PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8434146-B2
Application Number: US-39796809-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Access control based on development profiles

Abstract:
Systems and methods for selectively providing access to a media device based on a profile associated with the media device. In certain embodiments, the profile of the media device can be user-defined as a development profile or a personal profile. When the device is connected to a host computer system, the profile of the media device is accessed. If the profile of the media device is a development profile, an integrated development environment on the host computer system can access the media device. If the profile of the media device is a personal profile, the integrated development environment is prevented from accessing the device.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 determining, by a host electronic device, whether a profile exists for a media device automatically in response to the media device being communicatively coupled with the host electronic device, the host electronic device having an integrated development environment to develop applications for execution on media devices; 
 determining, by the host electronic device, whether the media device is to be used to test the applications developed by the integrated development environment in response to determining that the development profile does not exist for the media device; 
 creating, by the host electronic device, a personal profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is not to be used to test the applications; 
 creating, by the host electronic device, a development profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is to be used to test the applications; and 
 determining, by the host electronic device, whether to download an application to the media device for testing based on the profile,: wherein the personal profile prevents the integrated development environment from downloading the application and the development profile enables the integrated development environment to download the application. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 downloading, by the integrated development environment, the application to the media device to test the application on the media device. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the development profile enables the integrated development environment to enable restricted access to development on the media device. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein creating the development profile comprises:
 determining whether the media device has an associated authorized user identifier; and 
 creating the development profile if the authorized user identifier is found. 
 
     
     
       5. An apparatus comprising:
 means for determining whether a profile exists for a media device automatically in response to the media device being communicatively coupled with a host electronic device having an integrated development environment to develop applications for execution on media devices; 
 means for determining whether the media device is to be used to test the applications developed by the integrated development environment in response to determining that a profile does not exist for the media device; 
 means for creating a personal profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is not to be used to test the applications; 
 means for creating a development profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is to be used to test the applications; and 
 means for determining whether to download an application to the media device for testing based on the profile, wherein the personal profile prevents the integrated development environment from downloading the application and the development profile enables the integrated development environment to download the application. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 means for downloading, by the integrated development environment, the application to the media device to test the application on the media device. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the development profile enables the integrated development environment to enable restricted access to development on the media device. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein creating the development profile comprises:
 means for determining whether the media device has an associated authorized user identifier; and 
 means for creating the development profile if the authorized user identifier is found. 
 
     
     
       9. A system comprising:
 a media device having a processor, a memory and a communication interface; and 
 a host electronic device coupled with the media device via the communication interface,
 the host electronic device having an integrated development environment to develop applications for execution on media devices, 
 the host electronic device further having a profile management module to determine whether a profile exists for the media device automatically in response to the media device being communicatively coupled with the host electronic device, to determine whether the media device is to be used to test applications developed by the integrated development environment in response to determining that the development profile does not exist for the media device, to create a personal profile in response to determining the media device is not to be used to test applications, and to create a development profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is to be used to test applications, and 
 the host electronic device operable to determine whether to download an application to the media device for testing based on the profile, wherein the personal profile prevents the integrated development environment from downloading the application and the development profile enables the integrated development environment to download the application. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  wherein the development profile is stored on the media device. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9  wherein the development profile is stored on the host electronic device. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9  wherein the development profile is stored on a removable storage medium inserted into the host electronic device. 
     
     
       13. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:
 determine whether a profile exists a media device automatically in response to the media device being communicatively coupled with a host electronic device having an integrated development environment to develop applications for execution on media devices; 
 determine whether the media device is to be used to test the applications developed by the integrated development environment in response to determining that a profile does not exist for the media device; 
 create a personal profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is not to be used to test the applications; 
 create a development profile for the media device in response to determining the media device is to be used to test applications; and 
 determining whether to download an application to the media device for testing based on the profile, wherein the personal profile prevents the integrated development environment from downloading the application ind the development profile enables the integrated development environment to download the application. 
 
     
     
       14. The article of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 downloading, by the inteerated development environment, the application to the media device to test the application on the media device. 
