Method and User Interface for Accessing Media Assets Over a Network
First Claim
1. A method for locating and playing a media item from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:
- (a) displaying a plurality of categories;
(b) receiving a selection of one of the categories;
(c) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a set of media items that match the selected category;
(d) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the set of media items;
(e) displaying a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the set of media items;
(f) receiving a user designation of one of the media items within the plurality of media items; and
(g) displaying, concurrently with said displaying (e), a second portion of the requested information for the designated one of the media items within the plurality 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.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 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 can present and permit navigation of categorized media items. The user interface arrangement can also present and permit navigation of media items related to another media item (such as a media item that has been selected and played). Another embodiment relates to progressive searching of remote media items from a search user interface. The search user interface can, but need not, be part of the user interface arrangement. The user interface arrangement and/or the search user interface 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.
108 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for locating and playing a media item from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:
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(a) displaying a plurality of categories; (b) receiving a selection of one of the categories; (c) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a set of media items that match the selected category; (d) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the set of media items; (e) displaying a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the set of media items; (f) receiving a user designation of one of the media items within the plurality of media items; and (g) displaying, concurrently with said displaying (e), a second portion of the requested information for the designated one of the media items within the plurality 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A video review display screen, comprising:
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a video list area that displays a list of video items that are able to be selected, each of the video items being displayed including at least an associated image and a first set of attributes for the corresponding video item; and a video detail area that, for the selected one of the video items, displays (i) the associated image in a larger format than used in the video list area, and (ii) a second set of attributes pertaining to the selected one of the video items. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A hierarchical menu system for an electronic apparatus coupled to a television, said menu system comprising:
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a video access category screen that presents a menu of video access categories; a search screen that presents a search entry region and a character selection region, wherein one or more characters selected from the character selection region for a search string used in the search entry region to search for matching video items; and a video review screen that presents a list of video items that pertain to a selected one of the video access categories or match a search string provided in the search entry region. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An electronic apparatus for presenting and playing media information available from a remote media server, said electronic apparatus comprising:
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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 displaying, on said display device, a plurality of categories; computer program instructions for receiving a selection of one of the categories; computer program instructions for requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a set of media items that match the selected category; computer program instructions for receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the set of media items; computer program instructions for displaying a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the set of media items; computer program instructions for receiving a user designation of one of the media items within the plurality of media items; and computer program instructions for displaying a second portion of the requested information for the designated one of the media items within the plurality 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; and a processor operatively connected to receive input signals from said remote controller and to output signals to said display device, said processor further operatively connected to said memory device and configured to execute computer program instructions stored in said memory device. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification