Method and system for providing an interactive guide for multimedia selection
First Claim
1. An interactive multimedia selection apparatus comprising a computer system including a processor, a memory coupled with the processor, a first input coupled with the processor for receiving user input, a second input coupled with the processor for receiving data from a program database, and an output coupled with the processor for sending display information to a visual display, wherein the computer system further comprises means, operating in its processor and memory, for navigating through a graph structure of multimedia sources in the program database, where the graph structure includes a plurality of nodes including a starting node, a current node representing a current point of view in the graph structure of the means for navigating, and a plurality of connected nodes, where the connected nodes are connected with the starting node through the graph structure, and where each of the nodes represents at least one type of content selected from a group of links to other nodes, multimedia contents, and contextual information, the means for navigating including means for:
- a. providing an output to a visual display with the output including icons representing nodes directly connected with current node;
b. receiving user input in the form of a user command through the first input into the computer system for controlling the navigation of the interactive multimedia selection apparatus to allow the user to cause panning of the visual display, zooming-in of a desired portion of the visual display, zooming-out of a desired portion of the visual display, selection of a node represented by an icon, and retracing;
c. in response to a user command for panning, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a panning action in order to cause the icons to move in a panning motion on the display in order to provide the user with a better view of the icons;
d. in response to a user command for zooming in, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-in action in order to allow the user to see more detail in a desired portion of the visual display;
e. in response to a user command for zooming out, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-out action in order to allow the user to see a larger area of the visual display;
f. in response to a user command for selecting a node represented by an icon, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect an opening of the respective node to display its contents on the visual display; and
g. in response to a user command for retracing, sending display information through the output to the visual display to navigate to the immediately previous current node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive multimedia selection guide is provided. The guide includes a computer system having a processor, a memory, an input for receiving user input, an input for receiving programs from a program database, and an output for sending display information to a visual display. The interactive guide navigates through a graph structure of multimedia program/channel sources in the program database. The graph structure includes a plurality of nodes representing multimedia and contextual information. Programs and channels as well as groups of programs and channels are represented as nodes in the graph, and as icons or native format representations on a display device. Navigation through the graph structure is performed by allowing the user to affect panning of the visual display, zooming-in of a desired portion of the visual display, zooming-out of a desired portion of the visual display, selection of a node represented by an icon, and retracing.
131 Citations
65 Claims
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1. An interactive multimedia selection apparatus comprising a computer system including a processor, a memory coupled with the processor, a first input coupled with the processor for receiving user input, a second input coupled with the processor for receiving data from a program database, and an output coupled with the processor for sending display information to a visual display, wherein the computer system further comprises means, operating in its processor and memory, for navigating through a graph structure of multimedia sources in the program database, where the graph structure includes a plurality of nodes including a starting node, a current node representing a current point of view in the graph structure of the means for navigating, and a plurality of connected nodes, where the connected nodes are connected with the starting node through the graph structure, and where each of the nodes represents at least one type of content selected from a group of links to other nodes, multimedia contents, and contextual information, the means for navigating including means for:
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a. providing an output to a visual display with the output including icons representing nodes directly connected with current node;
b. receiving user input in the form of a user command through the first input into the computer system for controlling the navigation of the interactive multimedia selection apparatus to allow the user to cause panning of the visual display, zooming-in of a desired portion of the visual display, zooming-out of a desired portion of the visual display, selection of a node represented by an icon, and retracing;
c. in response to a user command for panning, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a panning action in order to cause the icons to move in a panning motion on the display in order to provide the user with a better view of the icons;
d. in response to a user command for zooming in, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-in action in order to allow the user to see more detail in a desired portion of the visual display;
e. in response to a user command for zooming out, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-out action in order to allow the user to see a larger area of the visual display;
f. in response to a user command for selecting a node represented by an icon, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect an opening of the respective node to display its contents on the visual display; and
g. in response to a user command for retracing, sending display information through the output to the visual display to navigate to the immediately previous current node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An method for interactive multimedia selection apparatus comprising a computer system including a processor, a memory coupled with the processor, a first input coupled with the processor for receiving user input, a second input coupled with the processor for receiving data from a program database, and an output coupled with the processor for sending display information to a visual display, wherein the computer system further comprises means, operating in its processor and memory, for navigating through a graph structure of multimedia sources in the program database, where the graph structure includes a plurality of nodes including a starting node, a current node representing a current point of view in the graph structure of the means for navigating, and a plurality of connected nodes, where the connected nodes are connected with the starting node through the graph structure, and where each of the nodes represents at least one type of content selected from a group of links to other nodes, multimedia contents, and contextual information, the method for interactive television selection comprising steps of:
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a. providing an output to a visual display with the output including icons representing nodes directly connected with current node;
b. receiving user input in the form of a user command through the first input into the computer system for controlling the navigation of the interactive multimedia selection apparatus to allow the user to cause panning of the visual display, zooming-in of a desired portion of the visual display, zooming-out of a desired portion of the visual display, selection of a node represented by an icon, and retracing;
c. in response to a user command for panning, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a panning action in order to cause the icons to move in a panning motion on the display in order to provide the user with a better view of the icons;
d. in response to a user command for zooming in, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-in action in order to allow the user to see more detail in a desired portion of the visual display;
e. in response to a user command for zooming out, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-out action in order to allow the user to see a larger area of the visual display;
f. in response to a user command for selecting a node represented by an icon, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect an opening of the respective node to display its contents on the visual display; and
g. in response to a user command for retracing, sending display information through the output to the visual display to navigate to the immediately previous current node. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A computer program product for interactive multimedia selection for use with a computer system including a processor, a memory coupled with the processor, a first input coupled with the processor for receiving user input, a second input coupled with the processor for receiving data from a program database, and an output coupled with the processor for sending display information to a visual display, wherein the computer system further comprises means, operating in its processor and memory, for navigating through a graph structure of multimedia sources in the program database, where the graph structure includes a plurality of nodes including a starting node, a current node representing a current point of view in the graph structure of the means for navigating, and a plurality of connected nodes, where the connected nodes are connected with the starting node through the graph structure, and where each of the nodes represents at least one type of content selected from a group of links to other nodes, multimedia contents, and contextual information, the computer program product comprising means for:
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a. providing an output to a visual display with the output including icons representing nodes directly connected with current node;
b. receiving user input in the form of a user command through the first input into the computer system for controlling the navigation of the interactive multimedia selection apparatus to allow the user to cause panning of the visual display, zooming-in of a desired portion of the visual display, zooming-out of a desired portion of the visual display, selection of a node represented by an icon, and retracing;
c. in response to a user command for panning, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a panning action in order to cause the icons to move in a panning motion on the display in order to provide the user with a better view of the icons;
d. in response to a user command for zooming in, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-in action in order to allow the user to see more detail in a desired portion of the visual display;
e. in response to a user command for zooming out, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect a zooming-out action in order to allow the user to see a larger area of the visual display;
f. in response to a user command for selecting a node represented by an icon, sending display information through the output to the visual display to effect an opening of the respective node to display its contents on the visual display; and
g. in response to a user command for retracing, sending display information through the output to the visual display to navigate to the immediately previous current node. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification