Patent ID: 7042813

Claim:
A media player, comprising: a processor; a media drive mechanism coupled to said processor, said drive mechanism adapted to receive a media device on which a plurality of compressed files of media information is stored, said compressed files being selected by a user for playing; memory coupled to said processor; and a media output device coupled to said processor through which a media signal is played; and wherein said processor is operable to: (a) retrieve an initial portion of media data for an initial user specified compressed media file from the media device; (b) store the retrieved initial portion as unplayed media data in the memory; (c) play unplayed media data from the memory via the media output device; (d) manage data in the memory while playing unplayed media data from the memory according to the steps of: (1) determining whether the amount of unplayed media data in the memory is below a threshold, (2) if the amount of unplayed media data in the memory is not below the threshold, performing step (1) again, (3) if the amount of unplayed media data in the memory is below the threshold, determining whether more media data exists for a current compressed media file, (4) if more media data exists for the current compressed media file, retrieving a next portion of such data, (5) if more media data does not exist for the current compressed media file, determining whether a next user specified compressed media file is available to be buffered, and (6) if more media data does not exist for the current compressed media file and a next user specified compressed media file is available, then retrieving an initial portion of media data from the next compressed media file, storing the retrieved initial portion as unplayed media data in the memory, setting the next compressed media file as the current compressed media file and performing step (1) again.