 
     
     
       15. The article of  claim 13  wherein the development profile enables the integrated development environment to enable restricted access to development on the media device. 
     
     
       16. The article of  claim 13  wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to create the development profile comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 determine whether the media device has an associated authorized user identifier; and 
 create the development profile if the authorized user identifier is found.

Description:
This U.S. patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/033,747, entitled, “M ANAGEMENT OF  M EDIA  D EVICE  P ROFILES ” filed Mar. 4, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     There are many types of media devices currently available for presenting various types of media content to a user. For example, televisions, radios, computers, and a variety of portable or handheld devices are available for presenting various types of audio and/or visual information to a user. Some examples of portable devices include music players (e.g., MP3 players), cell phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable televisions, laptops, and the like. 
     In presenting media to a user, one or more software applications are generally run on a processor of the media device. Applications are also often provided for other purposes, such as game playing, web browsing, and so on. Development of software for such devices can often involve testing the software directly on the media device. However, software under development can include errors or “bugs” that can render the media device unstable. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating certain embodiments of a computer system for managing media device profiles; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are flowchart diagrams illustrating certain embodiments of processes for managing media device profiles; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are block diagrams illustrating systems for managing media device profiles in a multi-host computer environment; 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart diagram illustrating certain embodiments of a process for managing media device profiles in a multi-host computer environment; 
         FIG. 7A  is an elevation-view diagram illustrating an example mobile device that can be used with certain embodiments of the systems of  FIGS. 1 through 3 ; 
         FIG. 7B  is an elevation-view diagram illustrating an example of a configurable top-level graphical user interface for the mobile device of  FIG. 7A ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of the mobile device of  FIG. 7A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In certain embodiments, systems and methods are provided for selectively providing access to a media device that address some or all of the above-mentioned problems. These systems and methods can advantageously prevent developers from accidentally testing software on their personal device. In certain embodiments, these benefits can be achieved by associating certain media devices with software development profiles. In certain embodiments, only those media devices that are associated with development profiles can be accessed for software development and testing purposes. 
     The features of these systems and methods will now be described with reference to the drawings summarized above. Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicate correspondence between referenced elements. The drawings, associated descriptions, and specific implementation are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the inventions disclosed herein. 
     In addition, methods and processes described herein are not limited to any particular sequence, and the blocks or states relating thereto can be performed in other sequences that are appropriate. For example, described blocks or states may be performed in an order other than that specifically disclosed, or multiple blocks or states may be combined into a single block or state. Moreover, the various modules of the systems described herein can be implemented as software applications, modules, or components on one or more computers, such as servers. While the various modules are illustrated separately, they may share some or all of the same underlying logic or code. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example profile management system  100 . Certain embodiments of profile management system  100  facilitate preventing a user from unintentionally loading test or pre-production software to certain media devices  120 . Advantageously, profile management system  100  can achieve these benefits by creating and managing profiles  122  for media devices  120 . 
     In certain embodiments of profile management system  100 , one or more media devices  120  can be placed into communication with host computer system  110  by tethering with a cable, by a wireless connection, by a network connection, or the like. Each media device  120  can be any media or portable device, such as but not limited to a music player, MP3 player, a cell phone, handheld television, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, combinations of the same, and the like. 
     In the example embodiment shown, two media devices  120  are depicted. Development media device  120   a  may be used for development purposes, and personal media device  120   b  may be used for personal purposes. Personal purposes may include any use that does not include development of software, such as, for example, the listening of music, placing and receiving phone calls, watching video, running applications, combinations of the same, and the like. In certain embodiments, development media device  120   a  can also be used for some personal purposes. 
     Each media device  120  in certain embodiments has profile  122  associated with media device  120 . Profile  122  can be a file or the like that includes data that indicates whether media device  120  may be for development or personal use. In the depicted embodiment, profiles  122  are stored on media devices  120 . In alternative embodiments, profiles  122  can be stored on host computer  110  or on a remote device or network resource, example embodiments of which are described below with respect to  FIGS. 4 through 6 . 
