Patent ID: 8224927

Claim:
A method of operating an accessory to control a portable media device, the method comprising: receiving, by the accessory, a first user input indicating a selection to be made from a database of media assets stored by the portable media device, wherein the accessory is external to the portable media device; sending, by the accessory, a first command to the portable media device, the first command instructing the portable media device to make the selection and thereby select one or more media assets from the database; receiving, by the accessory, a second user input indicating that the selected one or more media assets are to be added to a playlist maintained in the portable media device; in response to receiving the second user input, determining, by the accessory, without user intervention, whether the playlist already exists; in the event that the playlist already exists, sending, by the accessory, a second command to the portable media device, the second command instructing the portable media device to add the selected one or more media assets to the playlist; and in the event that the playlist does not already exist, sending, by the accessory, a third command to the portable media device, the third command instructing the portable media device to create the playlist, wherein the third command is sent prior to sending the second command.