U.S. patent application number 11/895412 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-11 for pointing capability and associated user interface elements for television user interfaces.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hillcrest Laboratories, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kevin M. Conroy, Neel Goyal, Frank A. Hunleth, Adam Mark, Negar Moshiri, William J. Napier, Daniel S. Simpkins, Scott Anthony Stanchfield, Jason Witenstein-Weaver, Peter Wood, Frank J. Wroblewski.
Application Number | 20080222675 11/895412 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39136510 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080222675 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moshiri; Negar ; et
al. |
September 11, 2008 |
Pointing capability and associated user interface elements for
television user interfaces
Abstract
Systems and methods according to the present invention provide a
user interface for television control functionality.
Inventors: |
Moshiri; Negar; (Bethesda,
MD) ; Wroblewski; Frank J.; (Gaithersburg, MD)
; Napier; William J.; (Germantown, MD) ; Hunleth;
Frank A.; (Rockville, MD) ; Simpkins; Daniel S.;
(Bethesda, MD) ; Conroy; Kevin M.; (Rockville,
MD) ; Wood; Peter; (Frederick, MD) ; Goyal;
Neel; (Rockville, MD) ; Witenstein-Weaver; Jason;
(Baltimore, MD) ; Mark; Adam; (Bethesda, MD)
; Stanchfield; Scott Anthony; (Germantown, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
POTOMAC PATENT GROUP PLLC
P. O. BOX 270
FREDERICKSBURG
VA
22404
US
|
Assignee: |
Hillcrest Laboratories,
Inc.
Rockville
MD
|
Family ID: |
39136510 |
Appl. No.: |
11/895412 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60823870 |
Aug 29, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
725/38 ;
348/E5.105; 386/E5.001; G9B/27.012; G9B/27.051 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/4147 20130101;
H04N 21/4755 20130101; H04N 21/4312 20130101; H04N 21/42204
20130101; H04N 21/478 20130101; H04N 21/482 20130101; G11B 27/34
20130101; H04N 2005/4412 20130101; H04N 21/4852 20130101; H04N
21/47214 20130101; H04N 5/44543 20130101; H04N 21/4753 20130101;
H04N 21/47 20130101; H04N 21/4825 20130101; G11B 27/034 20130101;
H04N 21/4221 20130101; H04N 21/47217 20130101; H04N 5/4403
20130101; H04N 21/4334 20130101; H04N 21/4583 20130101; H04N 5/76
20130101; H04N 21/42206 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/38 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/00 20060101
G06F003/00 |
Claims
1. A television system comprising: a television; a user interface
for controlling output of media via said television, said user
interface being displayed on said television and including a
channel changing element which overlays video being output on said
television; a pointing device for providing pointing and selection
inputs to said user interface by interacting with said channel
changing element to enable selection of a new channel for
outputting said video.
2. The television system of claim 1, wherein said channel changing
element further comprises: a first tabbed overlay for presenting
channels for selection in a first order; and a second tabbed
overlay for presenting said channels for selection in a second
order different from said first order.
3. The television system of claim 1, wherein said channel changing
element further comprises: a numeric keypad displayed on said
television and a corresponding channel number display area, wherein
by pointing and clicking on individual numerals in said numeric
keypad, a channel number is aggregated in said channel number
display area.
4. The television system of claim 1, wherein said channel changing
element can be alternately displayed on said television along with
user interface control elements associated therewith, or reduced to
a first icon representation of said channel changing element.
5. The television system of claim 4, wherein pointing to and
clicking on said first icon representation of said channel changing
element results in said channel changing element and user interface
control elements associated therewith being displayed on said
television
6. The television system of claim 1, wherein said user interface
further comprises: a volume control overlay; and a set of digital
video recording (DVR) overlay controls, wherein said volume control
overlay and said set of DVR overlay controls are selectively
displayed on said television.
7. The television system of claim 6, wherein volume control overlay
and said set of DVR overlay controls can be selectively displayed
by actuating a second icon representation.
8. A method for controlling a television comprising: displaying a
user interface for changing channels on said television; providing
input to said user interface by pointing at a user interface
element overlaid on video being displayed on said television using
a pointing device; and controlling media output on said television
based on said input.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said user interface element
further comprises: a first tabbed overlay for presenting channels
for selection in a first order; and a second tabbed overlay for
presenting said channels for selection in a second order different
from said first order.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein said user interface element
further comprises: a numeric keypad displayed on said television
and a corresponding channel number display area, wherein by
pointing and clicking on individual numerals in said numeric
keypad, a channel number is aggregated in said channel number
display area.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein said user interface element can
be alternately displayed on said television along with user
interface control elements associated therewith, or reduced to a
first icon representation of said user interface element.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein pointing to and clicking on
said first icon representation of said user interface element
results in said user interface element and user interface control
elements associated therewith being displayed on said
television
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: selectively
displaying a volume control overlay and a set of digital video
recording (DVR) overlay controls on said television.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein volume control overlay and said
set of DVR overlay controls can be selectively displayed by
actuating a second icon representation.
