Method and system to navigate viewable content

• US 9,860,583 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Huntington, Matthew, Merkoski, David A., Pering, Celine, Kanarek, Jordan, Nazarian, David Scott, Wagner, Joshua, Rottler, Benjamin A., Zeldis, Andrew, Terada, Gina, Marr, Jared
• Primary Examiner(s): Titcomb, William
• Application Number:
  US15/159,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 715781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/4532 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

A method and system to navigate viewable content in the context of television entertainment is provided. In one example embodiment, the system comprises a presentation module to present main content on a display screen, a communications module to receive a first request associated with a first directional key on a remote control device, a navigation mode detector to determine a navigation mode associated with the first request; a margin menu module to activate a margin menu associated with the determined navigation mode. The margin menu may be presented along one of the margins of a display screen, while permitting viewing of the main content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a media playback device, a display signal to a display screen with edges, the display signal including primary media content for display by the display screen;

receiving, by the media playback device, a first user input from a user device configured to select the primary media content from available media content;

identifying, by the media playback device an edge among the edges of the display screen, the identified edge corresponding to the first user input;

including a recommendation interface in the display signal, the recommendation interface being configured to be displayed at the identified edge of the display screen and provide a first recommendation based on the primary media content being displayed by the display screen;

receiving, by the media playback device, a second user input from the user device; and

causing the recommendation interface to provide a second recommendation based on the first recommendation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input indicates a first direction among a set of directions indicatable by the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen is based on the first direction being indicated by the first user input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the second user input indicates the first direction among the set of directions; and

the causing of the recommendation interface to provide the second recommendation is based on the first direction being indicated by the second user input.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the media playback device, a third user input from the user device, the third user input indicating a direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

causing the recommendation interface to provide a third recommendation based on the first recommendation in response to the third user input indicating direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the media playback device, a third user input from the user device, the third user input indicating a direction opposite to the first direction; and

causing the recommendation interface to stop providing the second recommendation in response to the third user input indicating direction opposite to the first direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input is generated by a first operation of a first directional button among a set of directional buttons of the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen is based on the operation of the first directional button.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the second user input is generated by a second operation of the first directional button of the user device; and

the causing of the recommendation interface to provide the second recommendation is based on the second operation of the second directional button.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the media playback device, a third user input generated by operation of a second directional button among the set of directional buttons of the user device, the second directional button being oriented perpendicular to the first directional button; and

causing the recommendation interface to provide a third recommendation based on the first recommendation in response to the third user input being generated by the second directional button oriented perpendicular to the first directional button.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the media playback device, a third user input generated by operation of a second directional button among the set of directional buttons of the user device, the second directional button being oriented opposite to the first directional button; and

causing the recommendation interface to stop providing the second recommendation in response to the third user input being generated by the second directional button oriented opposite to the first direction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input indicates an up direction among a set of directions indicatable by the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a top edge of the display screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input indicates a down direction among a set of directions indicatable by the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a bottom edge of the display screen.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input indicates a left direction among a set of directions indicatable by the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a left edge of the display screen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input indicates a right direction among a set of directions indicatable by the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a right edge of the display screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input is generated by operation an up button among a set of directional buttons of the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a top edge of the display screen in response to the operation of the up button.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input is generated by operation a down button among a set of directional buttons of the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a bottom edge of the display screen in response to the operation of the down button.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user input is generated by operation a left button among a set of directional buttons of the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a left edge of the display screen in response to the operation of the left button.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a media playback device, cause the media playback device to perform operations comprising:

providing, by the media playback device, a display signal to a display screen with edges, the display signal including primary media content for display by the display screen;

receiving, by the media playback device, a first user input from a user device configured to select the primary media content from available media content;

identifying, by the media playback device, an edge among the edges of the display screen, the identified edge corresponding to the first user input;

including a recommendation interface in the display signal, the recommendation interface being configured to be displayed at the identified edge of the display screen and provide a first recommendation based on the primary media content being displayed by the display screen;

receiving, by the media playback device, a second user input from the user device; and

causing the recommendation interface to provide a second recommendation based on the first recommendation.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

the first user input is generated by operation a right button among a set of directional buttons of the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen identifies a right edge of the display screen in response to the operation of the right button.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

providing, by the system, a display signal to a display screen with edges, the display signal including primary media content for display by the display screen;

receiving, by the system, a first user input from a user device configured to select the primary media content from available media content;

identifying, by the system, an edge among the edges of the display screen, the identified edge corresponding to the first user input;

including a recommendation interface in the display signal, the recommendation interface being configured to be displayed at the identified edge of the display screen and provide a first recommendation based on the primary media content being displayed by the display screen;

receiving, by the system, a second user input from the user device; and

causing the recommendation interface to provide a second recommendation based on the first recommendation.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the first user input indicates a first direction among a set of directions indictable by the user device; and

the identifying of the edge among the edges of the display screen is based on the first direction being indicated by the first user input.