System and method for carousel context switching

• US 9,239,890 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fanhattan, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Reyna, Jorge Fernando, BianRosa, Gilles Serge, Chalouhi, Olivier, Ohlfs, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US13/149,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

In a method and system for navigating content, a plurality of content filter panels are provided in a user interface of an application for browsing and viewing media content. The content filter panels each contain at least one selectable filter for filtering media content items. A direction of movement of a navigation indicator within an active content filter panel is determined, with the navigation indicator being controlled by a user. Based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a first axis, the active content filter panel is switched from a first content filter panel to a second content filter panel. Based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a second axis, the media content items are filtered according to a selectable filter of the active content filter panel selected by the navigation indicator. At least one of the filtered media content items is caused to be displayed in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of content filter panels in a user interface of an application for browsing and viewing media content, each content filter panel containing a plurality of selectable filters for filtering media content items;

determining, by at least one hardware processor, a direction of movement of a navigation indicator within an active content filter panel, the navigation indicator controlled by a user;

receiving a first selection of a first plurality of selectable filters on the first content filter panel;

based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a first axis, switching, by the at least one hardware processor, the active content filter panel from a first content filter panel to a second content filter panel;

based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a second axis, navigating through the plurality of selectable filters on the second content filter panel;

receiving a second selection of a second plurality of selectable filters on the second content filter panel;

filtering, by the at least one hardware processor, the media content items according to the first selection of the first plurality of selectable filters and the second selection of the second plurality of selectable filters;

causing at least one of the filtered media content items to be displayed along with the active content filter panel in the user interface;

receiving a third selection of the at least one of the filtered media content items; and

in response to the third selection of the at least one of the filtered media content items, generating for display a transition whereby the at least one of the filtered media content items shifts upwards to replace the plurality of content filter panels in the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation indicator is controlled by one of a remote control operated by the user, a keyboard operated by the user, a mouse operated by the user, and a touch-based gesture performed by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the media content items to the selected plurality of filters; and

retrieving metadata associated with the filtered media content items for use in the displaying of the filtered media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching of the active content filter panel comprises moving the second content filter panel to a position in the user interface occupied by the first content filter panel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content filter panels occupy a first portion of the user interface, wherein the filtered media content items occupy a second portion of the user interface, and wherein the first portion of the user interface is positioned above the second portion of the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the active content filter panel are larger than the dimensions of inactive content filter panels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each content filter panel represents a context by which the media content items are navigated and filtered.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis and the second axis is a vertical axis.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one hardware processor, causes the at least one hardware processor to perform operations comprising:

providing a plurality of content filter panels in a user interface of an application for browsing and viewing media content, each content filter panel containing a plurality of selectable filters for filtering media content items;

determining, by at least one hardware processor, a direction of movement of a navigation indicator within an active content filter panel, the navigation indicator controlled by a user;

receiving a first selection of a first plurality of selectable filters on the first content filter panel;

based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a first axis, switching, by the at least one hardware processor, the active content filter panel from a first content filter panel to a second content filter panel;

based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a second axis, navigating through the plurality of selectable filters on the second content filter panel;

receiving a second selection of a second plurality of selectable filters on the second content filter panel;

filtering, by the at least one hardware processor, the media content items according to the first selection of the first plurality of selectable filters and the second selection of the second plurality of selectable filters;

causing at least one of the filtered media content items to be displayed along with the active content filter panel in the user interface;

receiving a third selection of the at least one of the filtered media content items; and

in response to the third selection of the at least one of the filtered media content items, generating for display a transition whereby the at least one of the filtered media content items shifts upwards to replace the plurality of content filter panels in the user interface.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the navigation indicator is controlled by one of a remote control operated by the user, a keyboard operated by the user, a mouse operated by the user, and a touch-based gesture performed by the user.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing the media content items to the selected filter; and

retrieving metadata associated with the filtered media content items for use in the displaying of the filtered media content.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the switching of the active content filter panel comprises moving the second content filter panel to a position in the user interface occupied by the first content filter panel.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the content filter panels occupy a first portion of the user interface, wherein the filtered media content items occupy a second portion of the user interface, and wherein the first portion of the user interface is positioned above the second portion of the user interface.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein dimensions of the active content filter panel are larger than the dimensions of inactive content filter panels.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein each content filter panel represents a context by which the media content items are navigated and filtered.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis and the second axis is a vertical axis.

17. A system, comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

a user interface generator module, implemented by the at least one hardware processor, configured to generate a user interface of an application for browsing and viewing media content, the user interface including a plurality of content filter panels each containing a plurality of selectable filters for filtering media content items;

a navigation module, implemented by the at least one hardware processor, configured to;

determine a direction of movement of a navigation indicator within an active content filter panel, the navigation indicator controlled by a user; and

based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a first axis, switch the active content filter panel from a first content filter panel to a second content filter panel; and

a filter module, implemented by the at least one hardware processor, configured to;

receive a first selection of a first plurality of selectable filters on the first content filter panel;

navigate through the plurality of selectable filters on the second content filter panel based on a determination of a movement direction of the navigation indicator in a second axis;

receive a second selection of a second plurality of selectable filters on the second content filter panel; and

filter the media content items according to the first selection of the first plurality of selectable filters and the second selection of the second plurality of selectable filters,

the user interface generator module causing at least one of the filtered media content items to be displayed along with the active content filter panel in the user interface,

the navigation module receiving a third selection of the at least one of the filtered media content items, and in response to the third selection of the at least one of the filtered media content items, generating for display a transition whereby the at least one of the filtered media content items shifts upwards to replace the plurality of content filter panels in the user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the navigation indicator is controlled by one of a remote control operated by the user, a keyboard operated by the user, a mouse operated by the user, and a touch-based gesture performed by the user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the filter module is further configured to compare the media content items to the selected filter, and further comprising a content retrieval module, implemented by the at least one hardware processor, configured to retrieve metadata associated with the filtered media content items for use in the displaying of the filtered media content.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the navigation module is configured to switch of the active content filter panel by moving the second content filter panel to a position in the user interface occupied by the first content filter panel.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the content filter panels occupy a first portion of the user interface, wherein the filtered media content items occupy a second portion of the user interface, and wherein the first portion of the user interface is positioned above the second portion of the user interface.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein dimensions of the active content filter panel are larger than the dimensions of inactive content filter panels.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein each content filter panel represents a context by which the media content items are navigated and filtered.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis and the second axis is a vertical axis.