Remote control apparatus and method of interacting with a multimedia timeline user interface

• US 20080231595A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Mark, Roberts, Iain, Krantz, David, Starr, April, Goel, Aradhana, Stat, Thomas Keil, Graceffa, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/726,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080231595A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Remote control devices and methods of interacting with a multimedia timeline user interface are disclosed. A remote control apparatus may include a first selector to make a selection of a graphical user interface associated with a multimedia timeline. The remote control apparatus may include a transmitter to transmit the selection to a multimedia device configured to provide the graphical user interface to a display device. The remote control apparatus may include at least one date range selector to modify a date range displayed on the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A remote control apparatus comprising:

a first item configured to make a selection of a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a multimedia timeline, wherein the multimedia timeline corresponds to a life event;

a transmitter to transmit the selection to a multimedia device, the multimedia device configured to provide the GUI to a display device; and

at least one first date range selector configured to modify a date range displayed on the GUI.

2. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first date range selector broadens the date range.

3. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first date range selector narrows the date range.

4. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first date range selector further comprises a rotary selector to broaden the date range when rotated in a first direction and to narrow the date range when rotated in a second direction.

5. The remote control apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of illuminable indicators to indicate the date range.

6. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first date range selector further comprises a first button to broaden the date range and a second button to narrow the date range.

7. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one second date range selector to modify a date range displayed on the GUI.

8. The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one second date range selector adjusts the date range earlier in time.

9. The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one second date range selector adjusts the date range later in time.

10. The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one second date range selector further comprises a rotary selector to adjust the date range earlier in time when rotated in a first direction and to adjust the date range later in time when rotated in a second direction.

11. The remote control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one second date range selector further comprises a first button to adjust the date range earlier in time and a second button to adjust the date range later in time.

12. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter operates via at least one of a Bluetooth communication protocol, infrared transmission, and radio frequency transmission.

13. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote control apparatus is approximately a size and approximately a shape of a hockey puck.

14. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first tubular shaped housing; and

a second tubular shaped housing at least partially disposed around the first tubular shaped housing, wherein the second tubular shaped housing comprises a rotary selector to adjust the date range earlier in time when rotated in a first direction and to adjust the date range later in time when rotated in a second direction.

15. The remote control apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a second button to select a menu on the GUI;

a third button to display a favorites screen on the GUI;

a memory for storing a digital audio file;

a controller coupled to the memory and the transmitter;

a microphone coupled to the controller to record the digital audio file; and

a contact to receive a battery.

16. The remote control apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an illuminable element to indicate at least one of a message for a user and unviewed data at the multimedia timeline.

17. The remote control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first date range selector is a circular rotatable outer ring to control viewing of the multimedia timeline on a monitor by navigating to a data object or other item displayed on the GUI when the circular rotatable outer ring is rotated and by selecting the data object or the other item when the circular rotatable outer ring is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of rotation, and further comprising a separately moveable inner piece to control viewing of the multimedia timeline by determining a degree of zoom at the GUI.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a first input from a first selector of a remote control device, the first selector to make a selection of a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a multimedia timeline, wherein the multimedia timeline corresponds to a life event;

transmitting the selection to a multimedia device, the multimedia device configured to provide the GUI to a display device; and

providing at least one first date range selector configured to modify a date range displayed on the GUI.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a communication from the multimedia device to initiate an audio recording via a microphone located in the remote control device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising initiating a recording of a digital audio file from an input received from the microphone.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting the digital audio file to the multimedia device and transmitting an instruction to the multimedia device to add the digital audio file to a selected timeline.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the digital audio file is added to a specific data object of the selected timeline.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the digital audio file is designated as an annotation relative to at least a portion of the timeline, and wherein the at least a portion of the timeline has a date range based on a time period.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the multimedia timeline is received at the multimedia device via a wireless network provided by a dongle coupled to a modem, the wireless network dedicated to providing multimedia timeline data communication exclusively with the multimedia device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the remote control device is incorporated into an electronic device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the electronic device is a video camera, a digital camera, a telephone, or a portable music player.

27. A computer-readable medium internal to a remote control device, the computer-readable medium having instructions to cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a first input from a first selector, the first selector configured to make a selection of a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a multimedia timeline, wherein the multimedia timeline corresponds to a life event;

transmitting the selection to a multimedia device, the multimedia device configured to provide the GUI to a display device; and

providing at least one first date range selector configured to modify a date range displayed on the GUI.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the method further comprises receiving a communication from the multimedia device to initiate an audio recording via a microphone located in the remote control device.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises receiving a first input from a first date range selector of the remote control device, the first date range selector comprising a rotary selector to broaden the date range when turned in a first direction and to narrow the date range when turned in a second direction.