SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF DISPLAYING CONTENT
A device for enabling content selection is configured to display one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content. The one or more sub-categories of content may be displayed using stack structures. The stack structures may include a plurality of icons representing available content. The stack structures may enable thumbnail browsing of content available from a plurality of diverse sources.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/876,188, filed on Sep. 10, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/876,199, filed on Sep. 10, 2013, each of which are incorporated by reference in their respective entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates to the field of interactive television and graphical user interfaces.
BACKGROUNDDigital media playback capabilities may be incorporated into a wide range of devices, including digital televisions, including so-called “smart” televisions, laptop or desktop computers, tablet computers, e-book readers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital recording devices, digital media players, video gaming devices, digital cameras, cellular or satellite radio telephones, including so-called “smart” phones, dedicated video streaming devices, and the like. Digital media content may originate from a plurality of sources including, for example, over-the-air television providers, satellite television providers, cable television providers, online media-sharing services, including, online media streaming and downloading services, peer devices, and the like. Further, devices with digital media playback capabilities may be configured to output digital media to ultra-resolution displays.
Due to the wide range of content users may access on devices with digital media playback capabilities, traditional techniques for the organizing, sorting, and displaying available content choices may be less than ideal, particularly for televisions and secondary connected devices. Further, traditional electronic programming guides may be intended to be displayed on relatively smaller and/or lower resolution displays than the larger and higher resolution displays that are currently available or may be become available in the future.
SUMMARYThe following brief summary is not intended to include all features and aspects of the present invention, nor does it imply that the invention must include all features and aspects discussed in this summary. The present disclosure relates to the field of graphical user interfaces and more specifically describes techniques for presenting a user with dynamic interactive graphical user interfaces. In particular, this disclosure describes techniques for enabling content selection. In some examples, the techniques may be implemented in a device with digital media playback capabilities, including for example, laptop or desktop computers, tablet computers, smart phones, set top boxes, and televisions.
According to one example of the disclosure, a method for enabling content selection comprises displaying one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure, and enabling a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
According to another example of the disclosure, a device for enabling content selection comprises one or more processors configured to display one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure, and enable a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
According to another example of the disclosure, an apparatus for enabling content selection comprises means for displaying one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure, and enabling a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
According to another example of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium has instructions stored thereon that upon execution cause one or more processors of a device to display one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure, and enable a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Described herein are systems and methods for enabling the selection of content. Some embodiments extend to a machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows. Examples merely typify possible variations. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, components and functions are optional and may be combined or subdivided, and operations may vary in sequence or may be combined or subdivided. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of example embodiments. It will be evident to one skilled in the art, however, that the present subject matter may be practiced without these specific details.
Devices with digital media playback capabilities, including, for example, televisions, set top boxes, and mobile devices, may be configured to provide users thereof with graphical user interfaces that enable the selection of content. In some examples, these graphical user interfaces may be referred to as electronic program guides (EPGs). Traditional electronic program guides may be designed to only display content available through a television provider. Further, traditional electronic programming guides may have been designed for relatively smaller and/or lower resolution displays than the larger and higher resolution displays that are currently available or may be become available in the future. That is, traditional electronic program guides may have been designed when standard definition displays (576i resolutions) with a maximum size screen size of 32″ were common. Whereas, current commercially available displays may be larger than 100″ and may have resolutions as high as 3840 pixels by 2160 pixels. Further, even larger displays with higher resolutions are anticipated to be commercially available in the future. Displays with resolutions higher than standard or high definition displays may be referred to as ultra-resolution displays. Ultra-resolution displays, such as ultra-resolution televisions, increase the screen real-estate because more pixels can be seen by viewers allowing more content to be displayed efficiently. Further, smaller devices, such as tablet computers, may include ultra-resolution displays. Traditional electronic program guides may be less than ideal for use with ultra-resolution displays. The techniques describe herein may enable a user to more efficiently select content from a plurality of diverse sources.
