SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED NAVIGATION OF AVAILABLE CHOICES

• US 20160098400A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Belavy, Stefan, Al-Shreideh, Amir-Pilo, Lonkar, Gajanan, Lin, Ping-Hsien, Deshpande, Vikas, Deshpande, Gouri
• Granted Patent: US 10,824,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling

Abstract

A system and method for improved navigation of available titles for a streaming media service is disclosed herein. After entering a discovery mode, a list of categories is presented to a user. Once a user selects a category, a list of criteria specific to the selected category is presented. After a user selects a criteria, a list of categories can be shown to the user, limited to those categories available after the criteria was selected. After a second category is selected, then a list of criteria, specific to the previously selected criteria and to the second category, is presented. Each time a user selects a new criteria, the number of titles available to a user is reduced. Such a process can be repeated, further limiting the number of titles shown to the user, until a user finally chooses a media file to view. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting for display a first list of available categories, the first list of available categories being selected from a database comprising a list of media files and the first list of available categories;

receiving a selection for a first category of the first list of available categories;

transmitting for display a first list of available criteria within the first selected category, using the database to determine the first list of available criteria;

receiving a selection for a first criteria of the first list of available criteria;

using the database to filter the list of media files based on the first selected criteria to create a first filtered list of media files;

transmitting for display the first filtered list of media files;

receiving a selection for a media file from the first filtered list of media files; and

facilitating playback of the selected media file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using the database to determine a second list of available categories based on the first filtered list of media files.

transmitting for display the second list of available categories;

receiving a selection for a second category of the second list of available categories;

transmitting for display a second list of available criteria within the second selected category;

receiving a selection for a second criteria of the second list of available criteria;

using the database to filter the first filtered list of media files based on the second selected criteria to create a second filtered list of media files;

transmitting for display the second filtered list of media files; and

receiving a selection for a media file from the second filtered list of media files.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein displaying the second list of available criteria comprises:

using the database to analyze the first filtered list of media files and the second selected category to determine a quantity of media files that meet each criteria of the first list of available criteria;

eliminating any criteria in the first list of available criteria that is present in a number of media files below a threshold; and

placing the remaining criteria in the list of available criteria in the second list of available criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first list of available categories is selected from the following;

mood, plot, genres, period, place, audience, praise, humor, style, and based on.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating playback of the selected media file comprises:

beginning a transfer of the selected media file to a device associated with a user; and

providing instructions to the device associated with the user, the instructions configured to request playback of the selected media file.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the database comprises one or more fields for a plurality of criteria, each of the criteria belonging to a category.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the database comprises a bitmap index of the plurality of criteria and a bitmap index of the list of media files.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a number of media files in the first filtered list of media files; and

displaying the number of media files.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the first filtered list of media files comprises:

selecting one or more of the first filtered list of media files to display;

displaying a title and a graphic associated with each of the media files selected for display; and

displaying additional information related to one of the media files selected for display, based on a position of a media file selector.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying one or more navigation elements, each of the one or more navigation elements configured to allow a display of additional media files in the first filtered list of media files.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processing modules; and

one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform the acts of;

transmitting for display a first list of available categories, the first list of available categories being selected from a database comprising a list of media files and the first list of available categories;

receiving a selection for a first category of the first list of available categories;

transmitting for display a first list of available criteria within the first selected category, using the database to determine the first list of available criteria;

receiving a selection for a first criteria of the first list of available criteria;

using the database to filter the list of media files based on the first selected criteria to create a first filtered list of media files;

transmitting for display the first filtered list of media files;

receiving a selection for a media file from the first filtered list of media files; and

facilitating playback of the selected media file.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing instructions further comprise:

using the database to determine a second list of available categories based on the first filtered list of media files.

transmitting for display the second list of available categories;

receiving a selection for a second category of the second list of available categories;

transmitting for display a second list of available criteria within the second selected category;

receiving a selection for a second criteria of the second list of available criteria;

using the database to filter the first filtered list of media files based on the second selected criteria to create a second filtered list of media files;

transmitting for display the second filtered list of media files; and

receiving a selection for a media file from the second filtered list of media files.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein displaying the second list of available criteria comprises:

using the database to analyze the first filtered list of media files and the second selected category to determine a quantity of media files that meet each criteria of the first list of available criteria;

eliminating any criteria in the first list of available criteria that is present in a number of media files below a threshold; and

placing the remaining criteria in the first list of available criteria in the second list of available criteria.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the first list of available categories is selected from the following;

mood, plot, genres, period, place, audience, praise, humor, style, and based on.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein facilitating playback of the selected media file comprises:

beginning a transfer of the selected media file to a device associated with a user; and

providing instructions to the device associated with the user, the instructions configured to request playback of the selected media file.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the database comprises one or more fields for a plurality of criteria, each of the criteria belonging to a category.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein:

the database comprises a bitmap index of the plurality of criteria and a bitmap index of the list of media files.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing instructions further comprise:

determining a number of media files in the first filtered list of media files; and

displaying the number of media files.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein displaying the first filtered list of media files comprises:

selecting one or more of the first filtered list of media files to display;

displaying a title and a graphic associated with each of the media files selected for display; and

displaying additional information related to one of the media files selected for display, based on a position of a media file selector.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the computing instructions further comprise:

displaying one or more navigation elements, each of the one or more navigation elements configured to allow a display of additional media files in the first filtered list of media files.