Browsing media items

• US 7,777,730 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: De Bont, Johanna Maria, Geurts, Lucas Jacobus Franciscus, Lamers, Andreas Henricus Elisabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US11/568,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-180, 715/854, 715/841, 715/834
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method of navigating, organizing, browsing, searching, and selecting information objects and/or content in a ring based structure is provided wherein the relation between rings are clear and easily grasped. The method is particularly well suited for navigating in media content. The method comprises locating a number of information objects, displaying one or more of the information objects on a display in a ring based structure comprising one or more rings, and changing the size of a specific ring by selecting the specific ring. By this enlargement, the visibility of information objects comprised in the specific ring is increased, and the individual information objects visually present in the ring, may readily be selected from the enlarged ring.

Claims

1. A method of navigating information, comprising:

locating a number of information objects;

displaying at least one of the information objects on a display in a ring based structure including a plurality of rings, where each of the plurality of rings displays the at least one of the information objects in a continuous, non-interrupted manner;

increasing a size of a specific ring by selecting the specific ring to enhance visibility of the information objects included in the specific ring; and

decreasing sizes of other rings by increasing of the size of the specific ring.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises at least one of touching, tapping and scanning over the specific ring to be selected.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the scanning is performed by rotary dials or push buttons.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information objects are displayed on a touch screen display, and wherein the size of the specific ring is changed by touching the specific ring.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the touch screen display is a pressure sensitive touch screen display, and wherein the method further comprises sensing the pressure of a touch contact with the display.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the size of a specific ring increases with the increase of the applied touch contact pressure.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the size of the ring is particularly increased in the area of the touch.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the touch is moved on the touch screen and the size increase is moved along the touch.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein each information object has an associated time value and wherein the information objects are organized in the ring structure according to their time value.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein an information object is selected and thrown at a renderer for playing.

11. A computer program, embedded in a computer-readable medium, which when executed by a tangible processor performs acts comprising:

locating a number of information objects;

displaying at least one of the information objects on a display in a ring based structure including a plurality of rings, where each of the plurality of rings displays the at least one of the information objects in a continuous, non-interrupted manner;

increasing a size of a specific ring by selecting a specific ring to enhance visibility of the information objects included in the specific ring; and

decreasing sizes of other rings by increasing of the size of the specific ring.

12. A computer system for media content navigation, organization, selection and browsing, the system comprising:

a processing means,

a number of information objects stored on a storage medium in communication with the processing means,

a display in communication with the processing means and the information objects for displaying at least one of the information objects on a display in a ring based structure including a plurality of rings, where each of the plurality of rings displays the at least one of the information objects in a continuous, non-interrupted manner;

wherein a size of a specific ring is increased by selecting the specific ring to enhance visibility of the information objects included in the specific ring, sizes of other rings being decreased by increasing of the size of the specific ring.