Method of navigating through a media program displayed on a portable electronic device in a magnified time scale

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a media program on a touch-sensitive screen of an electronic device;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, a scroll bar and an indicator that is configured to be moved along the scroll bar in a first direction or a second direction, wherein a movement of the indicator in the first direction along the scroll bar causes the media program to be navigated forward in time, and a movement of the indicator in the second direction along the scroll bar causes the media program to be navigated backward in time;

detecting a first sliding gesture performed on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the first sliding gesture is performed with a first non-zero angle with respect to the scroll bar;

navigating, in response to the detecting of the first sliding gesture, through the media program in a first time scale having a first amount of time magnification;

detecting a second sliding gesture performed on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the second sliding gesture is performed with a second non-zero angle with respect to the scroll bar, the second non-zero angle being different from the first non-zero angle; and

navigating, in response to the detecting of the second sliding gesture, through the media program in a second time scale having a second amount of time magnification that is different from the first amount of time magnification.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: moving the indicator along the scroll bar in one of the first and second directions in response to a user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the moving of the indicator comprises snapping the indicator to a predefined location on the scroll bar, wherein the snapping comprises: temporarily pausing the indicator at the predefined location.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the moving comprises: after the temporarily pausing of the indicator, moving the indicator past the predefined location in response to a continuous user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen, and wherein the user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen comprises dragging, via a finger or a stylus, the indicator along the scroll bar.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the snapping of the indicator comprises communicating, via an audible alert or a haptic feedback, that the indicator has been snapped to the predefined location.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the snapping of the indicator comprises:

detecting that the indicator is in proximity of the predefined location; and

moving the indicator suddenly toward the predefined location until the indicator lands on the predefined location.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the media program includes a plurality of predefined chapters or a plurality of user-defined favorite scenes, and wherein the predefined location corresponds to one of: a beginning of one of the predefined chapters or a beginning of one of the user-defined favorite scenes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sliding gesture and the second sliding gesture are performed consecutively.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen configured to receive gestured-based input from a user;

a memory storage component configured to store computer programming code; and

a computer processor configured to execute the computer programming code to perform the following operations:

displaying a media program on the touch-sensitive screen;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, a scroll bar and an indicator that is configured to be moved along the scroll bar in a first direction or a second direction, wherein a movement of the indicator in the first direction along the scroll bar causes the media program to be navigated forward in time, and a movement of the indicator in the second direction along the scroll bar causes the media program to be navigated backward in time;

detecting a first sliding gesture performed on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the first sliding gesture is performed with a first non-zero angle with respect to the scroll bar;

navigating, in response to the detecting of the first sliding gesture, through the media program in a first time scale having a first amount of time magnification;

detecting a second sliding gesture performed on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the second sliding gesture is performed with a second non-zero angle with respect to the scroll bar, the second non-zero angle being different from the first non-zero angle; and

navigating, in response to the detecting of the second sliding gesture, through the media program in a second time scale having a second amount of time magnification that is different from the first amount of time magnification.

9. The electronic of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise: moving the indicator along the scroll bar in one of the first and second directions in response to a user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the moving of the indicator comprises snapping the indicator to a predefined location on the scroll bar, wherein the snapping comprises: temporarily pausing the indicator at the predefined location.

10. The electronic of claim 9 , wherein the moving comprises: after the temporarily pausing of the indicator, moving the indicator past the predefined location in response to a continuous user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen, and wherein the user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen comprises dragging, via a finger or a stylus, the indicator along the scroll bar.

11. The electronic of claim 9 , wherein the snapping of the indicator comprises communicating, via an audible alert or a haptic feedback, that the indicator has been snapped to the predefined location.

12. The electronic of claim 9 , wherein the snapping of the indicator comprises:

detecting that the indicator is in proximity of the predefined location; and

moving the indicator suddenly toward the predefined location until the indicator lands on the predefined location.

13. The electronic of claim 9 , wherein the media program includes a plurality of predefined chapters or a plurality of user-defined favorite scenes, and wherein the predefined location corresponds to one of: a beginning of one of the predefined chapters or a beginning of one of the user-defined favorite scenes.

14. The electronic of claim 8 , wherein the first sliding gesture and the second sliding gesture are performed consecutively.

15. A system for playing digital media, comprising:

a computer database configured to electronically store a plurality of media programs each in a digital format; and

a user interface module installed on a portable electronic device having a touch-sensitive screen and located remotely from the computer database, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to communicate with the computer database via a wireless or wired telecommunications protocol, and wherein the user interface module contains computer programming instructions, that when executed, perform the following tasks:

displaying a media program on the touch-sensitive screen, the media program being one of the plurality of media programs stored in the computer database;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive screen, a scroll bar and an indicator that is configured to be moved along the scroll bar in a first direction or a second direction, wherein a movement of the indicator in the first direction along the scroll bar causes the media program to be navigated forward in time, and a movement of the indicator in the second direction along the scroll bar causes the media program to be navigated backward in time;

detecting a first sliding gesture performed on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the first sliding gesture is performed with a first non-zero angle with respect to the scroll bar;

navigating, in response to the detecting of the first sliding gesture, through the media program in a first time scale having a first amount of time magnification;

detecting a second sliding gesture performed on the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the second sliding gesture is performed with a second non-zero angle with respect to the scroll bar, the second non-zero angle being different from the first non-zero angle; and

navigating, in response to the detecting of the second sliding gesture, through the media program in a second time scale having a second amount of time magnification that is different from the first amount of time magnification.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the tasks further comprise: moving the indicator along the scroll bar in one of the first and second directions in response to a user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the moving of the indicator comprises snapping the indicator to a predefined location on the scroll bar, wherein the snapping comprises: temporarily pausing the indicator at the predefined location.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the moving comprises: after the temporarily pausing of the indicator, moving the indicator past the predefined location in response to a continuous user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen, and wherein the user engagement of the touch-sensitive screen comprises dragging, via a finger or a stylus, the indicator along the scroll bar.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the snapping of the indicator comprises communicating, via an audible alert or a haptic feedback, that the indicator has been snapped to the predefined location.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the snapping of the indicator comprises:

detecting that the indicator is in proximity of the predefined location; and

moving the indicator suddenly toward the predefined location until the indicator lands on the predefined location.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the media program includes a plurality of predefined chapters or a plurality of user-defined favorite scenes, and wherein the predefined location corresponds to one of: a beginning of one of the predefined chapters or a beginning of one of the user-defined favorite scenes.