Method and system to navigate viewable content

• US 8,701,041 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Pering, Celine, Kanarck, Jordan, Nazarian, David Scott, Wagner, Joshua, ROTTLER, Benjamin A., Zeldis, Andrew, Terada, Gina, Marr, Jared, Huntington, Matthew, Merkoski, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US12/377,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/781, 715/851, 715/825
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A method and system to navigate viewable content in the context of television entertainment is provided. In one example embodiment, the system comprises a presentation module to present main content on a display screen, a communications module to receive a first request associated with a first directional key on a remote control device, a navigation mode detector to determine a navigation mode associated with the first request; a margin menu module to activate a margin menu associated with the determined navigation mode. The margin menu may be presented along one of the margins of a display screen, while permitting viewing of the main content.

Claims

1. A system to provide recommendations with respect to content items available for viewing, the system comprising:

a presentation module configured to present main content on a display screen that has multiple margins;

a communications module configured to receive first and second requests associated with a first directional key on a remote control device that is remote from the display screen and configured to remotely control the main content presented on the display screen, the first directional key corresponding to a margin among the multiple margins of the display screen;

a navigation mode detector configured to identify a navigation mode associated with the first directional key; and

a processor configured by a margin menu module to display a recommendation menu associated with the identified navigation mode, the recommendation menu corresponding to the margin of the display screen and being presented along the margin of the display screen, the recommendation menu responding to the first request from the remote control device by presenting a first recommendation recommended based on the main content, the recommendation menu responding to the second request from the remote control device by present in the first recommendation within a hierarchical arrangement with a second recommendation recommended based on the first recommendation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the presentation module is configured to display the recommendation menu at a position on the display screen, the position being related to a direction indicated on the first directional key.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the first directional key is an “

Up”

directional key; and

the margin menu module configures the processor to display the recommendation menu along a top border of the display screen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the presentation module is configured to display the main content on a television screen; and

the communications module is configured to receive the first request from the remote control device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the communications module is configured to receive a third request associated with a second directional key;

the navigation mode detector is configured to determine that the second directional key is associated with a second direction that is opposite to a first direction associated with the first directional key; and

the system further comprises

a deactivating module configured to deactivate the navigation mode in response to the third request.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the communications module is configured to receive a third request;

the navigation mode detector is configured to determine that the third request is associated with the first directional key; and

the presentation module is configured to display an expanded interface associated with the recommendation menu to provide expanded functionality associated with the navigation mode.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the presentation module is configured to display the expanded interface while obscuring the main content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin menu module configures the processor to permit a viewer to navigate a library of content items.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin menu module configures the processor to permit a viewer to navigate search results.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising an engine configured to generate the first and second recommendations;

and wherein the margin menu module configures the processor to include the first and second recommendations in the recommendation menu.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the engine is configured to generate the first and second recommendations based on a profile of a viewer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin menu module configures the processor to:

detect a third request associated with a further directional key having a direction, the direction of the further directional key being oriented at 90 degrees with respect to the first directional key; and

in response to the third request, shift a focus from the second recommendation to a third recommendation in the recommendation menu.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin menu module configures the processor to:

detect a preview request associated with a next content item in the recommendation menu;

activate a preview of the next content item in the recommendation menu; and

activate a preview mode for the next content item.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin menu module configures the processor to facilitate access to content from a source selected from a group consisting of a currently playing broadcast source, a video on demand source, a local content repository, a local network source, and an Internet source.

15. A system to provide recommendations with respect to content items available for viewing, the system comprising:

a communications module configured to receive first and second requests associated with a first directional key on a remote control device that is remote from a display screen and configured to remotely control main content presented on the display screen, the first directional key corresponding to a margin among multiple margins of the display screen;

a navigation mode detector configured to identify an active navigation mode associated with the first directional key, the active navigation mode being associated with a recommendation menu that corresponds to the margin that corresponds the first directional key; and

a processor configured by an expanded interface module to display the recommendation menu along the margin that corresponds to the first directional key, the recommendation menu responding to the first request from the remote control device by presenting a first recommendation recommended based on the main content, the recommendation menu responding to the second request from the remote control device by presenting the first recommendation within a hierarchical arrangement with a second recommendation recommended based on the first recommendation.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

an engine configured to locate the first and second recommendations based on metadata associated with the main content; and

a presentation module configured to present the first and second recommendations for viewing.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the engine is configured to;

detect a first request to select the first recommendation;

determine the first directional key associated with the first request;

detect a second request to select the second recommendation;

determine that a directional key associated with the second request is the first directional key;

determine a keyword associated with the second recommendation; and

create an association between the direction associated with the first directional key and the keyword.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the recommendation menu includes a source content item and a plurality of recommended content items that include the first and second recommendations.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the recommendation menu includes a library grid configured to present content items designated by a viewer as being of interest.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the content items presented in the library grid are arranged according to a plurality of categories.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the plurality of categories includes one or more categories defined by the viewer.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the recommendation menu includes a search grid.

23. A method of providing recommendations with respect to content items available for viewing, the method comprising:

presenting main content on a display screen that has multiple margins;

receiving first and second requests associated with a first directional key on a remote control device that is remote from the display screen and configured to remotely control the main content presented on the display screen, the first directional key corresponding to a margin among the multiple margins of the display screen;

identifying a navigation mode associated with the first directional key; and

using a processor, displaying a recommendation menu associated with the identified navigation mode, the recommendation menu corresponding to the margin of the display screen and being presented along the margin of the display screen, the recommendation menu responding to the first request from the remote control device by presenting a first recommendation recommended based on the main content, the recommendation menu responding to the second request from the remote control device by presenting the first recommendation within a hierarchical arrangement with a second recommendation recommended based on the first recommendation.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the displaying of the recommendation menu is at a position on the display screen, the position being related to a direction indicated on the first directional key.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the first directional key is an “

Up”

directional key; and

the displaying of the recommendation menu is along a top border of the display screen.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

receiving a third request associated with a second directional key;

determining that the second directional key is associated with a second direction that is opposite to a first direction associated with the first directional key; and

deactivating the navigation mode in response to the third request.