     Development media device  120   a  has development profile  122   a,  and personal media device  120   b  has personal profile  122   b.  Profiles  122  can be stored, for example, on a disk or memory of media players  120 , or even on a memory card or the like that can be inserted into media players  120 . Profiles  122  can be created, accessed, and managed by host  110 , as described below. 
     Host  110  in certain embodiments includes media management application  112 , integrated development environment (IDE)  114 , and profile management module  116 . Media management application  112  may be a module, application, or the like that can be included in some hosts  110  but which may not be included with all hosts  110 . Media management application  112  can be used to manage media on host  110  and/or on media devices  120 . For example, media management application  112  can be used to purchase media from a remote network resource on a communications medium such as the Internet. Media management application  112  can transfer this or other media from host  110  to one or more media devices  120  and can also transfer media from media devices  120  to host  110 . Media management application  112  can be used or accessed by personal media devices  120   b  in certain embodiments. In some implementations, development media device  120   a  can also access media management application  112 . Accessing media management application  112  with development media devices  120   a  can be advantageous for some software testing situations. 
     IDE  114  can be a component, module, or application used for developing software for media devices  120  and for downloading test software to media devices  120 . IDE  114  can be, for example, part of a software development kit (SDK). In certain implementations, IDE  114  accesses profile  122  of media device  120  in response to media device  120  being placed in communication with host  110 . If media device  120  has development profile  122   a,  then IDE  114  will be enabled to access media device  120  for software development and testing purposes. 
     Additionally, in certain implementations, when media device  120   a  having development profile  122   a  may be placed in communication with host  110  (e.g., by tethering), IDE  114  can be launched automatically. Launching IDE  114  automatically can include causing an image of IDE  114  to be placed into memory. Alternatively, prior to launch, an image of IDE  114  may already be loaded into memory, but IDE  114  may be minimized or otherwise not displayed on a display of host  110 . In such a situation, launching IDE  114  can include causing a user interface of IDE  114  to be maximized or otherwise made viewable to a user. 
     If media device  120  has personal profile  122   b,  or alternatively, in some embodiments if media device  120  has no profile, IDE  114  cannot access media device  120  for software development and testing. In certain embodiments, preventing access of IDE  114  to personal media device  120  can prevent software that may be in development from being downloaded to personal media device  120   b.  Thus, a software developer who uses both development and personal media devices  120   a,    120   b  cannot easily mistakenly load test software onto personal media device  120   b.    
     Profile management module  116  may be a software module, component, application, or the like that can be used to create and manage profiles  122 . On first connection of media device  120  to host  110 , profile management module  116  can detect the presence of media device  120  and determine whether profile  122  exists for media device  120 . If profile  122  does not exist, profile management module  116  can create one in certain embodiments. Profile management module  116  can create profiles, in one embodiment, according to a user-defined setting that may be accessible within a user interface of profile management module  116 . Thus, for example, profile management module  116  may present a user interface having a set of options for choosing whether to assign personal or development profile  122  to media device  120 . 
     In addition, profile management module  116  can be used in certain embodiments to change profile  122  from development profile  122   a  to personal profile  122   b  and vice versa. In addition, profile management module  116  can be used to delete profile  122 . In certain embodiments, profile management module  116  may be part of the IDE  114 . 
     In some alternative embodiments, profiles  122  are not stored on media devices  120  but are instead stored on host  110  or on another network resource that may be in communication with host  110 . Examples of other methods for storing profiles  122  are described below with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     Additionally, in certain alternative embodiments, no profile  122   b  may be used in association with personal device  120   b.  Rather, profile  122   a  may be used only in association with development media device  120   a.  As a result, IDE  114  in certain embodiments can access media devices  120   a  that have profile  122  and deny access to media devices  120  that do not have a profile. In still other embodiments, both development media device  120   a  and personal media device  120   b  can have profiles  122   a,    122   b  that have development and personal options. Profile management module  116  can selectively activate or deactivate the respective options according to user preferences. Many other configurations of profiles  122  are possible. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates certain embodiments of process  200  for creating profiles for a device. In certain embodiments, process  200  can be implemented by any of the computer systems described herein, including profile management system  100  or any of the systems described below. Process  200  or portions thereof can be performed, for example, by profile management module  116 . Advantageously, certain embodiments of process  200  enable a developer to have a development device with a development profile so that the developer does not accidently transfer test software to the developer&#39;s personal device. 
