Program guide 3D zoom

• US 8,832,553 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian, Stallings, Heath, Relyea, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/764,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20080320393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 715/721, 715/757, 715/766, 715/782, 715/810, 715/848, 725/44
• US Class Current: 715/716
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

Interactive program guide data is received and elements to be included in an interactive program guide are generated based at least in part on the interactive program guide data. Each of the elements is positioned in a graphical user interface with respect to each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a content processing device, interactive program guide data;

generating, by the content processing device, a number of cells to be included in an interactive program guide based at least in part on the interactive program guide data;

positioning, by the content processing device, each of the cells in a plane defined by an x-axis and a y-axis within a graphical user interface;

positioning, by the content processing device, a focus point and a plurality of markers within the graphical user interface in response to a selection by a user of one or more arrow keys included in a plurality of arrow keys that are a part of a remote control and that are configured to allow navigation within the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis, wherein the plurality of markers identify a portion of the graphical user interface that is scrollable along a z-axis;

receiving, by the content processing device, a request to scroll in the graphical user interface along the z-axis, the z-axis being perpendicular to the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis and that intersects the focus point, the request to scroll initiated by a selection by the user of a key that is a part of the remote control and not included in the plurality of arrow keys; and

performing, by the content processing device within the portion of the graphical user interface identified by the plurality of markers and in response to the request to scroll along the z-axis, one of a zoom in operation resulting in fewer cells than the number of cells and additional information being displayed within the graphical user interface and a zoom out operation resulting in more cells than the number of cells being displayed within the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the content processing device, the graphical user interface for display by a media player.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the content processing device, a request to scroll along the x-axis or the y-axis in the graphical user interface; and

scrolling, by the content processing device, along the x-axis or the y-axis in response to the request to scroll along the x-axis or the y-axis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a level of detail of information included in at least one of the cells is decreased upon performance of the zoom out operation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing, by the content processing device, the cells into a set of columns; and

identifying, by the content processing device, a foreground column within the set of columns and a set of background columns within the set of columns, wherein all of the cells in the foreground column are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any cells in the background columns.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing, by the content processing device, the cells into a set of rows; and

identifying, by the content processing device, a foreground row within the set of rows and a set of background rows within the set of rows, wherein all of the cells in the foreground row are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any cells in the background columns.

7. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information includes at least one widget, the at least one widget comprising at least one of a button and a hyperlink.

8. A system, comprising:

a content processing device that

receives interactive program guide data from an interactive program guide server;

generates a number of cells to be included in an interactive program guide based at least in part on the interactive program guide data;

positions each of the cells in a plane defined by an x-axis and a y-axis within a graphical user interface;

positions a focus point and a plurality of markers within the graphical user interface in response to a selection by a user of one or more arrow keys included in a plurality of arrow keys that are a part of a remote control and that are configured to allow navigation within the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis, wherein the plurality of markers identify a portion of the graphical user interface that is scrollable along a z-axis;

receives a request to scroll in the graphical user interface along the z-axis, the z-axis being perpendicular to the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis and that intersects the focus point, the request to scroll initiated by a selection by the user of a key that is a part of the remote control and not included in the plurality of arrow keys; and

performs, within the portion of the graphical user interface identified by the plurality of markers and in response to the request to scroll along the z-axis, one of a zoom in operation resulting in fewer cells than the number of cells and additional information being displayed within the graphical user interface and a zoom out operation resulting in more cells than the number of cells being displayed within the graphical user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the content processing device is further configured to provide the graphical user interface for display by a media player.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the content processing device is further configured to:

receive a request to scroll along the x-axis or the y-axis in the graphical user interface; and

scroll along the x-axis or the y-axis in response to the request to scroll along the x-axis or the y-axis.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein a level of detail of information included in at least one of the cells is decreased upon performance of the zoom out operation.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the content processing device is further configured to:

organize the cells into a set of columns; and

identify a foreground column within the set of columns and a set of background columns within the set of columns, wherein all of the cells in the foreground column are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any cells in the background columns.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the content processing device is further configured to

organize the cells into a set of rows;

and

identify a foreground row within the set of rows and a set of background rows within the set of rows, wherein all of the cells in the foreground row are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any cells in the background columns.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the additional information includes at least one widget, the at least one widget comprising at least one of a button and a hyperlink.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a content processing device, interactive program guide data;

generating, by the content processing device, a number of cells to be included in an interactive program guide based at least in part on the interactive program guide data;

positioning, by the content processing device, each of the cells in a plane defined by an x-axis and a y-axis within a graphical user interface;

positioning, by the content processing device, a focus point and a plurality of markers within the graphical user interface in response to a selection by a user of one or more arrow keys included in a plurality of arrow keys that are a part of a remote control and that are configured to allow navigation within the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis, wherein the plurality of markers identify a portion of the graphical user interface that is scrollable along a z-axis;

receiving, by the content processing device, a request to zoom in in the graphical user interface along the z-axis, the z-axis being perpendicular to the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis and that intersects the focus point, the request to zoom in initiated by a selection by the user of a key that is a part of the remote control and not included in the plurality of arrow keys;

reducing, by the content processing device within the portion of the graphical user interface identified by the plurality of markers and in response to the request to zoom in along the z-axis, the number of cells displayed in the graphical user interface; and

displaying, by the content processing device in response to the request to zoom in along the z-axis, additional information in at least one cell displayed in the graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing, by the content processing device, markers that indicate an area of the graphical user interface with respect to which the zooming in is performed.

16. The method of claim 14, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.