Focused navigation interface for a PC media center and extension device

• US 7,380,260 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Broadus, Charles R., Billmaier, James A., Rogan, Philip, Reid, Dewey, Kellum, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Kieu-Oanh
• Application Number:
  US10/260,700
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/40, 725/44, 725/47, 725/48, 725/52, 725/56, 725/37
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

Within a personal computer media center, a user interface module generates graphical commands representing a user interface. A network interface then sends the graphical commands via a home network to a media center extension, where a display interface renders the graphical commands into the user interface on a television. In one configuration, the user interface includes a focus area intersected by a first axis, as well as a first sequence of cards displayed along the first axis, each card graphically representing an available option, one card being displayable within the focus area. The first sequence of cards is to be scrolled along the first axis in response to an initiating action to progressively change the card within the focus area. Furthermore, the scrolling of cards is to be halted in response to a terminating action to show a selected card from the first sequence within the focus area.

Claims

1. A home entertainment system comprising:

a personal computer media center for providing media content to a plurality of remotely located televisions within a home, the home media center including;

a user interface module to generate graphical commands usable by a separate media center extension to render a user interface on one of the plurality of televisions, wherein the user interface comprises;

a focus area intersected by a first axis and a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis;

a first sequence of cards displayed along the first axis, wherein a user is allowed to scroll the first sequence of cards through a focus area of the user interface to place a particular card within the focus area;

a second sequence of cards displayed along a second axis in response to a first card from the first sequence being scrolled into the focus area without an additional selection action with respect to the first card, wherein a user is allowed to scroll the second sequence of cards along the second axis;

wherein each card represents a single option, and wherein a representation of only one option at a time is scrolled through the focus area; and

a network interface to send the graphical commands representing the user interface through a home network to a media center extension; and

a plurality of media center extensions coupled to the personal computer media center via the home network, each media center extension including;

a network interface to receive the graphical commands from the home media center via the home network; and

a display interface to render the graphical commands into the user interface on a respective television.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the media center extension further comprises:

an input to receive a media signal from a media source; and

an encoder to encode the media signal into a first media stream, wherein the network interface is to send the first media stream to the personal computer media center via the home network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the media center extension further comprises:

a decoder to decode a second media stream into a second media signal, the second media stream being received via the network from the personal computer media center on the network interface, and wherein the display interface is to render the second media signal on the television.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the personal computer media center further comprises:

a storage device to buffer the first media stream, and wherein the second media stream originated from the first media stream.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second media center extension including;

a network interface to receive graphical commands from the home network; and

a display interface to render the graphical commands into a user interface on a second television.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the media center extension further comprises:

a wireless receiver to receive a user command from a remote control device, and wherein the network interface of the media center extension is to relay the user command to the personal computer media center.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an Electronic Program Guide (EPG).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one card represents a television channel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises:

at least one context-sensitive area that displays supplemental information related to the card within the focus area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the supplemental information is one of a title, a synopsis, a channel number, a channel name, a starting time, a running time, an advertisement, and instructional text.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a program completion indicator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the program completion indicator graphically indicates how much of television program represented by a card has been missed.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the program completion indicator is one of a pie chart, a bar graph, and a numerical percentage.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiating action comprises pressing a first button on a remote control device, and wherein the terminating action is one of pressing the first button a second time, releasing the first button, and pressing a second button on the remote control device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sequence of cards are to be scrolled along the first axis at a user-selected rate.

16. A method within a home entertainment system for providing media content to a plurality of remotely located televisions within a home, the method comprising:

connecting a personal computer media center to one of a plurality of a media center extensions in communication with the media center through a home network, each of the media center extensions being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of televisions;

generating graphical commands within the personal computer media center representing a user interface, wherein the user interface comprises;

a focus area intersected by a first axis and a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis;

a first sequence of cards displayed along the first axis, wherein a user is allowed to scroll the first sequence of cards through a focus area of the user interface to place a particular card within the focus area;

a second sequence of cards displayed along a second axis in response to a first card from the first sequence being scrolled into the focus area without an additional selection action with respect to the first card, wherein a user is allowed to scroll the second sequence of cards along the second axis;

wherein each card represents a single option, and wherein a representation of only one option at a time is scrolled through the focus area;

transporting the graphical commands to the media center extension through the home network; and

rendering the graphical commands into the user interface on a television attached to the media center extension.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a media signal from a media source at a media center extension;

transforming the media signal into a first media stream; and

transporting the first media stream to the personal computer media center via the home network.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second media stream from the personal computer media center via the home network;

transforming the second media stream into a second media signal; and

rendering the second media signal on the television.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

buffering the first media stream within a storage device of the personal computer media center.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

connecting the personal computer media center to a second media center extension through the home network;

generating graphical commands within the personal computer media center representing a second user interface;

transporting the graphical commands to the second media center extension through the home network; and

rendering the graphical commands into the second user interface on a second television attached to the second media center extension.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a user command from a remote control device at the media center extension; and

relaying the user command to the personal computer media center via the home network.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein rendering comprises rendering the graphical commands into an Electronic Program Guide (EPG).

23. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one card represents a television channel.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein rendering further comprises:

displaying supplemental information related to the card within the focus area in at least one context-sensitive area of the user interface.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein displaying supplemental information comprises displaying at least one of a title, a synopsis, a channel number, a channel name, a starting time, a running time, an advertisement, and instructional text.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein rendering further comprises:

displaying a program completion indicator within the user interface.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the program completion indicator graphically indicates how much of television program represented by a card has been missed.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the program completion indicator is one of a pie chart, a bar graph, and a numerical percentage.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the initiating action comprises pressing a first button on a remote control device, and wherein the terminating action is one of pressing the first button a second time, releasing the first button and pressing a second button on the remote control.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein scrolling comprises scrolling the first sequence of cards at a user-selected rate.