Multimedia visual progress indication system

• US 9,812,174 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Vallone, Robert, Look, Howard, McKendrick, Ain
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/018,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20160155479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 386343, 386344, 386351, 386278, 386353
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8715 : involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal

Abstract

A multimedia visual progress indication system that provides a cache bar that is overlaid onto the program material or displayed on a dedicated display. A cache bar indicates the length of a recording session or the length of stored program material and expands to the right when material is being recorded. Index and/or bookmark indicators are displayed next to the cache bar. A position indicator moves within the cache bar and tells the user visually where his current position is within the program material. Numeric time or counter mark of the current position is displayed in the vicinity of the cache bar. The trick play bar and its associated components are displayed for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user, comprising:

receiving user input that activates at least one of;

play or pause;

in response to receiving the user input, displaying a visual indicator and a position indicator in a vicinity of the visual indicator to a user, the visual indicator visually indicating an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back, the position indicator visually indicating a current playback position within the available amount of program material; and

in response to a lapse of a predetermined time period, removing the visual indicator and the position indicator from being displayed to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position indicator moves in the vicinity of the visual indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a numeric time indicator in a vicinity of the visual indicator, wherein the numeric time indicator visually indicates a numeric time reference of the current playback position of the program material.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a mode indicator that moves in a vicinity of the visual indicator, the mode indicator visually indicating a mode selected by the user, the mode indicator displaying a visual indication of at least one of:

play, fast forward, fast reverse or pause.

5. An apparatus for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user, comprising:

a subsystem at least in part implemented in hardware that receives user input that activates at least one of;

play or pause;

a subsystem at least in part implemented in hardware that displays a visual indicator and a position indicator in a vicinity of the visual indicator to a user in response to receiving the user input, the visual indicator visually indicating an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back, the position indicator visually indicating a current playback position within the available amount of program material; and

a subsystem at least in part implemented in hardware that removes the visual indicator and the position indicator from being displayed to the user in response to a lapse of a predetermined time period.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the position indicator moves in the vicinity of the visual indicator.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a subsystem at least in part implemented in hardware that displays a numeric time indicator in a vicinity of the visual indicator, wherein the numeric time indicator visually indicates a numeric time reference of the current playback position of the program material.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a subsystem at least in part implemented in hardware that displays a mode indicator that moves in a vicinity of the visual indicator, the mode indicator visually indicating a mode selected by the user, the mode indicator displaying a visual indication of at least one of:

play, fast forward, fast reverse or pause.

9. A non-transitory program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for visually and interactively communicating information of audio or video program material to a user, comprising:

receiving user input that activates at least one of;

play or pause;

in response to receiving the user input, displaying a visual indicator and a position indicator in a vicinity of the visual indicator to a user, the visual indicator visually indicating an available amount of program material through which the user is able to navigate and play back, the position indicator visually indicating a current playback position within the available amount of program material; and

in response to a lapse of a predetermined time period, removing the visual indicator and the position indicator from being displayed to the user.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the position indicator moves in the vicinity of the visual indicator.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein the method steps further comprise displaying a numeric time indicator in a vicinity of the visual indicator, wherein the numeric time indicator visually indicates a numeric time reference of the current playback position of the program material.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein the method steps further comprise displaying a mode indicator that moves in a vicinity of the visual indicator, the mode indicator visually indicating a mode selected by the user, the mode indicator displaying a visual indication of at least one of:

play, fast forward, fast reverse or pause.