U.S. patent application number 13/184523 was filed with the patent office on 2012-10-11 for long vertical click and drag to expand content panel into larger preview panel for audio video display device such as tv.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Steven Friedlander, Sabrina Tai-Chen Yeh, DAVID YOUNG.
Application Number | 20120260293 13/184523 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46965840 |
Filed Date | 2012-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120260293 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YOUNG; DAVID ; et
al. |
October 11, 2012 |
LONG VERTICAL CLICK AND DRAG TO EXPAND CONTENT PANEL INTO LARGER
PREVIEW PANEL FOR AUDIO VIDEO DISPLAY DEVICE SUCH AS TV
Abstract
A long vertical drag command input to a GUI of a display having
a grid of content information panels causes an enlarged preview
pane to be superimposed on the GUI of the content information panel
on which the screen cursor was positioned when the command is
received. A long vertical drag command in the opposite direction
collapses the preview pane.
Inventors: |
YOUNG; DAVID; (San Diego,
CA) ; Yeh; Sabrina Tai-Chen; (Laguna Beach, CA)
; Friedlander; Steven; (San Diego, CA) |
Assignee: |
SONY CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
46965840 |
Appl. No.: |
13/184523 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61473098 |
Apr 7, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
725/52 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/482 20130101;
H04N 21/4314 20130101; H04N 21/42204 20130101; G06F 3/0485
20130101; G06F 3/04842 20130101; G06F 3/017 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/52 |
International
Class: |
H04N 5/445 20110101
H04N005/445 |
Claims
1. Audio video display device (AVDD) comprising: processor; video
display; and computer readable storage medium bearing instructions
executable by the processor to: present on the display a grid of
information panels, each information panel presenting visual
information pertaining to respective audio video programs; receive
a drag command; determine the information panel to which the drag
command pertains; and responsive to the drag command and
determination of which information panel the drag command pertains,
present on the display a preview pane related to the information
panel to which the drag command pertains.
2. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the drag command is received from a
touch pad of a remote control communicating wirelessly with the
processor.
3. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the drag command is received from a
camera imaging a human gesture in free space and communicating with
the processor.
4. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the drag command is received from a
microphone detecting a verbal drag command and communicating with
the processor.
5. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the drag command is a first command
and the processor collapses the preview pane from view responsive
to a second drag command in a direction opposite the first drag
command.
6. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the processor interprets a human
motion as being the drag command to invoke the preview pane only if
the length of motion and/or time of motion exceeds a threshold
length and/or time.
7. The AVDD of claim 6, wherein the processor interprets the human
motion as being the drag command to invoke the preview pane only if
the length of motion exceeds a threshold length, the length being
relative to an imaged portion of a viewer's body.
8. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein the preview pane is superimposed
over the grid of panels and overlaps all but the edges of the
panels, with edge portions of the panels remaining visible to
remind the viewer that an underlying GUI remains available.
9. The AVDD of claim 1, wherein responsive to the drag command the
processor animates the preview pane to start at its top edge and
fill in downward on the display in concert with a viewer entering
the drag command.
10. Audio video display device (AVDD) comprising: processor; video
display; and computer readable storage medium bearing instructions
executable by the processor to: receive a first drag command input
to a GUI presented on the display, the GUI having a grid of content
information panels; determine if the first drag command is of at
least a threshold length; responsive to a determination that the
first drag command is at least of the threshold length, cause an
enlarged preview pane to be superimposed on plural content
information panels; and responsive to receiving a second drag
command in a direction opposite the first drag command, collapse
the preview pane.
11. The AVDD of claim 10, wherein the processor interprets a human
motion as being the drag command to invoke the preview pane only if
the length of motion exceeds a threshold length, the length being
relative to an imaged portion of a viewer's body.
12. The AVDD of claim 10, wherein the preview pane is superimposed
over the grid of panels and overlaps all but the edges of the
panels, with edge portions of the panels remaining visible to
remind the viewer that an underlying GUI remains available.
13. The AVDD of claim 10, wherein responsive to the drag command
the processor animates the preview pane to start at its top edge
and fill in downward on the display in concert with a viewer
entering the drag command.
14. Method, comprising: presenting on a video display a graphical
user interface (GUI) including plural content information panels
each selectable to present on the display respective audio video
content; scrolling information panels using a first command
pertaining to a first dimension such that information panels scroll
onscreen and offscreen responsive to the first command; and
displaying a preview pane pertaining to an audio video content
represented by a first one of the content information panels
responsive to a second command pertaining to a second dimension
orthogonal to the first dimension, the preview pane being larger
than a content information panel and being superimposed over at
least portions of all the content information panels.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second command is received
from a touch pad of a remote control communicating wirelessly with
a processor controlling the display.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second command is received
from a camera imaging a human gesture in free space and
communicating with a processor controlling the display.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second command is received
from a microphone detecting a verbal drag command and communicating
with a processor controlling the display.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein the preview pane is collapsed
from view responsive to a third command in a direction opposite the
second command.
19. The method of claim 14, comprising interpreting a human motion
as being the second command to invoke the preview pane only if the
length of motion and/or time of motion exceeds a threshold length
and/or time.