     At block  202 , a media device may be connected or otherwise placed in communication with a host. This block  202  can be performed by a user in one embodiment. The media device can be connected to the host by, for example, tethering with a cable (e.g., a universal serial bus cable), through a wireless connection, over a communications medium such as a network, combinations of the same, and the like. 
     At block  204 , it may be determined whether the media device has a profile. This block  204  can include, for example, accessing a profile stored on the media device or accessing a profile stored on a network resource. If the device has a profile, then process  200  ends. Otherwise, it may be further determined at block  206  whether the device will be used for development. Block  206  can include providing a user with user interface options for choosing whether the device will be a development or personal device. 
     If the media device will not be used for development, at block  210  a personal profile can be created for the device. Otherwise, a development profile can be created for the device at block  208 . The profile created in block  208  or  210  can be transferred to the media device or can be stored elsewhere, such as on the host connected to the media device or on a separate server or database. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an example process  300  for enabling access to a media device. Process  300  can be implemented in certain embodiments by any of the systems described herein. In one implementation, process  300  or portions thereof are performed by profile management module  116  described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . Advantageously, process  300  in certain embodiments enables an integrated development environment to selectively access a device having a specified profile. 
     At block  302 , a media device may be connected to or otherwise placed in communication with a host by, for example, a user. At block  304 , it may be determined whether the device has a profile. This block  304  can include accessing a profile on the device, host, or a network resource. If the device does not have a profile, a profile may be created at block  306 . Creating a profile at block  306  can include performing one or more of the blocks described above with respect to process  200  at  FIG. 2 . Once the profile is created at block  306 , the process then proceeds to block  308 . Likewise, if the device already has a profile, the process proceeds to block  308 . 
     It may be determined at block  308  whether the profile of the device may be a development profile. Determining whether the device has a development profile can include reading one or more parameters stored in a profile file. If the device does not have a development profile, then a media management application can be enabled in certain embodiments to access the device at block  312 . The media management application can have some or all of the features described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, enabling the media management application to access the device includes automatically launching the media management application upon connection of the media device to the host. 
     Alternatively, if the device does have a development profile, then at block  310  an IDE can be enabled to access the device. The IDE may have some or all of the features described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . Enabling the IDE to access the media device can include enabling the IDE to download software to the device for development and testing purposes. Enabling the IDE to access the device can also include enabling a simulator in the IDE to access the device. In addition, enabling the IDE to access the device can also include automatically launching the IDE in response to the media device being connected to the host or otherwise being placed in communication therewith. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates certain embodiments of a development device management system  400 . In system  400 , development media device  420  can be moved or shared between different host computers  410 . Advantageously, development profile  422  stored on media device  420  enables media device  420  to be shared amongst hosts  410 . 
     One example situation in which system  400  may be implemented may be that of a development lab or development workgroup, where multiple developers share host computers  410  and/or development media devices  420 . Accordingly, developers  430  may move from one host  410   a  to another host  410   b  and may desire to use the same media device  420  on both hosts  410   a,    410   b.  Or, different developers  430  may share one media device  420  by connecting the media device  420  to different hosts  410 . 
     Thus, in some instances device  420  may move (illustrated by the arrow  440 ) with developer  430  (illustrated by arrow  450 ) from first host  410   a  to be connected to second host  410   b.  Second host  410   b  can then determine if profile  422  exists for media device  420 . Because profile  422  exists for the media device in the example embodiment shown, an IDE on second host  410   b  can access media device  420 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , another development device management system  500  is shown. Like system  400  of  FIG. 4  described above, development media device  520  can be moved or shared between different host computers  510 . Advantageously, a development profile stored on a network resource such as profile database  580  enables media device  520  to be shared amongst hosts  510 . 
