Indication of Trickplay Availability via Remote Control Device

• US 20090269027A1
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James Carlton SR., Stefanik, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A user is able to select a multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at a multimedia receiver. The availability of one or more trickplay features for the selected multimedia stream is determined in response to the selection of the multimedia stream. A visual indicator, an audible indicator, or both are selectively provided for display/output based on the determined availability status of the corresponding trickplay feature. The selective provision of a trickplay indicator can include providing a first trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is available and providing a second, different trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is unavailable. Alternately, the selective provision of a trickplay indicator includes providing the trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is unavailable and omitting provision of the trickplay indicator when the trickplay feature is available, or vice versa.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting, at a multimedia receiver, a select multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;

determining, at the multimedia receiver, an availability of a trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream in response to selection of the select multimedia stream; and

selectively providing a visual indicator for display based on the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream, the visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively providing the visual indicator for display comprises:

providing the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream; and

omitting provision of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively providing the visual indicator for display comprises:

providing the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

omitting provision of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively providing the visual indicator for display comprises:

providing a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

providing a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second visual indicator is different than the first visual indicator in at least one of color, luminosity, transparency, shape, size, or position.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the select multimedia stream comprises:

providing for display an array of graphical representations, each graphical representation associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the array of graphical representations comprising a select graphical representation associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select graphical representation from the array of graphical representations.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the select multimedia stream comprises:

providing for display a listing of a plurality of entries, each entry associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the listing comprising a select entry associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select entry from the listing.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the select multimedia stream for display in response to selection of the select multimedia stream.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream comprises determining the availability of the trickplay feature based on a source of the select multimedia stream.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream comprises determining the availability of the trickplay feature based on a format of the select multimedia stream.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream comprises determining the availability of the trickplay feature based on metadata received at the multimedia receiver in association with the select multimedia stream.

12. A computer readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

instructions to manipulate one or more processors of a multimedia receiver to select a select multimedia stream from a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;

instructions to manipulate one or more processors of the multimedia receiver to determine an availability of a trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream in response to selection of the select multimedia stream; and

instructions to manipulate one or more processors of the multimedia receiver to selectively provide a visual indicator for display based on the availability of the trickplay feature for the first multimedia stream, the visual indicator indicating an availability of the trickplay feature for the first multimedia stream.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions to manipulate one or more processors to selectively provide the visual indicator for display comprise:

instructions to manipulate one or more processors to provide the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream; and

instructions to manipulate one or more processors to omit provision of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions to manipulate one or more processors to selectively provide the visual indicator for display comprise:

instructions to manipulate one or more processors to provide the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

instructions to manipulate one or more processors to omit provision of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions to manipulate one or more processors to selectively provide the visual indicator for display comprise:

instructions to manipulate one or more processors to provide a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

instructions to manipulate one or more processors to provide a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a multimedia receiver, a plurality of multimedia streams;

determining, for each multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams, an availability status of a trickplay feature for the multimedia stream;

providing a plurality of graphical representations for concurrent display, each graphical representation comprising graphical content of a corresponding multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams; and

for each multimedia stream of the plurality of multimedia streams, selectively providing a visual indicator for display in association with the corresponding graphical representation, the visual indicator indicating an availability of the trickplay feature for the multimedia stream.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein selectively providing the visual indicator for display comprises:

providing the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for a corresponding multimedia stream; and

omitting provision of the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the corresponding multimedia stream.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein selectively providing the visual indicator for display comprises:

providing the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for a corresponding multimedia stream; and

omitting provision of the visual indicator as the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the corresponding multimedia stream.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein selectively providing the visual indicator for display comprises:

providing a first visual indicator as the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for a corresponding multimedia stream; and

providing a second visual indicator as the visual indicator in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the corresponding multimedia stream.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein each graphical representation comprises one of a still image or a video clip.

22. The multimedia receiver of claim 16 wherein the display controller is configured to selectively provide the visual indicator for display by:

providing the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream; and

omitting provision of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream.

21. A multimedia receiver comprising:

a content processing module configured to select a multimedia stream of a plurality of multimedia streams available at the multimedia receiver based on user input;

a trickplay controller configured to determine an availability of a trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream in response to selection of the select multimedia stream; and

a display controller configured to selectively provide a visual indicator for display based on the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream, the visual indicator indicating the availability of the trickplay feature for the select multimedia stream.

23. The multimedia receiver of claim 21 wherein the display controller is configured to selectively provide the visual indicator for display by:

providing the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

omitting provision of the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

24. The multimedia receiver of claim 21 wherein the display controller is configured to selectively provide the visual indicator for display by:

providing a first visual indicator as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is available for the select multimedia stream; and

providing a second visual indicator, different than the first visual indicator, as the visual indicator for display in response to determining the trickplay feature is unavailable for the select multimedia stream.

25. The multimedia receiver of claim 21 wherein the content processing module is configured to select the select multimedia stream by:

providing for display an array of graphical representations of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the array of graphical representations comprising a select graphical representation associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select graphical representation from the array of graphical representations.

26. The multimedia receiver of claim 21 wherein the content processing module is configured to select the select multimedia stream by:

providing for display a listing of a plurality of entries, each entry associated with a corresponding multimedia stream of at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia streams, the listing comprising a select entry associated with the select multimedia stream; and

receiving user input indicating selection of the select entry from the listing.