20. The method of claim 14, comprising superimposing the preview
pane over the panels such that the preview pane overlaps all but
edges of the panels, with edge portions of the panels remaining
visible to remind the viewer that an underlying GUI remains
available.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent
application Ser. No. 61/473,098, filed Apr. 7, 2011.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present application relates generally to user interfaces
(UI) for audio video display devices (AVDD) such as televisions
(TVs).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] User interfaces for AVDDs often, require a viewer to
navigate through a cumbersome system of menus to establish AVDD
settings and to gain information pertaining to a particular
program. As understood herein, these types of solutions fail to
offer a viewer a way to quickly and easily obtain: information
about a program with, minimal user interface steps, nor are they
intuitive to many viewers. Furthermore, present principles
understand that thumbnails have been introduced which may be
clicked on to invoke: an underlying video but no provision has been
made to distinguish between selecting a thumbnail for invocation of
the underlying video and selecting a thumbnail simply to invoke a
preview pane with greater or more easily seen detail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to principles set forth further below, an audio
video display device (AVDD) includes a processor, a video display,
and computer readable storage medium bearing instructions
executable by the processor to present on the display a grid of
information panels. Each information panel presents visual
information pertaining to respective audio video programs. The
processor receives a drag command, determines the information panel
to which the drag command, pertains, and responsive to the drag
command and determination of which information panel the drag
command pertains, presents on the display a preview pane related to
the information panel to which the drag command pertains.
[0005] In some embodiments the drag command is received from a
touchpad of a remote control communicating wirelessly with the
processor. Or, the drag command can be received from a camera
imaging a human gesture in free space and communicating with the
processor. Yet again, the drag command may be received from a
microphone detecting a verbal drag command and communicating with
the processor.
[0006] As set forth further below, in example implementations the
drag command is a first command and the processor collapses the
preview pane from view responsive to a second drag command in a
direction opposite the first drag command. The processor may
interpret a human motion as being the drag command, to invoke the
preview pane only if the length of motion and/or time of motion
exceeds a threshold length and/or time. When the processor
interprets the human motion as being the drag command to invoke the
preview pane only if the length of motion exceeds a threshold
length, the length can be relative to an imaged portion of a
viewer's body.
[0007] In example embodiments the preview pane is superimposed over
the grid of panels and overlaps all but the edges of the panels,
with edge portions of the panels remaining visible to remind the
viewer that an underlying GUI remains available. Responsive to the
drag command, the processor may, if desired, animate the preview
pane to start at its top edge and fill in downward on the display
in concert with a viewer entering the drag command.
[0008] In another aspect, an audio video display device (AVDD)
includes a processor, a video display, and computer readable
storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to
receive a first drag command input to a GUI presented on the
display. The GUI has a grid of content information panels. The
processor determines if the first drag command is of at least a
threshold length, and responsive to a determination that the first
drag command is at least of the threshold length, the processor
causes an enlarged, preview pane to be superimposed on plural
content, information panels. Otherwise, the preview pane is not
displayed. Responsive to receiving a second drag command in a
direction opposite the first drag command, the processor collapses
the preview pane.
[0009] In another aspect, a method includes presenting; on a video
display a graphical user interface (GUI) including plural content
information panels each selectable to present on the display
respective audio video content. The method also includes scrolling
information panels using a first command pertaining to a first
dimension such that information panels scroll onscreen and
offscreen responsive to the first command. A preview pane
pertaining to an audio video content represented by a first one of
the content information panels is displayed responsive to a second
command pertaining to a second dimension orthogonal to the first
dimension. The preview pane is larger than a content information
panel and is superimposed over, at least portions of all the
content information panels.
[0010] 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
[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a non-limiting example system
in accordance with present principles;
[0012] 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;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a screen shot of a nine panel GUI in a coarse mode
suitable for gesture control;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a screen shot of a nine panel GUI in a fine mode
suitable for RC control;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a simplified nine panel GUI along
with a schematic representation of the RC to illustrate the
beginning of a long vertical down drag command to invoke a preview
screen; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a screen shot similar to FIG. 5 showing the result
of the drag command and also showing a schematic representation of
the RC to illustrate the beginning of a long vertical up command to
collapse the preview screen.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] 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.
[0018] 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.
[0019] 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 NTSG 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 maybe used,
e.g., MOCA, USB, 1394 protocols, DLNA.
[0020] 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.
[0021] 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. In some non-limiting embodiments, the processor
16 executes facial recognition using the video images received from
the camera 50 to identify particular viewers. The processor 16 also
stores images of viewers on the medium 20 in non-limiting
embodiments for future determination of whether a viewer is
recognized when compared to stored images, or whether a recently
received image relates to a new, or non-recognized, viewer. If
desired, the processor 16 also creates and/or associates a profile
with a user and/or stored images of the user and store the profile
on the medium 20. A microphone 52 may also 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.
[0022] 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.
[0023] 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.
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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 indicator may be presented next to each
panel. The genre indicator may be an arrow 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 heart (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 may be presented respectively representing "history",
meaning that the content associated with the panel had been
presented previously, "recommended", 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., "frequently
viewed", "promotional content". A user can select to present panels
associated with content of only a single genre.