Example embodiments described herein may allow for a more natural interaction with a graphical user interface by zooming back from content and surrounding it with relevant features and data. This mimics how users actually organize and interact with objects in the real world. Additionally the techniques described herein may leverage ultra-resolution displays to minimize text and content confusion by using thumbnail navigation. Thumbnail navigation may allow users to quickly and seamlessly move across content solely using icons representing content. Example embodiments described herein may replace standard data that is represented in text form with high resolution graphics to reduce clutter and allow for easier browsing of large catalogs of content. These features may then be transported on many other devices beyond a television, creating a seamless interface that enhance the user experience. That is, the graphical user interfaces described herein may be displayed on a secondary display (e.g., a smart phone display) in conjunction with being displayed on a primary display (e.g., an ultra-resolution television).
System 100 represents an example of a system that may be configured to allow digital content, such as, for example, music, videos, images, webpages, messages, voice communications, and applications, to be distributed to and accessed by a plurality of computing devices, such as computing devices 102A-102N. In the example illustrated in
Communications network 104 may comprise any combination of wireless and/or wired communication media. Communications network 104 may include coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, twisted pair cables, wireless transmitters and receivers, routers, switches, repeaters, base stations, or any other equipment that may be useful to facilitate communications between various devices and sites. Communications network 104 may operate according to a combination of one or more telecommunication protocols. Telecommunications protocols may include proprietary aspects and/or may include standardized telecommunication protocols. Examples of standardized telecommunications protocols include Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standards, Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards, Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB) standards, Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) standards, Global System Mobile Communications (GSM) standards, code division multiple access (CDMA) standards, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standards, Internet Protocol (IP) standards, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) standards, and IEEE standards, such as, for example, one or more of the 802 standards.
As illustrated in
Television provider network 106 is an example of a network configured to provide a user with television services. For example, television provider network 106 may include public over-the-air television networks, public or subscription-based satellite television service provider networks, and public or subscription based cable television provider networks. It should be noted that although in some examples television provider network 106 may primarily be used to provide television services, television provider network 106 may also provide other types of data and services according to any combination of the telecommunication protocols described herein.
Public network 108 is an example of a packet-based network, such as, a local area network, a wide-area network, or a global network, such as the Internet, configured to provide a user with World Wide Web based services. Public network 108 may be configured to operate according to Internet Protocol (IP) standards. It should be noted that although in some examples public network 108 may primarily be used to provide access to hypertext web pages, public network 108 may also provide other types of media content according to any combination of the telecommunication protocol described herein.
Referring again to
On demand engine 114 may be configured to access a multimedia library and distribute multimedia content to one or more of computing devices 102A-102N through television provider network 106. For example, on demand engine 114 may access multimedia content (e.g., music, movies, and TV shows) stored in multimedia database 116A and provide a subscriber of a cable television service with movies on a Pay Per View (PPV) basis. Multimedia database 116A may be a storage device configured to store multimedia content. It should be noted that multimedia content accessed through on demand engine 114 may also be located at various sites within system 100 (e.g., peer-to-peer distribution).
Media service provider site 118 represents an example of a multimedia service provider. Media service provider site 118 may be configured to access a multimedia library and distribute multimedia content to one or more of computing devices 102A-102N through public network 108. For example, media service provider site 118 may access multimedia (e.g., music, movies, and TV shows) stored in multimedia database 116B and provide a user of a media service with multimedia. Multimedia database 116B may be a storage device configured to store multimedia content. In one example, media service provider site 118 may be configured to provide content to one or more of computing devices 102A-102N using the Internet protocol suite. In some examples, a media service may be referred to as a streaming service. Commercial examples of media services may include Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. As described above, television provider network 106 and public network 108 may share physical and logical aspects. Thus, content accessed by one or more of computing devices 102A-102N through media service provider site 118 may be transmitted through physical components of television provider network 106. For example, a user of a computing device may access the internet and multimedia content provided by a media service through a cable modem connected to a coaxial network maintained by a cable television provider.
Webpage content distribution site 120 represents an example of a webpage service provider. Webpage content distribution site 120 may be configured to provide hypertext based content to one or more of computing devices 102A-102N through public network 108. It should be noted that hypertext based content may include audio and video content. Hypertext content may be defined according to programming languages, such as, for example, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Dynamic HTML, and Extensible Markup Language (XML). Examples of webpage content distribution sites include the Wikipedia website and the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
Application distribution site 122 represents an example of an application distribution service. Application distribution site 122 may be configured to distribute developed software applications to one or more of computing devices 102A-102N. In one example, software applications may include games and programs operable on computing devices. In other examples, software applications may be configured to allow a computing device to access content provided by a site in manner specific to the computing device. For example, software applications may be configured to provide enhanced or reduced functionality of a webpage to a mobile device or a set top box. Software applications may be developed using a specified programming language. Examples of programming languages include, Java™, Jini™, C, C++, Perl, UNIX Shell, Visual Basic, and Visual Basic Script. In some examples, developers may write software applications using a software development kit (SDK) provided by a device manufacturer or a service provider. In the example where one or more of computing devices 102A-102N are mobile devices, application distribution site 122 may be maintained by a mobile device manufacturer, a service provider, and/or a mobile device operating system provider. In the example where one or more of computing devices 102A-102N are set top boxes, application distribution site 108 may be maintained by a set top box manufacturer, a service provider, and/or an operating system provider. In some examples, an application distribution site may be referred to as an app store. Examples of commercially available application distribution sites include Google Play, the Apple App Store, BlackBerry World, Windows Phone Store, and the Amazon App store.
Social media site 124 represents an example of a social media service. Social media site 124 may be configured to allow users of computing devices 102A-102N to communicate with one another. Social media site 124 may be configured to host profile pages corresponding to users of computing devices 102A-102N. For example, social media site 124 may be configured such that users of computing devices 102A-102N are able to display messages and upload photos, videos, and other media to a user's profile page. Examples of commercially available social media sites include Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, Google Plus, Twitter, Flickr, and Instagram. In addition to allowing users to maintain profile pages, social media site 124 may be configured to generate analytical data based on information included in user profile pages and/or user activity. For example, social media site 124 may be configured to track the popularity of a news story based on comments provided by users of computing devices 102A-102N. As described in detail below, the techniques described herein may allow users of computing devices 102A-102N to incorporate functions of social media sites to share content and recommendations with other users. For example, users may discover content endorsed by other users.
Search engine site 126 represents an example of a content search service. Search engine site 126 may be a service configured to allow users of computing devices 102A-102N to search for content available through communications network 104. Search engine site 126 may be configured to receive queries from computing devices 102A-102N and provide a list of search results to computing devices 102A-102N. For example, search engine site 126 may be configured such that users of computing devices 102A-102N are presented with a webpage including a search query field and are able to search content based on keywords. Examples of commercially available search engine sites include Google, Bing, and Yahoo! Further, search engine site 126 may be configured to generate analytical data based on information included in search queries. For example, search engine site 126 may be configured to track the popularity of an actress based on the number of times a query related to the actress is provided by users of computing devices 102A-102N.
As illustrated in
CPU(s) 202 may be configured to implement functionality and/or process instructions for execution in computing device 200. CPU(s) 202 may be capable of retrieving and processing instructions, code, and/or data structures for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein. Instructions may be stored on a computer readable medium, such as system memory 204 or storage devices 220. CPU(s) 202 may include multi-core central processing units.
System memory 204 may be described as a non-transitory or tangible computer-readable storage medium. In some examples, system memory 204 may provide temporary and/or long-term storage. In some examples, system memory 204 or portions thereof may be described as non-volatile memory and in other examples portions of system memory 204 may be described as volatile memory. Examples of volatile memories include random access memories (RAM), dynamic random access memories (DRAM), and static random access memories (SRAM). Examples of non-volatile memories include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of electrically programmable memories (EPROM) or electrically erasable and programmable (EEPROM) memories.
System memory 204, may be configured to store information that may be used by computing device 200 during operation. System memory 204 may be used to store program instructions for execution by CPU(s) 202 and may be used by software or applications running on computing device 200 to temporarily store information during program execution. For example, system memory 204 may store instructions associated with operating system 206 and applications 208. Applications 208 may include applications implemented within or executed by computing device 200 and may be implemented or contained within, operable by, executed by, and/or be operatively/communicatively coupled to components of computing device 200. Applications 208 may include instructions that may cause CPU(s) 202 of computing device 200 to perform particular functions. Applications 208 may include algorithms which are expressed in computer programming statements, such as, for-loops, while-loops, if-statements, do-loops, etc. Applications 208 may be distributed to computing device 200 through an application distribution site, such as, for example, application distribution site 122 described above.
As further illustrated in
System interface 210, may be configured to enable communications between components of computing device 200. In one example, system interface 210 comprises structures that enable data to be transferred from one peer device to another peer device or to a storage medium. For example, system interface 210 may include a chipset supporting Accelerated Graphics Port (“AGP”) based protocols, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus based protocols, such as, for example, the PCI Express (“PCIe”) bus specification, which is maintained by the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group, or any other form of structure that may be used to interconnect peer devices.
Storage devices 220 represent memory of computing device 200 that may be configured to store relatively larger amounts of information for relatively longer periods of time than system memory 204. For example, in the example where computing device 200 is included as part of a digital video recorder, storage devices 220 may be configured to store numerous video files. Similar to system memory 204, storage device(s) 220 may also include one or more non-transitory or tangible computer-readable storage media. Storage device(s) 220 may include internal and/or external memory devices and in some examples may include volatile and non-volatile storage elements. Examples of memory devices include file servers, an FTP servers, network attached storage (NAS) devices, a local disk drive, or any other type of device or storage medium capable of storing data. Storage medium may include Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, flash memory, or any other suitable digital storage media.
I/O devices 222 may be configured to receive input and provide output during operation of computing device 200. Input may be generated from an input device, such as, for example, a push-button remote control, a motion based remote control, a device including a touch-sensitive screen, a device including a track pad, a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, video camera, a motion sensor, or any other type of device configured to receive input. In one example, an input device may include an advanced user input device, such as a smart phone or a tablet computing device. For example, an input device may be a secondary computing device and may be configured to receive user input via touch gestures, buttons on the secondary computing device, and/or voice control. Further, in some examples, an input device may include a display that is configured to display the graphical users interfaces described herein. For example, in the case where computing device 200 includes a television, an input device may include a smart phone in communication with the television. In this example, a user may provide commands to a television by activating portions of a graphical user interface displayed on a smart phone. Output may be provided to output devices, such as, for example internal speakers, an integrated display device, and/or external components, such as, a secondary computing device. In some examples, I/O device(s) 222 may be operatively coupled to computing device 200 using a standardized communication protocol, such as for example, Universal Serial Bus protocol (USB), Bluetooth, ZigBee or a proprietary communications protocol, such as, for example, a proprietary infrared communications protocol.
In the example illustrated in
In one example, modem 212 may be configured to perform physical signaling, addressing, and channel access control according to the physical and MAC layers utilized in a television provider network, such as, for example, television provider network 106. In one example, modem 212 may configured to receive signals from a coaxial cable and/or an over the air signal and perform low level signal processing (e.g., demodulation). In one example, modem 212 may be configured to extract transport streams from signals received from a coaxial cable. In one example, a transport stream may be based on a transport stream defined by the Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). In one example, a transport stream may include a plurality of program streams where each program stream respectively corresponds to a program available from a television network. Further, a transport stream may include a plurality of data streams (e.g., Program Map Table and EPG data).
Transport module 214 may be configured to receive data from modem 212 and process received data. For example, transport model 214 may be configured to receive a transport stream including a plurality of program streams and extract individual program streams from a received transport stream. In one example, a program stream may include a video stream, an audio stream, and a data stream. AV demux 216 may be configured to receive data from transport module 214 and process received data. For example, AV demux 216 may be configured to receive a program stream from transport module 214 and extract audio packets, video packets, and data packets. That is, AV demux 216 may apply demultiplexing techniques to separate video streams, audio streams, and data streams from a program stream. In one example, AV demux 216 may be configured to decapsulate packetized elementary video and audio streams from a transport stream defined according to MPEG-2 Part 1. It should be noted that although modem 212, transport module 214, and AV demux 216 are illustrated as having distinct functional blocks, the functions performed by modem 212, transport module 214, and AV demux 216 may be highly integrated and realized using any combination of hardware, firmware and/or software implementations.