15. A television system comprising: a television; a user interface
for controlling output of media via said television, said user
interface being displayed on said television and including a user
interface view which enables a user to change settings associated
with said user interface; and a pointing device for providing
pointing and selection inputs to said user interface by interacting
with said user interface view to enable selection of settings for
said user interface.
16. The television system of claim 15, wherein said settings
include at least one of: parental controls, displaying caller ID
information on said television, and favorite channels.
17. The television system of claim 16, wherein said parental
controls include setting of a PIN number.
18. A method for controlling a television: displaying a user
interface for controlling output of media via said television, said
user interface being displayed on said television and including a
user interface view which enables a user to change settings
associated with said user interface; and receiving pointing and
selection inputs to said user interface to enable selection of
settings for said user interface.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said settings include at least
one of: parental controls, displaying caller ID information on said
television, and favorite channels.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said parental controls include
setting of a PIN number.
21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when
executed by a processor, perform the steps of: displaying a user
interface for changing channels on said television; receiving
pointing input to said user interface; and controlling media output
on said television based on said input.
22. A method for pausing display of video comprising the steps of:
displaying said video on a television; pointing at any one of a
plurality of different locations on said television using a
pointing device; pressing a button on said pointing device; and
pausing said display of said video in response to said button
press.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to, and claims priority from,
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/823,870 filed on
Aug. 29, 2006, entitled "Graphical User Interface", the disclosure
of which is incorporated here by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Technologies associated with the communication of
information have evolved rapidly over the last several decades.
Television, cellular telephony, the Internet and optical
communication techniques (to name just a few things) combine to
inundate consumers with available information and entertainment
options. Taking television as an example, the last three decades
have seen the introduction of cable television service, satellite
television service, pay-per-view movies and video-on-demand.
Whereas television viewers of the 1960s could typically receive
perhaps four or five over-the-air TV channels on their television
sets, today's TV watchers have the opportunity to select from
hundreds, thousands, and potentially millions of channels of shows
and information. Video-on-demand technology, currently used
primarily in hotels and the like, provides the potential for
in-home entertainment selection from among thousands of movie
titles.
[0003] The technological ability to provide so much information and
content to end users provides both opportunities and challenges to
system designers and service providers. One challenge is that while
end users typically prefer having more choices rather than fewer,
this preference is counterweighted by their desire that the
selection process be both fast and simple. Unfortunately, the
development of the systems and interfaces by which end users access
media items has resulted in selection processes which are neither
fast nor simple. Consider again the example of television programs.
When television was in its infancy, determining which program to
watch was a relatively simple process primarily due to the small
number of choices. One would consult a printed guide which was
formatted, for example, as series of columns and rows which showed
the correspondence between (1) nearby television channels, (2)
programs being transmitted on those channels and (3) date and time.
The television was tuned to the desired channel by adjusting a
tuner knob and the viewer watched the selected program. Later,
remote control devices were introduced that permitted viewers to
tune the television from a distance. This addition to the
user-television interface created the phenomenon known as "channel
surfing" whereby a viewer could rapidly view short segments being
broadcast on a number of channels to quickly learn what programs
were available at any given time.
[0004] Despite the fact that the number of channels and amount of
viewable content has dramatically increased, the generally
available user interface, control device options and frameworks for
televisions has not changed much over the last 30 years. Printed
guides are still the most prevalent mechanism for conveying
programming information. The multiple button remote control with up
and down arrows is still the most prevalent channel/content
selection mechanism. The reaction of those who design and implement
the TV user interface to the increase in available media content
has been a straightforward extension of the existing selection
procedures and interface objects. Thus, the number of rows in the
printed guides has been increased to accommodate more channels. The
number of buttons on the remote control devices has been increased
to support additional functionality and content handling, e.g., as
shown in FIG. 1. However, this approach has significantly increased
both the time required for a viewer to review the available
information and the complexity of actions required to implement a
selection. Arguably, the cumbersome nature of the existing
interface has hampered commercial implementation of some services,
e.g., video-on-demand, since consumers are resistant to new
services that will add complexity to an interface that they view as
already too slow and complex.
[0005] In addition to increases in bandwidth and content, the user
interface bottleneck problem is being exacerbated by the
aggregation of technologies. Consumers are reacting positively to
having the option of buying integrated systems rather than a number
of segregable components. An example of this trend is the
combination television/VCR/DVD in which three previously
independent components are frequently sold today as an integrated
unit. This trend is likely to continue, potentially with an end
result that most if not all of the communication devices currently
found in the household will be packaged together as an integrated
unit, e.g., a television/VCR/DVD/internet access/radio/stereo unit.
Even those who continue to buy separate components will likely
desire seamless control of, and interworking between, the separate
components. With this increased aggregation comes the potential for
more complexity in the user interface. For example, when so-called
"universal" remote units were introduced, e.g., to combine the
functionality of TV remote units and VCR remote units, the number
of buttons on these universal remote units was typically more than
the number of buttons on either the TV remote unit or VCR remote
unit individually. This added number of buttons and functionality
makes it very difficult to control anything but the simplest
aspects of a TV or VCR without hunting for exactly the right button
on the remote. Many times, these universal remotes do not provide
enough buttons to access many levels of control or features unique
to certain TVs. In these cases, the original device remote unit is
still needed, and the original hassle of handling multiple remotes
remains due to user interface issues arising from the complexity of
aggregation. Some remote units have addressed this problem by
adding "soft" buttons that can be programmed with the expert
commands. These soft buttons sometimes have accompanying LCD
displays to indicate their action. These too have the flaw that
they are difficult to use without looking away from the TV to the
remote control. Yet another flaw in these remote units is the use
of modes in an attempt to reduce the number of buttons. In these
"moded" universal remote units, a special button exists to select
whether the remote should communicate with the TV, DVD player,
cable set-top box, VCR, etc. This causes many usability issues
including sending commands to the wrong device, forcing the user to
look at the remote to make sure that it is in the right mode, and
it does not provide any simplification to the integration of
multiple devices. The most advanced of these universal remote units
provide some integration by allowing the user to program sequences
of commands to multiple devices into the remote. This is such a
difficult task that many users hire professional installers to
program their universal remote units.
[0006] Some attempts have also been made to modernize the screen
interface between end users and media systems. However, these
attempts typically suffer from, among other drawbacks, an inability
to easily scale between large collections of media items and small
collections of media items. For example, interfaces which rely on
lists of items may work well for small collections of media items,
but are tedious to browse for large collections of media items.
Interfaces which rely on hierarchical navigation (e.g., tree
structures) may be speedier to traverse than list interfaces for
large collections of media items, but are not readily adaptable to
small collections of media items. Additionally, users tend to lose
interest in selection processes wherein the user has to move
through three or more layers in a tree structure. For all of these
cases, current remote units make this selection process even more
tedious by forcing the user to repeatedly depress the up and down
buttons to navigate the list or hierarchies. When selection
skipping controls are available such as page up and page down, the
user usually has to look at the remote to find these special
buttons or be trained to know that they even exist. Accordingly,
organizing frameworks, techniques and systems which simplify the
control and screen interface between users and media systems as
well as accelerate the selection process, while at the same time
permitting service providers to take advantage of the increases in
available bandwidth to end user equipment by facilitating the
supply of a large number of media items and new services to the
user have been proposed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/768,432, filed on Jan. 30, 2004, entitled "A Control Framework
with a Zoomable Graphical User Interface for Organizing, Selecting
and Launching Media Items", the disclosure of which is incorporated
here by reference.
[0007] In addition to being able to navigate through and select
media items, such as movies, music, photos and personal videos,
another feature which is likely to become increasingly popular with
consumers is the capability to point at a television and interact
with user interface elements displayed thereon via pointing.
Pointing provides a powerful interactive tool, familiar to those
who have used computers, and avoids the problems with the
"up/down/left/right" paradigm described above. The introduction of
pointing into user interfaces which enable users to interact with
the television and associated devices, will in turn drive demand
for new and creative user interface elements.
SUMMARY
[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment, a television system
includes a television, a user interface for controlling output of
media via the television, the user interface being displayed on the
television and including a channel changing element which overlays
video being output on the television, and a pointing device for
providing pointing and selection inputs to the user interface by
interacting with the channel changing element to enable selection
of a new channel for outputting the video.
[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment, a method for
controlling a television includes displaying a user interface for
changing channels on the television, providing input to the user
interface by pointing at a user interface element overlaid on video
being displayed on the television using a pointing device, and
controlling media output on the television based on the input.
