Information providing apparatus and information providing method to create a recommended menu

• US 7,937,726 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Motoki, Hashimoto, Takeshi, Nashida, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, FARZANA E
• Application Number:
  US12/167,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725 44- 46, 725/52, 725/61, 725/41, 715/700, 715/754
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

An information providing apparatus and method for displaying program information outputted from a plurality of information sources to facilitate selecting of a program. A first obtaining unit obtains a first program information from a first information source. A second obtaining unit obtains a second program information from a plurality of second information sources. A memory stores the first program information and the second program information. A controller unitarily manages and classifies the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus for displaying program information outputted from a plurality of information sources to facilitate selecting of a program, the information providing apparatus comprising:

first obtaining means for obtaining a first program information from a first information source;

second obtaining means for obtaining a second program information from a plurality of second information sources;

a memory that stores the first program information and the second program information; and

control means for unitarily managing and classifying the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers,

wherein each layer of the layered menu includes more than one classified categories and the user selects a program or a channel by sequentially passing through layers, and

wherein the control means creates a recommended menu by selecting a predetermined number of channels based on the first program information and the second program information and a past viewing frequency of programs heard or watched by the user, and

wherein the recommended menu includes a plurality of child menus arranged in a matrix form, and when the user selects a child menu, the control means shifts each child menu by a same distance in a same direction so that the selected child menu is disposed at a center of a screen, the same distance being determined by a position of the selected child menu and the center of the screen, and

wherein during time period when the entire menu shifts, the selected child menu is gradually enlarged, and a child menu that is at the center of the screen before the entire menu shifts is gradually reduced at the same time.

2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each menu uses a plurality of indications indicating contents of the menu.

3. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lowermost layer of the menus include a plurality of child screens indicating contents of corresponding programs.

4. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores a history of programs watched and heard by the user.

5. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first program information is electronic program information.

6. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second information sources comprise a server and an external memory.

7. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first information source is digital satellite broadcasting or digital cable broadcasting.

8. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layered menu displays icons of past-broadcasted programs that are stored in the second information source for selection.

9. An information providing method for displaying program information outputted from a plurality of information sources to facilitate a user to select a program, the information providing method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first program information from a first information source;

obtaining a second program information from a plurality of second information sources;

storing in a memory the first program information and the second program information;

unitarily managing and classifying the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers; and

selecting a predetermined number of channels based on the first program information and the second program information and a past viewing frequency of programs heard or watched by the user,

wherein each layer of the layered menu includes more than one classified categories and the user selects a program or a channel by sequentially passing through layers, and

wherein the recommended menu includes a plurality of child menus arranged in a matrix form, and when the user selects a child menu, each child menu is shifted by a same distance in a same direction so that the selected child menu is disposed at a center of a screen, the same distance being determined by a position of the selected child menu and the center of the screen, and

wherein during a time period when the entire menu shifts, the selected child men is gradually enlarged, and a child menu that is at the center of the screen before the entire menu shifts is gradually reduced at the same time.

10. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein each menu uses a plurality of indications indicating contents of the menu.

11. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein the lowermost layer of the menus include a plurality of child screens indicating contents of corresponding programs.

12. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein a history of programs watched and heard by a user is stored.

13. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein the first program information is electronic program information.

14. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of second information sources comprise a server and an external memory.

15. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein the first information source is digital satellite broadcasting or digital cable broadcasting.

16. The information providing method according to claim 9, wherein the layered menu displays icons for past-broadcasted programs that are stored in the second information source for selection.

17. A computer-readable non-transitory medium recorded thereon an executable program, when executed, causing a computer to providing information according to an information providing method, said information providing method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first program information from a first information source;

obtaining a second program information from a plurality of second information sources;

storing in a memory the first program information, the second program information, and a history of programs watched and heard by a user;

unitarily managing and classifying the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers; and

selecting a predetermined number of channels based on the first program information and the second program information and a past viewing frequency of programs heard or watched by the user,

wherein each layer of the layered menu includes more than one classified categories and the user selects a program or a channel by sequentially passing through layers, and

wherein the recommended menu includes a plurality of child menus arranged in a matrix form, and when the user selects a child menu, each child menu is shifted by a same distance in a same direction so that the selected child menu is disposed at a center of a screen, the same distance being determined by a position of the selected child menu and the center of the screen, and

wherein during a time period when the entire menu shifts, the selected child menu is gradually enlarged, and a child menu that is at the center of the screen before the entire menu shifts is gradually reduced at the same time.