Network interface 218 may be configured to enable computing device 200 to send and receive data via a public network. As described above, data sent or received via a public network may include data associated digital content, such as, for example, music, videos, images, webpages, messages, voice communications, and applications. Network interface 218 may include a network interface card, such as an Ethernet card, an optical transceiver, a radio frequency transceiver, or any other type of device configured to send and receive information. Network interface 218 may be configured to perform physical signaling, addressing, and channel access control according to the physical and MAC layers utilized in a public network, such as for example, public network 108. Further, in a manner similar to that described above with respect to transport module 214 and A/V demux 216, network interface 218 may be configured to extract audio packets, video packets, and data packets from a data stream. For example, network interface 218 may be configured to extract video packets, audio packets, and data packets according to one or more of internet protocol (IP), transport control protocol (TCP), real time streaming protocol (RTSP), user datagram protocol (UDP), real time protocol (RTP), MPEG transport stream protocols, and IPTV protocols. It should be noted, that the techniques described herein are generally applicable to any and all methods of digital content distribution and are not limited to particular communications network implementations. For example, the techniques described herein may be applicable to digital content originating from one or more of a broadcast, a multicast, a unicast, an over-the-top content source, a personal video recorder (PVR), and a peer-to-peer content source.
Referring again to
Audio decoder 224 may be configured to retrieve and process coded audio data. For example, audio decoder 224 may be a combination of hardware and software used to implement aspects of audio codec. Audio data may be coded using multi-channel formats such as those developed by Dolby and Digital Theater Systems. Audio data may be coded using a compressed or uncompressed format. Examples of compressed audio formats include MPEG-1, 2 Audio Layers II and III, AC-3, AAC, and Ogg Vorbis. An example of an uncompressed audio format includes pulse-code modulation (PCM) audio format. Audio processor 226 may be configured to retrieve captured audio samples and may process audio data for output to an audio system (not shown). In some examples, audio processor 226 may include a digital to analog converter. An audio system may comprise any of a variety of audio output devices such as headphones, a single-speaker system, a multi-speaker system, or a surround sound system.
Video decoder 228 may be configured to retrieve and process coded video data. For example, video decoder 228 may be a combination of hardware and software used to implement aspects of video codec. In one example, video decoder 228 may be configured to decode video data encode according to any number of video compression standards, such as ITU-T H.261, ISO/IEC MPEG-1 Visual, ITU-T H.262 or ISO/IEC MPEG-2 Visual, ITU-T H.263, ISO/IEC MPEG-4 Visual, ITU-T H.264 (also known as ISO/IEC MPEG-4 AVC), VP8, and High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC).
As described above, a device with media playback capabilities may provide a graphical user interface (e.g., an EPG) that enables a user to select content. A graphical user interface may include images and graphics displayed in conjunction with video content (e.g., playback icons overlaid on a video). Graphics processing unit 230 is an example of a dedicated processing unit that may be configured to generate graphical user interfaces, including the graphical user interfaces described herein. That is, graphics processing unit 230 may be configured to receive commands and content data and output pixel data. Graphic processing unit 230 may operate according to a graphics pipeline process (e.g., input assembler, vertex shader, geometry shader, rasterizer, pixel shader, and output merger). Graphics processing unit 230 may include multiple processing cores and may be configured to operate according to OpenGL (Open Graphic Library, managed by the Khronos Group) and/or Direct3D (managed by Microsoft, Inc.).
Display processor 232 may be configured to retrieve and process pixel data for display. For example, display processor 232 may receive pixel data from video decoder 228 and/or graphics processing unit 230 and output data for display. Display processor 232 may be coupled to a display, such display 250 (not shown in
As described above, traditional electronic program guides (EPGs) may be less than ideal for displaying available content originating from a plurality of diverse sources and further may be less than ideal for ultra-resolution displays. Computing device 200 may be configured to enable the selection of content by providing one or more of the graphical user interfaces described herein. The graphical user interfaces described herein may be provided to a computing device and/or an I/O device in communication with a computing device.
