Candidate data selection and display apparatus and method

• US 20050108750A1
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bergeron, Michael A., McKay, Philip, Wibisono, Himgan, Nishikawa, Yuko, Golden, Dayan
• Application Number:
  US10/806,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108750A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• 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

Abstract

Characterizing descriptor information for a presently viewed program is used to develop selection criteria by which to identify other program choices of potential interest to the viewer. Such options are then displayed to the viewer, either upon command or automatically at a time that is temporally proximal to a conclusion of the presently viewed program.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing access to characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of data;

while displaying a selected discrete selectable item of data;

using the characterizing descriptors as correspond to the selected discrete selectable item of data to provide at least one selection criterion;

using the at least one selection criterion to identify at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of data;

displaying information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of data at a time that is temporally proximal to a conclusion of displaying the selected discrete selectable item of data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing access to characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of data further comprises providing access to textual characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing access to characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of data further comprises providing access to characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content are embodied in a plurality of media.

5. A method comprising:

providing access to characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content;

while displaying a selected discrete selectable item of audio/visual content;

identifying at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content for which at least one characterizing descriptor as individually corresponds to the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content that is similar to a characterizing descriptor of the selected discrete selectable item of audio/visual content;

displaying information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content is displayed at a time that is temporally proximal to a conclusion of displaying the selected discrete selectable item of audio/visual content.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising responding to a remote control device by triggering the display of the information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the information displayed regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content comprises at least one of:

a graphic image;

a video sequence.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content are embodied in a plurality of media.

10. An interactive data display system comprising:

characterizing descriptors as individually correspond to a plurality of discrete selectable items of data;

a selected displayed discrete selectable item of data;

control circuitry that;

uses the characterizing descriptors as correspond to the selected displayed discrete selectable item of data to provide at least one selection criterion;

uses the at least one selection criterion to identify at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of data;

displays information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of data at a time that is temporally proximal to a conclusion of displaying the selected displayed discrete selectable item of data.

11. The interactive data display system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of discrete selectable items of data comprises a plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content.

12. The interactive data display system of claim 10 further comprising:

a remote control device

13. The interactive data display system of claim 12 wherein the remote control device comprises at least one key to trigger the display of information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of data.

14. The interactive data display system of claim 10 wherein the control circuitry further displays information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of data at a time that is temporally proximal to a conclusion of displaying the selected discrete selectable item of data.

15. The interactive data display system of claim 11 wherein the information regarding the at least another one of the plurality of discrete selectable items of audio/visual content comprises at least one of:

a graphic image;

a video sequence.