Thumbnail navigation bar for video

• US 8,875,023 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cronin, Dennis G., Morris, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/964,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 Days
• Field of Search: 715/723, 715/704, 715/716, 715/722, 715/851
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/745 the internal structure of a single video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

While playing back video on a display device, a user request to display a navigation bar corresponding to the video is received. In response to receiving the user request, the navigation bar is displayed on the display device. This navigation bar includes multiple thumbnails each corresponding to a different location in the video. A user selection of one of the multiple thumbnails is received, and playing of the video is changed to begin playing at a location corresponding to the selected thumbnail.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing a video to be played on a display device;

receiving, while the video is being played, a user request to display a navigation bar corresponding to the video;

displaying, in response to receiving the user request, the navigation bar on the display device, the navigation bar including multiple thumbnails each corresponding to one of multiple scene changes in the video;

in response to a single user input, automatically and without further direct user input, performing operations including;

scrolling, while the video is being played, through display of different ones of the multiple thumbnails by at least changing the display of the different ones of the multiple thumbnails at a predefined speed, the predefined speed including an amount of time between changes of the display of the different ones of the multiple thumbnails; and

altering the predefined speed of the scrolling based at least in part on how close a subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to a thumbnail corresponding to a current playback time of the video, the altering the speed including decreasing the speed of the scrolling the closer the subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to the thumbnail corresponding to the current playback time of the video;

receiving a user selection of one of the multiple thumbnails; and

causing the video to begin playing at a location corresponding to the selected thumbnail.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, the displaying the navigation bar comprising overlaying the navigation bar on at least a portion of the video while displaying the video.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, the receiving the user request comprising receiving the user request in response to user activation of a navigation button on a remote control device.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an indication of user activation of a forward button on the remote control device;

in response to the indication of user activation of the forward button, scrolling forwards through the multiple thumbnails in the navigation bar;

receiving an indication of user activation of a reverse button on the remote control device; and

in response to the indication of user activation of the reverse button, scrolling backwards through the multiple thumbnails in the navigation bar.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, the video including both commercial content and program content, the method further comprising:

scrolling through displaying the multiple thumbnails in response to user input; and

altering a speed of the scrolling based at least in part on whether a current subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed correspond to the commercial content or to the program content.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, the displaying the navigation bar further comprising displaying, for each of the multiple thumbnails, both:

a time code identifying a playback time of the video that corresponds to the thumbnail; and

a caption describing the thumbnail.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, the video including both commercial content and program content, the method further comprising:

displaying, with a first appearance, thumbnails of the multiple thumbnails that correspond to the commercial content; and

displaying, with a second appearance, thumbnails of the multiple thumbnails that correspond to the program content.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the altering the speed further includes increasing the speed of the scrolling the further the subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to the thumbnail corresponding to the current playback time of the video.

9. A method comprising:

accessing video content;

generating multiple thumbnails corresponding to the video content by generating, for each of multiple locations corresponding to scene changes in the video content, a thumbnail of the video content that is displayed at the location; and

making the multiple thumbnails available as the thumbnails of a navigation bar to be displayed on a display device in response to a user request to display the navigation bar received while the video content is being played on the display device;

responsive to a single user input, automatically and without further direct user input, performing operations including;

scrolling, while the video content is being played, through display of different ones of the multiple thumbnails; and

altering a speed of the scrolling based at least in part on how close a subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to a thumbnail corresponding to a current playback time of the video content, the altering the speed including increasing the speed of the scrolling the further the subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to the thumbnail corresponding to the current playback time of the video.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, each of the multiple thumbnails comprising a still image.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, the video content including both commercial content and program content, the generating comprising generating a first thumbnail corresponding to a location of the video content where the commercial content begins, and generating a second thumbnail corresponding to a location of the video content where the program content resumes after the commercial content.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the altering the speed further includes decreasing the speed of the scrolling the closer the subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to the thumbnail corresponding to the current playback time of the video.

13. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, allow a user to rewind and/or fast forward through video content by causing the one or more processors to:

receive, while video content is being played, a user request to display a navigation bar corresponding to the video content;

display, while the video content is being played, the navigation bar in response to receiving the user request, the navigation bar including multiple thumbnails corresponding to different scene changes in the video content;

responsive to a single user input, automatically and without further direct user input;

scroll, while the video content is being played, through display of different ones of the multiple thumbnails; and

alter a speed of the scrolling based at least in part on how close a subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to a thumbnail corresponding to a current playback time of the video content, the speed being altered by decreasing the speed of the scrolling the closer the subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to the thumbnail corresponding to the current playback time of the video; and

jump to a beginning of a scene corresponding to a selected thumbnail and cause the video content to be played beginning at the location.

14. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, wherein to receive the user request is to receive the user request in response to user activation of a navigation button on a remote control device.

15. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, the video content including both commercial content and program content, the instructions further causing the one or more processors to alter how quickly different ones of the multiple thumbnails are displayed while scrolling based at least in part on whether a current set of the multiple thumbnails being displayed correspond to the commercial content or to the program content.

16. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, the video content including both commercial content and program content, wherein to display the navigation bar is to:

display, with a first appearance, thumbnails of the multiple thumbnails that correspond to the commercial content; and

display, with a second appearance, thumbnails of the multiple thumbnails that correspond to the program content.

17. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, wherein the altering the speed further includes increasing the speed of the scrolling the further the subset of the multiple thumbnails being displayed are in time to the thumbnail corresponding to the current playback time of the video.

18. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors further to:

display, for each of the multiple thumbnails, a time code identifying a playback time of the video content that corresponds to the thumbnail; and

a caption describing the thumbnail.

19. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, wherein the video content includes both commercial content and program content, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors further to:

display, with a first appearance, thumbnails of the multiple thumbnails that correspond to the commercial content; and

display, with a second appearance, thumbnails of the multiple thumbnails that correspond to the program content.

20. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 13, wherein the navigation bar includes an overlay on at least a portion of the video content while the video is played.