Control tools for media content access systems and methods
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a media content processing subsystem, said media content subsystem including an output driver configured to provide at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user, and a receiver configured to receive at least one input command initiated by the user during said presentation of said at least a component of said media content instance; and
a set of user profiles;
wherein said media content processing subsystem is configured to select a control pane from a group of control panes outside said media content instance, wherein said media content processing subsystem selects said control pane based on a first input command, each of said control panes including a different set of control tools, of said at least one input command and shifts said media content instance into a viewing area defined by at least one of the viewable portion of said display and said selected control pane such that said selected control pane is viewable on the display concurrently with said media content instance in response to said first input command, andwherein said media content processing subsystem is further configured to select a user profile of said set of user profiles based on a second command of said at least one input command, wherein said set of user profiles are displayed as icons in a control pane of said group of control panes, and wherein at least some of said control tools are contextually selected for inclusion in said group of control panes based on said selected user profile.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a media content processing subsystem including an output driver configured to provide at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user, and a receiver configured to receive an input command initiated by the user during the presentation of the component of the media content instance. The media content processing subsystem is further configured to select a control pane from a group of control panes based on the input command, each of the control panes including a different set of control tools, and provide, in response to the input command, the control pane to the display for concurrent presentation of both the component of the media content instance and the control pane to the user.
586 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a media content processing subsystem, said media content subsystem including an output driver configured to provide at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user, and a receiver configured to receive at least one input command initiated by the user during said presentation of said at least a component of said media content instance; and a set of user profiles; wherein said media content processing subsystem is configured to select a control pane from a group of control panes outside said media content instance, wherein said media content processing subsystem selects said control pane based on a first input command, each of said control panes including a different set of control tools, of said at least one input command and shifts said media content instance into a viewing area defined by at least one of the viewable portion of said display and said selected control pane such that said selected control pane is viewable on the display concurrently with said media content instance in response to said first input command, and wherein said media content processing subsystem is further configured to select a user profile of said set of user profiles based on a second command of said at least one input command, wherein said set of user profiles are displayed as icons in a control pane of said group of control panes, and wherein at least some of said control tools are contextually selected for inclusion in said group of control panes based on said selected user profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface configured to receive a data stream from a media content provider communicatively coupled to said apparatus by a network, said data stream including a media content instance; at least one processor configured to provide a first output signal configured to cause a user device communicatively coupled to said apparatus to present at least a component of said media content instance for experiencing by a user; a set of user profiles accessible by the processor; and a receiver configured to receive at least one input command from an input device communicatively coupled to said apparatus, said at least one input command being initiated by the user during said presentation of said at least a component of said media content instance; wherein said at least one processor is configured to select a control pane from a group of control panes, wherein said at least one processor selects said control pane based on a first input command of said at least one input command and shifts said media content instance into a viewing area defined by at least one of the viewable area of said display and said selected control pane such that said selected control pane is viewable on the user device concurrently with said media content instance for consideration by the user, and wherein said at least one processor is further configured to select a user profile of said set of user profiles based on a second command of said at least one input command, wherein said set of user profiles are displayed as icons in a control pane of said group of control panes, and wherein at least some of said control tools are contextually selected for inclusion in said group of control panes based on said selected user profile. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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providing at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user; receiving at least one input command initiated by the user during said presentation of said at least a component of said media content instance; selecting a control pane from a group of control panes outside said media content instance, wherein the control pane is selected based on a first command of said at least one input command; providing to a display for presentation to a user a set of user profiles represented by icons in a control pane of said group of control panes; selecting a user profile from said set of user profiles based on a second command of said at least one input command; selecting at least some of said control tools for inclusion in said group of control panes based on said selected user profile; and shifting said media content instance to a viewing area defined by at least one of the viewable portion of the display and the selected control pane such that said control pane is viewable on the display concurrently with said media content instance. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification