Pie chart time indicator

• US 8,310,443 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Pan, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Shawna Stepp
• Application Number:
  US12/114,408
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/818, 715/819, 715/772, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/47217 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system, method and various user interfaces enable association of advertising content with requested shared video content for access via a web-based video player. Advertising content is provided selectively after playback of video content. Following presentation of video content, multiple panes of “similar videos” window are presented in a manner that cycle with time as tracked by a pie chart time indicator.

Claims

1. A method of providing an interface for navigating videos on a display, comprising:

presenting, by a client device, a first set of video thumbnails representing a first set of videos;

presenting a navigation control icon that when selected causes the client device to display a second set of video thumbnails representing a second set of videos;

presenting a timer displayed within the navigation control icon, the timer representing a duration of time remaining for display of the first set of video thumbnails absent selection of the navigation control icon; and

presenting the second set of video thumbnails responsive to lack of user selection of the navigation control icon within the duration of time indicated by the timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the navigation control icon includes presenting the timer as a sweep-timer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the navigation control icon includes presenting the timer as a sweep-timer having an inner portion of a first appearance and a peripheral portion of a second appearance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the navigation control icon includes presenting the timer as a sweep-timer having a first portion indicative of time remaining and a second portion indicative of time elapsed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first portion indicative of time remaining is translucent and partially obstructs the navigation control icon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a first user action, interrupting the timer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first user action includes a mouseover of the first set of video thumbnails.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

responsive to a second user action, resuming the timer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second user action includes moving a navigation pointer off of the first set of video thumbnails.

10. A user interface system comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions when executed by the processor causing display of a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a first set of video thumbnails representing a first set of videos;

a navigation control icon presented with the first set of video thumbnails, the navigation control icon when selected causes display of a second set of video thumbnails representing a second set of videos; and

a timer displayed within the navigation control icon, the timer representing a duration of time remaining for display of the first set of video thumbnails absent selection of the navigation control icon;

wherein the second set of video thumbnails is presented responsive to lack of user selection of the navigation control icon within the duration of time indicated by the timer.

17. The user interface system of claim 10, wherein the timer is adapted to pause responsive to a first user action.

18. The user interface system of claim 17 wherein the first user action includes a mouseover of the first set of video thumbnails.

19. The user interface system of claim 17, wherein the timer is further adapted to resume responsive to a second user action.

20. The user interface system of claim 19 wherein the second user action includes moving a navigation pointer off of the first set of video thumbnails.

11. The user interface system of 10, wherein timer is visually displayed as a sweep-timer on the navigation control icon.

12. The user interface system of 10, wherein the timer is a sweep-timer having an inner portion of a first appearance and a peripheral portion of a second appearance.

13. The user interface system of 10, wherein the timer includes a first portion indicative of time remaining and a second portion indicative of time elapsed.

14. The user interface system of 13, wherein the first portion becomes smaller with time.

15. The user interface system of 10, wherein the timer is pie-shaped such that at an initial time the timer appears as a complete pie and as time advances, the timer appears as a pie with progressively smaller portions remaining.

16. The user interface system of 15, wherein the timer is translucent and partially obstructs the navigation control icon.

21. A user interface system comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions when executed by the processor causing display of a user interface, the user interface comprising:

an advertising portion displaying first advertising content, the first advertising content having a duration of time for display;

a next button that when selected causes the advertising portion of the user interface to cycle to second advertising content;

a pie chart time indicator displayed within the next button, the pie chart time indicator representing a percentage of the duration of time remaining for display of the first advertising content absent selection of the next button,

wherein responsive to the pie chart indicator indicating that 100% of the duration of time for display of the first advertising content has elapsed, automatically cycling to the second advertising content.

22. A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

instructions for providing a first set of banners corresponding to a first set of recommended videos;

instructions for providing a navigation control icon that when selected causes the computer system to display a second set of banners representing a second set of recommended videos;

instructions for providing a timer displayed within the navigation control icon, the timer representing a duration of time remaining for display of the first set of video thumbnails absent selection of the navigation control icon;

instructions for detecting a pointer being positioned over one of the first set of banners, and responsive to the detection, pausing the timer and cycling through thumbnail images from the recommended video associated with the banner;

instructions for detecting the pointer being positioned off of the first set of banners, and responsive to the detection, stopping the cycling through the thumbnail images and resuming progression of the timer; and

instructions for providing the second set of video thumbnails in response to the timer indicating progression of a threshold period of time without user selection of the navigation control icon.

23. A method performed by a computer system, comprising:

displaying, by a client device, first media content in a media playback window;

displaying a next button that when selected causes the client device to display second media content in the media playback window;

displaying a pie chart interface element within the next button; and

after playback of the first media content begins, dynamically changing a shading of the pie chart interface element with time to represent a current percentage of the media content that has been completed and a percentage of the media content remaining, wherein when the media content is completed, the entirety of the pie chart interface element is displayed as shaded.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first media content comprises video content.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first media content comprises audio content.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the first media content comprises a text display.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the first media content comprises display of a first display element for a predetermined period of time.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein after the predetermined period of time, a second display element is displayed and the pie chart interface element is reset to indicate a percentage of time that has passed in a predetermined display time for the second display element.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein a user cannot discern the total expected length of the media content by observing the media content without also observing the pie chart interface element.