Providing a user interface

• US 8,806,532 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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., Musick, Joshua, Fabricant, Robert, Werner, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Jason J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US12/126,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,272 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 715716-726, 715/768, 715788-801, 715/808
• US Class Current: 725/43
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A user interface may be provided. First, a first input may be received, and in response to the received first input, at least a portion of a plurality of content elements may be displayed. Then, a second input indicating a selection of a one of the displayed plurality of content elements may be received. In response to the received second input, a displayed full version of a programming content and the displayed plurality of content elements may be removed. Also, in response to the received second input, a shrunken version of the full version of the programming content and a more detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements may be displayed. Next, in response to a received third input, the more detailed version and the displayed shrunken version may be removed and the full version of the programming content may be redisplayed.

Claims

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

displaying a full version of a programming content;

receiving a first input;

displaying, in response to the received first input, a plurality of content elements, the plurality of content elements overlaying a portion of the full version of a programming content, each of the plurality of content elements including a synopsis relating to a particular content element wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises overlaying the displayed plurality of content elements onto the full version of the programming content, the displayed plurality of content elements being displayed in a lower one-half of a display device and wherein none of the displayed plurality of content elements abuts an edge of the display device wherein the plurality of content elements comprising the following content types;

sports, weather, and lottery;

receiving a second input indicating a selection of a one of the displayed plurality of content elements;

in response to the received second input,

displaying a shrunken version of the full version of the programming content, and

displaying a detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements;

receiving a third input; and

in response to the received third input,

removing the detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements,

removing the displayed shrunken version of the full version of the programming content, and

displaying the full version of the programming content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the full version of the programming content comprises displaying the full version of the programming content to fit at least the width of the display device comprising a high-definition television (HDTV) display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises displaying the plurality of content elements in a side-by-side manner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises scrolling through the plurality of content elements in response to user input to display the plurality of content elements wherein an order through which the plurality of content elements are scrolled is user determined.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the displayed full version of the programming content comprises continuing playing audio corresponding to the programming content when the shrunken version of the full version of the programming content is displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to user initiation, adding a new content element to the plurality of content elements.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to user initiation, removing another one of the plurality of content elements from the plurality of content elements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises displaying an advertisement content element comprises wherein advertisement is provided by a service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the detailed version comprises displaying an edit content element, wherein the edit content element is displayed to the right of the detailed version.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a fourth input from the user to edit the selected one of the plurality of content elements; and

editing the selected one of the plurality of content elements.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a fourth input from the user to customize the selected one of the plurality of content elements; and

customizing the selected one of the plurality of content elements.

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

displaying a full version of a programming content;

receiving a first input;

displaying, in response to the received first input, a plurality of content elements, the plurality of content elements overlaying a portion of the full version of a programming content, each of the plurality of content elements including a synopsis relating to a particular content element wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises;

overlaying the displayed plurality of content elements onto the full version of the programming content, the displayed plurality of content elements being displayed in a lower one-half of a display device and wherein none of the displayed plurality of content elements abuts an edge of the display device,

displaying the plurality of content elements in a side-by-side manner, and

scrolling through the plurality of content elements in response to user input to display the plurality of content elements wherein an order through which the plurality of content elements are scrolled is user determined;

receiving a second input indicating a selection of a one of the displayed plurality of content elements;

in response to the received second input,

displaying a shrunken version of the full version of the programming content, and

displaying a detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements;

receiving a third input; and

in response to the received third input,

removing the detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements,

removing the displayed shrunken version of the full version of the programming content, and

displaying the full version of the programming content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying a plurality of content elements comprises displaying the plurality of content elements comprising at least one of the following content types:

sports, weather, and lottery.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein removing the displayed full version of the programming content comprises continuing playing audio corresponding to the programming content when the shrunken version of the full version of the programming content is displayed.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, in response to user initiation, adding a new content element to the plurality of content elements.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising, in response to user initiation, removing another one of the plurality of content elements from the plurality of content elements.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises displaying an advertisement content element comprises wherein advertisement is provided by a service provider.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the detailed version comprises displaying an edit content element, wherein the edit content element is displayed to the right of the detailed version.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a fourth input from the user to edit the selected one of the plurality of content elements; and

editing the selected one of the plurality of content elements.

20. 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;

displaying a full version of a programming content;

receiving a first input;

displaying, in response to the received first input, a plurality of content elements, the plurality of content elements overlaying a portion of the full version of a programming content, each of the plurality of content elements including a synopsis relating to a particular content element wherein displaying the plurality of content elements comprises overlaying the displayed plurality of content elements onto the full version of the programming content, the displayed plurality of content elements being displayed in a lower one-half of a display device and wherein none of the displayed plurality of content elements abuts an edge of the display device wherein the plurality of content elements comprising the following content types;

sports, weather, and lottery;

receiving a second input indicating a selection of a one of the displayed plurality of content elements;

in response to the received second input,

displaying a shrunken version of the full version of the programming content, and

displaying a detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements;

receiving a third input; and

in response to the received third input,

removing the detailed version of the selected one of the plurality of content elements,

removing the displayed shrunken version of the full version of the programming content, and

displaying the full version of the programming content.