     In the depicted embodiment, media device  520  may be connected to first host  510   a.  In certain embodiments, first host  510   a  can access profiles database  580  over network  570  or other communications medium to determine whether media device  520  may be enabled for development. If a profile for media device  520  may be stored in profile database  580 , first host  510   a  can access the profile and activate or otherwise enable an IDE on first host  510   a  to access media device  520 . 
     In addition, host  510   b  can further determine if developer  530  has an authorized user ID or other security indicia for developing on media device  520 . The user ID or other security indicia can be stored in user database  582  which may be accessed using network  570 . In some embodiments, using security indicia can enable restricted access to development on media devices  520 . 
     One or more other hosts  510   b,    510   c  can also be in communication with network  570  and with database of profiles  580 . If developer  530  decides to move to another host  510   b  (as shown by arrow  550 ), or if developer  530  shares device  520  with other developers, media device  520  can be moved to another host  510   b  (see arrow  540 ). In order to develop on media device  520 , in one embodiment host computer  510   b  determines if device  520  has a profile in profile database  580 . In addition, host  510   b  can determine if security indicia exists in user database  582  for developer  530 , as illustrated by arrow  560 . In one embodiment, if a profile and valid user ID exist, host  510   b  can then enable an IDE on host  510   b  to access media device  520  for software development and testing. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an example process  600  for providing access to a media device. Process  600  can be implemented in certain embodiments by any of the systems described above, such as for example system  400  or system  500 . 
     At block  602 , a media device may be moved from a first host to a second host. The media device can be moved, for example, by a developer who wishes to use the media device on the second host. The first and second hosts can be on a network or can be stand-alone hosts. 
     At block  604 , it may be determined whether the device has a development profile. The development profile can be stored on the device or on a network resource such as a database of profiles. In addition, the profile can be stored on a host computer in communication with the device. Other locations for the profile can also be provided in certain embodiments. 
     If the device does not have a development profile, then at block  606 , it may be determined that an IDE on the second host cannot access the device, and the process ends. Otherwise, if the device does have a development profile, at block  608  in certain embodiments it may be determined whether a user has security rights to access the device on the second host. Block  608  can include accessing a user identifier database or other network resource in some implementations. In alternative embodiments, the user security ID can be embedded on the media device on the host computer, or on a removable memory storage media such as a flash memory card or the like. 
     If the user does have security rights, the IDE on the second host can be enabled to access the media device at block  610 . Otherwise, the IDE cannot access the device on the second host at block  606 , and the process ends. 
       FIG. 7A  illustrates an example mobile device  700 . The mobile device  700  can be, for example, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a network appliance, a camera, a smart phone, an enhanced general packet radio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a network base station, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, or a combination of any two or more of these data processing devices or other data processing devices. 
     Mobile Device Overview 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  700  includes a touch-sensitive display  702 . The touch-sensitive display  702  can be implemented with liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light emitting polymer display (LPD) technology, or some other display technology. The touch-sensitive display  702  can be sensitive to haptic and/or tactile contact with a user. 
     In some implementations, the touch-sensitive display  702  can include a multi-touch-sensitive display  702 . A multi-touch-sensitive display  702  can, for example, process multiple simultaneous touch points, including processing data related to the pressure, degree, and/or position of each touch point. Such processing facilitates gestures and interactions with multiple fingers, chording, and other interactions. Other touch-sensitive display technologies can also be used, e.g., a display in which contact is made using a stylus or other pointing device. Some examples of multi-touch-sensitive display technology are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,323,846, 6,570,557, 6,677,932, and 6,888,536, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  700  can display one or more graphical user interfaces on the touch-sensitive display  702  for providing the user access to various system objects and for conveying information to the user. In some implementations, the graphical user interface can include one or more display objects  704 ,  706 . In the example shown, the display objects  704 ,  706 , are graphic representations of system objects. Some examples of system objects include device functions, applications, windows, files, alerts, events, or other identifiable system objects. 
     Example Mobile Device Functionality 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  700  can implement multiple device functionalities, such as a telephony device, as indicated by a Phone object  710 ; an e-mail device, as indicated by the Mail object  712 ; a map devices, as indicated by the Maps object  714 ; a Wi-Fi base station device (not shown); and a network video transmission and display device, as indicated by the Web Video object  716 . In some implementations, particular display objects  704 , e.g., the Phone object  710 , the Mail object  712 , the Maps object  714 , and the Web Video object  716 , can be displayed in a menu bar  718 . In some implementations, device functionalities can be accessed from a top-level graphical user interface, such as the graphical user interface illustrated in  FIG. 7A . Touching one of the objects  710 ,  712 ,  714 , or  716  can, for example, invoke a corresponding functionality. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  700  can implement a network distribution functionality. For example, the functionality can enable the user to take the mobile device  700  and provide access to its associated network while traveling. In particular, the mobile device  700  can extend Internet access (e.g., Wi-Fi) to other wireless devices in the vicinity. For example, mobile device  700  can be configured as a base station for one or more devices. As such, mobile device  700  can grant or deny network access to other wireless devices. 
     In some implementations, upon invocation of a device functionality, the graphical user interface of the mobile device  700  changes, or is augmented or replaced with another user interface or user interface elements, to facilitate user access to particular functions associated with the corresponding device functionality. For example, in response to a user touching the Phone object  710 , the graphical user interface of the touch-sensitive display  702  may present display objects related to various phone functions; likewise, touching of the Mail object  712  may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various e-mail functions; touching the Maps object  714  may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various maps functions; and touching the Web Video object  716  may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various web video functions. 
     In some implementations, the top-level graphical user interface environment or state of  FIG. 7A  can be restored by pressing a button  720  located near the bottom of the mobile device  700 . In some implementations, each corresponding device functionality may have corresponding “home” display objects displayed on the touch-sensitive display  702 , and the graphical user interface environment of  FIG. 7A  can be restored by pressing the “home” display object. 
     In some implementations, the top-level graphical user interface can include additional display objects  706 , such as a short messaging service (SMS) object  730 , a Calendar object  732 , a Photos object  734 , a Camera object  736 , a Calculator object  738 , a Stocks object  740 , a Address Book object  742 , a Media object  744 , a Web object  746 , a Video object  748 , a Settings object  750 , and a Notes object (not shown). Touching the SMS display object  730  can, for example, invoke an SMS messaging environment and supporting functionality; likewise, each selection of a display object  732 ,  734 ,  736 ,  738 ,  740 ,  742 ,  744 ,  746 ,  748 , and  750  can invoke a corresponding object environment and functionality. 
     Additional and/or different display objects can also be displayed in the graphical user interface of  FIG. 7A . For example, if the device  700  is functioning as a base station for other devices, one or more “connection” objects may appear in the graphical user interface to indicate the connection. In some implementations, the display objects  706  can be configured by a user, e.g., a user may specify which display objects  706  are displayed, and/or may download additional applications or other software that provides other functionalities and corresponding display objects. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  700  can include one or more input/output (I/O) devices and/or sensor devices. For example, a speaker  760  and a microphone  762  can be included to facilitate voice-enabled functionalities, such as phone and voice mail functions. In some implementations, an up/down button  784  for volume control of the speaker  760  and the microphone  762  can be included. The mobile device  700  can also include an on/off button  782  for a ring indicator of incoming phone calls. In some implementations, a loud speaker  764  can be included to facilitate hands-free voice functionalities, such as speaker phone functions. An audio jack  766  can also be included for use of headphones and/or a microphone. 
     In some implementations, a proximity sensor  768  can be included to facilitate the detection of the user positioning the mobile device  700  proximate to the user&#39;s ear and, in response, to disengage the touch-sensitive display  702  to prevent accidental function invocations. In some implementations, the touch-sensitive display  702  can be turned off to conserve additional power when the mobile device  700  is proximate to the user&#39;s ear. 
