Method and User Interface for Accessing Groups of Media Assets

• US 20080301260A1
• Filed: 05/28/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Margolis, Michael, Robbin, Jeffrey L., Ma, Jeffrey, Brodersen, Rainer, Goldeen, Rachel Clare, Pacurariu, Calin
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

Improved systems and methods to navigate, browse, search and/or playback digital media assets (e.g., media items) hosted on a media server are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention pertains to a user interface arrangement, such as a hierarchical menu system, that facilitates navigation, browsing and playing of media items remotely stored on a media server. The user interface arrangement enables user scrolling or browsing with respect to a list or set of information pertaining to media items, where the list or set can be expanded to include information for additional media items that are subsequently acquired. The user interface arrangement can also present and permit navigation of categorized media items. The user interface arrangement can be presented on a display device associated with a client device. In one embodiment, the display device can be a television and the client device can be an electronic apparatus that can couple to the media server via a network.

Claims

1. A method for accessing media items from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:

(a) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that have at least one common classification;

(b) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification;

(c) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items;

(d) displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification, the second set being different from the first set;

(e) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification; and

(f) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items or the second set of media items.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is performed by an electronic apparatus that couples to the media server via a network.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said method further comprises:

storing, following said receiving (b), the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items to the electronic apparatus; and

storing, following said receiving (e), the requested information pertaining to the second set of one or more media items to the electronic apparatus.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said method further comprises:

combining the requested information for the first set of one or more media items with the second set of one or more media items, wherein any plurality of the media items within the first set and the second set can be displayed by said displaying (f).

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said displaying (f) is associated with scrolling or browsing of the media items in the first set and/or the second set.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said method further comprises:

merging the requested information for the first set of one or more media items with the second set of one or more media items to form a combined set.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said displaying (f) displays at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the combined set.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said displaying (f) is associated with scrolling or browsing of the media items in the combined set.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying an indication of the number of the media items in the combined set.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying an indication of a total number of media items available on the media server that have the at least one common classification.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said displaying (d) displays the user selectable control concurrently with said either displaying (c) or said displaying (f).

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the common classification is based on a categorization for media items.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the categorization includes one or more categories selected from the group of:

featured, most viewed, most recent, top rated, favorites, or history.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is performed by an electronic apparatus coupled to a television.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(g) receiving a user designation of one of the media items within the plurality of media items being displayed by said displaying (c); and

(h) displaying, concurrently with said displaying (c), a second portion of the requested information for the user designated one of the media items in the first set of media items, the second portion including at least one piece of information pertaining to the designated one of the media items beyond the first portion.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said method is performed by an electronic apparatus coupled to a television, and

wherein said displaying (c) and said displaying (h) are displayed on the television. and

wherein the user designation being received by said receiving (g) is done by user interaction with the electronic apparatus using a wireless remote controller.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

(g) receiving a user selection of one or more media items in the first set of media items;

(h) requesting, from the media server, media content pertaining to the selected one of the media items;

(i) receiving, from the media server, the requested media content pertaining to the selected one of the media items; and

(j) playing the received media content.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said receiving (i) is provided by the media server streaming the media content to the electronic apparatus.

19. A method for accessing media items from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:

(a) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that match a selected category;

(b) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that match the selected category;

(c) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items;

(d) displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that match the selected category;

(e) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a second set of media items that match the selected category, said requesting (e) being based on selection of the user selectable control;

(f) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items; and

(g) combining the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items with the requested information pertaining to the first set of media items that was previously received.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said combining (g) comprises concatenating the second set of media items with the first set of media items.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said combining (g) forms a combined set, and

wherein said displaying (f) displays at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the combined set of media items.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said combining (j) forms a list that is scrollable on being displayed, whereby a first portion of the requested information for a plurality of the media items in the combined set of media items is displayed via the list.

23. A hierarchical menu system for an electronic apparatus coupled to a television, said menu system comprising:

a video access category screen that presents a menu of video access categories; and

a video review screen that presents a list of video items that pertain to a selected one of the video access categories, said video review screen further presents a user selectable control that enables a user of the electronic apparatus to request additional media items from a video server, wherein the list of video items in said video review screen is expanded to additionally include the additional media items.

24. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 23, wherein one of the video items in the list of video items can be selected to be played by the electronic apparatus.

25. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 24, wherein video content for the video items are remotely stored and accessed through a media server.

26. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 25, wherein the electronic apparatus is coupled to a television, and

wherein when one of the video items is selected from the video review screen to be played, the video content for the selected one of the video items is streamed from the media server to the electronic apparatus and presented on the television coupled to the electronic apparatus.

27. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 23, wherein the video access categories include one or more of a most viewed category, a most recent category, a top rated category, or a favorites category.

28. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 23,

wherein said hierarchical menu system further comprises:

a video playback screen that presents the selected video item, and

wherein the video playback screen is displayed when one of the video items is selected from the video review screen to be played.

29. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 24, wherein said video review screen is displayed on a display device coupled to an electronic apparatus.

30. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 24, wherein the display device is a television, and wherein the electronic apparatus is a set-top box.

31. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 24, wherein said video review screen further comprises:

an indication of the number of the media items in the list of video items.

32. A hierarchical menu system as recited in claim 24, wherein said video review screen further comprises:

an indication of a total number of media items available on the media server that that pertain to a selected one of the video access categories.

33. An electronic apparatus for accessing and presenting media information available from a remote media server, said electronic apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a remote controller enabling a user to interact with said electronic apparatus;

a memory device for storing data and computer program instructions, the computer program instructions include at least;

computer program instructions for requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that match a selected category;

computer program instructions for receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that match the selected category;

computer program instructions for displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items;

computer program instructions for displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that match the selected category;

computer program instructions for requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a second set of media items that match the selected category, said requesting (e) being based on selection of the user selectable control;

computer program instructions for receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items; and

computer program instructions for combining the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items with the requested information pertaining to the first set of media items that was previously received.