[0010] According to yet another exemplary embodiment, a television
system includes a television, a user interface for controlling
output of media via the television, the user interface being
displayed on the television and including a user interface view
which enables a user to change settings associated with the user
interface; and a pointing device for providing pointing and
selection inputs to the user interface by interacting with the user
interface view to enable selection of settings for the user
interface.
[0011] According to still another exemplary embodiment, a method
for controlling a television includes displaying a user interface
for controlling output of media via the television, the user
interface being displayed on the television and including a user
interface view which enables a user to change settings associated
with the user interface, and receiving pointing and selection
inputs to the user interface to enable selection of settings for
the user interface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments
of the present invention, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts a conventional remote control unit for an
entertainment system;
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary media system in which exemplary
embodiments of the present invention can be implemented;
[0015] FIG. 3(a) shows a 3D pointing device according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3(b) illustrates a user employing a 3D pointing device
to provide input to a user interface on a television according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3(c) illustrates a home UI view of a user interface
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIGS. 4(a)-4(d) illustrate user interface screens associated
with TV control user interface elements and functionality according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIGS. 5(a)-5(d) illustrate user interface screens associated
with TV control user interface elements and functionality according
to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
[0020] FIGS. 6(a)-6(k) illustrate user interface screens associated
with TV control user interface elements and functionality according
to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The following detailed description of the invention refers
to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in
different drawings identify the same or similar elements. Also, the
following detailed description does not limit the invention.
Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended
claims.
[0022] In order to provide some context for this discussion, an
exemplary aggregated media system 200 in which the present
invention can be implemented will first be described with respect
to FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that
the present invention is not restricted to implementation in this
type of media system and that more or fewer components can be
included therein. Therein, an input/output (I/O) bus 210 connects
the system components in the media system 200 together. The I/O bus
210 represents any of a number of different of mechanisms and
techniques for routing signals between the media system components.
For example, the I/O bus 210 may include an appropriate number of
independent audio "patch" cables that route audio signals, coaxial
cables that route video signals, two-wire serial lines or infrared
or radio frequency transceivers that route control signals, optical
fiber or any other routing mechanisms that route other types of
signals.
[0023] In this exemplary embodiment, the media system 200 includes
a television/monitor 212, a video cassette recorder (VCR) 214,
digital video disk (DVD) recorder/playback device 216, audio/video
tuner 218 and compact disk player 220 coupled to the I/O bus 210.
The VCR 214, DVD 216 and compact disk player 220 may be single disk
or single cassette devices, or alternatively may be multiple disk
or multiple cassette devices. They may be independent units or
integrated together. In addition, the media system 200 includes a
microphone/speaker system 222, video camera 224 and a wireless I/O
control device 226. According to exemplary embodiments of the
present invention, the wireless I/O control device 226 is a 3D
pointing device. The wireless I/O control device 226 can
communicate with the entertainment system 200 using, e.g., an IR or
RF transmitter or transceiver. Alternatively, the I/O control
device can be connected to the entertainment system 200 via a wire.
One or more hard drives (or disks) 280 can be provided for storage
of recorded video, music or other media.
[0024] The entertainment system 200 also includes a system
controller 228. According to one exemplary embodiment of the
present invention, the system controller 228 operates to store and
display entertainment system data available from a plurality of
entertainment system data sources and to control a wide variety of
features associated with each of the system components. As shown in
FIG. 2, system controller 228 is coupled, either directly or
indirectly, to each of the system components, as necessary, through
I/O bus 210. In one exemplary embodiment, in addition to or in
place of I/O bus 210, system controller 228 is configured with a
wireless communication transmitter (or transceiver), which is
capable of communicating with the system components via IR signals
or RF signals. Regardless of the control medium, the system
controller 228 is configured to control the media components of the
media system 200 via a graphical user interface described
below.
[0025] As further illustrated in FIG. 2, media system 200 may be
configured to receive media items from various media sources and
service providers. In this exemplary embodiment, media system 200
receives media input from and, optionally, sends information to,
any or all of the following sources: cable broadcast 230, satellite
broadcast 232 (e.g., via a satellite dish), very high frequency
(VHF) or ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency communication
of the broadcast television networks 234 (e.g., via an aerial
antenna), telephone network 236 and cable modem 238 (or another
source of Internet content). Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the media components and media sources illustrated
and described with respect to FIG. 2 are purely exemplary and that
media system 200 may include more or fewer of both. For example,
other types of inputs to the system include AM/FM radio and
satellite radio.