     Other sensors can also be used. For example, in some implementations, an ambient light sensor  770  can be utilized to facilitate adjusting the brightness of the touch-sensitive display  702 . In some implementations, an accelerometer  772  can be utilized to detect movement of the mobile device  700 , as indicated by the directional arrow  774 . Accordingly, display objects and/or media can be presented according to a detected orientation, e.g., portrait or landscape. In some implementations, the mobile device  700  may include circuitry and sensors for supporting a location determining capability, such as that provided by the global positioning system (GPS) or other positioning systems (e.g., systems using Wi-Fi access points, television signals, cellular grids, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)). In some implementations, a positioning system (e.g., a GPS receiver) can be integrated into the mobile device  700  or provided as a separate device that can be coupled to the mobile device  700  through an interface (e.g., port device  790 ) to provide access to location-based services. 
     In some implementations, a port device  790 , e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, or a docking port, or some other wired port connection, can be included. The port device  790  can, for example, be utilized to establish a wired connection to other computing devices, such as other communication devices  700 , network access devices, a personal computer, a printer, a display screen, or other processing devices capable of receiving and/or transmitting data. In some implementations, the port device  790  allows the mobile device  700  to synchronize with a host device using one or more protocols, such as, for example, the TCP/IP, HTTP, UDP and any other known protocol. 
     The mobile device  700  can also include a camera lens and sensor  780 . In some implementations, the camera lens and sensor  780  can be located on the back surface of the mobile device  700 . The camera can capture still images and/or video. 
     The mobile device  700  can also include one or more wireless communication subsystems, such as an 802.11b/g communication device  786 , and/or a Bluetooth™ communication device  788 . Other communication protocols can also be supported, including other 802.x communication protocols (e.g., WiMax, Wi-Fi, 3G), code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), etc. 
     Example Configurable Top-Level Graphical User Interface 
       FIG. 7B  illustrates another example of configurable top-level graphical user interface of device  700 . The device  700  can be configured to display a different set of display objects. 
     In some implementations, each of one or more system objects of device  700  has a set of system object attributes associated with it; and one of the attributes determines whether a display object for the system object will be rendered in the top-level graphical user interface. This attribute can be set by the system automatically, or by a user through certain programs or system functionalities as described below.  FIG. 7B  shows an example of how the Notes object  752  (not shown in  FIG. 7A ) is added to and the Web Video object  716  is removed from the top graphical user interface of device  700  (e.g. such as when the attributes of the Notes system object and the Web Video system object are modified). 
     Example Mobile Device Architecture 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram  800  of an example implementation of a mobile device (e.g., mobile device  700 ). The mobile device can include a memory interface  802 , one or more data processors, image processors and/or central processing units  804 , and a peripherals interface  806 . The memory interface  802 , the one or more processors  804  and/or the peripherals interface  806  can be separate components or can be integrated in one or more integrated circuits. The various components in the mobile device can be coupled by one or more communication buses or signal lines. 
     Sensors, devices, and subsystems can be coupled to the peripherals interface  806  to facilitate multiple functionalities. For example, a motion sensor  810 , a light sensor  812 , and a proximity sensor  814  can be coupled to the peripherals interface  806  to facilitate the orientation, lighting, and proximity functions described with respect to  FIGURE 7A . Other sensors  816  can also be connected to the peripherals interface  806 , such as a positioning system (e.g., GPS receiver), a temperature sensor, a biometric sensor, or other sensing device, to facilitate related functionalities. 
     A camera subsystem  820  and an optical sensor  822 , e.g., a charged coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) optical sensor, can be utilized to facilitate camera functions, such as recording photographs and video clips. 
     Communication functions can be facilitated through one or more wireless communication subsystems  824 , which can include radio frequency receivers and transmitters and/or optical (e.g., infrared) receivers and transmitters. The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem  824  can depend on the communication network(s) over which the mobile device is intended to operate. For example, a mobile device can include communication subsystems  824  designed to operate over a GSM network, a GPRS network, an EDGE network, a Wi-Fi or WiMax network, and a Bluetooth™ network. In particular, the wireless communication subsystems  824  may include hosting protocols such that the mobile device may be configured as a base station for other wireless devices. 
