Television viewer interface system

• US 6,757,906 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Stam, Wijnand Van, Look, Howard, McKendrick, Ain, Brown, David Avraham, Bedard, Karen, Vallone, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEMICCO, MATTHEW R
• Application Number:
  US09/539,290
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 345/779, 345/811, 345/841, 345/853, 345/854, 345/857, 345/858, 345/157, 345/160, 725/37-40, 725/44, 725/45, 725/52, 386/83, 386/95
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4532 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. The invention'"'"'s construct allows items called video loopsets to be stored on a storage device and displays single or multiple video loopsets in the background area of the screen on a TV or monitor. Temporal elements are drawn onto the screen over the video loops. 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. Whispering arrows are provided on each screen that tell the user that more information is available in that particular direction.

Claims

1. A process for an interactive television viewer interface, comprising the steps of:

providing a storage device;

wherein at least one video loopset is stored on said storage device;

displaying a video loopset to a user;

wherein temporal items are displayed over said video loopset;

displaying a menu of items to a user;

receiving user command input;

displaying a highlight bar;

said highlight bar is responsive to a user'"'"'s commands and highlights an item in said menu; and

wherein a list of network names is displayed to the user; and

wherein the user places said highlight bar over a network name and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a list of program categories for said network.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said highlight bar is displayed using a video loopset.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said highlight bar is drawn over said video loopset.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein a plurality of video loopsets are displayed.

5. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing whispering arrows; and

wherein said whispering arrows are displayed when information exists in the indicated direction.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein information is more detailed on each menu as said highlight bar is moved to the right.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the user returns to the point where he came from in the previous menu by moving said highlight bar to the left.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein a list of programs stored on said storage device is displayed to the user.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the user places said highlight bar over a program name and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a detailed program information screen;

and wherein said user can scroll through detailed program information screens in the same order as said program list.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein series of menus have a unique identifiable background coloring.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the user highlights a program theme and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a list of programs for said theme.

12. An apparatus for an interactive television viewer interface, comprising:

a storage device;

wherein at least one video loopset is stored on said storage device;

a module for displaying a video loopset to a user;

wherein temporal items are displayed over said video loopset;

a module for displaying a menu of items to a user;

a module for receiving user command input;

a module for displaying a highlight bar;

said highlight bar is responsive to a user'"'"'s commands and highlights an item in said menu; and

wherein a list of network names is displayed to the user; and

wherein the user places said highlight bar over a network name and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a list of program categories for said network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said highlight bar is displayed using a video loopset.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said highlight bar is drawn over said video loopset.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a plurality of video loopsets are displayed.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

whispering arrows; and

wherein said whispering arrows are displayed when information exists in the indicated direction.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein information is more detailed on each menu as said highlight bar is moved to the right.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user returns to the point where he came from in the previous menu by moving said highlight bar to the left.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a list of programs stored on said storage device is displayed to the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user places said highlight bar over a program name and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a detailed program information screen;

and wherein said user can scroll through detailed program information screens in the same order as said program list.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein series of menus have a unique identifiable background coloring.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the user highlights a program theme and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a list of programs for said theme.

23. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for an interactive television viewer interface, comprising the steps of:

providing a storage device;

wherein at least one video loopset is stored on said storage device;

displaying a video loopset to a user;

wherein temporal items are displayed over said video loopset;

displaying a menu of items to a user;

receiving user command input;

displaying a highlight bar;

said highlight bar is responsive to a user'"'"'s commands and highlights an item in said menu; and

wherein a list of network names is displayed to the user; and

wherein the user places said highlight bar over a network name and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a list of program categories for said network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said highlight bar is displayed using a video loopset.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said highlight bar is drawn over said video loopset.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein a plurality of video loopsets are displayed.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

providing whispering arrows; and

wherein said whispering arrows are displayed when information exists in the indicated direction.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein information is more detailed on each menu as said highlight bar is moved to the right.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the user returns to the point where he came from in the previous menu by moving said highlight bar to the left.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein a list of programs stored on said storage device is displayed to the user.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the user places said highlight bar over a program name and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a detailed program information screen;

and wherein said user can scroll through detailed program information screens in the same order as said program list.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein series of menus have a unique identifiable background coloring.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the user highlights a program theme and moves said highlight bar to the right to display a list of programs for said theme.