USER INTERFACE FOR AUDIO VIDEO DISPLAY DEVICE SUCH AS TV

Abstract

For a graphical user interface (GUI) for an audio video display device (AVDD) showing plural content information panels arranged in a grid, each content panel belongs to a respective category, with content panels of different categories being mixed on the screen. A category icon with an associated color and shape is presented next to each content panel to make it easy for a viewer to understand which category of item the content panels represents. Examples of some categories are favorites, recorded, recommended, frequently viewed, and now playing. Next to each icon, a numeral pertaining to the grid position of the content may also appear to facilitate voice selection of a content panel by number.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/473,098, filed Apr. 7, 2011.

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates generally to user interfaces (UI) for audio video display devices (AVDD) such as televisions (TVs).

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Graphical user interfaces (GUI) for audio video display devices (AVDD) such as TVs have been provided for enabling viewers to browse and select video streams for play on the TV. An electronic program guide (EPG) is an example.

As understood herein, when a grid-based GUI is used it can be helpful to label the grid items by category, but without covering the grid icons. Present principles also understand that it is desirable that category labels be easily discerned and mentally grouped by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to principles set forth further below, an audio video display device (AVDD) has a processor, a video display presenting demanded images, and a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to present on the display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content panels. Each content panel represents a respective video content. The processor presents on the display next to each respective content panel a respective category icon representing a category to which the content panel pertains. Content panels from plural categories can be represented in the GUI simultaneously with each other. Each category icon is characterized by a category color and category shape different from category colors and category shapes of all other category icons.

In some embodiments the GUI includes eight content panels and a current video panel together arranged in a three by three grid. The eight content panels are changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels. In contrast, the current video panel is not changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

In example implementations a category shape can be a heart, a column of individual boxes, or a filled in circle. A respective numeral can be presented next to each icon representing a grid location of the respective content panel.

In another aspect, a method includes presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) on an audio video display device (AVDD) showing plural content information panels arranged in a grid. Each content panel belongs to a respective category, with content panels of different categories being mixed on the grid. The method further includes presenting a respective category icon with an associated color and shape next to each respective content panel to make it easy for a viewer to understand which category of item the content panels represents.

In another aspect, an audio video display device (AVDD) has a processor, a video display presenting demanded images, and a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to present on the display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural viewer-selectable panels. Each panel represents a respective content. The processor presents on the display, next to each respective panel, a respective category icon representing a category to which the panel pertains. Panels from plural categories can be represented in the GUI. Each category icon is characterized by a category color and/or by a category shape different from category colors and/or category shapes of all other category icons.

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a non-limiting example system in accordance with present principles;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example remote control (RC) that may be used to control the graphical user interfaces (GUI) described herein; schematically showing the processor and wireless transceiver;

FIG. 3 is a screen shot of a nine panel GUT in a coarse mode suitable for gesture control; and

FIG. 4 is a screen shot of a nine panel GUI in a fine mode suitable for RC control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to the non-limiting example embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a system 10 includes an audio video display device (AVDD) 12 such as a TV including a TV tuner 16 communicating with a TV processor 18 accessing a tangible computer readable storage medium 20 such as disk-based or solid state storage. The AVDD 12 can output audio on one or more speakers 22. The AVDD 12 can receive streaming video from the Internet using a built-in wired or wireless modem 24 communicating with the processor 12 which may execute a software-implemented browser 26. Video is presented under control of the TV processor 18 on a TV display 28 such as but not limited to a high definition TV (HDTV) flat panel display, and may be a touch screen display. User commands to the processor 18 may be wirelessly received from a remote control (RC) 30 using, e.g., rf or infrared. Audio-video display devices other than a TV may be used, e.g., smart phones, game consoles, personal digital organizers, notebook computers and other types of computers, etc.

TV programming from one or more terrestrial TV broadcast sources 32 as received by a terrestrial broadcast antenna 34 which communicates with the AVDD 12 may be presented on the display 28 and speakers 22. The terrestrial broadcast programming may conform to digital ATSC standards and may carry within it a terrestrial broadcast EPG, although the terrestrial broadcast EPG may be received from alternate sources, e.g., the Internet via Ethernet, or cable communication link, or satellite communication link.

