or rotate the media files, for example, a menu or an option is selected through the direction keys on the remote controller and the menu or the option is entered through an input key on the remote controller, and which is also very complicated and inconvenient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a method for selecting media files, wherein a media file select function such as “select after rotate”, “select directly”, or “skip” is performed according to a key input in order to simplify the operation for selecting media files. 
     The present invention is directed to an apparatus for selecting media files, wherein only three keys are used for selecting, rotating, and skipping media files and the three keys are applied to a remote controller to simplify the operation for remotely selecting media files. 
     The present invention provides a method for selecting media files. The method is suitable for selecting a plurality of media files by using an input unit. The input unit includes at least a first key, a second key, and a third key. First, one of the media files is displayed, and then whether an input of foregoing keys is received or not is determined. When an input of the first key is received, the presently displayed media file is rotated and selected. When an input of the second key is received, the presently displayed media file is directly selected. When an input of the third key is received, the presently displayed media file is skipped. Finally, whether all the media files have been processed or not is determined, and if there is still unprocessed media file, the next media file is displayed and foregoing steps are repeated until all the media files have been processed. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method for rotating the presently displayed media file includes rotating the presently displayed media file 90.degree. anticlockwise or clockwise. 
     The present invention provides a method for selecting media files. The method is suitable for selecting a plurality of media files by using an input unit, wherein the input unit includes at least a first key, a second key, a third key, a fourth key, and a fifth key. First, one of the media files is displayed, and then whether an input of foregoing keys is received or not is determined. When an input of the first key is received, the presently displayed media file is rotated 90.degree. anticlockwise and is selected. When an input of the second key is received, the presently displayed media file is rotated 90.degree. clockwise and is selected. When an input of the third key is received, the presently displayed media file is directly selected. When an input of the fourth key is received, the presently displayed media file is skipped. When an input of the fifth key is received, a previously displayed media file is returned to and displayed. Finally, whether all the media files have been processed or not are determined, and if there is still unprocessed media file, the next media file is displayed and foregoing steps are repeated until all the media files have been processed. 
     The present invention provides an apparatus for selecting media files. The apparatus is suitable for selecting a plurality of media files and which includes a display unit and an input unit. The input unit includes a first key, a second key, and a third key. The display unit displays one of the media files. The first key is used for rotating and selecting the presently displayed media file. The second key is used for directly selecting the presently displayed media file. The third key is used for skipping the presently displayed media file. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first key is further used for rotating the presently displayed media file 90.degree. anticlockwise or clockwise. 
     The present invention provides an apparatus for selecting media files. The apparatus is suitable for selecting a plurality of media files and which includes a display unit and an input unit. The input unit includes a first key, a second key, a third key, a fourth key, and a fifth key. The display unit displays one of the media files. The first key is used for rotating the presently displayed media file 90.degree. anticlockwise and selecting it. The second key is used for rotating the presently displayed media file 90.degree. clockwise and selecting it. The third key is used for directly selecting the presently displayed media file. The fourth key is used for skipping the presently displayed media file. The fifth key is used for returning to a previously displayed media file and displaying it. 
     In the present invention, at least three keys in an input unit are used for selecting media files, wherein one of the keys is used for rotating and selecting a media file, one of the keys is used for directly selecting a media file, and another key is used for skipping a media file. Accordingly, the operation for selecting media files is simplified. In addition, foregoing operation method may also be applied to a general remote controller and the media files can be remotely selected by using the keys on the remote controller conveniently. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for selecting media files according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting media files according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for selecting media files according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting method files according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a remote controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are diagrams illustrating a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     Previously, many complicated steps have to be taken to select media files and save them into a hard disc or CD, and the tools for selecting the media files are limited to mouse and keyboard. Accordingly, to simplify the media file select operation and apply it to a remote controller (for example, used at a distance of 10 feet), the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for selecting media file by using only three keys. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for selecting media files according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the media file selecting apparatus  100  is used for selecting a plurality of media files, and includes an input unit  110 , a processing unit  120 , a display unit  130 , and a storage unit  140 . The input unit  110  may be a keyboard or a remote controller, and includes a first key  111 , a second key  112 , and a third key  113 . The display unit  130  may be a screen. The media files may be text, image, audio, and video files, and the scope thereof is not limited in the present invention. 