As illustrated in
Navigational items HOME, ON AIR TV, ON DEMAND, PHOTOS, MUSIC, APPS, SOCIAL, and MY STUFF represent different sources, types, and/or categories of content. As described in detail below, different graphical user interfaces may be presented to a user based on the navigational item that is selected. In the example illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
In one example, individual television shows represented by icon 308, individual movies represented by icon 310, and individual musical albums represented by icon 312 may be presented to a user based on an algorithm that determines the likelihood a user will select a particular piece of content. For example, computing device 200 may be configured to present individual pieces of content based on any and all combinations of consumption, behavior, and environment. In one example, consumption may include content a user has accessed or is accessing. In one example, behavior may include user usage information such as, for example, how fast the user changes channels, how often the user skips commercials, how frequently a user accesses content through a computing device. In one example, environment may include time (e.g., hour, day, month, or year) and location (e.g., home, car, or airport) of a computing device. For example, an algorithm may determine that a user prefers to watch crime dramas on Friday nights and graphical user interface 300 may present an icon representing a crime drama television show at a center position and/or the icon may be larger than other icons. Further, in one example graphical user interface 300 may incorporate 3D effects such that icons appear to be positioned in the foreground or the background based on the likelihood of selection.
As described above, applications may include games and programs operable on a computing device. As further described above, applications may be configured to allow a computing device to access content provided by a site in manner specific to the computing device. Referring again to
In the example illustrated in
A computing device may be configured to enable a user to select one of the plurality of icons using an I/O device. For example, a user of computing device 200 may be able to select an icon using I/O device 222. As described above, an I/O device may include a push-button remote control, a motion based remote control, a device including a touch-sensitive screen, a device including a track pad, a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, video camera, a motion sensor, and/or an advanced user input device, such as a smart phone or a tablet computing device. Graphical user interface 300 may be configured such that each icon is capable of multiple levels of selection. For example, a user may be able to use an I/O device to move a cursor, where a cursor may be a visible or invisible cursor, to the location of an icon and remaining on the icon for a predetermined amount of time may be associated with one level of selection and activation of one or more controls on an I/O device (e.g., a single tap or a double tap on a touch-sensitive display) may be associated with other levels of selection (e.g., display information or provide a preview).
In one example, graphical user interface 300 may be configured to enable four levels of selection for each icon: a level that enlarges or highlights an icon, a level that provides information associated with a content (e.g., cast and crew information), a level that provides a preview of content associated with an icon (e.g., a trailer), and a level that provides full access to content associated with an icon (e.g., play movie or television show or launch an application). These levels of selection are described in further detail below with respect to
In addition to enabling the user to select icons, graphical user interface 300 may enable a user to select one of navigational items 306. In one example, a user may be able to select one of ON AIR TV, ON DEMAND, PHOTOS, MUSIC, APPS, SOCIAL, and MY STUFF by moving a cursor to a corresponding location and/or by activating another navigational button on an I/O device.
As illustrated in
In one example, each of the icons may be associated with a television network (e.g., ABC, NBC, etc.). Further, although only television shows are displayed in the example of
A computing device may be configured to enable a user to select one of the icons using an I/O device. For example, a user of computing device 200 may be able to select an icon using I/O device 222. Similar to levels of selection available for icons described above with respect to graphical user interface 300, graphic user interface 400 may enable multiple levels of selection for each icon. In the example illustrated in
In addition to enabling a user to select individual icons within stack structure 402 and stack structure 404, graphical user interface 400 may enable a user to select a stack structure. In the example illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the examples illustrated in
In other examples, a computing device may present graphical user interfaces that enable a user to browse content according to other sub-categories. For example, sub-categories for content associated with ON AIR TV navigational item may include networks, genres, titles, actors, directors, and/or popularity rankings (e.g., 1-50 in a stack structure and 51-100 in a stack structure). Sub-categories for content associated with ON DEMAND navigational item may include service providers, genres, titles, actors, directors, and/or popularity rankings. Sub-categories for content associated with ON DEMAND navigational item are described in greater detail below with respect to
It should be noted that for the sake of brevity graphical user interfaces corresponding to PHOTOS, MUSIC, APPS, and SOCIAL being the selected navigational item are not individual represented in the drawings. However, when one of PHOTOS, MUSIC, APPS, and SOCIAL is a selected navigational item associated content may be organized into stack structures based on any of the sub-categories described above and a user may be able to select stack structures and icons in a manner similar to that described with respect to
As described above, content associated with MY STUFF navigational item includes content personalized to a user. In the example illustrated in
Thus, as illustrated in
As described above, a user of a computing device may be able to select a stack using an I/O device. Examples of additional available levels of selection available for a stack are described below with respect to
In the example illustrated in
The position of icons within a stack may be based on an algorithm that determines the likelihood a user will select a particular icon. For example, recommended movies may be positioned within a stack in a position that facilitates selection by a user (e.g., at a center position). In a manner similar to that described above with respect to
In the example illustrated in
In the example illustrated in
Referring again to
As illustrated in
It should be noted that a computing device may display any and all combinations of the graphical user interfaces illustrated in
Flowchart 1100 illustrates an example of how graphical user interfaces described herein may be presented to a user. It should be noted that although flowchart 1100 is described with respect to computing device 200, the techniques described with respect to flowchart 1100 may be performed by any and all combinations of components of computing device 200. Computing device 200 provides an initial graphical user interface to a user (1102). In one example, an initial graphical user interface may include graphical user interface 300 and may be presented to a user after a user logs-in to a profile. Computing device 200 receives a category selection (1104). In one example, computing device 200 may receive a category selection from an I/O device and a user may indicate a category selection by selection of a navigational item included in a menu bar. Computing device 200 displays content within a category according to sub-category stack structures (1106). For example, computing device 200 may respectively display one of graphical user interface 400, graphical user interface 500, graphical user interface 600, and graphical user interface 700.
