Abstract:
In accordance with an aspect, a method is provided to operate a portable electronic device including integrated operation of media playback processing with non-media-playback processing. A collection of information related to media playback processing may be maintained. The non-media-playback processing may be operated to include customizing the non-media-playback processing based on information, from the maintained collection information, corresponding to then-current operation of the media playback processing.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Portable electronic devices for media playback have been popular and are becoming ever more popular. For example, a very popular portable media player is the line of iPod® media players from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. In addition to media playback, the iPod® media players also provide game playing capabilities. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    The inventors have realized that it is desirable to create an integrated media playback and non-media playback (such as game playing) experience. 
         [0003]    Methods are provided to operate a portable electronic device including integrated operation of media playback processing with non-media-playback processing. A collection of information related to media playback processing can be maintained. The non-media-playback processing can be operated to include customizing the non-media-playback processing based on information, from the maintained collection information, corresponding to then-current operation of the media playback processing. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is an architecture diagram broadly illustrating an example of processing within an electronic device such as a portable media player, wherein a media playback application is executing to playback audio media at the same time as a non-media-playback application (here, a game application) is executing. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart that illustrates processing steps for an example of integrating the associated media visual information into a game visual presentation. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    A method is described to integrate visual content related to media playback into non-media-playback processing occurring at the same time as the media playback, such as games. 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is an architecture diagram broadly illustrating an example of processing within an electronic device such as a portable media player, wherein a media playback application is executing to playback audio media, at least when considered at a macroscopic level, at the same time as a non-media-playback application (such as a game application) is executing. That is, while perhaps at some level of machine instruction resolution, the processes may appear to be executing not at the same time (e.g., processes may be threaded), when viewed at a higher level, the processing is executing at the same time. 
         [0008]    Referring specifically to  FIG. 1 , the media playback application  102  can operate to cause audio  108  to be played back to a user via a portable media player  110 . Such playback can be based at least in part on user input to the portable media player  110 . In the  FIG. 1  example, the media playback audio can be provided from a music storage  106  which may be storage closely associated with the portable media player  110  (such as being housed within a housing of the portable media player  110 ). In general, the media playback audio can be nominally generated in a predictive manner and, while user interaction may affect the media playback audio (e.g., by a user activating a “fast forward” or other user interface item), the media playback audio is nominally generated in a predictive manner. The media playback application  102  maintains a “now playing” indication  104 , which can provide an indication of the content of the media playback audio  108 . 
         [0009]    Meanwhile the game application  116  may operate to, among other things, provide game video to a display  112  of the portable media player  110 . The game application  116  is an example of non-media-playback processing. That is, the game video provided to the display  112  of the portable media player  110  is typically, at least in part, responsive to game-playing actions of a user of the portable media player  110 . In this respect, the game video is not nominally generated in a predictive manner, as is the case with media playback processing. The game application  116  operates while media playback audio  108  is being played back to the user. 
         [0010]    As part of the game application  116  processing, the game application  116  may provide a request  118  for the “now playing” indication  104 , and a reply  120  provides the value of the “now playing” indication  104  back to the game application  116 . This request  118  and reply  120  may be as simple as merely querying a register (e.g., using a particular API) or may include a more sophisticated protocol for obtaining the “now playing” indication  104 . 
         [0011]    Using the “now playing” indication  104 , the game application  116  processing retrieves particular associated media visual information  114 . For example, the particular associated media visual information  114  may be album cover art work provided by a publisher of the media being played back. The particular associated media visual information  114  may be visual information associated by the user with the media being played back, such as a photograph taken or otherwise obtained by the user and associated with the media being played back. 
         [0012]    The game application  116  can cause the particular associated media visual information to be integrated into visual content of the game. As just one example, the game may include cityscape visual content, and album cover art work associated with music being played back by the media playback application  102  may be caused to be displayed on a billboard of the cityscape. Visually, the particular associated media visual information appears to a user to be part of the visual content of the game. 
         [0013]    In many instances, the particular associated media visual information is readily available, such as being in an artwork cache for images. Thus, for example, a more computationally expensive retrieval of the particular associated media visual information can be avoided or minimized, such as retrieving the particular associated media from a disk that must be initially spun up to be accessed. 
         [0014]    While the description above has been with respect to particular associated media visual information, in some examples, there is other metadata available regarding the media playback audio  108 , and that metadata may be used by the game application  116  as a basis to modify or otherwise process or generate the game video provided to the display  112 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart that illustrates processing steps for an example of integrating the associated media visual information into a game visual presentation. At step  202 , the current item of media playback is determined using the “now playing” indication. At step  204 , based on the determined current item of media playback, associated media visual information is determined. At step  206 , the determined associated media visual information is caused to be integrated into the game visual presentation. 
         [0016]    In some examples, a visual game presentation employs media visual information beyond that associated with a current item of media playback. For example, the media visual information employed may be with respect to other media in a media library of the electronic device. As one example, the game may include providing a trivia question based on information in the media library. 
         [0017]    We have described how visual content related to media playback may be integrated into non-media-playback processing occurring at the same time as the media playback, such as games. While games have been discussed as examples of non-media-playback processing, the non-media-playback processing may include other than games. 
         [0018]    The following applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: U.S. Pat. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR INTERACTIVE INPUT TO PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES,” (Atty Docket No. APL1P486/P4322US1); and U.S. Pat. No. ______, filed concurrently herewith, entitled “ALLOWING MEDIA AND GAMING ENVIRONMENTS TO EFFECTIVELY INTERACT AND/OR AFFECT EACH OTHER,” (Atty Docket No. APL1P487/P4323US1).