Patent ID: 8843222

Claim:
A portable media player, comprising: a media storage component, wherein the media storage component stores one or more media files; a media playback component, coupled to the media storage component, wherein the media playback component is configured to selectively play the one or more stored media files; means for receiving a selection input from a user to individually select one or more user-selected control components out of a plurality of control components of the portable media player, wherein: individual selection of the one or more user-selected control components indicates that the user desires to continue to be able to receive input from the one or more user-selected control components when the portable media player is in a locked state; and the plurality of control components are each configured such that each of the plurality of control components is individually and separable: to receive input when the portable media player is in a locked state and when the control component has been selected by the user via the means for receiving selection input; and to be prevented from acting on any received input when the portable media player is in a locked state and when the control component has not been selected by the user via the means for receiving selection input; a user-selected first control component out of the one or more user-selected control components selected by the user, coupled to the media playback component, wherein the user-selected first control component is configured to receive input from the user of the portable media player and to respond by adjusting a first characteristic related to a selective play of the one or more stored media files; a second control component, coupled to the media playback component, the second control component being not out of the one or more user-selected control components, wherein the second control component is configured to receive input from the user of the portable media player and to respond by adjusting a second characteristic related to a selective play of the one or more stored media files; and a control selection component, coupled to the first and second control components, configured to cause the portable media player to be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state upon activation of the control selection component by the user of the portable media player; wherein in the locked state the media playback component is prevented from acting on any received input from the second control component but is allowed to act on any received input from the user-selected first control component, and in the unlocked state the media playback component is allowed to act on any received input from the first control component and from the second control component.