Media asset pivot navigation

• US 8,234,583 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sloo, David H., Morris, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US12/485,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111, 348206-2319, 707/102, 707200-206, 707/622, 707/3, 706/47
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Media asset pivot navigation is described. In various embodiments, collections of media assets are determined from relational metadata that corresponds to the media assets in a respective collection. Each collection of media assets are represented as a navigation axis along which the media assets in a respective collection can be located, and a media asset can be associated with multiple collections of media assets based on the relational metadata. A media asset navigation interface is generated for display from which the collections of media assets can be navigated to locate the media assets for selection. The media asset navigation interface includes a display of a collection of media assets represented as a navigation axis. A navigation input can be received to pivot from the navigation axis to an alternate navigation axis and initiate a display of an additional collection of media assets that are represented as the alternate navigation axis.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a device that executes a media asset navigation application, the method comprising:

determining collections of media assets that are determined from relational metadata that corresponds to the media assets in a respective collection, each collection of media assets being represented as a navigation axis along which the media assets in a respective collection can be located, and multiple ones of the media assets being associated with one or more of the collections of media assets based on the relational metadata;

generating a media asset navigation interface for display from which the collections of media assets can be navigated to locate the media assets for selection, the media asset navigation interface including a display of a collection of media assets represented as a navigation axis;

receiving a navigation pivot input to pivot from the navigation axis to an alternate navigation axis to initiate a display of an additional collection of media assets that are represented as the alternate navigation axis; and

receiving one or more media navigation inputs to navigate among the additional collection of media assets along the alternate navigation axis.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising pivoting on a particular media asset that is included in both the collection of media assets and the additional collection of media assets based on the relational metadata, and wherein the particular media asset is a pivot between the navigation axis and the alternate navigation axis.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the navigation pivot input is received via at least one of a two-input controller, a gaming system controller, a pointing device, a touch controller, or a gestural controller.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media asset navigation interface includes multiple collections of the media assets, and wherein the collections are each displayed for navigation along a respective navigation axis.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the collections of media assets include global media assets maintained at a server device and local media assets maintained at the device, and wherein the relational metadata corresponds to both the global media assets and the local media assets.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets include at least one of live television programs, recorded videos, music files, photographs, or documents.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the collection of media assets are represented on the media asset navigation interface by a non-textual visual element that indicates a relationship of the media assets in the collection.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising contextualizing the media asset navigation interface to display one or more visual elements that represent the collection of media assets based on previous user inputs to interact with one or more of the media assets of the collection.

9. A media asset navigation system, comprising:

a device that includes at least a memory and a processor to implement a media asset navigation application that is configured to;

determine collections of media assets that are determined from relational metadata that corresponds to the media assets in a respective collection, each collection of media assets being represented as a navigation axis along which the media assets in a respective collection can be located, and multiple ones of the media assets being associated with one or more of the collections of media assets based on the relational metadata;

generate a media asset navigation interface for display from which the collections of media assets can be navigated to locate the media assets for selection, the media asset navigation interface including a display of a collection of media assets represented as a navigation axis;

receive a navigation pivot input that initiates a navigation pivot from the navigation axis to an alternate navigation axis to initiate a display of an additional collection of media assets that are represented as the alternate navigation axis; and

receive a media navigation input to navigate among the additional collection of media assets along the alternate navigation axis.

10. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 9, wherein the media asset navigation application is further configured to receive the navigation pivot input to initiate the navigation pivot on a particular media asset that is included in both the collection of media assets and the additional collection of media assets based on the relational metadata, and wherein the particular media asset is a pivot between the navigation axis and the alternate navigation axis.

11. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 10, wherein the media asset navigation application is further configured to receive the navigation pivot input via at least one of a two-input controller, a gaming system controller, a pointing device, a touch controller, or a gestural controller.

12. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 9, wherein the media asset navigation interface includes multiple collections of the media assets, and wherein the collections are each displayed for navigation along a respective navigation axis.

13. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 9, wherein the media asset navigation application is further configured to determine the collections of media assets from global media assets maintained at a server device and local media assets maintained at the device, and wherein the relational metadata corresponds to both the global media assets and the local media assets.

14. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 13, wherein the media assets include at least one of live television programs, recorded videos, music files, photographs, or documents.

15. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 9, wherein the collection of media assets are represented on the media asset navigation interface by a non-textual visual element that indicates a relationship of the media assets in the collection.

16. A media asset navigation system as recited in claim 9, wherein the media asset navigation application is further configured to contextualize the media asset navigation interface to display one or more visual elements that represent the collection of media assets based on previous user inputs to interact with one or more of the media assets of the collection.

17. Computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a client device that includes at least a processor, initiate the client device to:

determine collections of media assets that are determined from relational metadata that corresponds to the media assets in a respective collection, each collection of media assets being represented as a navigation axis along which the media assets in a respective collection can be located;

generate a media asset navigation interface to display the collections of media assets;

receive a navigation pivot input that initiates a navigation pivot from a navigation axis that represents a collection of media assets to an alternate navigation axis to initiate a display of an additional collection of media assets that are represented as the alternate navigation axis; and

receive a media navigation input to navigate among the additional collection of media assets along the alternate navigation axis.

18. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further initiate the client device to receive the navigation pivot input to initiate the navigation pivot on a particular media asset that is included in both the collection of media assets and the additional collection of media assets based on the relational metadata, and wherein the particular media asset is a pivot between the navigation axis and the alternate navigation axis.

19. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further initiate the client device to receive the navigation pivot input via at least one of a two-input controller, a gaming system controller, a pointing device, a touch controller, or a gestural controller.

20. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further initiate the client device to determine the collections of media assets from global media assets maintained at a server device and local media assets maintained at the client device, and wherein the relational metadata corresponds to both the global media assets and the local media assets.