User interface for entertainment systems

• US 8,799,959 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Young, Hoi L., Hatch, Steven A., Cheong, Yuen-Keen
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US13/587,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/39, 725/44, 725 47- 49, 725 52- 53, 725/59
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing a search interface for an electronic device including a tuner configured to tune the electronic device to receive scheduled programming content. A search query is received and one or more data sources including information about media content are searched based, at least in part, on the search query. The results of the search are presented on a user interface using a time-based axis and a time-independent axis.

Claims

1. A method of presenting search results on an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a tuner configured to tune the electronic device to receive scheduled programming content, the method comprising:

receiving a search query as voice input;

searching, with at least one processor, a plurality of data sources including a first data source and a second data source based, at least in part, on the search query;

determining a relevance to the search query of at least one search result returned from the first data source and at least one search result returned from the second data source; and

presenting results of the search using a time-based axis and a time-independent axis, wherein the time-independent axis includes the at least one search result returned from the first data source and the at least one search result returned from the second data source ordered along the time-independent axis according to their determined relevance to the search query, wherein the ordering of the results along the time-independent axis does not depend on the data source that returned the result, wherein the time-based axis comprises a foreground portion of a user interface and a background portion of the user interface, and wherein presenting the results of the search using a time-based axis comprises presenting results that are currently available in the foreground portion of the user interface along the time-based axis and presenting results that are not currently available in a background portion of the user interface along the time-based axis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein searching at least one data source comprises searching at least one scheduled programming content data source and at least one bundled service content data source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the results include scheduled programming content identified in the at least one scheduled programming content data source and bundled service content identified in the at least one bundled service content data source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the results include bundled service content that, when selected, displays multiple results from at least one bundled service content data source associated with the selected bundled service content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-based axis distinguishes first content that is currently available for playback from second content that is currently unavailable for playback.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the results presented along the time-based axis include only scheduled programming content.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a tuner configured to tune the electronic device to receive scheduled programming content; and

at least one processor programmed to;

receive a search query as voice input;

search a plurality of data sources including a first data source and a second data source based, at least in part, on the search query;

determine a relevance to the search query of at least one search result returned from the first data source and at least one search result returned from the second data source; and

present results of the search using a time-based axis and a time-independent axis, wherein the time-independent axis includes the at least one search result returned from the first data source and the at least one search result returned from the second data source ordered along the time-independent axis according to their determined relevance to the search query, wherein the ordering of the results along the time-independent axis does not depend on the data source that returned the result, wherein the time-based axis comprises a foreground portion of a user interface and a background portion of the user interface, and wherein presenting the results of the search using a time-based axis comprises presenting results that are currently available in the foreground portion of the user interface along the time-based axis and presenting results that are not currently available in a background portion of the user interface along the time-based axis.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein searching at least one data source comprises searching at least one scheduled programming content data source and at least one bundled service content data source.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the results include bundled service content that, when selected, displays multiple results from at least one bundled service content data source associated with the selected bundled service content.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the time-based axis distinguishes first content that is currently available for playback by the electronic device from second content that is currently unavailable for playback by the electronic device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, perform a method, comprising:

receiving a search query as voice input;

searching a plurality of data sources including a first data source and a second data source based, at least in part, on the search query;

determining a relevance to the search query of at least one search result returned from the first data source and at least one search result returned from the second data source; and

presenting results of the search using a time-based axis and a time-independent axis, wherein the time-independent axis includes the at least one search result returned from the first data source and the at least one search result returned from the second data source ordered along the time-independent axis according to their determined relevance to the search query, wherein the ordering of the results along the time-independent axis does not depend on the data source that returned the result, wherein the time-based axis comprises a foreground portion of a user interface and a background portion of the user interface, and wherein presenting the results of the search using a time-based axis comprises presenting results that are currently available in the foreground portion of the user interface along the time-based axis and presenting results that are not currently available in a background portion of the user interface along the time-based axis.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein searching at least one data source comprises searching at least one scheduled programming content data source and at least one bundled service content data source.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the time-based axis distinguishes first content that is currently available for playback from second content that is currently unavailable for playback.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the results presented along the time-based axis include only scheduled programming content.