Enhanced user navigation in a media environment

• US 20080163127A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ostojic, Bojana, Vong, Will, Newell, Mark, Voros, Kristina, Flora, Bill, Azera, Frederic, Coomer, Christen, Margolis, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Described herein is technology for, among other things, performing navigation in a media environment. The technology involves the presenting a user with only a portion of the previously visited pages or areas as he or she moves to previously visited pages or areas. As the user moves around the media environment, the movements are recorded for use when requests are received for previously visited areas or pages. As the user moves to previously visited areas redundant pages or areas are skipped. Thus, the user'"'"'s forward and backward navigation are different and the user moves backward more easily, quickly and efficiently.

Claims

1. A method for providing user navigation in a media environment, the method comprising:

accessing a root menu page;

initiating forward accesses comprising;

accessing a first user selected media area;

accessing a menu page;

accessing a second user selected media area;

accessing said menu page;

accessing a third user selected media area;

initiating backward accesses comprising;

accessing said menu page;

accessing said second media area;

accessing directly said first media area without visiting an intervening menu page;

accessing said root menu page;

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said backward accesses further comprising:

accessing directly said second media area without an intervening menu page.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

placing focus on a last visited item corresponding to the previously visited area on a menu page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a menu page further comprises a content area based on a previous media area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said content area displays a currently playing media on said menu page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a backward access to a media area brings the user to a same location previously visited within said media area.

7. A method of presenting previously visited areas in a media environment, the method comprising:

storing location information as a user visits menu pages and media areas;

receiving one or more requests to move to a previous location;

presenting said user with media areas without previously visited menu pages upon each subsequent request to move to a previously visited menu page or media area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said location information further comprises additional information of the specific location within a media area.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said location information is stored in a first in last out data structure.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a media continues to play until a new media is selected.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a menu page allows a currently playing media to be visible while said menu page is displayed.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising presenting said user with a previous location upon selecting a media to play.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

storing, according to user input, a plurality of locations visited in a media environment in a data structure;

receiving user input for one or more requests for accessing locations in said data structure; and

directing said user to locations in said data structure wherein one or more of said locations are different from said plurality of locations visited according to user input.

14. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said plurality of locations in said data structure contains fewer menu pages than visited by said user.

15. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said data structure stores a fixed number of locations.

16. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the last location in said data structure is a root menu page.

17. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said data structure is loaded with a root menu page when said data structure becomes empty.

18. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein media areas where a media has completed playing are removed from said data structure.

19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein media areas where an error has occurred are removed from said data structure.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein a menu item on a menu page is available based on being in said data structure.