Mosaic-like user interface for video selection and display

• US 20040070593A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaleidescape Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kaleidescape Incorporated
• Inventors: Foley, Sheila A., Kesteloot, Lawrence, Novotny, Margaret, Buchenau, Marion, Neely, Shawn R., OʼNeil, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/743 a collection of video files or sequences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A UI involving selection and display from a library of videos, including a “Mosaic” mode of operation, in which a primarily visual display is made of information about possible videos, with the effect that a user might select one such video in response to such visual display. The Mosaic includes an two-dimensional array of entries, each of which has visual information for that entry. The Mosaic collects relatively similar entries near to each other in the visual field seen by a user. The focus is centralized and emphasized, and has auxiliary information displayed for further understanding. The array is dynamically rearranged in response to change in focus and metadata about the entries. Relative weighting of that metadata is responsive to user choice. The array includes rows and columns each of which includes all possible entries, but offset by relatively prime values.

Claims

1. A method including steps of

generating a representation of a set of entries, said representation including a set of entries, each entry having a set of data fields, and a focus associated with at least one of said entries, a set of said entries being incorporated into said representation, each said entry being incorporated into said representation responsive to at least one data field associated with said entry, wherein said data field has a pictorial representation;

wherein said representation is generated in response to a measure of data-entry distance between each pair of said entries and in response to a measure of representation distance between each pair of said entries.

2. A method including steps of

representing at least some of a set of entries each having a set of data fields associated therewith, wherein a result of said steps of representing includes (a) a relative placement of said some entries, and (b) for said some entries, a selection of at least one graphical element in response to at least some of said data fields;

wherein said relative placement is responsive to a measure of content distance between pairs of said some entries, said measure of content distance being responsive to a measure of similarity of a plurality of values in said data fields.

3. A method as in claim 2, including steps of

dynamically generating said graphical element in response to at least one of (a) values for said some data fields, or (b) values retrieved from a logically remote source.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said graphical element includes at least one value from one of said data fields, said at least one value including at least one of (a) a picture representative to a user of its associated entry, or (b) a caption representative to a user of its associated entry.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said at least one graphical element is responsive to a movie poster associated with a media stream;

and

said measure of content distance is responsive to a visual characteristic of said movie poster.

6. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said at least one graphical element is responsive to a movie poster associated with a media stream;

and

said measure of content distance is responsive to at least one of the following associated with said media stream;

a title, a genre, at least one actor, at least one character, a series, a director, a producer, a studio, a year made or remade, a rating, or a set of awards.

7. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said at least one graphical element is responsive to a movie poster associated with a media stream;

and

said measure of content distance is responsive to at least one of the following characteristics of said movie poster;

whether said movie poster is abstract or shows a scene,

whether said movie poster shows a selected actor,

whether said movie poster is primarily pictorial or text, or

a set of values for brightness, hue, or saturation associated with said movie poster.

8. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said at least one graphical element is responsive to values in a first set of said data fields;

said measure of content distance is responsive to values in a second set of said data fields; and

said first set and said second set are substantially disjoint.

9. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said measure of content distance is responsive to values in a set of said data fields;

said values are weighted in response to an indicator of user preference.

10. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said measure of content distance is responsive to values in a set of said data fields;

said values are weighted in response to at least one of the following indicators of user preference;

an explicitly selected relative weighting value,

an relative weighting value selected implicitly responsive to a set of user inputs or requests,

a set of demographic information about said user, or

a set of collaborative filtering information.

11. A method as in claim 2, wherein

a measure of display distance is responsive to relative placement of said some entries;

and

said measure of content distance is positively correlated with said measure of display distance.

12. A method as in claim 2, wherein

said relative placement of said some entries is relatively nearer for pairs of entries when said measure of content distance is relatively smaller;

and

said relative placement of said some entries is relatively farther for pairs of entries when said measure of content distance is relatively larger.

14. A method as in claim 2, wherein

a result of said steps of representing includes at least one focused-upon entry.

15. A method as in claim 14, including steps of

dynamically altering said representation in response to a selection of said at least one focused-upon entry, wherein a result of said steps of altering includes a new said relative placement in response to at least one of (a) said measure of content distance from said at least one focused-upon entry, or (b) a pseudorandom or random effect.

16. A method as in claim 14, including steps of

dynamically altering said representation in response to a triggering event, said triggering event including at least one of (a) a request for said steps of dynamically altering, (b) a selection of a new focused-upon entry, (c) a set of incoming new data, (d) passage of a selected psychologically pleasing time duration, or (e) a pseudorandom or random effect.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein

a result of said steps of representing includes a screen region representing a set of auxiliary information relating to said focused-upon entry.