[0026] More details regarding this exemplary entertainment system
and frameworks associated therewith can be found in the
above-incorporated by reference U.S. patent application entitled "A
Control Framework with a Zoomable Graphical User Interface for
Organizing, Selecting and Launching Media Items". Additionally, the
interested reader is also referred to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/437,215, entitled "Global Navigation Objects in User
Interfaces", filed on May 19, 2006, the disclosure of which is
incorporated here by reference. Alternatively, remote devices and
interaction techniques between remote devices and user interfaces
in accordance with the present invention can be used in conjunction
with other types of systems, for example computer systems
including, e.g., a display, a processor and a memory system or with
various other systems and applications.
[0027] As mentioned in the Background section, remote devices which
operate as 3D pointers are of particular interest for the present
specification, although the present invention is not limited to
systems including 3D pointers. Such devices enable the translation
of movement of the device, e.g., linear movement, rotational
movement, acceleration or any combination thereof, into commands to
a user interface. An exemplary loop-shaped, 3D pointing device 300
is depicted in FIG. 3(a), however the present invention is not
limited to loop-shaped devices. In this exemplary embodiment, the
3D pointing device 300 includes two buttons 302 and 304 as well as
a scroll wheel 306 (scroll wheel 306 can also act as a button by
depressing the scroll wheel 306), although other exemplary
embodiments will include other physical configurations. User
movement of the 3D pointing device 300 can be defined, for example,
in terms of rotation about one or more of an x-axis attitude
(roll), a y-axis elevation (pitch) or a z-axis heading (yaw). In
addition, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention can
additionally (or alternatively) measure linear movement of the 3D
pointing device 300 along the x, y, and/or z axes to generate
cursor movement or other user interface commands. An example is
provided below. A number of permutations and variations relating to
3D pointing devices can be implemented in systems according to
exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The interested
reader is referred to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,663,
entitled (as amended) "3D Pointing Devices and Methods", filed on
May 2, 2005, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,719, entitled
(as amended) "3D Pointing Devices with Tilt Compensation and
Improved Usability", also filed on May 2, 2005, U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/119,987, entitled (as amended) "Methods and
Devices for Removing Unintentional Movement in 3D Pointing
Devices", also filed on May 2, 2005, U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/119,688, entitled "Methods and Devices for Identifying Users
Based on Tremor", also filed on May 2, 2005, and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/480,662, entitled "3D Pointing Devices",
filed on Jul. 3, 2006, the disclosures of which are incorporated
here by reference, for more details regarding exemplary 3D pointing
devices which can be used in conjunction with exemplary embodiments
of the present invention.
[0028] According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
it is anticipated that 3D pointing devices 300 will be held by a
user in front of a display 308 and that motion of the 3D pointing
device 300 will be translated by the 3D pointing device into output
which is usable to interact with the information displayed on
display 308, e.g., to move the cursor 310 on the display 308. For
example, such 3D pointing devices and their associated user
interfaces can be used to make media selections on a television as
shown in FIG. 3(b), which will be described in more detail below.
Aspects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be
optimized to enhance the user's experience of the so-called
"10-foot" interface, i.e., a typical distance between a user and
his or her television in a living room. For example, interactions
between pointing, scrolling, zooming and panning, e.g., using a 3D
pointing device and associated user interface, can be optimized for
this environment as will be described below, although the present
invention is not limited thereto.
[0029] Referring again to FIG. 3(a), an exemplary relationship
between movement of the 3D pointing device 300 and corresponding
cursor movement on a user interface will now be described. Rotation
of the 3D pointing device 300 about the y-axis can be sensed by the
3D pointing device 300 and translated into an output usable by the
system to move cursor 310 along the y.sub.2 axis of the display
308. Likewise, rotation of the 3D pointing device 308 about the
z-axis can be sensed by the 3D pointing device 300 and translated
into an output usable by the system to move cursor 310 along the
x.sub.2 axis of the display 308. It will be appreciated that the
output of 3D pointing device 300 can be used to interact with the
display 308 in a number of ways other than (or in addition to)
cursor movement, for example it can control cursor fading, volume
or media transport (play, pause, fast-forward and rewind).
Additionally, the system can be programmed to recognize gestures,
e.g., predetermined movement patterns, to convey commands in
addition to cursor movement. Moreover, other input commands, e.g.,
a zoom-in or zoom-out on a particular region of a display (e.g.,
actuated by pressing button 302 to zoom-in or button 304 to
zoom-out), may also be available to the user.
