Visualization of entertainment content

• US 20030126601A1
• Filed: 12/31/2001
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Nikolovska, Lira, Martino, Jacquelyn, DeBont, Jeanne, Roberts, Guy, Zimmerman, John
• Application Number:
  US10/038,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

Search results in a personalized system or a search system are graphically represented by elements having a graphical feature such as size or proximity to the viewer dependent upon a relevance of the represented item(s) to the search criteria. All available items searched are preferably displayed regardless of whether matching the search criteria (with matches distinguished from non-matches), providing the user with context for items determined to have some degree of relevance to the specified criteria. The graphical elements are updated with condition changes such as changes to search query elements or changes to the pool of items available to be searched. Similar or related results may be linked.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a display controller generating a plurality of graphical elements representative of each available item within a search pool,

a graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon a relevance of the associated item to specified criteria,

wherein the graphical element is updated in response to any change to the specified criteria or the search pool.

2. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon the relevance of the associated item to specified criteria further comprises one of a size of the graphical element or a perceived proximity of the graphical element to a viewer.

3. The display system according to claim 1, wherein one or more graphical elements are representative of multiple items within the search pool and serving as a user control triggering expanded display of additional graphical elements each representative of a subset of the multiple items.

4. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the graphical element is updated whenever the specified criteria are changed by either adding, deleting or modifying a search query element or updating a user profile.

5. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the graphical element is updated whenever an item is added or deleted from the search pool.

6. A content reception system comprising:

a input receiving content and information items regarding the content, wherein the information items form a search pool; and

a display controller receiving search results from a search on the search pool and generating a plurality of graphical elements representative of each available item within a search pool,

a graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon a relevance of the associated item to specified criteria,

wherein the graphical element is updated in response to any change to the specified criteria or the search pool.

7. The content reception system according to claim 6, wherein the graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon the relevance of the associated item to specified criteria further comprises one of a size of the graphical element or a perceived proximity of the graphical element to a viewer.

8. The content reception system according to claim 6, wherein one or more graphical elements are representative of multiple items within the search pool and serving as a user control triggering expanded display of additional graphical elements each representative of a subset of the multiple items.

9. The content reception system according to claim 6, wherein the graphical element is updated whenever the specified criteria are changed by either adding;

deleting or modifying a search query element or updating a user profile.

10. The content reception system according to claim 6, wherein the graphical element is updated whenever an item is added or deleted from the search pool.

11. A content search and result display method comprising:

receiving content and information items regarding the content, wherein the information items form a search pool;

searching the search pool utilizing specified criteria to produce a relevance of each information item to the specified criteria; and

generating a plurality of graphical elements representative of each available item within a search pool,

wherein a graphical feature of each graphical element depends upon a relevance of the associated item to specified criteria, and

wherein the graphical element is updated in response to any change to the specified criteria or the search pool.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon the relevance of the associated item to specified criteria further comprises one of a size of the graphical element or a perceived proximity of the graphical element to a viewer.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein one or more graphical elements are representative of multiple items within the search pool and serving as a user control triggering expanded display of additional graphical elements each representative of a subset of the multiple items.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the graphical element is updated whenever the specified criteria are changed by either adding, deleting or modifying a search query element or updating a user profile.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the graphical element is updated whenever an item is added or deleted from the search pool.

16. A signal comprising:

a plurality of graphical elements representative of each available item within a search pool,

a graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon a relevance of the associated item to specified criteria,

wherein each graphical element is updated in response to any change to the specified criteria or the search pool.

17. The signal according to claim 16, wherein the graphical feature of each graphical element depending upon the relevance of the associated item to specified criteria further comprises one of a size of the graphical element or a perceived proximity of the graphical element to a viewer.

18. The signal according to claim 16, wherein one or more graphical elements are representative of multiple items within the search pool and serve as a user control triggering expanded display of additional graphical elements each representative of a subset of the multiple items.

19. The signal according to claim 16, wherein each graphical element is updated whenever the specified criteria are changed by either adding, deleting or modifying a search query element or updating a user profile.

20. The signal according to claim 16, wherein each graphical element is updated whenever an item is added or deleted from the search pool.