Local context navigation system

• US 8,584,171 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Brownrigg, Richard T., Greene, Robert F., Beyler, John C., Lim, Rebecca R., Fukuda, John S., Barsook, Jonathan, Liu, Agnes
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US11/381,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,748 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725 39- 41, 725 44- 47, 725 51- 52, 725 86- 87, 725/49, 725/89
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and machine-readable media for browsing, navigating and searching a context sensitive entertainment-programming guide. According to one embodiment, a method for navigating an entertainment-programming guide can comprise establishing a connection from a client device to a server computer through a public network. A first content array can be received from the server computer over the public network. The first content array can comprise information describing a plurality of entertainment programs. The first content array can be stored on the client device and entertainment-program information can be presented based on the first content array stored on the client device.

Claims

1. A method for navigating an entertainment-programming guide, the method comprising:

establishing a connection from a client device to a server computer through a public network;

receiving a first dynamic content array at the client device from the server computer over the public network;

determining, upon each access of the server computer, whether the first dynamic content array has been updated since a previous access of the server computer, and overwriting the first dynamic content array if a new version is available, the first dynamic content array comprising;

descriptive information comprising text displayable in a program guide describing a plurality of entertainment programs available from a download service,

video information comprising one or more video clips playable by the client device, the video information being associated with at least one of the plurality of entertainment programs,

element information associated with a first set of elements to be displayed in a first display of a user interface, the first set of elements each associated with a respective first portion of the plurality of entertainment programs, and

sub-element information pertaining to sub-elements associated with at least one of the first set of elements, the sub-elements to be displayed in a second display of the user interface, the sub-elements each associated with a respective sub-portion of one of the first portions of the plurality of entertainment programs;

storing the first dynamic content array on the client device, including the descriptive information, the video information, the element information, and the sub-element information;

presenting entertainment-program information with the client device based on the first dynamic content array stored on the client device by displaying the first display of the user interface, the first display comprising;

a main display area;

a preview area for displaying the one or more video clips;

a recommendation area displaying links to content determined to be of interest based on past usage or preference information; and

a library area displaying indications of content that has already been downloaded to the client device;

receiving an indication of selection of a first element of the first set of elements displayed in the first display;

in response to receiving the indication;

retrieving a portion of the sub-element information associated with the first element from the stored first content array; and

displaying the second display of the user interface based on the retrieved sub-element information.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the entertainment-program information comprises graphics, icons, text, metadata, and links.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more video clips comprise scenes extracted from each of the plurality of entertainment programs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first dynamic content array comprises a scripting language content array.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting entertainment-program information based on the first dynamic content array comprises reading data related to the first set of elements from the first dynamic content array, wherein the first set of elements comprises elements of a slider control, wherein each element of the first set of elements represents a selectable option for navigating the plurality of entertainment programs.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the slider control on the first display of the user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the first element, generating a first query with the client device based at least in part on the indication of the selection; and

sending the first query from the client device to the server computer over the public network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a second dynamic content array at the client device from the server computer over the public network in response to the first query, the second dynamic content array comprising information further describing the sub-portions of entertainment programs associated with the sub-elements associated with the first element.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, reading data related to the sub-elements associated with the first element of the user interface from the second dynamic content array with the client device, wherein each of the sub-elements represents an additional selectable option of the slider control for navigating the plurality of entertainment programs.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

causing with the client device the selected first element of the slider control as displayed in the first display on the user interface to expand into the second display; and

displaying with the client device the sub-elements of the selected first element in the second display under the selected first element of the slider control.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a selection of an item of the second dynamic content array at the client device based on a user selection of one of the sub-elements of the slider control;

generating a second query with the client device based at least in part on the selection; and

sending the second query from the client device to the server computer over the public network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a third dynamic content array at the client device from the server computer over the public network in response to the second query, the third dynamic content array comprising information further describing the plurality of entertainment programs.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, reading data related to a third set of elements of the user interface from the third dynamic content array with the client device, wherein the third set of elements comprise a set of content items from the plurality of entertainment programs related to the selected sub-element of the slider control.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing with the client device the slider control to collapse off of the user interface and to be replaced by a tab bar representing the slider control; and

displaying with the client device the content items on the user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, in response to a user selection of one of the content items, downloading the selected content item from the server to the client device over the public network.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, in response to a user selection of one of the content items, playing a preview of the selected content item with the client device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of elements comprises categories of movies;

the at least one of the first set of elements comprises movies available from a particular content provider; and

the sub-elements comprise sub-categories of movies that are available from the particular content provider.