[0030] According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
user interfaces may use, at least in part, zooming techniques for
moving between user interface views. The zooming transition effect
can be performed by progressive scaling and displaying of at least
some of the UI objects displayed on the current UI view to provide
a visual impression of movement of those UI objects away from an
observer. In another functional aspect of the present invention,
user interfaces may zoom-in in response to user interaction with
the user interface which will, likewise, result in the progressive
scaling and display of UI objects that provide the visual
impression of movement toward an observer. More information
relating to zoomable user interfaces can be found in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/768,432, filed on Jan. 30, 2004, entitled
"A Control Framework with a Zoomable Graphical User Interface for
Organizing, Selecting and Launching Media Items", and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/829,263, filed on Apr. 9, 2001, entitled
"Interactive Content Guide for Television Programming", the
disclosures of which are incorporated here by reference.
[0031] Movement within the user interface between different user
interface views is not limited to zooming. Other non-zooming
techniques can be used, in addition to zooming or as an alternative
thereto, to transition between user interface views. For example,
panning can be performed by progressive translation and display of
at least some of the user interface objects which are currently
displayed in a user interface view. This provides the visual
impression of lateral movement of those user interface objects to
an observer.
[0032] Returning now to the application illustrated in FIG. 3(b),
the GUI screen (also referred to herein as a "UI view", which terms
refer to a currently displayed set of UI objects) seen on
television 320 is a home view. In this particular exemplary
embodiment, the home view displays a plurality of applications 322,
e.g., "Photos", "Music", "Recorded", "Guide", "Live TV", "On
Demand", and "Settings", which are selectable by the user by way of
interaction with the user interface via the 3D pointing device 300.
Such user interactions can include, for example, pointing,
scrolling, clicking or various combinations thereof. For more
details regarding exemplary pointing, scrolling and clicking
interactions which can be used in conjunction with exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, the interested reader is
directed to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/417,764, entitled
"METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SCROLLING AND POINTING IN USER INTERFACE",
to Frank J. Wroblewski, filed on May 4, 2006, the disclosure of
which is incorporated here by reference.
Pointing and TV User Interface Elements
[0033] As mentioned above, the provision of pointing capability as
part of the input paradigm for TV user interfaces will result in
new types of user interface elements and functionality which take
advantage of this feature, exemplary embodiments of which are
described herein. Starting with FIG. 3(c), another version of the
"home" UI view of FIG. 3(b) is shown. Therein, the circle of
initial selection elements in FIG. 3(c) is expanded to include a
selection element for "Internet" and "Games" as compared to the
version shown in FIG. 3(b), any of which can be selected by, for
example, pointing to the appropriate selection element and pressing
a button on the 3D pointing device 300. Of particular interest for
this discussion are the "Live TV", "Settings", and "On Demand"
selection elements 340, 350 and 360, respectively, illustrated in
FIG. 3(c). Actuation of these selection elements provides one
exemplary navigation path in these exemplary embodiments to the
various media UI views which include the pointing interactive user
interface elements described below, although it will be appreciated
that other paths may be followed through the user interface to
reach these UI views.
[0034] For example, actuating selection element 340 via 3D pointer
300 could result in the display of the UI view shown in FIG. 4(a),
e.g., a display of live TV programs on a television. Global
navigation icons 324, described in the above-incorporated by
reference patent application, are also available in ghosted image
for quick and easy navigation away from the live TV functionality.
Therein, a channel changing user interface element 400 can be
displayed when, for example, a user moves a cursor toward the
left-hand side of the television. The channel changing user
interface element 400 can be displayed as an overlay on top of the
live TV video feed which is ongoing. In this exemplary embodiment,
the channel changing user interface element has four tabs 402, 404,
406 and 408. Each of these tabbed views of the channel changing
user interface element will be described with respect to FIGS.
4(a)-4(d) respectively.
[0035] Beginning with the leftmost tab 402, this can be the default
view of the user interface element when it is actuated and overlaid
on top of the live TV or video feed. When selected, tab 402
provides for selectable channel numbers in numerical order, e.g.,
from the lowest numbered channel to the highest as shown in the
exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4(a). Additionally, as shown, an
alphanumeric identifier can be provided beside the channel number
and a title or other indicator of the program which is currently
playing on that channel can be provided below. If a user moves the
3D pointing device 300 to point at one of the channel entries
illustrated in the tab 402 user interface element, and clicks for
example a button on the 3D pointing device 300, the live TV feed
will change to the program which is currently being broadcast or
streamed on that channel.
[0036] If the user points at the tab 404 and clicks or provides
another selection input via the 3D pointing device 300, then a UI
view such as that seen in FIG. 4(b) can be presented. Therein the
user interface provides a listing of available channels which are
alphabetical, e.g., alphabetized based upon the call sign or
corresponding channel identifier. Again, the user may use this
presentation of selectable channels in the same way to change the
video source which is providing the video and audio information
powering the live TV feed.