TV programming from a cable TV head end 36 may also be received at the TV for presentation of TV signals on the display 28 and speakers 22. When basic cable only is desired, the cable from the wall typically carries TV signals in QAM or NTSC format and is plugged directly into the “F-type connector” 38 on the TV chassis in the U.S., although the connector used for this purpose in other countries may vary. In contrast, when the user has an extended cable subscription for instance, the signals from the head end 36 are typically sent through a STB 40 which may be separate from or integrated within the TV chassis but in any case which sends HDMI baseband signals to the TV. Other types of connections may be used, e.g., MOCA, USB, 1394 protocols, DLNA.

Similarly, HDMI baseband signals transmitted from a satellite source 42 of TV broadcast signals received by an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) 44 associated with a home satellite dish may be input to the AVDD 12 for presentation on the display 28 and speakers 22. Also, streaming video may be received from the Internet 46 for presentation on the display 28 and speakers 22. The streaming video may be received at the computer modem 24 or it may be received at an in-home modem 48 that is external to the AVDD 12 and conveyed to the AVDD 12 over a wired or wireless Ethernet link and received at an RJ45 or 802.11x antenna on the TV chassis.

Also, in some embodiments a video camera 50, which may be integrated in the chassis if desired or mounted separately and electrically connected thereto, may be connected to the processor 16 to provide to the processor 16 video images of viewers looking at the display 28. Furthermore, a microphone 52 may be provided on the chassis or separate therefrom and can be electrically connected to the processor 16 to provide viewer-generated voice commands to the processor 16.

FIG. 2 shows that an example RC 30 may include a power on key 60 that can be toggled to energize and deenergize the AVDD 12. A touch-sensitive pad 62 may be provided against which a user can move his finger to correspondingly move a screen cursor on the display 28. Tapping the pad 62 can generate a “select” signal, it being understood that point-and-click devices other than the touch sensitive pad 62 may be used.

Also, a back key 64 may be provided to cause the display 28 to go back a screen shot, i.e., to present the screen shot immediately prior to the one being displayed when the back signal is generated, so as to enable a user to navigate through the various GUIs shown herein. A home key 66 may be provided to cause the below-described “home” GUI to be presented on the display 28, and an options key 68 may be provided to allow a user to cause a list of GUI options to be presented in the display 28. Volume output by the speakers 22 of the AVDD 12 can be controlled using a volume up/down rocker key 70. Manipulation of a key or the pad 62 on the RC 30 causes a respective signal to be sent to an RC processor 72 in the RC 30, which transmits the corresponding command to the AVDD 12 using a wireless transceiver 74 such as but not limited to an infrared transceiver. In addition, if desired four arrow keys may be arranged on the RC 30 to move a cursor up, down, left, and right on the display 28. Also, channel up/down keys may be provided as well as a microphone for voice input. A full QWERTY keyboard or keypad may be provided if desired. The touch pad 62 may be provided with a buzzer or other device to generate tactile feedback to the user.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example home GUI that may be presented on the display 28 of the AVDD 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, nine information panels arranged as shown in three rows of three panels each present visual content. The panels shown in FIG. 3 are of equal size with each other and are rectangular as shown. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the top left panel 76 of the GUI always shows the currently selected video content, typically either televised content from a selected TV channel or streaming video from a selected website. Information pertaining to available video content is presented in the other eight panels. This information typically includes a photograph or other image, a content source logo indicating the source of the content represented by the panel, and text typically describing the title of the content and other information.

As shown at 78, a numeral may be provided next to each panel, so that the panels may be numbered onscreen from one to nine as shown. This facilitates a user selecting to play video content from a panel by saying the numeral associated with the panel. Also, as shown at 80 a genre or category indicator such as an icon may be presented next to each panel. The genre indicator may be a dark blue or purple arrow 80a in the case of the first panel 76 indicating that the first panel 76 is presenting the currently selected video. The genre indicator may be a light blue heart 80b (as shown in FIG. 3 for panel 2) indicating the underlying video content has been selected by the user as a “favorite”. Other genre indicators (such as a red circle 80c) may be presented respectively representing “history”, meaning that the content associated with the panel had been presented previously, a yellow star 80d representing a “recommended” category, meaning that the content associated with the panel is recommended by a recommendation engine executed by the AVDD processor 18, and so on, e.g., a vertical column of spaced green boxes 80e representing a “frequently viewed” category, an icon representing “promotional content”, etc. A user can select to present panels associated with content of only a single genre but as shown in FIG. 3 mixed category content panels mat be presented on a single screen.

