USER-PROGRAMMABLE CHANNEL STORE FOR VIDEO

• US 20150074533A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: CAFARO, ANTHONY, SCHLACTER, PAUL NATHAN, STEIN, BART JACOB, STEIN, ROBERT MICHAEL
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image

Abstract

A system and method for providing a more relevant user viewing experience on a mobile device includes providing a video application providing access to a virtual video channel store with selectable tiles representing digital video content sources (channels). A user is able to select channels from the virtual channel store and interact with the selections within a graphical user interface that enhances the channel viewing experience.

Claims

1. A method for channel viewing on a mobile device, said method comprising:

using a processor device, performing steps of;

providing a configurable graphical user interface for channel selection and viewing on a user'"'"'s mobile device;

providing with the configurable graphical user interface a screen portion displaying digital video content from a digital video content source (channel); and

providing within the graphical user interface a channel dock comprising;

navigational tools for manipulating the digital video content sources (channels);

channel icons representing a selection of channels; and

an icon selectable for accessing a virtual channel store;

receiving user input comprising a selection of the icon for accessing the virtual channel store;

presenting the virtual channel store as a grid of selectable channel tiles representing the channels available in said virtual channel store;

providing a recommendation of at least one channel within the virtual channel store;

receiving a command associated with a selectable channel tile;

updating the channel dock to reflect the command; and

providing the updated channel dock.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the command comprises receiving user input representing a selection of the channel associated with the selectable channel tile;

and

updating the channel dock by adding the channel icon associated with the deselected channel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the command comprises receiving user input representing a deselection of the channel associated with the selectable channel tile;

and

updating the channel dock by removing the channel icon associated with the deselected channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input representing a re-ordering of the selectable channel tiles in the virtual channel store;

re-ordering the channel icons associated with the selectable channel tiles in the channel dock accordingly; and

rendering the channel dock with the re-ordered channel icons.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the re-ordering is performed by dragging and dropping the selectable channel tiles.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising tracking user interaction with the channel dock.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising updating a user profile based on the tracked user interaction.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising updating the recommendation of the at least one channel based on the updated user profile.

9. An information processing system for channel viewing on a mobile device, said information processing system comprising:

a user interface configured for a mobile device;

a processor device operably coupled with the user interface; and

a memory operably coupled with the processor device, said memory having computer-executable instructions comprising;

providing with the configurable graphical user interface a screen portion displaying digital video content from a digital video content source (channel); and

providing within the graphical user interface a channel dock comprising;

navigational tools for manipulating the digital video content sources (channels);

channel icons representing a selection of channels; and

an icon selectable for accessing a virtual channel store;

receiving user input comprising a selection of the icon for accessing the virtual channel store;

presenting the virtual channel store as a grid of selectable channel tiles representing the channels available in said virtual channel store;

providing a recommendation of at least one channel within the virtual channel store;

receiving a command associated with a selectable channel tile;

updating the channel dock to reflect the command; and

providing the updated channel dock.

10. The information processing system of claim 9 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

updating the channel dock by removing the channel icon associated with a deselected channel when the command comprises a deselection.

11. The information processing system of claim 9 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

receiving user input representing a re-ordering of the selectable channel tiles;

re-ordering the channel icons in the channel dock accordingly; and

rendering the channel dock with the re-ordered channel icons.

12. The information processing system of claim 11 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise tracking user interaction with the channel dock.

13. The information processing system of claim 12 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise updating a user profile based on the tracked user interaction.

14. The information processing system of claim 13 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise updating the recommendation of the at least one channel based on the updated user profile.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium with computer-executable instructions stored thereon, said computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

providing with the configurable graphical user interface a screen portion displaying digital video content from a digital video content source (channel); and

providing within the graphical user interface a channel dock comprising;

navigational tools for manipulating the digital video content sources (channels);

channel icons representing a selection of channels; and

an icon selectable for accessing a virtual channel store;

receiving user input comprising a selection of the icon for accessing the virtual channel store;

presenting the virtual channel store as a grid of selectable channel tiles representing the channels available in said virtual channel store;

providing a recommendation of at least one channel within the virtual channel store;

receiving a command associated with a selectable channel tile;

updating the channel dock to reflect the command; and

providing the updated channel dock.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

updating the channel dock by removing the channel icon associated with a deselected channel when the command comprises a deselection.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

receiving user input representing a re-ordering of the selectable channel tiles;

re-ordering the channel icons in the channel dock accordingly; and

rendering the channel dock with the re-ordered channel icons.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise tracking user interaction with the channel dock.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise updating a user profile based on the tracked user interaction.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise updating the recommendation of the at least one channel based on the updated user profile.