System and method to display media content and an interactive display

• US 8,578,412 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Vleck, Paul, Arellano, Javier, Garofalo, Donald, Sullivan, Marc, Edwards, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US13/599,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 725/24, 725/32, 725/37, 725/38, 725/58, 725/100, 725/105, 725/109, 725/110, 725/13, 725/134, 725/151, 725/153, 715/700, 715/716, 715/719, 386/291, 386/296, 386/297, 386/298
• US Class Current: 725/37
• 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 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method includes displaying a second user interface while a subscriber is interacting with a first user interface during playback of at least a portion of a first content segment. The second user interface includes one or more selectable transition options associated with performing a transition with respect to a second content segment. The first user interface includes one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment. The method includes receiving input indicating a selection of a particular transition option of the one or more transition options via the second user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a second user interface prior to playback of a second content segment when a subscriber is interacting with a first user interface during playback of at least a portion of a first content segment, wherein the second user interface includes one or more selectable transition options associated with performing a transition with respect to the second content segment, and wherein the first user interface includes one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment; and

receiving input indicating a selection of a particular transition option of the one or more transition options via the second user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment via the first user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is received prior to displaying the second user interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is received subsequent to the selection of the particular transition option.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is associated with a purchase of content or merchandise related to the first content segment, the method further comprising generating billing information based on the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the billing information to a billing server configured to bill for the purchase of the content or merchandise related to the first content segment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment include a first selectable option to purchase content associated with the first content segment, a second selectable option to purchase merchandise associated with the first content segment, a third selectable option to view additional content, a fourth selectable option to submit a recommendation related to the first content segment, a fifth selectable option to submit a comment related to the first content segment, a sixth selectable option to close the first user interface, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selectable transition options include a first selectable transition option to display the first user interface in a first window while concurrently displaying the second content segment in a second window, a second selectable transition option to display the first user interface while playing an audio portion, but not a video portion, of the second content segment, a third selectable transition option to send a request to pause transmission of the second content segment to a media content server while displaying the first user interface, a fourth selectable transition option to display the first user interface while recording the second content segment, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, when the selection of the particular transition option indicates a selection of the fourth selectable transition option, recording the second content segment at a digital video recorder.

10. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a operations comprising:

displaying a second user interface prior to playback of a second content segment when a subscriber is interacting with a first user interface during playback of at least a portion of a first content segment, wherein the second user interface includes one or more selectable transition options associated with performing a transition with respect to the second content segment, and wherein the first user interface includes one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment; and

receiving input indicating a selection of a particular transition option of the one or more transition options via the second user interface.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving input indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment via the first user interface.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is associated with a purchase related to the first content segment, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating billing information based on the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content; and

transmitting the billing information to a billing server configured to bill for the purchase related to the first content segment.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the purchase related to the first content segment includes a purchase of content related to the first content segment, a purchase of merchandise related to the first content segment, a purchase of the first content segment, or a combination thereof.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is received subsequent to the selection of the particular transition option.

15. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying a second user interface prior to playback of a second content segment when a subscriber is interacting with a first user interface during playback of at least a portion of a first content segment, wherein the second user interface includes one or more selectable transition options associated with performing a transition with respect to the second content segment, wherein the first user interface includes one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment; and

receiving input indicating a selection of a particular transition option of the one or more transition options via the second user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving input indicating a selection of at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment via the first user interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is associated with a purchase related to the first content segment, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating billing information based on the purchase; and

transmitting the billing information to a billing server configured to bill for the purchase.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is received prior to displaying the second user interface.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable options associated with the first content segment is received subsequent to the selection of the particular transition option.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise performing a transition with respect to the second content segment in response to the selection of the particular transition option, wherein the transition includes displaying the first user interface in a first window while concurrently displaying the second content segment in a second window, displaying the first user interface while playing an audio portion, but not a video portion, of the second content segment, sending a request to pause transmission of the second content segment to a media content server while displaying the first user interface, displaying the first user interface while recording the second content segment, or a combination thereof.