Method and user interface for accessing groups of media assets
First Claim
1. A method for accessing media items from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:
- (a) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that have at least one common classification;
(b) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification;
(c) storing, following said receiving (b), the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items to an electronic apparatus;
(d) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items;
(e) displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification, the second set being different from the first set;
(f) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification;
(g) storing, following said receiving (f), the requested information pertaining to the second set of one or more media items to the electronic apparatus; and
(h) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items or the second set of media items.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved systems and methods to navigate, browse, search and/or playback digital media assets (e.g., media items) hosted on a media server are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention pertains to a user interface arrangement, such as a hierarchical menu system, that facilitates navigation, browsing and playing of media items remotely stored on a media server. The user interface arrangement enables user scrolling or browsing with respect to a list or set of information pertaining to media items, where the list or set can be expanded to include information for additional media items that are subsequently acquired. The user interface arrangement can also present and permit navigation of categorized media items. The user interface arrangement can be presented on a display device associated with a client device. In one embodiment, the display device can be a television and the client device can be an electronic apparatus that can couple to the media server via a network.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for accessing media items from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:
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(a) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that have at least one common classification; (b) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification; (c) storing, following said receiving (b), the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items to an electronic apparatus; (d) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items; (e) displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification, the second set being different from the first set; (f) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of one or more media items that have the at least one common classification; (g) storing, following said receiving (f), the requested information pertaining to the second set of one or more media items to the electronic apparatus; and (h) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items or the second set of media items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for accessing media items from a media server that hosts a plurality of media items, said method comprising:
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(a) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that match a selected category; (b) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that match the selected category; (c) displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items; (d) displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that match the selected category; (e) requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a second set of media items that match the selected category, said requesting (e) being based on selection of the user selectable control; (f) receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items; and (g) combining the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items with the requested information pertaining to the first set of media items that was previously received. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An electronic apparatus for accessing and presenting media information available from a remote media server, said electronic apparatus comprising:
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a display device; a remote controller enabling a user to interact with said electronic apparatus; a memory device for storing data and computer program instructions, the computer program instructions include at least; computer program instructions for requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a first set of one or more media items that match a selected category; computer program instructions for receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the first set of one or more media items that match the selected category; computer program instructions for displaying at least a first portion of the requested information for at least a plurality of the media items in the first set of media items; computer program instructions for displaying a user selectable control to initiate a request for information pertaining to a second set of one or more media items that match the selected category; computer program instructions for requesting, from the media server, information pertaining to a second set of media items that match the selected category, said requesting being based on selection of the user selectable control; computer program instructions for receiving, from the media server, the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items; and computer program instructions for combining the requested information pertaining to the second set of media items with the requested information pertaining to the first set of media items that was previously received.
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Specification