Method and apparatus for providing a user interface

• US 8,850,486 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sisvel S.p.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Newton, Philip Steven, De Wit, Jiska Margriet, Van Der Putten, Jeroen Ronald Johannes, Koh, Wee Keng, Mekenkamp, Gerhardus Engbertus, Ashley, Alexis Stephen Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US10/483,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,460 Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

When the user views the information available on a program (in a Personal Video Recorder), the keywords that determine whether a program will be recorded are accentuated. This can be done by using the size of the text or by using colors or any other kind of varying accentuation i.e. encircled or blinking text. This makes it easy for the user to identify the keywords used in their personalized profile. Additionally the user can navigate between keywords and change the accentuation of the keywords, to indicate a rating (in multiple levels) of the keyword.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface for providing an information unit relating to a program, including a title and/or genre/synopsis of the program and at least one word or symbol, the method comprising:

determining whether to recommend/record the program, using a personalized profile having at least one keyword associated with a rating;

comparing the word or symbol in the information unit with the at least one keyword in the personalized profile;

while displaying the information unit relating to the program, accentuating, in the displayed information unit a word or symbol matching a keyword in the personalized profile, the accentuation corresponding to the rating associated with the keyword in the personalized profile; and

changing the accentuation of a word or symbol displayed in the information unit by user operable input means.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the information unit comprises the step of:

searching a database comprising further information units.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information unit is one of the following:

(a) At least one line of subtitles associated with a television program

(b) A teletext page

(c) A web-page.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the accentuation is changed by changing one or more of symbol display size, color, highlighting, or blink rate.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein changing the accentuation includes changing a level of highlighting and further including:

changing the rating by changing the level of highlighting of the corresponding symbol.

6. A tangible medium carrying a computer program to be executed on a computing device for providing a user interface for providing an information unit relating to a program, including a title and/or genre/synopsis of the program and at least one word or symbol, said medium comprising:

code determining whether to recommend/record the program, using a personalized profile having at least one keyword associated with a rating;

code for comparing the word or symbol in the information unit with the at least one keyword in the personalized profile;

code for, while displaying the information unit relating to the program, accentuating, in the displayed information unit a word or symbol matching a keyword in the personalized profile, the accentuation corresponding to the rating associated with the keyword in the personalized profiled; and

code for changing the accentuation of a word or symbol displayed in the information unit by user operable input means.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface including a user input and an information displaying unit for displaying text relating to a program, said text including a title and/or genre/synopsis of the program and at least one word or symbol;

a means determining whether to recommend/record the program, using a personalized profile having at least one keyword associated with a rating;

a means for comparing the word or symbol in the information unit with the at least one keyword in the personalized profile; and

a means for accentuating, in the displayed text in the information display unit, each word or symbol matching one or more of the at least one keywords highlighting and displaying each associated accentuated word or symbol displaying on the information display unit, the accentuation corresponding to the rating associated with the keyword in the personalized profile; and

wherein the user interface enables a user to chance the accentuation of a word or symbol displayed in the information unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein there are a plurality of levels of accentuation corresponding to different rating levels, each level having a different, corresponding display format.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the different levels of accentuation are denoted by at least one of a size, highlighting color, and blink rate which the symbol is displayed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further including:

a means for concurrently changing an accentuation of a displayed accentuated symbol and a rating of the corresponding keyword.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a display for displaying an information unit having text relating to a program, said text including a title and/or genre/synopsis of the program and at least one word or symbol;

a user profile, the user profile including a plurality of keywords, each keyword having a rating indicative of a level of importance to a user;

a user input device;

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

comparing the keywords in the user profile to a plurality of words in an information unit relating to the program,

causing the display to display the information unit with the keywords accentuated wherein, each word or symbol matching one or more of the at least one keywords highlighting and displaying each associated accentuated word or symbol displaying on the display, the accentuation corresponding to the rating associated with the keyword in the user profile; and

wherein the user input device enables a user to change the accentuation of a word or symbol displayed in the information unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the accentuation of the displayed keywords is changed by changing at least one of a color, size, highlighting, and blinking rate of each displayed keyword.