     An audio subsystem  826  can be coupled to a speaker  828  and a microphone  830  to facilitate voice-enabled functions, such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephony functions. 
     The I/O subsystem  840  can include a touch screen controller  842  and/or other input controller(s)  844 . The touch-screen controller  842  can be coupled to a touch screen  846 . The touch screen  846  and touch screen controller  842  can, for example, detect contact and movement or break thereof using any of a plurality of touch sensitivity technologies, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with the touch screen  846 . 
     The other input controller(s)  844  can be coupled to other input/control devices  848 , such as one or more buttons, rocker switches, thumb-wheel, infrared port, USB port, and/or a pointer device such as a stylus. The one or more buttons (not shown) can include an up/down button for volume control of the speaker  828  and/or the microphone  830 . 
     In one implementation, a pressing of the button for a first duration may disengage a lock of the touch screen  846 ; and a pressing of the button for a second duration that is longer than the first duration may turn power to the mobile device on or off. The user may be able to customize a functionality of one or more of the buttons. The touch screen  846  can, for example, also be used to implement virtual or soft buttons and/or a keyboard. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device can present recorded audio and/or video files, such as MP3, AAC, and MPEG files. In some implementations, the mobile device can include the functionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod™. The mobile device may, therefore, include a 32-pin connector that is compatible with the iPod™. Other input/output and control devices can also be used. 
     The memory interface  802  can be coupled to memory  850 . The memory  850  can include high-speed random access memory and/or non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, one or more optical storage devices, and/or flash memory (e.g., NAND, NOR). The memory  850  can store an operating system  852 , such as Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks. The operating system  852  may include instructions for handling basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks. In some implementations, the operating system  852  can be a kernel (e.g., UNIX kernel). 
     The memory  850  may also store communication instructions  854  to facilitate communicating with one or more additional devices, one or more computers and/or one or more servers. The memory  850  may include graphical user interface instructions  856  to facilitate graphic user interface processing; sensor processing instructions  858  to facilitate sensor-related processing and functions; phone instructions  860  to facilitate phone-related processes and functions; electronic messaging instructions  862  to facilitate electronic-messaging related processes and functions; web browsing instructions  864  to facilitate web browsing-related processes and functions; media processing instructions  866  to facilitate media processing-related processes and functions; GPS/Navigation instructions  868  to facilitate GPS and navigation-related processes and instructions; camera instructions  870  to facilitate camera-related processes and functions; and/or other software instructions  872  to facilitate other processes and functions. The memory  850  may also store other software instructions (not shown), such as web video instructions to facilitate web video-related processes and functions; and/or web shopping instructions to facilitate web shopping-related processes and functions. In some implementations, the media processing instructions  866  are divided into audio processing instructions and video processing instructions to facilitate audio processing-related processes and functions and video processing-related processes and functions, respectively. An activation record and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)  874  or similar hardware identifier can also be stored in memory  850 . 
     Each of the above identified instructions and applications can correspond to a set of instructions for performing one or more functions described above. These instructions need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures, or modules. The memory  850  can include additional instructions or fewer instructions. Furthermore, various functions of the mobile device may be implemented in hardware and/or in software, including in one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. 
     The disclosed and other embodiments and the functional operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal (e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal), that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus. 
     A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). 
     The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). 
     Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry. 
     To provide for interaction with a user, the disclosed embodiments can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, touch sensitive device or display, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. 
     While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what is being claimed or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
     Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understand as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. 
     Thus, particular embodiments have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20090304
Publication Date: 20130430
Grant Date: 20130430
Priority Date: 20080304
Inventors: FORSTALL SCOTT
DRUKMAN MAXWELL O.
WENDKER ANDREAS
FIRLIK D. MATTHEW
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F21/51", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F21/51", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 41055000