18. A method as in claim 14, wherein

a result of said steps of representing includes a screen region representing a set of information beyond said auxiliary information relating to said focused-upon entry, in response to a user action.

33. A method as in claim 2, wherein

a result of said steps of representing includes grid of screen regions, each disposed at an intersection of a plurality of axes.

34. A method as in claim 2, wherein

a result of said steps of representing includes a set of rows and a set of columns, defining a plurality of screen regions at a plurality of intersections of rows and columns;

and

each said screen region includes at least one said graphical element associated with an entry assigned to that screen region.

35. A method as in claim 34, wherein

each said entry has associated with it least one said graphical element in each said row;

and

each said entry has associated with it least one said graphical element in each said column.

36. A method as in claim 34, wherein

each said entry has associated with it least one said graphical element in a first said row;

and

each row other than said first row is offset from said first row by a number of screen regions relatively prime to a total number of entries.

38. A method as in claim 14, wherein

a result of said steps of representing includes one or more said entries having relative emphasis.

39. A method as in claim 38, wherein

a degree of emphasis for said entries having relative emphasis is responsive to said measure of content distance from said at least one focused-upon entry.

40. A method as in claim 38, wherein

a selection of said entries having relative emphasis is responsive to said measure of content distance from said at least one focused-upon entry.

41. A method as in claim 38, wherein

said relative emphasis includes at least a first type and a second type of emphasis;

said entries having relative emphasis responsive to said measure of content distance from said at least one focused-upon entry have said first type of emphasis; and

said focused-upon entry has said second type of emphasis.

13. A method including steps of

generating a representation of a set of entries, said representation including a set of entries, each entry having a set of data fields, and a focus associated with at least one of said entries, a set of said entries being incorporated into said representation, each said entry being incorporated into said representation at an intersection of least one said row and one said column;

wherein said representation is rearranged in response to associating said focus with a different one of said entries.

19. A method including steps of

generating a representation of a set of entries, said representation including a set of entries, each entry having a set of data fields, and a focus associated with at least one of said entries, a set of said entries being incorporated into said representation, each said entry being incorporated into said representation at an intersection of least one said row and one said column;

wherein when scrolling through said representation either horizontally or vertically, said representation includes each said entry in each said row and in each said column.

20. A method including steps of

generating a representation of a set of information;

said information being presentable using more than one dimension;

said representation including a distribution of display elements within a representative space having more than one dimension;

said distribution including an ordering of substantially all said display elements in a first one said dimension;

said distribution including a substantially identical ordering in said first one said dimension, and having a first offset from said ordering, in response to a second offset in a second one said dimension;

said distribution having the property that substantially all said display elements can be found along said first one said dimension and having substantially any offset along said second one said dimension; and

said distribution having the property that substantially all said display elements can be found along said second one said dimension and having substantially any offset along said first one said dimension.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said display elements are each responsive to at least one data field in a database.

22. A method as in claim 20, wherein said display elements each include at least one pixel.

23. A method as in claim 20, wherein said display elements overlap.

24. A method as in claim 20, wherein said representation is responsive to a pseudorandom or random effect.

25. A method as in claim 20, wherein said representation is responsive to a pseudorandom or random effect, said effect being distributed within said representative space.

26. A method as in claim 20, wherein said representative space includes a set of rows and a set of columns.

27. A method as in claim 20, wherein said representative space includes an X axis and a Y axis.

28. A method as in claim 20, wherein said first offset is

relatively prime to a number of said display elements in said ordering;

and

proportional to said second offset.

29. A method as in claim 20, wherein said first offset is relatively prime to a number of said display elements in said ordering.

30. A method as in claim 29, wherein said first offset is near a multiple of a root of said number.

31. A method as in claim 29, wherein said first offset is near a multiple of a square-root of said number.

32. A method as in claim 29, wherein said first offset is within ln (N) of 2 sqrt (N), where N is said number, ln (N) is a logarithm of N, and sqrt (N) is a square-root of N.

37. A method including steps of

generating a representation of a set of entries, said representation including a set of entries, each entry having a set of data fields, and a focus associated with at least one of said entries, a set of said entries being incorporated into said representation, each said entry being incorporated into said representation at an intersection of least one said row and one said column;

wherein each entry has a brightness responsive to an associated content distance from said one entry associated with said focus.