Interactive mosaic channel video stream with barker channel and guide

• US 20060282852A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Mitch C., Pettyjohn, Blair, Doyle, Fergus, Holton, William C., Patrick, Carol A., Stanger, Leon J., Feldstein, David E., Shanks, David E., Munsell, Michael R., Purpura, Richard F., Ostrom, Carl
• Application Number:
  US11/390,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282852A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

The present invention discloses an interactive mosaic video channel displayed on a video monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, comprising a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, a text box, a background video, and a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell. The video channel can optionally include a barker cell that presents additional video and audio information that can also be selected by the cursor, the plurality of video cells being grouped by genre, a dynamic ticker, and the at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell is the audio associated with that video cell.

Claims

1. An interactive matrixed video channel displayed on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, comprising:

a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds;

a text box;

a background video; and

a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell.

2. The interactive matrixed video channel of claim 1, further comprising a barker cell that presents additional video and audio information that is also selectable by the cursor.

3. The interactive matrixed video channel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of video cells are grouped by genre.

4. The interactive matrixed video channel of claim 3, further comprising a dynamic ticker.

5. The interactive matrixed video channel of claim 4, wherein the at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell is the audio associated with that video cell.

6. An interactive video channel displayed on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, comprising:

a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds; and

a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell.

7. The interactive video channel of claim 6, further comprising a barker cell that presents additional video and audio information.

8. The interactive video channel of claim 7, further comprising a text box displayed on the video monitor.

9. The interactive video channel of claim 8, wherein the interactive video channel has a default setting.

10. The interactive video channel of claim 9, wherein the default setting is an audio portion of the barker cell.

11. The interactive video channel of claim 10, wherein the cursor changes the default setting.

12. The interactive video channel of claim 11, wherein the cursor selects one of the plurality of video cells as a selected cell.

13. The interactive video channel of claim 12, wherein an audio portion of the selected cell is presented when the selected cell is selected.

14. The interactive video channel of claim 12, wherein information in the text box changes when the selected cell is selected.

15. The interactive video channel of claim 12, further comprising a dynamic ticker.

16. The interactive video channel of claim 15, wherein the information in the dynamic ticker changes when the selected cell is selected.

17. The interactive video channel of claim 15, wherein the dynamic ticker presents information not related to the plurality of video cells.

18. An interactive video channel displayed on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, comprising:

a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, wherein the plurality of individual video feeds are grouped by genre; and

a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell.

19. The interactive video channel of claim 18 wherein when the cursor selects one of the plurality of video cells as the selected video cell, the monitor presents an audio portion associated with the selected video cell.

20. The interactive video channel of claim 19, wherein when the cursor selects one of the plurality of video cells as the selected video cell, the selected video cell is individually selectable for viewing on the monitor.