Management of the channel bar

• US 10,205,985 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lue-Sang, Ronald D., Oklota, Christopher L., Gat, Nimrod, Pantos, Roger, Goldrei, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US15/674,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 725 41, 725 43, 725 44, 725 52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2358 for generating different versions, e.g. for different recipient devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB

Abstract

Videos may be loaded to an electronic device at any of a plurality of bitrates, each bitrate corresponding to a certain video quality level. The bitrate selected may be based on, for example, bandwidth capabilities and/or video quality standards. However, bandwidth capabilities may be taxed or exceeded if multiple videos are loaded simultaneously to the electronic device. Examples of the disclosure can be used to manage bandwidth, adjust bitrates, and/or selectively load video and audio in accordance with bandwidth capabilities to provide uninterrupted video playback at a relatively high quality. Further, video players may be allocated in memory and re-used as a user scrolls and switches through a number of videos playing onscreen concurrently.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a first video at a first size and at a first bitrate, the first video being available for display at first and second bitrates, the second bitrate being lower than the first bitrate; and

in response to user input, while concurrently displaying the first video at the first size, displaying a channel bar including a plurality of additional videos and reducing the bitrate of the first video from the first bitrate to the second bitrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional videos includes a second video being displayed at a third bitrate, the second video being available for display at third and fourth bitrates, the fourth bitrate being higher than the third bitrate, the method further comprising:

in response to user input browsing to the second video, loading the second video at the fourth bitrate; and

in response to user input selecting the second video, displaying the second video at the fourth bitrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second video is further available for display at a fifth bitrate, the fifth bitrate being higher than the fourth bitrate, the method further comprising:

in response to the user input selecting the second video, loading the second video at the fifth bitrate;

determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate; and

in response to determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate, displaying the second video at the fifth bitrate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate includes determining that enough of the second video has been loaded at the fifth bitrate such that the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate without interruption.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate is based on bandwidth capabilities of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional videos includes a second video, and displaying the plurality of additional videos does not include loading audio associated with the second video, the method further comprising:

in response to user input browsing to the second video, loading audio associated with the second video.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second bitrates are associated with one or more of a resolution and a quality level.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed, perform a method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a first video at a first size and at a first bitrate, the first video being available for display at first and second bitrates, the second bitrate being lower than the first bitrate; and

in response to user input, while concurrently displaying the first video at the first size, displaying a channel bar including a plurality of additional videos and reducing the bitrate of the first video from the first bitrate to the second bitrate.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of additional videos includes a second video being displayed at a third bitrate, the second video being available for display at third and fourth bitrates, the fourth bitrate being higher than the third bitrate, the method further comprising:

in response to user input browsing to the second video, loading the second video at the fourth bitrate; and

in response to user input selecting the second video, displaying the second video at the fourth bitrate.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second video is further available for display at a fifth bitrate, the fifth bitrate being higher than the fourth bitrate, the method further comprising:

in response to the user input selecting the second video, loading the second video at the fifth bitrate;

determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate; and

in response to determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate, displaying the second video at the fifth bitrate.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate includes determining that enough of the second video has been loaded at the fifth bitrate such that the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate without interruption.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate is based on bandwidth capabilities of the electronic device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of additional videos includes a second video, and displaying the plurality of additional videos does not include loading audio associated with the second video, the method further comprising:

in response to user input browsing to the second video, loading audio associated with the second video.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second bitrates are associated with one or more of a resolution and a quality level.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor to execute instructions; and

a memory coupled with the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations to generate an application programming interface (API) that allows an API-calling component to perform a method comprising;

displaying a first video at a first size and at a first bitrate, the first video being available for display at first and second bitrates, the second bitrate being lower than the first bitrate; and

in response to user input, while concurrently displaying the first video at the first size, displaying a channel bar including a plurality of additional videos and reducing the bitrate of the first video from the first bitrate to the second bitrate.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of additional videos includes a second video being displayed at a third bitrate, the second video being available for display at third and fourth bitrates, the fourth bitrate being higher than the third bitrate, the method further comprising:

in response to user input browsing to the second video, loading the second video at the fourth bitrate; and

in response to user input selecting the second video, displaying the second video at the fourth bitrate.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the second video is further available for display at a fifth bitrate, the fifth bitrate being higher than the fourth bitrate, the method further comprising:

in response to the user input selecting the second video, loading the second video at the fifth bitrate;

determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate; and

in response to determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate, displaying the second video at the fifth bitrate.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate includes determining that enough of the second video has been loaded at the fifth bitrate such that the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate without interruption.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein determining the second video can be displayed at the fifth bitrate is based on bandwidth capabilities of the electronic device.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of additional videos includes a second video, and displaying the plurality of additional videos does not include loading audio associated with the second video, the method further comprising:

in response to user input browsing to the second video, loading audio associated with the second video.

21. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second bitrates are associated with one or more of a resolution and a quality level.

22. A computer-implemented method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a first video at a first size and at a first bitrate, the first video being available for display at first and second bitrates, the second bitrate being lower than the first bitrate; and

in response to user input, while concurrently displaying the first video at the first size, displaying a plurality of additional videos and reducing the bitrate of the first video from the first bitrate to the second bitrate.