USER INTERFACE PRESENTING ENHANCED VIDEO CONTENT INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH VIDEO PROGRAMS

• US 20080276278A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yerkes, Rowland W., Lewis, Garth A., Schrader, Joseph A., Krieger, Allyson M., Kattwinkel, Eric Emil, Delp, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

Providing interactive access to video programming and video content information in a multimedia system. A processing device of the multimedia system receives video content information associated with video programming that is to be broadcast. The video content information includes at least video identification information and video content information. The display device of the multimedia system presents a first interface image that presents the video content information for one of the video programs of the video programming. In response to viewer input, a second interface image is displayed on the display device presenting video content information for another one of the video programs of the video programming or for more detailed information associated with the video program. In this manner, the viewer can conveniently navigate through the video content information and identify information that is useful in selecting a program to watch.

Claims

1. In a multimedia system that includes a processing device for receiving and processing video programming and associated video content information and a display device for displaying the video programming and associated video content information, a method of searching the video programming using the video content information, the method comprising:

receiving primary search criteria from a viewer;

searching video programming for video programs corresponding to the primary search criteria;

displaying a search results interface, the search results interface including;

a video program listing, the video program listing identifying a plurality of video programs satisfying the primary search criteria, wherein each of the identified plurality of video programs includes a link to a supplemental content page containing video content information about the respective video program; and

a filter menu, the filter menu including a plurality of filters for refining the search results according to one or more secondary search criteria.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the filter menu, viewer input identifying secondary search criteria;

searching only the video programming in the search results of the video program listing for video programs corresponding to the secondary search criteria; and

in the video program listing, replacing the search results corresponding to the primary search criteria with updated search results identifying one or more video programs corresponding to the secondary search criteria.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the video program listing arranges the plurality of video programs satisfying the primary search criteria in an ordered listing, the ordered listing being ordered according to the primary search criteria.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the primary search criteria includes a time element, and wherein the ordered listing is ordered according to start times of the plurality of video programs satisfying the primary search criteria.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the identified plurality of video programs is identified in the video program listing by program title and one or more other categories of video content information.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the identified plurality of video programs is identified in the program listing by program title and by critical rating.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters in the filter menu includes a genre filter.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters in the filter menu includes a critics rating filter.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters in the filter menu includes a year produced filter.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters in the filter menu includes a MPAA rating.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters in the filter menu includes at least one of a group consisting of:

a program type filter, a time slot filter, a keyword filter, and an actor/actress filter.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving viewer input selecting the link for one of the plurality of video programs in the video program listing; and

replacing the user interface with an interface image, for the corresponding video program, the interface image for the corresponding video program including;

a video display displaying a graphical image representing the video program;

a supplemental content information menu, the supplemental content information menu including a list of various categories of supplemental content information, and each of the various categories being selectable to retrieve a corresponding content page of corresponding category.

13. In a multimedia system that includes a processing device for receiving and processing video programming and associated video content information and a display device for displaying the video programming and associated video content information, a computer program product that, when executed by the processing device, searches the video programming using the video content information, the computer program product comprising:

computer-readable storage media that, when executed by the processing device, cause the multimedia system to perform the method of claim 1.

14. A user interface usable in a multimedia system that includes a processing device for receiving and processing video programming and associated video content information and a display device for displaying the video programming and the user interface, the user interface including:

a filterable search results page, the filterable search results page including;

a search results section, the search results section having therein a listing of a plurality of video programs identified as corresponding to primary search criteria, each of the search results having a link thereon that, when selected, directs the user to a video program supplemental content page for the corresponding video program; and

a filter section, the filter section including a plurality of different filters, each of the plurality of different filters being selectable by the user to identify secondary search criteria, wherein the filter section is linked such that upon selection of a filter, the selected filter is executed to narrow the listing of the plurality of video programs to identify only those that correspond to secondary search criteria corresponding to the filter.

15. The user interface of claim 14, wherein the search results section is replaceable, such that upon executing a selected filter, narrowed search results replace the listing of the plurality of video programs identified as corresponding to the primary search criteria.

16. The user interface of claim 15, wherein a plurality of filters in the filter section each correspond to a different category of secondary search criteria.

17. The user interface of claim 16, wherein each filter corresponding to a different category of secondary search criteria includes a link that, when selected, provides a drop down menu enumerating different secondary search criteria within the respective category.

18. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the filter section includes a keyword filter usable to search for keywords within a plurality of different categories of secondary search criteria.

19. The user interface of claim 16, wherein the plurality of filters include a plurality of filters selected from a group consisting of:

program type, genre, year, critics rating, MPAA rating, and actor/actress.

20. The user interface of claim 14, the user interface further comprising:

for a video program selected using the link of the search results, a supplemental content page having;

a graphical representation of the video program;

a search menu for executing any of a plurality of different types of searches; and

a linked menu of supplemental content categories; and

a secondary supplemental content page for each supplemental content category in the linked menu, each secondary supplemental content page including;

supplemental content information corresponding for a respective category; and

at least one search menu option for searching the video programming.