     The processing unit  120  is coupled between the input unit  110  and the display unit  130  for executing a media file selecting function according to an input of the keys (i.e. the first key  111 , second key  112 , and third key  113 ) and displaying a next media file on the display unit  130 . The select function of each of the keys will be described below. 
     The first key  111  is used for rotating and selecting the presently displayed media file. The content of a media file may be a portrait or a landscape, and the media file has to be adjusted in its orientation to allow a user to view the media file conveniently in the display unit  130 . To be specific, the processing unit  120  rotates the presently displayed media file 90.degree. anticlockwise or clockwise when it receives an input of the first key  111 , wherein the rotation direction is predetermined according to the habit of the user. For example, a picture displayed in the display unit  130  is in an orientation rotated 90.degree. clockwise if the user is accustomed to taking portrait pictures by rotating the digital camera 90.degree. anticlockwise, thus, the first key  111  has to be set for rotating the picture 90.degree. anticlockwise so as to display the picture uprightly. 
     The second key  112  is used for directly selecting the presently displayed media file. To be specific, when the processing unit  120  receives an input of the second key  112 , which means the user wants to keep the presently displayed media file, the presently displayed media file is then directly selected. 
     The third key  113  is used for skipping the presently displayed media file. To be specific, when the processing unit  120  receives an input of the third key  113 , which means the user does not want to select the presently displayed media file, the presently displayed media file is skipped and no selection action is performed. 
     The storage unit  140  is used for storing the original media files and the selected media files, wherein the selected media files may be the media files rotated and selected through inputs of the first key  111  or the media files directly selected through inputs of the second key  112 . 
     It should be mentioned that since the media file selecting apparatus  100  can select media files with only three keys, the media file selecting apparatus  100  can be applied to a remote controller, for example, a remote controller of the Microsoft Media Centre Edition (MCE), wherein the “leftward”, “downward”, and “OK” buttons on the remote controller may be used as foregoing first key  111 , second key  112 , and third key  113  for executing select functions of the media files, so that the media file selecting operation can be performed remotely. 
     The present invention further provides a method for selecting media files along with the media file selecting apparatus  100  described in foregoing embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting media files according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , first, in step S 201 , the processing unit  120  reads the original media files from the storage unit  140  and sends the original media files to the display unit  130  to be displayed, so that the user can inspect and decide which media files to be selected. 
     Next, in step S 202 , the processing unit  120  determines whether or not an input of the keys (i.e. the first key  111 , second key  112 , or third key  113 ) is received, and when a key input is received, the processing unit  120  executes a corresponding selecting function according to the received key input. The following steps S 203 .about.S 205  are respectively corresponding to the actions executed when various key inputs are received. 
     In step S 203 , when an input of the first key  111  is received, the presently displayed media file is rotated and then selected, and the rotated media file is stored into the storage unit  140 . For example, digital pictures are usually taken in landscape orientation. If a picture is taken with the camera rotated 90.degree., the picture displayed in the display unit  130  is also rotated 90.degree. Then the picture is rotated to an upright orientation and stored into the storage unit  140  when the processing unit  120  receives an input of the first key  111 . 
     In step S 204 , when an input of the second key  112  is received, the presently displayed media file is directly selected, and the selected media file is stored into the storage unit  140 . In other words, when the user sees the presently displayed media file is displayed upright and wants to select the media filed, the user directly selects and saves the media file by only pressing down the second key  112 . 
     In step S 205 , when an input of the third key  113  is received, the presently displayed media file is skipped but not selected or saved into the storage unit  140 . For example, the user can skip the presently displayed media file by pressing down the third key  113  if the user finds the presently displayed media file is undesirable, and then the user continues to process the next picture. 
     It should be mentioned here that while the display unit displays a media file, the processing unit  120  further determines whether or not the presently displayed media file is a video file or an audio file. If the presently displayed media file is a video file or an audio file, the presently displayed media file is directly selected when an input of the first key  111  or the second key  112  is received since it is not necessary to rotate a video or an audio file. Besides, while performing the selecting functions, the processing unit  120  may further adjust the resolution of the presently displayed media file to be a predetermined resolution in order to unify the display size of each media file. 
     Finally, in step S 206 , the processing unit  120  determines whether or not all the media files have been processed. If there is still unprocessed media file, the procedure returns to step S 201  to display the next media file and foregoing steps S 202 .about.S 205  are repeated until all the media files are processed. 
