Music navigator for digital audio playback
Methods and apparatus are provided for organizing pre-recorded digital compressed audio files for convenient playback on a device installed in a moving vehicle. The apparatus comprises a scanning function that orders the files into categories, such as “Artist” and “Album”, which are each linked to an index of their associated tracks. The indexing scheme provides a user, such as the driver of an automobile, an intuitive method of finding a desired track with minimal distraction.
1 . A method of selecting a digital compressed audio file for playback in a device installed in a moving vehicle, comprising the steps of:
receiving a sequence of digital compressed audio files at the device;
sorting the random sequence of digital compressed audio files by specific category;
indexing the sorted category files with key field designations; and
storing the indexed key field designations, wherein a user can select a digital compressed audio file by scrolling a specific key field designation.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein a specific category is Artist.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein a specific category is Album.
4 . The method of claim 2 wherein a key field designation represents a particular Artist.
5 . The method of claim 3 wherein a key field designation represents a particular Album.
6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the step of indexing links each Artist with associated digital compressed audio files.
7 . The method of claim 5 wherein the step of indexing links each Album with associated digital compressed audio files.
8 . A device installed in a moving vehicle for playing back selected digital compressed audio files, comprising:
a user interface configured to receive pre-recorded digital compressed audio files in a random sequence;
a scanning apparatus configured to sort the randomly sequenced digital compressed audio files into specific categories, with each sorted specific category indexed with key field designations;
a memory configured to store the sorted digital compressed audio files;
a visual display associated with the user interface, the visual display configured to display a selected category and to also display a digital compressed audio file within that category by indexed key field designation; and
selector switches associated with the user interface, wherein a user can operate the selector switches to activate the scanning apparatus, select a specific category, and select a digital compressed audio file within the selected category by scrolling the displayed indexed key field designations.
9 . The device of claim 8 wherein the moving vehicle is an automobile.
10 . The device of claim 8 wherein the random sequence of digital compressed audio files is in MP3 format.
11 . The device of claim 8 wherein the random sequence of digital compressed audio files is in WMA format.
12 . The device of claim 8 wherein a specific category is Artist.
13 . The device of claim 8 wherein a specific category is Album.
14 . The device of claim 8 wherein a key field designation represents a particular Artist.
15 . The device of claim 8 wherein a key field designation represents a particular Album.
16 . The device of claim 14 wherein each Artist is indexed to associated digital compressed audio files.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein each Album is indexed to associated digital compressed audio files.
18 . A method of playing a desired track on a media installed in a moving vehicle, comprising the steps of:
creating an ordered list of tracks on the media;
scrolling through the ordered list to find the desired track; and
playing the desired track.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the ordered list comprises Artist and Album categories.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the Artist and Album categories are each indexed to associated tracks.
21 . The method of claim 18 wherein the scrolling step comprises processing a user input to identify a scrolling direction.
22 . The method of claim 21 wherein an indexed category is scrolled to select a desired track.
23 . A playback device installed in a moving vehicle for playing a desired track on a media, the playback device comprising:
a media reader configured to receive the media;
a processor configured to create an ordered list of tracks on the media, to receive a user selection of a scrolling direction, to scroll through the ordered list of tracks to find the desired track; and
a database configured to store the ordered list.
24 . The playback device of claim 23 wherein the moving vehicle is an automobile.
25 . The playback device of claim 23 wherein the tracks on the media are digital compressed audio files.