Apparatus and method for multimedia navigation

• US 20030112467A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCollum, Tim, Lanier, Brian, Perlman, Stephen G., McKendrick, Ain, Snider, Eric, Hecht, Greg, Ma, Jeff, Shannon, Doug
• Application Number:
  US10/029,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112467A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for navigating through multimedia content is described comprising: a left menu region comprising a first plurality of selectable menu elements, one or more of the first plurality of selectable menu elements having a plurality of sub-elements associated therewith; a selection element to identify one of the first plurality of selectable menu elements; and a right menu region adjacent to the left menu region, the right menu region to display a first plurality of sub-elements associated with an identified one of the first plurality of selectable menu elements.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for navigating through multimedia content comprising;

a left menu region comprising a first plurality of selectable menu elements, one or more of said first plurality of selectable menu elements having a plurality of sub-elements associated therewith;

a selection element to identify one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements; and

a right menu region adjacent to said left menu region, said right menu region to display a first plurality of sub-elements associated with an identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements.

2. The GUI as in claim 1 wherein said selection element moves up and down to identify one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements responsive to user input.

3. The GUI as in claim 2 wherein said selection element moves to the right to identify a sub-element from said first plurality of sub-elements responsive to user input.

4. The GUI as in claim 3 wherein once said selection element identifies a sub-element from said first plurality of sub-elements, said first plurality of sub-elements shifts to the left and a second plurality of sub-elements associated with an identified one of said first plurality of sub-elements appears to the right relative to said first plurality of sub-elements.

5. The GUI as in claim 3 wherein said selection element selects one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements or one of said first plurality of selectable sub-elements responsive to a user choosing a “

select”

key on a remote control or other input device.

6. The GUI as in claim 4 wherein said second plurality of sub-elements shifts on screen from the right.

7. The GUI as in claim 4 wherein said selection element shifts to the left with said first plurality of sub-elements.

8. The GUI as in claim 1 wherein said first plurality of selectable menu elements comprises a channel listing and wherein said first plurality of sub-elements comprises a listing of times at which programs are broadcast on an identified one of said channels.

9. The GUI as in claim 1 further comprising a graphical information region for displaying information related said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements.

10. The GUI as in claim 9 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements comprises a television program and wherein said graphical information comprises a program title and a program description.

11. The GUI as in claim 10 wherein said graphical information further comprises a program rating and a listing of actors in said program.

12. The GUI as in claim 9 further comprising:

a video region for displaying video of a current broadcast or recorded program.

13. The GUI as in claim 1 further comprising:

a command menu generated responsive to a user input, said command menu containing a list of actions associated with said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements.

14. The GUI as in claim 13 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements represents broadcast multimedia content and two of said actions are Play, to play said broadcast multimedia content in real time, and Play From Start, to play said broadcast multimedia content from the beginning.

15. The GUI as in claim 13 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements represents broadcast multimedia content and one of said actions is Change Expiration to change a time and date on which said broadcast multimedia content will be erased.

16. The GUI as in claim 13 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements represents broadcast multimedia content and one of said actions is Record to record said broadcast multimedia content.

19. The GUI as in claim 16 wherein said selection element moves up and down to identify one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements responsive to user input.

21. The GUI as in claim 19 wherein once said selection element identifies a sub-element from said first plurality of sub-elements, said first plurality of sub-elements shifts to an area previously occupied by said first plurality of selectable menu elements and a second plurality of sub-elements associated with an identified one of said first plurality of sub-elements shifts to an area previously occupied by said first plurality of sub-elements.

22. The GUI as in claim 19 wherein said selection element selects one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements or one of said first plurality of selectable sub-elements responsive to a user choosing a “

select”

key on a remote control or other input device.

17. A graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for selecting multimedia content comprising;

a first menu region comprising a first plurality of selectable menu elements, one or more of said first plurality of selectable menu elements having a plurality of sub-elements associated therewith;

a selection element to identify one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements;

a second menu region adjacent to said first menu region, said second menu region to display a first plurality of sub-elements associated with an identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements; and

an information region adjacent to either said first or second menu regions, said information region containing information related to said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements.

18. The GUI as in claim 17 further comprising:

a video region for displaying video of a current broadcast or recorded program.

20. The GUI as in claim 18 wherein said selection element moves to the right to identify a sub-element from said first plurality of sub-elements responsive to user input.

23. The GUI as in claim 20 wherein said second plurality of sub-elements shifts on screen from the right.

24. The GUI as in claim 17 wherein said first plurality of selectable menu elements comprises a channel listing and wherein said first plurality of sub-elements comprises a listing of times at which programs are broadcast on an identified one of said channels.

25. The GUI as in claim 17 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements comprises a television program and wherein said information comprises a program title and a program description.

26. The GUI as in claim 25 wherein said information further comprises a program rating and a listing of actors in said program.

27. The GUI as in claim 17 further comprising:

a command menu generated responsive to a user input, said command menu containing a list of actions associated with said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements.

28. The GUI as in claim 27 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements represents broadcast multimedia content and two of said actions are Play, to play said broadcast multimedia content in real time, and Play From Start, to play said broadcast multimedia content from the beginning.

29. The GUI as in claim 27 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements represents broadcast multimedia content and one of said actions is Change Expiration to change a time and date on which said broadcast multimedia content will be erased.

30. The GUI as in claim 27 wherein said identified one of said first plurality of selectable menu elements represents broadcast multimedia content and one of said actions is Record to record said broadcast multimedia content.

31. A multimedia playback widget comprising:

a recorded content indicator graphically indicating an amount of broadcast multimedia content stored on a mass storage device; and

a playback shuttle indicator graphically indicating a point within said broadcast multimedia content at which playback is occurring.

32. The multimedia playback widget as in claim 31 further comprising:

a start time indicator indicating a start time of said multimedia content and an end time indicator indicating an end time of said multimedia content.

33. The multimedia playback widget as in claim 32 further comprising:

a playback progress indicator displaying time associated with said point within said broadcast multimedia content at which playback is occurring.

34. The multimedia playback widget as in claim 32 further comprising:

a current transport state indicator indicating a current transport state of said multimedia content.

35. The multimedia playback widget as in claim 31 wherein said recorded content indicator and said playback shuttle indicator are visually offset from one another by an amount equal to a delay in time between when said broadcast multimedia content is received and played back, respectively.