[0037] FIG. 4(c) illustrates an example where the user has clicked
on the third tab 406. This tab presents channels which have been
identified as "Favorites" by the user, thereby providing for a
filtered list of fewer channels which can be provided as
selections. A mechanism for selecting favorites is discussed below.
Additionally, although not shown in FIG. 4(c), by pointing and
clicking on, for example, the heart symbol illustrated within tab
406, a user can be provided with another screen which allows the
currently viewed channel to be added to the list of favorites or
other editing of the favorites list to be performed. Similarly, by
pointing and selecting tab 408, the user is provided with a view of
the channel selection element 400 similar to that shown, for
example, in FIG. 4(d). Therein, channel entry may be performed by
way of a keypad as shown. Using the pointer, each of the numeric
buttons can be pressed whereupon a corresponding display will be
provided in the display region. When the user is finished entering
the channel number, she or he may click on the "Enter" button, by
positioning the cursor thereover and actuating one of the buttons
on the 3D pointing device 300. This results in, for example, the
live video feed which is being displayed on the television changing
to that associated with the newly entered channel number.
Additionally, the tab 408 version of the user interface element for
changing channels 400, also includes graphical up and down channel
buttons which can be actuated by pointing and clicking as well as a
"Last Channel" button.
[0038] In addition to channel changing user interface control
elements, exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide
for other types of user interface elements which take advantage of
the pointing capability associated with these systems. For example,
FIG. 5(a) illustrates another exemplary embodiment of wherein live
TV is currently being viewed on the television. At the instant
captured in this user interface view, all of the existing user
interface elements are displayed in a "ghost" image, i.e.,
primarily transparent except for outlines having a translucent
quality associated therewith. In this example of FIG. 5(a), those
control elements include the four global navigation elements 324
described above, as well as live TV widget icons 500 and 502. The
global navigation buttons are described in the above-incorporated
by reference patent application in more detail and are, therefore,
not further described here. Of more interest for the present
application, are the icons 500 and 502 which enable a viewer to
selectively activate overlay controls for controlling a live TV
feed and/or providing DVR functionality as software overlays. For
example, the icons 500 and 502 can generally be displayed in a
ghosted form so as to minimize their impact on the underlying live
TV feed. If, however, a user moves, for example, a 3D pointing
device 300 such that a cursor (not shown) is positioned over one of
the icons 500 and 502, the icon will light up or be filled in order
to indicate its selectable status. For example, as shown in FIG.
5(b), the icon 502 associated with volume and DVR controls is
highlighted as a cursor is in the vicinity thereof. A user may then
request that the user interface display the overlay controls, e.g.,
by pressing the button on the 3D pointing device 300, hovering the
cursor over the icon 502 for a predetermined period of time, or any
other actuation or selection mechanism. When this occurs, then
according to exemplary embodiments, a DVR overlay 504 and volume
control overlay 506 may appear on top of the live TV video feed
displayed on the television. An example of this is shown in FIG.
5(c).
[0039] Therein, the DVR overlay controls generally referenced by
reference numeral 504, include a series of five buttons having
symbols thereon associated with DVR functionality including, from
left to right, a "Next Segment Back" button, a "Rewind" button, a
"Pause" button, a "Fast-Forward" button, and a "Next Segment
Forward" button. As with the other controls described herein, a
user can quickly and easily affect a DVR control on the TV by
positioning a cursor (not shown) over any one of these DVR buttons
and clicking thereon to issue an instruction to the user interface
to perform the associated DVR functionality. The user interface
will receive this command, interpret it as a DVR control command
and perform the requested task. Similarly, the volume control
overlay 506 illustrated in this exemplary embodiment provides
several mechanisms whereby a user can point and click at the
television to control the volume associated with the television
program being output. For example, a user can drag the volume level
indicator 508 up or down on the corresponding bar to raise or lower
the volume accordingly. Similarly, the user may click at any
position on the bar to automatically reposition the level indicator
508 at the point which is clicked on. The user interface will,
again, interpret this as a command to adjust the television volume
and control the television accordingly. FIG. 5(d) illustrates the
case where a user has positioned a cursor on top of or in the
vicinity of the channel changing icon 500. This, in turn, causes
the user interface to highlight the icon 500 as compare to the
global navigation icon 324 and 502 which remain in their ghosted
form in this example. As mentioned above, highlighting the icon 500
indicates that it is selectable. The selection or actuation of this
particular icon will result in the display of a channel changing
overlay on top of the live TV feed. An example of channel changing
mechanisms which can be provided as point and click overlays has
been described above in FIGS. 4(a)-4(d).
