Intuitive image-based program guide for controlling display device such as a television

• US 8,973,037 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asam, Aravind Babu, Barnes, Tracy, Yi, Hye Hoon, Ishiguro, Satoshi, Kim, Dongwook, Agnihotri, Tanmay, Frazier, Milton Massey
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US13/841,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A control device such as a tablet computer presents a scrollable image-based program guide (IBPG) on a display that a user can swipe to cause the device to command a display device to present an audio video (AV) program represented by the image. The IBPG is a subset of an electronic program guide (EPG) from a TV signal provider. Social networking information (SNI) related to a video program is presented on or adjacent an image in the IBPG representing the program.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to, for at least one video program;

establish a respective image;

access a wide area network to obtain social networking information (SNI) related to the video program;

juxtapose at least some of the SNI related to the video program with the image;

use at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and present on a display at least one search result item selectable by a user to access and play a video represented by the result item; and

/or

present on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time, a user selection of a part of the graph causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of graph selected by the user.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the image is selectable to cause an AV program associated with the image to be presented on the display.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to establish respective photograph-based images for plural programs and arranges the images in an image based program guide (IBPG).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the SNI includes a numeral indicating a volume of social network comments that have been transmitted by social network users concerning the video program.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the SNI includes at least one conversation topic related to the program.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the conversation topic is established by a social networking hash tag.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein, the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to obtain the SNI directly from one or more social networking servers.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to obtain the SNI from a server that aggregates social networking information.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the SNI includes at least a “

Top influencers”

field established by at least one social networking account messages from which reach a relatively wide audience.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the SNI includes at least a “

Sentiment”

meter depicting positive and/or negative sentiment about the program based on social networking comments.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to present the SNI in a SNI pane that extends along a bottom portion of the image to which the SNI pertains, at least partially overlaying the image.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to present the SNI in a SNI pane that is attached to a portion of the image frame substantially without obscuring any part of the image.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to use at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and to present on the display at least one search result item selectable by a user to cause the processor to access and play a video represented by the result item.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to present on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to juxtapose with at least one peak on the graph an associated alpha-numeric label derived from the SNI.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to user selection of a topic by causing a string of social networking comments to be presented on the display, the string of social networking comments being related to the topic.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to use at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and presenting on the display at least one search result item selectable by a user to access and play a video represented by the result item.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to present on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time, a user selection of a part of the graph causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of graph selected by the user.

15. A device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to, for at least one video program;

establish a respective image;

access a wide area network to obtain social networking information (SNI) related to the video program;

juxtapose at least some of the SNI related to the video program with the image;

present on a display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time; and

respond to a user selection of a part of the graph by causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to immediately play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of the graph selected by the user.

18. Method, comprising:

presenting a scrollable arrangement of images on a display of a device, the images establishing an image-based program guide (IBPG) on the display;

the images representing respective channels in an electronic program guide (EPG) from a TV signal provider;

presenting social networking information (SNI) related to a video program on or adjacent an image in the IBPG representing the program;

using at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and presenting on the display at least one search result item selectable by a user to access and play a video represented by the result item; and

/or

presenting on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time, a user selection of a part of the graph causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of graph selected by the user.

24. The method of claim 18, comprising:

using at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and presenting on the display at least one search result item selectable by a user to access and play a video represented by the result item.

25. The method of claim 18, comprising:

presenting on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time, a user selection of a part of the graph causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of graph selected by the user.

19. A device comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer memory with instructions executable by the processor to configure the processor to;

present a scrollable image-based program guide (IBPG) on a display;

present social network information (SNI) pertaining to at least one program represented in the IBPG on the display;

use at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and presenting on the display at least one search result item selectable by a user to access and play a video represented by the result item; and

/or

present on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time, a user selection of a pant of the graph causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of graph selected by the user.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to use at least some of the SNI as a search term to access a computer network with a query based on the search term and presenting on the display at least one search result item selectable by a user to access and play a video represented by the result item.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor configure the processor to present on the display at least one time-based graph illustrating a volume of social networking comments pertaining to the program as a function of time, a user selection of a part of the graph causing a recording device associated with the display and recording the program to play back the program starting at a time represented by the part of graph selected by the user.