Computing device 200 receives a stack structure selection (1108). In one example, computing device 200 may receive a stack structure selection from I/O device 222 and a user may indicate a stack structure selection by highlighting a stack structure with a cursor and activating an I/O device control. In the example illustrated in flowchart 1100, computing device 200 displays content within a sub-category according to a mosaic. In one example, computing device 200 may display graphical user interface 800. Computing device 200 receives a user content selection (1112). In one example, computing device 200 may receive a user content selection according to the techniques described above with respect to
The disclosed and other embodiments, modules and the functional operations described in this document can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this document and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The computer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, which is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.
A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a mark-up language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.
The processes and logic flows described in this document can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).
Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.
While this patent document contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of an invention that is claimed or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination. Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.
Only a few examples and implementations are disclosed. Variations, modifications, and enhancements to the described examples and implementations and other implementations can be made based on what is disclosed.
Claims
1. A method of enabling content selection, the method comprising:
- displaying one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure; and
- enabling a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein icons include an image associated with an item of content.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the icons are positioned within a respective stack structure based on a likelihood of selection.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein categories of content include one or more of on-air television content, on demand content, user multimedia content, and user applications.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a category of content includes on-air television and one or more sub-categories of content includes availability times.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an interface that enables a user to select a category of content.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user selection of a stack structure, displaying items of content included within the selected stack structure according to a mosaic, and enabling further selection of items of content.
8. A device for enabling content selection comprising one or more processors configured to:
- display one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure; and
- enable a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein icons include an image associated with an item of content.
10. The device of claim 3, wherein the icons are positioned within a respective stack structure based on a likelihood of selection.
11. The device of claim 8, wherein categories of content include one or more of on-air television content, on demand content, user multimedia content, and user applications.
12. The device of claim 8, wherein a category of content includes on-air television and one or more sub-categories of content includes availability times.
13. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to provide an interface that enables a user to select a category of content.
14. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a user selection of a stack structure, display items of content included within the selected stack structure according to a mosaic, and enable further selection of items of content.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that upon execution cause one or more processors of a device to:
- display one or more sub-categories of content included within a category of content, wherein displaying one or more sub-categories of content includes displaying icons representing items of content included within each of the one or more sub-categories of content in a stack structure; and
- enable a user to select one of the one or more stack structures.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein icons include an image associated with an item of content and wherein the icons are positioned with a respective stack structure based on a likelihood of selection.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein categories of content include one or more of on-air television content, on demand content, user multimedia content, and user applications.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein a category of content includes on-air television and one or more sub-categories of content include availability times.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to provide an interface that enables a user to select a category of content.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive a user selection of a stack structure, display items of content included within the selected stack structure according to a mosaic, and enable further selection of items of content.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 1, 2014
Publication Date: Mar 12, 2015
Applicant: OpenTV, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
Inventors: Crx CHAI (Oakland, CA), Alex FISHMAN (San Francisco, CA), Jonathan FONG (Hayward, CA)
Application Number: 14/242,459
International Classification: H04N 21/482 (20060101);