[0040] In addition to providing powerful point and click overlay
controls for live TV, the pointing paradigm associated with these
exemplary embodiments provides for other ease of navigation type of
media controls. Returning briefly to FIG. 3(c), actuation of the
"Settings" icon 350, may result, for example, in the UI view
illustrated in FIG. 6(a) being displayed. This UI navigational path
provides a user with a convenient mechanism for adjusting various
settings associated with the user interface and the replay of
media. For example, pointing and clicking on the setup wizard icon
600 may result in the display of a UI view such as that illustrated
in FIG. 6(b). The setup wizard can provide the user with an easy to
navigate mechanism for setting up and configuring various aspects
of his or her television system using a pointing device. For
example, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the user can point and click on the
screen size associated with the television being used in the
system. Similarly, in FIG. 6(d), a user can enter his or her zip
code using a numeric keypad displayed on the television to
facilitate point and click data entry.
[0041] Similarly, returning to FIG. 6(a), pointing and clicking on
the system status icon 610 may result in, for example, the display
of the UI view such as that illustrated in FIG. 6(e) which provides
information associated with the user's system. Alerts may be
provided via icon 620 in FIG. 6(a) which can result in the display
of a UI view such as that shown in FIG. 6(f). For example, FIG.
6(f) provides a user selectable, via point and click mechanism,
ability to display caller ID on the television screen when a phone
call is received.
[0042] Actuating the parental controls button 630 in FIG. 6(a) may
result in the display of various UI views, examples of which are
illustrated beginning with FIG. 6(g). As seen in FIG. 6(g), this
exemplary point and click parental control user interface provides
a three tabbed approach. In the first tab, 632, setup features are
provided for point and click manipulation by a user. Parental
controls can be temporarily disabled via the counter 634, by
pointing and clicking at the up or down buttons 636 and 638,
respectively. The status of various types of parental control
settings according to these exemplary embodiments are also
displayed under the setup tab 632. For example, parental control
settings by rating can be locked or unlocked. These parental
controls can be accessed by pointing and clicking on the tab "By
Rating" 637. Actuating this tab in the parental tab UI view, may
result in the display of the UI view such as that illustrated in
FIG. 6(h). Therein, a user can lock or unlock TV programs or movies
based upon their rating by pointing and clicking at the ratings
illustrated on the screen. Alternatively, a user can lock
individual channels by accessing tab 639. Pointing and clicking at
tab 639 can, for example, result in the display of a UI view like
that illustrated in the example of FIG. 6(i). Therein, a user can
point and click at entries associated with individual channels to
lock or unlock the controls associated therewith. The user
interface will then only permit the channels which are unlocked to
be displayed on the television.
[0043] Actuating the "Favorites" icon 640 in FIG. 6(a) may result
in the display of a UI view such as that illustrated in FIG. 6(j).
Therein, a user can point and click at checkboxes associated with
individual channels to populate a favorites list. The list can be
scrolled using the scroll arrows or bar positioned, in this
example, to the right of the channel list. Actuating the "Change
PIN" button in FIG. 6(g) by positioning the cursor thereover and
actuating a button on a pointing device, for example, may result in
the display of the UI view shown in FIG. 6(k). Therein, a user is
provided with the facility for entering a numerical PIN number.
[0044] According to another exemplary embodiment, the live TV feed
described earlier with respect to FIGS. 4(a)-4(d) and 5(a)-5(d) can
be easily paused. For example, the user interface can interpret a
point and click on any portion of the live TV feed, e.g., other
than the portions associated with overlay controls, as a request to
pause the display of the program. This provides the user with a
very convenient mechanism for pausing a program's display if, for
example, she or he needs to leave the living room.
[0045] Systems and methods for processing data according to
exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be performed by
one or more processors executing sequences of instructions
contained in a memory device. Such instructions may be read into
the memory device from other computer-readable mediums such as
secondary data storage device(s). Execution of the sequences of
instructions contained in the memory device causes the processor to
operate, for example, as described above. In alternative
embodiments, hard-wire circuitry may be used in place of or in
combination with software instructions to implement the present
invention.
[0046] Numerous variations of the afore-described exemplary
embodiments are contemplated. The above-described exemplary
embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects, rather
than restrictive, of the present invention. Thus the present
invention is capable of many variations in detailed implementation
that can be derived from the description contained herein by a
person skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications
are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present
invention as defined by the following claims. No element, act, or
instruction used in the description of the present application
should be construed as critical or essential to the invention
unless explicitly described as such. Also, used herein, the article
"a" is intended to include one or more items.
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