Multi-axis television navigation

• US 8,650,596 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Samuel Thomas III, Sloo, David Hendler, Barrett, Peter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US10/699,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,753 Days
• Field of Search: 725/52
• US Class Current: 725/52
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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

An exemplary multi-axis television navigation system defines television navigation axes according to attributes of television programs. In one implementation, if a television program has an attribute defining an axis, then the exemplary system links a predefined database query associated with the axis to metadata for the television program. When launched, the predefined query returns a sequence of navigable television programs having the attribute that defines the axis.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a currently displayed television program on a display;

activating a navigation system during display of the currently displayed television program, wherein the navigation system determines and displays a set of viewer-selectable attributes for the currently displayed television program overlaid on the currently displayed television program, the set of attributes comprising attributes which are each descriptive of a different aspect of the currently displayed television program, wherein each attribute of the set of viewer-selectable attributes corresponds to a combinable navigation context to generate a navigable sequence of television programs;

selecting at least two attributes from the set of viewer-selectable attributes using one or more of three navigation keys comprising a previous key, a next key and a select key;

logically combining the navigation contexts which correspond to the selected at least two attributes using Boolean operators;

querying a database of television programming metadata for television program identifiers associated with the combined navigation contexts;

generating a sequence of television programs associated with the identifiers for navigation, wherein the sequence comprises a corresponding navigational axis, the sequence of television programs including the current television program and at least one other television program that shares one or more of the selected attributes with the currently displayed television program; and

navigating the sequence of television programs in the navigational axis, wherein the navigating comprises using the next key or previous key to change from displaying content of the currently displayed television program in the sequence to displaying content of another television program in the sequence, wherein the next key or previous key is used to cycle through the displaying of the content of the television programs in the sequence of television programs in the navigational axis without having to access a menu listing the television programs in the sequence to display the content of a next television program in the sequence.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the querying is performed by one or more predefined queries and each predefined query is associated with a combinable navigation context.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of attributes includes an actor attribute and a director attribute, and wherein logically combining the navigation contexts which correspond to the selected attributes comprises logically combining navigation contexts which correspond to the actor attribute and the director attribute to generate a single actor-director navigational axis.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein links for launching the one or more predefined queries are associated with television program content.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the television program content is included in a conventional broadcast television show.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the television program content is included in one of an on-demand television show or an on-demand television movie.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the television program content is included in television musical programming.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein a link is selectable while the television program content is playing.

9. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein links for launching the one or more predefined queries are associated with television program metadata.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein a link is selectable while the television program metadata is displayed.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the select key of the navigation controls selects one or more of the combinable navigation contexts.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising using at least one of the combinable navigation contexts as a logical filter.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Boolean operators are applied automatically based on an association between a link for launching a predefined query corresponding to a navigation context and the television program content associated with the link.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Boolean operators are applied automatically based on an association between a link for launching a predefined query corresponding to a navigation context and the television program metadata associated with the link.

15. A method, comprising:

displaying content of a currently displayed first television program on a display;

activating a navigation system during display of the content of the currently displayed first television program, wherein the navigation system displays a set of viewer-selectable attributes that are descriptive of the currently displayed first television program;

receiving a selection of one or more attribute values from the displayed set of viewer-selectable attributes to define a query for television programming metadata;

identifying a plurality of television program identifiers corresponding to a plurality of television programs corresponding to the selected one or more attribute values; and

receiving input from the navigation control to sequentially display content of the plurality of television programs as a navigational axis corresponding to the one or more attribute values, the navigation control navigating the navigational axis by a single key used to cycle through displaying the content of the plurality of television programs identified without displaying a list of the plurality of television programs.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the navigation control comprises a next key, a previous key and a select key, wherein the next key or previous key is used to cycle through the content of the plurality of television programs identified without accessing the menu listing the plurality of television programs for navigating to the content of a next television program of the plurality of television programs.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising displaying program information for each television program in response to the navigation control accessing the television program.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

pausing a particular television program at a pause point in response to the navigation control accessing another particular television program of the plurality of television programs; and

resuming the particular television program at the pause point in response to the navigation control accessing the particular television program again.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising selecting multiple attribute values, wherein the multiple attribute values are combined in the query using Boolean logic operators, wherein the Boolean logic operators are applied automatically.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the Boolean operators are designated by a context of the currently displayed first television program.

21. A multi-axis television navigation system comprising:

a server for storing and accessing digital television programming content, the server configured to receive a query for a database of television program metadata based on one or more television program attributes selected by a viewer in relation to a currently displayed television program and return a particular navigation axis comprising a list of program identifiers of television programs corresponding to the one or more television program attributes selected, wherein

the navigation axis is navigable from display of content the currently displayed television program to display of content of a plurality of different television programs corresponding to the television program identifiers in the list in response to activation of a single key for cycling through the display of the content of the plurality of different television programs along the particular navigational axis identified by the list.

22. The multi-axis television navigation system as recited in claim 21, wherein the navigation axis is navigable using a next key, a previous key and a select key, wherein the next key or previous key is used to cycle through the display of the plurality of different television programs corresponding to the list without having to access a menu listing the plurality of different television programs in the list for navigating to a next television program in the list.

23. The multi-axis television navigation system as recited in claim 21, further comprising a data structure implemented by the server for arranging the program metadata in a relational schema, wherein the relational schema adheres at least in part to a global listings format.

