Providing a customized user interface

• US 8,789,102 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pickelsimer, Lisa A., Patil, Anant, Musick, Joshua, Fabricant, Robert, Werner, David, Zeldis, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US12/126,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 725 9- 21
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a user interface. First, a first input may be received and a currently displayed programming content may be shrunken. Next, the shrunken programming content may be displayed. Then, in response to the received first input and concurrent with the shrunken programming content, a media guide comprising at least three display elements may be displayed. At least one of the three display elements may be customized for a user. Each one of the three display elements may include a first content element, a second content element, a third content element, a fourth content element, or a fifth content element. The first content element may display available programming channels. The second content element may display programs available on the available programming channels. The third content element may display description information. The fourth content element may display actions that can be taken.

Claims

1. A method for providing a customized user interface, the method comprising:

identifying a user associated with a first input;

displaying, in response to identifying the user associated with the first input, at least one customized media guide comprising a plurality of display elements, wherein displaying the at least one customized media guide comprising the plurality of display elements comprises displaying;

a first display element comprising description information corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of programs, wherein the plurality of programs are displayed in response to a user selection of one of a plurality of available programming channels displayed in an instance of the customized media guide,

a second display element displayed to the right of the first display element and comprising a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the selected one of the plurality of programs, and

a third display element displayed to the right of the second display element and comprising instructional information associated with a selected one of the plurality of actions when the selected one of the plurality of actions requires the instructional information to be displayed, and wherein the third display element is further configured to display an advertisement for one of goods and services corresponding to a currently displayed programming content when the selected one of the plurality of actions does not require the instructional information to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the customized media guide in response to the first input comprises displaying the customized media guide in response to the first input, wherein the first input being received in response to the user selecting a menu element from a displayed menu.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first display element comprising the description information corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of programs comprises:

receiving a selection of a programming channel from the plurality of available programming channels of the customized media guide; and

displaying the plurality of programs available on the selected programming channel, and

displaying the description information corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of programs wherein the selected one of the plurality of available programming channels corresponds to programming content currently being displayed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the plurality of programs comprises displaying the plurality of programs available during a predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the second display element comprising the plurality of actions comprises displaying the second display element comprising the plurality of actions wherein the plurality of actions comprises at least two of the following:

a watch now action, a record action, see full details action, a search action, an add to my picks action, a send an invitation action, and a rate program action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the user comprises identifying the user based upon a subscriber identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the user comprises identifying the user based upon a subscriber identifier and a user identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the user based upon the subscriber identifier comprises identifying the user based upon a media access control (MAC) address of a device serving a display device on which the media guide is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the user is enabled to make changes in parental control functions based upon a subscriber identifier and a user identifier, the subscriber identifier comprising a media access control (MAC) address of a device serving a display device on which the media guide is displayed.

10. A computer-readable non-transitory medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a first input;

identifying a user associated with the first input;

shrinking, in response to the received first input, a currently displayed programming content;

displaying the shrunken programming content; and

displaying, in response to identifying the user associated with the first input and concurrent with the shrunken programming content, a customized media guide comprising a plurality of display elements, wherein each of the plurality display elements are respectively displayed as a card that is repositionable within the customized media guide upon a user command to reposition the card within the customized media guide, and wherein displaying the plurality of display elements comprises displaying;

a first display element comprising description information corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of programs, wherein the plurality of programs are displayed in response to a user selection of one of a plurality of available programming channels displayed in the customized media guide,

a second display element displayed to the right of the first display element and comprising a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the selected one of the plurality of programs, and

a third display element displayed to the right of the second display element and comprising instructional information associated with a selected one of the plurality of actions when the selected one of the plurality of actions requires the instructional information to be displayed, and wherein the third display element is further configured to display an advertisement for one of goods and services corresponding to a currently displayed programming content when the selected one of the plurality of actions does not require the instructional information to be displayed.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, wherein displaying the customized media guide comprises displaying the customized media guide wherein at least one of the plurality of display elements being customized for the user is identified as being associated with the user based upon a subscriber identifier.

12. A computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 11, wherein identifying the user comprises identifying the user based upon the subscriber identifier and a user identifier.

13. A computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 12, wherein the subscriber identifier comprises a media access control (MAC) address of a device serving a display device on which the customized media guide is displayed.

14. A computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 11, further comprising enabling changes in parental control functions based upon the subscriber identifier and a user identifier, the subscriber identifier comprising a media access control (MAC) address of a device serving a display device on which the customized media guide is displayed.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second input; and

in response to receiving the second input, re-displaying at least a portion of the customized media guide wherein a one of the plurality of display elements is in a different configuration.

16. A computer-readable non-transitory of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of available programming channels corresponds to programming content currently displayed.

17. A system for providing a user interface, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a request to display a media guide;

identify a user providing the request based upon a subscriber identifier and a user identifier, the subscriber identifier comprising a media access control (MAC) address of a device providing the media guide, the user being associated with a customized media guide element;

display a customized media guide comprising a plurality of display elements, wherein each of the plurality of display elements have reconfigurable positions within the media guide, wherein displaying the customized media guide comprising the plurality of display elements comprises displaying;

a first display element configured to display description information corresponding to a selected one of a plurality of programs, wherein the plurality of programs are displayed in response to a user selection of one of a plurality of available programming channels displayed in the customized media guide;

a second display element displayed to the right of the first display element and configured to display a plurality of actions that can be taken with respect to the selected one of the plurality of programs; and

a third display element displayed to the right of the second display element and configured to display instructional information related to the selected one of the plurality of actions, when the selected one of the plurality of actions requires the instructional information to be displayed, and wherein the third display element is further configured to display an advertisement for one of goods and services corresponding to a currently displayed programming content when the selected one of the plurality of actions does not require the instructional information to be displayed.