Accordingly, it may be appreciated that by using a standard category icon placed to the side of content panel, the viewer can more easily identify the underlying video's category by both shape and color. The numeral is also provided to facilitate selecting a content panel using a voice command by voicing the number. Note further that the category icons 80 are placed to the left of the content panels to which they pertain. This uniform location makes it easy to find this marking identifier.

The above icon principles may be used in any grid of thumbnails displayed by, e.g., personal computers, cameras, tablet computers, wireless telephones, etc. Note that the icons 80 in FIG. 3 appear in the borders between content panels so as not to conceal the panels.

Additionally, if desired the GUI shown in FIG. 3 may present gesture hints 82, describing in text and/or animated hand motion a gesture and its associated command that the user may make, which can be captured by the camera 50 and correlated to the respective command by the processor 18 executing image recognition software. Thus, while viewer input may be afforded by making the display 28 a touch-sensitive display that a viewer can touch and thereby enter commands, present principles envision using viewer gestures in free space, i.e., gestures in which the viewer is distanced from the display 28 as would typically be the case for a TV viewer, with the viewer not touching the display but making gestures that are captured by the camera 50 and correlated to commands by the processor 18 executing image recognition software.

Further, a menu of selections may be presented as shown along the bottom of the GUI, including a “just for you” selector 84 to cause the GUI to contain panels with content personalized to a recognized user. A search selector 86 can be selected to cause a search for a user-input term to be executed. Also, a bookmark selector 88 can be selected to bookmark the currently playing video in panel 76 or to bookmark content in a panel over which the screen cursor is positioned.

Still referring to FIG. 3, a settings selector element 90 if selected causes a setting menus to be presented to control settings of the GUI. A queue selector element 92 may be presented to cause a list of enqueued programs to be presented on the display 28, and an inputs selector element 94 may be presented, selection of which causes a list of available input sources, e.g., “disk player, cable, satellite” to be presented on the display 28. A recommendations selector element 96 may be presented and if selected causes a list of recommended programming to be presented on the display 28. The list may be generated by a content recommendation engine such as the “Navi” engine made by Sony Corp. A “what's on” selector element 98 may be provided and if selected causes a list of current and future programs such as an electronic program guide (EPG) to be presented on the display 28. Indeed, an EPG may be presented in one of the panels shown in FIG. 3.

In any case, as mentioned above in the example shown the currently selected video content is always presented in the upper left panel 76 of the GUI. Should the user select another panel by using the RC 30 or by speaking the number of the panel or by the appropriate gesture captured by the camera 50, video content from the source associated with the selected panel automatically replaces the video content which was presented in the upper left panel 76 prior to receiving the new select signal. Indeed, should the user scroll the panels left or right to view additional content the upper left panel 76 remains unmoving as the other panels move on and off the display 28 as they are replaced by previously hidden content panels, with the upper left panel 76 always showing the currently selected video program.

The panel layout shown in FIG. 3 is somewhat coarse in that a visible border space 100 of many pixels width exists between adjacent panels as shown. Such a coarse representation facilitates control using gestures, although navigation by voice and by use of the RC 30 is always preferably enabled regardless of whether the GUI is in the coarse or fine view. FIG. 4 shows that if the user selects the fine view, the border space 100 disappears between adjacent panels, a view more suitable for RC control than gesture control although as stated above all three modes of command input (RC, voice, and gesture) remain enabled simultaneously with each other if desired.

Transition between the two views of FIGS. 3 and 4 may be effected by an appropriate hand gesture in free space (e.g., a vertical motion of the hand distanced from the display 28 and detected by the camera 50) or by an appropriate voice command (e.g., “fine” or “coarse”), or by selecting, using the RC 30, “fine” or “course” from a settings menu accessed by selecting the settings selector element 90 or by pressing a key on the RC 30 or by simply grasping the RC, which is detected by the camera 50 and inferred by the processor 18 to correlate to a command to move to the “fine” screen of FIG. 4. The larger panels in the fine mode of FIG. 4 can be used to present more information than is presented in the panels of FIG. 3.

