CONTROL TOOLS FOR MEDIA CONTENT ACCESS SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140053199A1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian, Stallings, Heath, Relyea, Don
• Granted Patent: US 8,973,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a media content processing subsystem including an output driver configured to provide at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user, and a receiver configured to receive an input command initiated by the user during the presentation of the component of the media content instance. The media content processing subsystem is further configured to select a control pane from a group of control panes based on the input command, each of the control panes including a different set of control tools, and provide, in response to the input command, the control pane to the display for concurrent presentation of both the component of the media content instance and the control pane to the user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media content processing subsystem, said media content subsystem including an output driver configured to provide at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user, and a receiver configured to receive an input command initiated by the user during said presentation of said at least a component of said media content instance;

wherein said media content processing subsystem is configured to select a control pane from a group of control panes based on said input command, each of said control panes including a different set of control tools, and provide, in response to said input command, said control pane to the display for concurrent presentation of both said at least a component of said media content instance and said control pane to the user.

2-25. -25. (canceled)