24. A television navigation system comprising:

a computing device;

a storage medium including a database for television program metadata;

a query engine, executed by the computing device, to find one or more program identifiers in the database corresponding to one or more predefined queries, wherein a predefined query returns a navigational axis from the database, wherein a navigational axis is a list of program identifiers of television programs;

a user interface, executed by the computing device, to associate launch of the one or more predefined queries with selection of one or more attributes descriptive of a currently displayed television program, wherein activation of the user interface during display of a currently displayed television program results in the user interface presenting a set of viewer-selectable attributes that are descriptive of different aspects of the currently displayed television program; and

a navigation controller to navigate the navigational axis that is the list of program identifiers of television programs determined to correspond to the one or more predefined queries, and to display television programs corresponding to the program identifiers on the list, wherein the navigation controller comprises a single key activated to display multiple programs in the navigational axis successively with corresponding successive single activations of the single key without displaying the list of program identifiers.

25. The television navigation engine as recited in claim 24, wherein the navigation controller is on a remote controller and comprises a next key, a previous key and a select key, wherein the next key or previous key is used to cycle through the television programs corresponding to the list without having to access a menu listing the television programs in the list for navigating to display of a next television program in the list.

26. A multi-axis television program system that comprises:

a processor coupled to computer readable storage media;

a multi-axis database schema implemented by the processor executing instructions stored in the computer readable storage media, the schema comprising;

instructions for arranging a database of television programming metadata into indices facilitating predefined queries, wherein;

one or more links contextually associated with one or more attributes of a currently displayed television program call the predefined queries;

the one or more attributes are selected by a viewer from among a set of attributes and logically combined using Boolean operators;

each attribute of the set corresponds to a combinable navigation context which can be used for generating a navigable sequence of television programs along a navigational axis;

the set of attributes corresponding to the currently displayed television program are automatically determined by the processor and displayed as viewer-selectable attributes when a user interface is activated during display of the currently displayed television program;

the predefined queries return a list of identifiers from the database corresponding with one or more of the attributes;

each list forms a navigational axis;

each identifier in a list corresponds to either an on-demand or currently broadcast television program;

the television programs on the list are displayed as accessed by a television channel navigation control for navigating one or more navigational axes, wherein the television channel navigation control comprises a next key, a previous key and a select key; and

the next key or previous key is used to cycle through the television programs corresponding to the list without having to access a menu listing the television programs in the list for navigating to a next television program in the sequence.

27. The multi-axis television program system as recited in claim 26, wherein the one or more attributes include at least one of:

type of program, program title, alphabetical order of title, year of release, channel, time, first air date, episode order, episode name, genre, actors, writer, director, producer, rating, sound characteristics, video characteristics, language, subtitles, closeness of match to search criteria, or popularity.

28. One or more storage media, wherein the storage media is not a signal, having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computer to perform actions comprising:

activating a navigation system during display of a currently displayed television program to display a set of viewer-selectable attributes related to the currently displayed television program;

receiving a viewer selection of one or more attributes from among the displayed set of viewer-selectable attributes;

launching a database query based on the one or more selected attributes corresponding to the currently displayed television program, wherein the query returns a list of program identifiers of television programs having the one or more attributes the list of program identifiers defining a navigational axis; and

displaying sequentially the television programs corresponding to the program identifiers in the list when a user uses a navigation controller for changing television channels to navigate along the navigational axis without navigating a display of the list for navigating to a next television program in the list.

29. A method comprising:

displaying a currently displayed television program on a television;

activating a navigation system during display of the currently displayed television program, wherein the navigation system determines and displays a set of viewer-selectable attributes corresponding to the currently displayed television program;

receiving selection of an attribute from the set of view selectable attributes;

querying a database of television program metadata corresponding to television programs based on the selected attribute;

receiving results from the querying wherein;

the results comprise television program identifiers, and

each of the television program identifiers identifies a television program having the selected attribute in common with the currently displayed television program;

generating a navigational axis for navigating the television programs that correspond to the television program identifiers;

receiving an instruction to change a channel on the television by activation of a single channel change key; and

responsive to receipt of the instruction, navigating the navigational axis from a first channel displaying the currently displayed television program to a second channel displaying a different television program included in the navigational axis, wherein a listing of programs in the navigational axis is not displayed to effect the navigating the navigational axis.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising presenting on the television at least some information for the television programs that correspond to the television program identifiers.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising, during display of the different television program, activating the navigation system again, wherein:

displaying a different set of viewer-selectable attributes that are descriptive of the different television program, and

receiving a selection of one or more of the different attributes to create a new list of television program identifiers corresponding to the selected one or more different attributes for creating an additional navigational axis, the additional navigational axis based on results from a different query based on the one or more different attributes.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein a two-dimensional control feature allows for navigation along the navigational axis, the two-dimensional control feature comprising a next key and a previous key each being a channel change key, wherein the next key or previous key is used to cycle through the television programs in the navigational axis without having to access a menu listing the television programs in the navigational axis for navigating to a next television program in the navigational axis.

33. One or more storage media, wherein the storage media is not a signal, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon to perform the method of claim 29.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the set of viewer-selectable attributes includes whether programs included in the navigational access are high definition programs.