Television Viewer Interface System
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffering a first portion of the media stream in one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device;
while buffering the first portion of the media stream, receiving a request to record a program that is currently showing in the media stream;
responsive to the request, recording a second portion of the media stream to one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion corresponding to a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request;
pre-pending the first portion from the one or more buffers to the second portion recorded on the one or more storage devices;
after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, outputting the combined first portion and second portion to the display device;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. A highlight bar is responsive to the user'"'"'s commands and is used to indicate the current menu item that can be selected by the user. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. The background colors of each set of menus remains consistent throughout the user'"'"'s experience such that the user intuitively knows what menu area he is in through the color cues. The invention provides indicators that tell the user that more information is available in a particular direction for a menu item.
27 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffering a first portion of the media stream in one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device; while buffering the first portion of the media stream, receiving a request to record a program that is currently showing in the media stream; responsive to the request, recording a second portion of the media stream to one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion corresponding to a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request; pre-pending the first portion from the one or more buffers to the second portion recorded on the one or more storage devices; after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, outputting the combined first portion and second portion to the display device; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of:
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while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffering a first portion of the media stream in one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device; while buffering the first portion of the media stream, receiving a request to record a program that is currently showing in the media stream; responsive to the request, recording a second portion of the media stream to one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion corresponding to a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request; pre-pending the first portion from the one or more buffers to the second portion recorded on the one or more storage devices; after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, outputting the combined first portion and second portion to the display device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
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one or more processors; one or more buffers; a component configured for, while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffering a first portion of the media stream in the one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device; a component configured for, while buffering the first portion of the media stream, receiving a request to record a program that is currently showing in the media stream; a component configured for, responsive to the request, recording a second portion of the media stream to one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion corresponding to a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request; a component configured for, pre-pending the first portion from the one or more buffers to the second portion recorded on the one or more storage devices; a component configured for, after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, outputting the combined first portion and second portion to the display device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification