Apple to Offer Multiple Themes for Error Indicators

Apple's patent goes one step further in clarifying that the error indicators will be available in themes that the user could chose. A theme of one such set may be relatively "serious" and subdued, including realistic graphics for display (14) and realistic audio for audio output (12). A theme of another such set may be more "whimsical," including more abstract graphics and-more fanciful audio. Still another theme for still another set of error indications may be more "outrageous," including "extreme" graphics and audio.

 
With each such set there will typically be one error indication that is appropriate for media like movies, one error indication that is appropriate for media like music, etc. The "granularity" of the error indications can be even greater. For example, media from actual movies may be distinguished from media from television programming, with different media-appropriate error indications being used for each (broken film graphic for movies; smashed television screen for television programming). As another example of such greater granularity, classical music media may be distinguished from country music media, with different error indications for each (broken violin graphic for classical music; broken guitar graphic for country music).

Apple credits Kourtny Minh Hicks, William Bull, Benjamin Rottler and Eric Hope as the inventors of patent application 20090296552, originally filed in Q3 2008.

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