     In addition, since the media file selecting method described above can be implemented with only three keys, the method can be applied to a control apparatus with only a few keys, such as a remote controller.  FIG. 3  is a diagram of a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the remote controller  300  includes a leftward key  310 , a downward key  320 , and an input key  330 , and these keys respectively correspond to the first key  111 , second key  112 , and third key  113  in foregoing embodiment. 
     A user may execute the “rotate”, “skip”, and “select” functions through the leftward key  310 , downward key  320 , and input key  330 . If the presently displayed media file is not displayed upright, the user can rotate the presently displayed media file to upright by pressing down the leftward key  310 . Here the rotated media file is saved into the storage unit  140 , and meanwhile, the next media file is displayed in the display unit  130 . The rotation direction of the leftward key  310  may be preset according to the habit of the user. 
     Moreover, if the presently displayed media file is displayed upright, the user can directly select the presently displayed media file and save it into the storage unit  140  by pressing down the input key  330 , and then the next media file is displayed. If the user does not want to select the presently displayed media file, the user can forward to the next media file by pressing down the downward key  320 , and then the presently displayed media file is not saved into the save path. 
     It should be noted that the leftward key  310 , downward key  320 , and input key  330  in the present embodiment are only used for the convenience of description, and the keys used as the first key  111 , second key  112 , and third key  113  in the media file selecting apparatus  100  are not limited in the present invention. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, five keys are used for selecting media files.  FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for selecting media files according to this embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the media file selecting apparatus  400  includes an input unit  410 , a processing unit  420 , a display unit  430 , a storage unit  440 , and a path setting module  450 . The input unit  410  includes a first key  411 , a second key  412 , a third key  413 , a fourth key  414 , a fifth key  415 , and a sixth key  416 . The dispositions and functions of the processing unit  420 , the display unit  430 , and the storage unit  440  are the same as or similar to the processing unit  120 , the display unit  130 , and the storage unit  140  in foregoing embodiment, such that the relative description is omitted herein. 
     In the present embodiment, the first key  411  and the second key  412  are respectively used for rotating the presently displayed media file 90.degree. anticlockwise and clockwise and saving the rotated media file into the storage unit  440 . The third key  413  is used for directly selecting the presently displayed media file and saving it into the storage unit  440 . The fourth key  414  is used for skipping the presently displayed media file. After each of foregoing keys is pressed down, besides executing the corresponding selecting function, a next media file is further displayed in the display unit  430 . Besides, the fifth key  415  is used for returning to the previously displayed media file. 
     Additionally, the media file selecting apparatus  400  further includes the sixth key  416  for enabling the keys of the input unit  410  (i.e. the first key  411 , second key  412 , third key  413 , fourth key  414 , and fifth key  415 ) to provide the functions for selecting media files. Originally, the first key  411 , second key  412 , third key  413 , fourth key  414 , and fifth key  415  may have their own functions, and in the present invention, these keys are enabled by pressing down the sixth key  416  so that they can provide the media file selecting functions. 
     The path setting module  450  is used for setting a read path of the original media files and a save path for saving the selected media files. For example, a particular data folder in the storage unit  440  is set as the read path, and another data folder in the storage unit  440  is set as the save path, wherein the read path is used for reading the original media files, and the save path is used for storing the selected media files. 
     Similarly, the present invention also provides a method for selecting media files corresponding to the media file selecting apparatus  400  described above.  FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting method files according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , first, in step S 501 , the processing unit  420  determines whether or not an input of the sixth key  416  is received. If the input of the sixth key  416  is received, step S 502  is executed to enable the input unit  410  and to provide the functions for selecting media files. In other words, the keys of the input unit  410  (i.e. the first key  411 , second key  412 , third key  413 , fourth key  414 , and fifth key  415 ) are only given the media file selecting functions when the input of the sixth key  416  is received. The step S 502  is only executed until the input of the sixth key  416  is received. 
     After the input unit  410  is enabled, in step S 503 , a read path is set by the path setting module  450  so that the processing unit  420  can read media files from the storage unit  440  according to this read path. In addition, in step S 504 , a save path is set by the path setting module  450  so that the processing unit  420  can store those selected media files into the storage unit  440  according to this save path. 
