Dynamic Help Content Presentation Methods and Systems

• US 20120166945A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H., Lemus, Anthony M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a dynamic help content presentation system detecting a user input command provided by a user, the user input command requesting help with content being presented by a media content access subsystem, identifying, in response to the user input command, a context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem, and automatically presenting help content associated with the identified context by way of a mobile device while the content is being presented by the media content access subsystem. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a dynamic help content presentation system, a user input command provided by a user, the user input command requesting help with content being presented by a media content access subsystem;

identifying, by the dynamic help content presentation system in response to the user input command, a context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

automatically presenting, by the dynamic help content presentation system, help content associated with the identified context by way of a mobile device while the content is being presented by the media content access subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the dynamic help content presentation system, a change in the context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

dynamically updating, by the dynamic help content presentation system in response to the change in the context, the help content being presented by way of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting of the change in the context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem comprises detecting one or more user input commands transmitted to the media content access subsystem by a remote control device associated with the media content access subsystem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the context of the content comprises directing the media content access subsystem to transmit data representative of the context of the content to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the dynamic help content presentation system, an additional user input command provided by the user, the additional user input command requesting that an operation described in the help content be performed; and

performing, by the dynamic help content presentation system in response to the additional user input, the requested operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input command is provided by way a remote control device separate from the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is physically distinct from the media content access subsystem.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic help content presentation system is implemented entirely by the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is associated with a feature of the media content access subsystem.

10. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

11. A method comprising:

presenting, by a dynamic help content presentation system, help content by way of a mobile device, the help content associated with content being presented by a media content access subsystem;

detecting, by the dynamic help content presentation system, a change in a context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

dynamically updating, by the dynamic help content presentation system in response to the change in the context, the help content being presented by way of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the detecting of the change in the context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem comprises detecting one or more user input commands transmitted to the media content access subsystem by a remote control device associated with the media content access subsystem.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the presenting of the help content is performed automatically based on a user profile associated with a user of the media content access subsystem.

14. The method of claim 11, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

15. A system comprising:

a detection facility configured to detect a user input command provided by a user, the user input command requesting help with content being presented by a media content access subsystem;

a context identification facility communicatively coupled to the detection facility and configured to identify a context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

a help content management facility communicatively coupled to the detection facility and the context identification facility and configured to automatically present help content associated with the identified context by way of a mobile device while the content is being presented by the media content access subsystem.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the context identification facility is further configured to detect a change in the context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

the help content management facility is further configured to update, in response to the change in the context, the help content being presented by way of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the context identification facility is configured to identify the context of the content by directing the media content access subsystem to transmit data representative of the context of the content to the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the help content management facility is further configured to:

detect an additional user input command provided by the user, the additional user input command requesting that an operation described in the help content be performed; and

perform, in response to the additional user input, the requested operation.

19. A mobile device comprising:

a display screen; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the display screen and configured to

detect a user input command provided by a user, the user input command requesting help with content being presented by a media content access subsystem,

identify a context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem, and

direct the display screen to display help content associated with the identified context while the content is being presented by the media content access subsystem.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a change in the context of the content being presented by the media content access subsystem; and

update, in response to the change in the context, the help content being presented by the display screen.