SOURCE CONTENT PREVIEW IN A MEDIA SYSTEM

• US 20100235744A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Sanders, Stephen Todd, Schultz, Steven Gene, Deuel, Eric Sean, Campbell, Douglas C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,196,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/717
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/10 using kernel methods, e.g. support vector machines [SVM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/02 Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

Systems and/or methods are provided that facilitate surveying media sources in a media entertainment system. An index component can provide an index of a set of available media sources in the media entertainment system. In addition, a selection component can displays the set of available media sources and receive selection requests for a subset of the available media sources. Further, a preview component can display a sample of media generated by the selected subset of media sources prior to active engagement thereof. Moreover, one or more aspects can be implemented in a vehicle entertainment system.

Claims

1. A media content system (400) that facilitates surveying media sources, comprising:

an index component (402) that provides an index of a set of available media sources (204);

a selection component (404) that displays the set of available media sources, and receives selection requests for a subset of the available media sources; and

a preview component (406) that displays sample(s) of media generated by the selected subset of media sources prior to active engagement thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a media control component that facilitates at least one of accessing, extracting or presenting media content that relates to the set of available media sources.

3. The system of claim 2, the media control component comprises an output component that provides at least one of a media source list, a picture-in-picture preview pane, or a currently engaged source information pane.

4. The system of claim 2, the media control component comprises an input component that obtains and processes user input from a user interface.

5. The system of claim 2, the media control component comprises a contention component that resolves conflicts between currently played media content and preview media content.

6. The system of claim 5, the contention component attenuates currently played media during preview of media source sample(s).

7. The system of claim 5, the contention component attenuates a portion of the media source sample that conflicts with the currently played media.

8. The system of claim 5, the contention component switches from the currently played media to the media source sample.

9. The system of claim 1, the selection component comprises a speech recognition component that receives and processes speech-based selection requests.

10. The system of claim 1, the selection component comprises a decision component that automatically selects a source to preview.

11. The system of claim 10, the decision component cycles through the set of available media sources at a predetermined rate.

12. The system of claim 10, the decision component selects the source based at least in part on user preference data.

13. The system of claim 10, the selection component further comprises an artificial intelligence (AI) component that makes at least one inference or at least one determination in connection with selecting a media source.

14. The system of claim 13, the AI component performs a probabilistic or statistical-based analysis using user preference data in connection with making inferences regarding media source selection.

15. The system of claim 1, the preview component comprises a retrieval component that obtains the sample of the source from a remote system.

16. The system of claim 1, the preview component comprises a fusion component that synthesizes the sample from a combination of two or more sub-samples, the sub-samples comprise previews of the source obtained from disparate sources.

17. The system of claim 1, the plurality of media sources include one or more video sources, audio sources, video game sources, auxiliary sources or remote sources.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the sample is presented along with content from a currently engaged source.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented in a vehicle, the vehicle is at least one of:

a vehicle, airplane, rail system or watercraft.

20. A method for previewing media sources, comprising:

displaying a set of available media sources;

receiving a selection request for one of the available media sources;

accessing the selected media source; and

presenting a sample of media associated with the selected source to facilitate making a decision in connection with whether or not to fully engage the selected media source.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating the sample of media.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising analyzing the selection request to determine if at least one of a local store, a remote store or a combination thereof should be employed to generate the sample.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving identification information from the selected media source; and

retrieving the sample of media from a remote source.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein presenting the sample comprises initiating playback of the media source in the preview pane.

25. A system that facilitates inspection of media sources in a vehicle entertainment environment, comprising:

means for indexing and displaying a plurality of media of sources;

means for obtaining a selection of a source from the plurality of media sources;

means for generating a preview of the source selection; and

means for presenting the preview in a picture-in-picture window alongside an engaged media source.