[0026] 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.
[0027] 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.
[0028] 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, ah
EPG may be presented in one of the panels shown in FIG. 3.
[0029] 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 of 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.
[0030] 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.
[0031] Transition between the two views of FIGS. 3 and 4 may be
effected by an appropriate hand gesture (e.g., a vertical motion of
the hand) 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.
[0032] 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 bet 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.
[0033] Non-limiting examples of corresponding RC, voice, and
gesture commands that accomplish the same tasks are:
TABLE-US-00001 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
[0034] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate how a viewer can use vertical drag
commands on the above-described GUI to access metadata related to
an audio video program represented by one of the content
information panels described above. With a screen cursor 110
positioned over one of the information panels, in the example:
shown, the information panel related to program "B" (FIG. 5), a
viewer can enter a long downward vertical drag command to cause the
screen shot of FIG. 6 to appear to show a preview pane 112 related
to panel B. An opposite (upward) vertical drag command collapses
the preview pane 112. It may be recognized at this point that owing
to the preferred GUI containing many columns of panels both
onscreen and offscreen, but only three rows of panels all of which
appear onscreen, vertical drag commands cannot be used to scroll
through more panels in contrast to horizontal commands and so can
be leveraged for other purposes which will not confuse the
processor 18, such as, in this case, gaining access to a preview
pane on a program quickly and intuitively. Naturally, this
recognition applies in reverse, i.e., for embodiments which contain
only three columns and many rows of panels, scrolling of panels may
be effected by vertical commands while invoking metadata may be
effected using horizontal commands.
[0035] With more specificity regarding the example embodiment,
shown and beginning with FIG. 5, a viewer may enter a vertical drag
command using the touch pad 62 of the RC 30 by moving a finger
downward on the touch pad from top to bottom on the touch pad as
indicated by the arrow 114. In such a case, the command is
"vertical" in that the finger motion is from top to bottom on the
touch pad, emulating a vertical motion on the display 28.
Alternatively to enter the vertical drag command a viewer may move
his hand vertically in free space, distanced from the RC 30 and
display 28, from higher to lower, with the image of the moving hand
being captured by the camera 50 and input to the processor 18,
which interprets the vertical, hand movement as a vertical drag
command. In such a case, the command is "vertical" in that the hand
motion is in the vertical dimension defined by the display 28. Yet
again, the vertical drag command may be a verbal command such as
"drag down" or "show preview pane" which is captured by the
microphone 52 and input to the processor 18. The viewer can drag
and drop with the cursor 110 over the desired information panel for
which a preview pane is desired by, e.g., holding down a button on
the RC 30 while inputting the downward drag.
[0036] To distinguish from other possible down drag commands, the
processor 18 may interpret a downward finger motion on the RC 30 as
being a command to invoke the preview pane 112 only if the length
of finger travel and/or time of finger travel on the touch pad 62
exceeds a threshold length and/or time. Similarly, a free space
gesture may be interpreted as being a command to invoke the preview
pane 112 only if the distance and/or time of downward hand motion
as captured by the camera 50 exceeds a threshold length and/or
time. The length needed for a free space command to invoke the
preview pane 112 may be relative, e.g., at least the length, of the
viewer's head, from chin to top.
[0037] In any case, responsive to receiving the vertical drag
command from; FIG. 5, the processor presents on the display 28 the
screen shot of FIG. 6, in which the preview pane 112 is
superimposed over the current video panel 72 and content
information panels A-H as shown. The preview pane 112 may be
superimposed on the underlying information panels and may
substantially overlap all but the edges of the nine panels as
shown, with the edge portions of the nine panels remaining visible
to remind the viewer that the underlying GUI remains available.
[0038] The preview pane 114 may be a conveniently enlarged version
of the content information panel (in this case, "B") to which the
vertical command pertains, in all other aspects appearing identical
to the content information panel except for size. Or, the preview
pane may show different content than that shown in the associated
content information panel. Content in the preview pane 112 may
include the program title, rating, and time slot. It may also
contain a short synopsis. It may further include additional plot
details, actor biographies, etc. related to the program as well as
an image window containing a still or motion picture representing
the program "B", e.g., the preview pane 112 may contain an image
from the program or a clip taken from the program and may be
different from the image presented in the information panel "B"
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and related to the same program.
[0039] Note further that in moving from the screen shot of FIG. 5
to that of FIG. 6, the preview pane 112 can be animated to start at
its top edge and grow or fill in downward on the display 28 in
concert with the viewer moving his finger down the touch pad 62, to
resemble a shade being drawn down.
[0040] To collapse the preview pane 112 and return to the screen
shot of FIG. 5, the viewer can input art opposite drag command, in
this example, a long upward finger motion on the touch pad 62 as
shown by the arrow 116. This causes the preview pane 112 to
disappear instantly or if desired to be animated to roll up like a
shade.
[0041] While the particular LONG VERTICAL CLICK AND DRAG TO EXPAND
CONTENT PANEL INTO LARGER PREVIEW PANEL 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.
* * * * *