# US 11,451,857 B2 · Method and system to navigate viewable content

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- Number: US 11,451,857 B2
- Document ID: US11451857B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/303,412
- Filed: 2021-05-28
- Published: 2021-11-11
- Granted: 2022-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2006-09-07
- Assignees: OpenTV, Inc.
- Applicants: OpenTV, Inc.
- Inventors: Matthew Huntington; David A. Merkoski; Celine Pering; Jordan Kanarek; David Scott Nazarian; Joshua Wagner; Benjamin A. Rottler; Andrew Zeldis; Gina Terada; Jared Marr
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451857B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/4312: {involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations}
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 16/435: Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
- G06F 16/44: Browsing; Visualisation therefor
- G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
- H04N 21/25891: {being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/42204: {User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor (constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205)}
- H04N 21/4221: {Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext}
- H04N 21/4314: {for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid}
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/47: End-user applications
- H04N 21/47202: {for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand}
- H04N 21/4782: Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV}
- H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection
- H04N 21/4826: {using recommendation lists, e.g. of programmes or channels sorted out according to their score}
- H04N 21/4828: {for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739)}
- H04N 21/8549: Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer {(retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739)}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method and system to navigate viewable content in the context of television entertainment is provided. In one example embodiment, the system comprises a presentation module to present main content on a display screen, a communications module to receive a first request associated with a first directional key on a remote control device, a navigation mode detector to determine a navigation mode associated with the first request; a margin menu module to activate a margin menu associated with the determined navigation mode. The margin menu may be presented along one of the margins of a display screen, while permitting viewing of the main content.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
detecting, by one or more processors, a first user action during presentation of first media content on a display screen having regions that correspond to margins of the display screen;
identifying, by the one or more processors and from among the regions of the display screen, a region that corresponds to a margin based on the first user action;
causing, by the one or more processors and during presentation of the first media content, presentation of second media content in the region that corresponds to the margin and is identified based on the first user action; and
causing, by the one or more processors and based on a second user action detected during presentation of the second media content, presentation of information that corresponds to the second user action in the region that corresponds to the margin and is identified based on the first user action.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the information that corresponds to the second user action includes third media content selected based on the first media content; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action in the identified region of the display screen includes causing presentation of a recommendation that includes the third media content in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the information that corresponds to the second user action includes third media content selected based on the second media content; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action in the identified region of the display screen includes causing presentation of a recommendation that includes the third media content in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the causing of the presentation of the second media content in the identified region of the display screen includes causing presentation of a recommendation that includes the second media content in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein:
the recommendation that includes the second media content is a first recommendation; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action in the identified region of the display screen includes causing presentation of a second recommendation that includes third media content in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the detecting of the first user action includes receiving a first input from a device configured to select media content; and
the method further comprises:
detecting the second user action during the presentation of the first media content by receiving a second input from the device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first user action indicates a first direction among a set of directions selectable by a device; and
the identifying of the region of the display screen is based on the first direction indicated by the first user action.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein:
the second user action indicates the first direction indicated by the first user action; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second media content is based on the first direction indicated by the second user action and by the first user action.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein:
the second user action indicates a second direction distinct from the first direction indicated by the first user action; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second media content is based on the second direction indicated by the second user action.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
detecting a third user action that indicates a second direction perpendicular to the first direction indicated by the first user action; and
causing presentation of third media content in the identified region of the display screen, the third media content being selected based on the information presented in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
detecting a third user action that indicates a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
ceasing the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action based on the third user action indicating the second direction opposite to the first direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the first user action results from operation of a first directional control element among a set of directional control elements on a device; and
the identifying of the region of the display screen is based on the operation of the first directional control element on the device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
the second user action results from a further operation of the first directional control element on the device; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action is based on the further operation of the first directional control element on the device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
detecting a third user action resultant from operation of a second directional control element among the set of directional control elements, the second directional control element being oriented perpendicular to the first directional control element; and
causing presentation of third media content in the identified region of the display screen, the third media content being selected in response to the third user action and based on the second media content presented in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
detecting a third user action resultant from operation of a second directional control element among the set of directional control elements, the second directional control element being oriented opposite to the first directional control element; and
ceasing the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action in response to the third user action.

### Claim 16

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a media device, cause the media device to perform operations comprising:
detecting a first user action during presentation of first media content on a display screen having regions that correspond to margins of the display screen;
identifying, from among the regions of the display screen, a region that corresponds to a margin based on the first user action;
causing, during presentation of the first media content, presentation of second media content in the identified region that corresponds to the margin and is identified based on the first user action; and
causing, based on a second user action detected during presentation of the second media content, presentation of information that corresponds to the second user action in the identified region that corresponds to the margin and is identified based on the first user action.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein:
the information that corresponds to the second user action includes third media content selected based on the first media content; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second user action in the identified region of the display screen includes causing presentation of a recommendation that includes the third media content in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein:
the causing of the presentation of the second media content in the identified region of the display screen includes causing presentation of a recommendation that includes the second media content in the identified region of the display screen.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor among the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
detecting a first user action during presentation of first media content on a display screen having regions that correspond to margins of the display screen;
identifying, from among the regions of the display screen, a region that corresponds to a margin based on the first user action;
causing, during presentation of the first media content, presentation of second media content in the identified region that corresponds to the margin and is identified based on the first user action; and
causing, based on a second user action detected during presentation of the second media content, presentation of information that corresponds to the second user action in the identified region that corresponds to the margin and is identified based on the first user action.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein:
the first user action indicates a first direction among a set of directions selectable by a device;
the identifying of the region of the display screen is based on the first direction indicated by the first user action;
the second user action indicates a second direction distinct from the first direction indicated by the first user action; and
the causing of the presentation of the information that corresponds to the second media content is based on the second direction indicated by the second user action.