MULTIMEDIA VISUAL PROGRESS INDICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080098323A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ain Mckendrick, Howard Look, Robert Vallone
• Inventors: VALLONE, Robert, Look, Howard, McKendrick, Ain
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/47217 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 : involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user, comprising:

displaying a cache bar to a user;

wherein the cache bar visually indicates an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back;

displaying a position indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar;

wherein the position indicator is a visual indicator to the user indicating a current playback position within the program material; and

displaying at least one bookmark indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user controls placement of a bookmark indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein bookmark indicators are placed in the program material automatically after the user exits the program material by navigating to live television or a menu.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is able to jump to a displayed bookmark indicator thereby causing play back of the program material from the position in the program material indicated by the bookmark indicator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cache bar, position indicator, and at least one bookmark indicator are displayed to the user when the user selects a mode that includes any of:

play, record, pause, slow play, fast play, fast forward, frame step, reverse play, or reverse modes.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a slider; and

wherein the slider moves along the cache bar in conjunction with the position indicator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein numeric time or counter mark of the current playback position are displayed on the slider.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying numeric time or counter mark of the current playback position in the vicinity of the cache bar.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying time marks;

wherein the time marks are displayed in a vicinity of the cache bar giving the user visual time reference points; and

wherein the time marks are displayed in any increment of time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a mode indicator;

wherein the mode indicator follows the position indicator'"'"'s movement; and

wherein the mode indicator displays a visual indication of whether the user is in any of;

play, record, pause, slow play, fast play, fast forward, frame step, reverse play, or reverse modes.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a mode indicator in the vicinity of the cache bar; and

wherein the mode indicator displays whether the user is in any of;

play, record, pause, slow play, fast play, fast forward, frame step, reverse play, or reverse modes.

12. A method for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user, comprising:

displaying a cache bar to a user;

wherein the cache bar visually indicates an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back;

displaying a position indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar;

wherein the position indicator is a visual indicator to the user indicating a current playback position within the program material; and

displaying at least one index indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar.

13. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

display a cache bar to a user;

wherein the cache bar visually indicates an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back;

display a position indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar;

wherein the position indicator is a visual indicator to the user indicating a current playback position within the program material; and

display a bookmark indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the user controls placement of a bookmark indicator.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein bookmark indicators are placed in the program material automatically after the user exits the program material by navigating to live television or a menu.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the user is able to jump to a displayed bookmark indicator thereby causing play back of the program material from the position in the program material indicated by the bookmark indicator.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the cache bar, position indicator, and at least one bookmark indicator are displayed to the user when the user selects a mode that includes any of:

play, record, pause, slow play, fast play, fast forward, frame step, reverse play, or reverse modes.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a slider; and

wherein the slider moves along the cache bar in conjunction with the position indicator.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein numeric time or counter mark of the current playback position are displayed on the slider.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying numeric time or counter mark of the current playback position in the vicinity of the cache bar.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying time marks;

wherein the time marks are displayed in a vicinity of the cache bar giving the user visual time reference points; and

wherein the time marks are displayed in any increment of time.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a mode indicator;

wherein the mode indicator follows the position indicator'"'"'s movement; and

wherein the mode indicator displays a visual indication of whether the user is in any of;

play, record, pause, slow play, fast play, fast forward, frame step, reverse play, or reverse modes.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a mode indicator in the vicinity of the cache bar; and

wherein the mode indicator displays whether the user is in any of;

play, record, pause, slow play, fast play, fast forward, frame step, reverse play, or reverse modes.

24. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

display a cache bar to a user;

wherein the cache bar visually indicates an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back;

display a position indicator in a vicinity of the cache bar;

wherein the position indicator is a visual indicator to the user indicating a current playback position within the program material; and

display at least one index indication in a vicinity of the cache bar.