     Next, in step S 505 , the processing unit  420  reads the media files from the storage unit  440  according to the read path and displays the media files in the display unit  430 . After that, in step S 506 , the processing unit  420  determines whether or not an input of the keys (i.e. the first key  411 , second key  412 , third key  413 , fourth key  414 , and fifth key  415 ) is received and performs corresponding select function according to the received key input. Steps S 507 .about.S 511  are the selecting operations corresponding to various key inputs, which are similar to those described in foregoing embodiment, and therefore the relative description is omitted herein. 
     Finally, after the corresponding selecting function is performed, the processing unit  420  determines whether or not all the media files have been processed in step S 512 . If there is still unprocessed media file, the procedure returns to step S 505  to display the next media file and foregoing steps S 506 .about.S 511  are repeated until all the media files are processed. 
     It should be mentioned that in the present embodiment, the user can return to a previously displayed media file through the input of the fifth key  415  and perform the selecting functions to the previously displayed media file again, which means the present invention has fault-tolerant function. When the user presses down a wrong key accidentally (for example, skips a media file by pressing down the fourth key  414  accidentally), the user can conveniently return to the previously displayed media file by pressing down the fifth key  415 . 
     Moreover, the foregoing media file selecting method may also be applied to a control apparatus with only a few keys, such as a remote controller.  FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a remote controller according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to both  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , the remote controller  600  includes a leftward key  610 , a rightward key  620 , an input key  630 , a downward key  640 , and an upward key  650 , and these keys respectively correspond to the first key  411 , second key  412 , third key  413 , fourth key  414 , and fifth key  415  in foregoing embodiment. 
     When the orientation of the presently displayed media file is rotated 90.degree. clockwise, a user can press down the leftward key  610  to rotate the presently displayed media file 90.degree. anticlockwise and save the rotated media file into the storage unit  440 , and meanwhile, the display unit  430  displays the next media file. Similarly, when the orientation of the presently displayed media file is rotated 90.degree. anticlockwise, the use can press down the rightward key  620  to rotate the presently displayed media file 90.degree. clockwise and save the rotated media file into the storage unit  440 , and then the next media file is displayed. 
     Besides, if the presently displayed media file is displayed upright, the user can press down the input key  630  to directly select the presently displayed media file and save it into the storage unit  440 , and then the next media file is displayed. 
     If the user does not want to select the presently displayed media file, the user can press down the downward key  640  to forward to the next media file, and here the presently displayed media file is not saved into the save path. Besides, when the user realizes that the previous select operation is incorrect or wants to re-select the previous media file, the user can press down the upward key  650  to return to the previously displayed media file and re-perform the media file select functions. 
     It should be mentioned here that besides performing the media file selecting functions by using the four direction keys and the input key, the functions may also be performed by using the control elements (for example, buttons, menus, and toolboxes) in a user interface. 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  are diagrams of a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to both  FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B , the user interface  700  includes buttons  701 .about. 705 , and these buttons may be used for executing the select functions of the upward key  650 , downward key  640 , input key  630 , leftward key  610 , and rightward key  620  in foregoing embodiment. 
     In the present embodiment, the user interface  700  includes a pending zone  706  and a preview zone  707 , and the regions  708  and  709  surrounded by dotted lines besides the pending zone  706  are respectively used for displaying the media files rotated anticlockwise and clockwise. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7A , the picture in the pending zone  706  is not displayed upright, so that the user clicks at the “rotate right” button  705  to rotate the picture 90.degree. clockwise, and the rotated picture is displayed in the region  709  (as shown in  FIG. 7B ). In addition, the picture originally in the preview zone  707  is moved downwards into the pending zone  706 , and a next picture is then displayed in the preview zone  707 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7B , the picture in the pending zone  706  is displayed upright, and if the user wants to select the picture, the user can click at the “directly select” button  703  to select the picture; otherwise if the user does not want to select the picture, the user can click at the “next” button  702  to skip the picture. After the picture in the pending zone  706  is selected or skipped, similarly, the picture in the preview zone  707  is moved downwards into the pending zone  706 , and subsequent selecting operation is repeated as described above. 
     In summary, the method and the apparatus for selecting media files provided by the present invention have at least following advantages: 
     1. Only three keys are used for selecting, rotating, and skipping media files, therefore the media file selecting operation is simplified. 
     2. A simple user interface is used for displaying a pending picture, a next picture, and a rotated picture, so that a user can select the media files conveniently. 
     3. The method provided by the present invention can be applied to an input apparatus with only a few keys, such as a remote controller, so that the media files can be selected remotely and the operating procedure can be simplified. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.