The GUI shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be removed from the screen and the currently playing video presented on the full display 28 by, e.g., toggling the home key on the RC 30. Voice command input may be enabled by voicing a phrase such as “hello TV’, which is detected by the microphone 52 and using voice recognition software correlated by the processor 18 to a command to enable voice commands. Voice input may also be enabled using the RC 30 to select the “search” selector element 86. To indicate that voice commands are enabled, an icon such as an image of a microphone 102 can be presented on the display 28. Gesture command input may be enabled by waving the hand, which is detected by the camera 50 and using image recognition software correlated by the processor 18 to a command to enable gesture commands. To indicate that gesture commands are enabled, an icon such as an image of a hand 104 can be presented on the display 28.

Non-limiting examples of corresponding RC, voice, and gesture commands that accomplish the same tasks are:

RC COMMAND	VOICE COMMAND	GESTURE
Channel up	“Channel up”	upward motion of hand
Channel down	“Channel down”	downward motion of hand
Volume decrease	“Quieter”	thumb down
Volume increase	“louder”	thumb up

Additional gesture commands can be: pointed finger—attach cursor; move pointed finger or speak “move cursor [left] [right]”—move cursor per finger movement/voice command; clenched fist or spoken “select”—select panel under cursor for further info; pump clenched fist or voice command “play”—select panel under cursor to be new current video for presentation in pinned panel 76; two clenched fists or voice command “more info”—show expanded metadata window for cursor video, etc.

While the particular USER INTERFACE FOR AUDIO VIDEO DISPLAY DEVICE SUCH AS TV is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.

Claims

1. Audio video display device (AVDD) comprising:

processor;

video display presenting demanded images;

computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to:

present on the display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content panels, each content panel representing a respective video content; and

present on the display next to each respective content panel a respective category icon representing a category to which the content panel pertains, content panels from plural categories being represented in the GUI, each category icon being characterized by a category color and category shape different from category colors and category shapes of all other category icons.

2. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the GUI includes eight content panels and a current video panel together arranged in a three by three grid, the eight content panels being changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, the current video panel not being changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

3. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein a first category shape is a heart.

4. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein a first category shape is a column of individual boxes.

5. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein a first category shape is a filled in circle.

6. The AVDD of claim 2, wherein the processor presents a respective numeral next to each icon representing a grid location of the respective content panel.

7. Method, comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) on an audio video display device (AVDD) showing plural content information panels arranged in a grid, each content panel belonging to a respective category, with content panels of different categories being mixed on the grid; and

presenting a respective category icon with an associated color and shape next to each respective content panel to make it easy for a viewer to understand which category of item the content panels represents.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first category is a favorites category.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a first category is a recorded category.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a first category is a recommended category.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a first category is a frequently viewed category.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a first category is a now playing category.

13. The method of claim 7, comprising presenting, next to each icon, a numeral pertaining to a grid position of the content panel to facilitate voice selection of a content panel by number.

14. Audio video display device (AVDD) comprising:

processor;

video display presenting demanded images;

computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to:

present on the display a first graphical user interface (GUI) including plural viewer-selectable panels, each panel representing a respective content; and

present on the display next to each respective panel a respective category icon representing a category to which the panel pertains, panels from plural categories being represented in the GUI, each category icon being characterized by a category color and/or by a category shape different from category colors and/or category shapes of all other category icons.

15. The AVDD of claim 14, wherein the GUI includes eight content panels and a current video panel together arranged in a three by three grid, the eight content panels being changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels, the current video panel not being changed responsive to viewer input requiring a change to the content panels.

16. The AVDD of claim 14, wherein a first category shape is a heart.

17. The AVDD of claim 14, wherein a first category shape is a column of individual boxes.

18. The AVDD of claim 14, wherein a first category shape is a filled in circle.

19. The AVDD of claim 15, wherein the processor presents a respective numeral next to each icon representing a grid location of the respective content panel.