# US 2014/0157124 A1 · Systems and Methods of Facilitating Browsing of Media Programs Distributed By Way of a Plurality of Different Media Distribution Models > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157124 A1 - Document ID: US20140157124A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/069,234 - Filed: 2013-10-31 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC - Applicants: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC - Inventors: Brian F. Roberts; Imran Arif Maskatia; Paul Bradley Bowers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157124A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0607: {Regulating the sale of restricted items, e.g. alcohol} - G06Q 30/0609: {Qualifying participants for shopping transactions (payment transaction verification G06Q20/401)} - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04N 21/218: Source of audio or video content {, e.g. local disk arrays (details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739)} - H04N 21/2543: Billing {, e.g. for subscription services (payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21)} - H04N 21/27: Server based end-user applications - H04N 21/472: End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} - H04N 21/47202: {for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand} - H04N 21/47214: {for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224)} - H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content - H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection - H04N 21/4882: {for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders (arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895)} - H04N 21/20: Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof - H04N 21/40: Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Exemplary systems and methods may provide a user interface configured to provide a user with access to a plurality of browse contexts associated with a plurality of distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media service, provide one or more user interface tools for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the user interface and values of a refinement setting to be applied to refine the content of the browse contexts, track the values of the refinement setting individually for each of the browse contexts, and use the tracked values of the refinement setting to refine the content of the browse contexts presented in the user interface. Corresponding systems and methods are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: providing, by a media service provider system, a user interface configured to provide a user with access to a plurality of browse contexts associated with a plurality of media distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media service; providing, by the media service provider system in the user interface, a browse context selection tool for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the user interface; providing, by the media service provider system in the user interface, a refinement tool for use by the user to select a value of a refinement setting to be used to refine browse content of whichever of the browse contexts is currently presented in the user interface; and tracking, by the media service provider system throughout a user interface session, a plurality of values of the refinement setting that respectively correspond to the browse contexts. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the media service provider system during the user interface session, a request to access a first browse context included in the browse contexts, the first browse context associated with a first media distribution model included in the media distribution models and corresponding to a first value included in the plurality of tracked values of the refinement setting; and providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the first browse context for presentation in the user interface by filtering, based on the first media distribution model associated with the first browse context, the media programs distributed through the media service to determine a filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context, refining, based on the first value of the refinement setting corresponding to the first browse context, the filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context, and populating the first browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs for the first browse context. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving, by the media service provider system during the user interface session, a request to access a second browse context included in the browse contexts, the second browse context associated with a second media distribution model included in the media distribution models and corresponding to a second value included in the plurality of tracked values of the refinement setting; and providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the second browse context for presentation in the user interface by filtering, based on the second media distribution model associated with the second browse context, the media programs distributed through the media service to determine a filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context, refining, based on the second value of the refinement setting corresponding to the second browse context, the filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context, and populating the second browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs for the second browse context. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the providing of the second browse context for presentation in the user interface is part of a toggling from a presentation of the first browse context to a presentation of the second browse context in the user interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein: the first media distribution model comprises a digital media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel; and the second media distribution model comprises a physical media distribution model that utilizes a physical media distribution channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the physical media distribution channel comprises a media vending kiosk-based distribution channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein: the first media distribution model comprises a subscription-based media distribution model; and the second media distribution model comprises a transactional-based media distribution model. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the browse context selection tool comprises a menu of toggle buttons associated with the media distribution models. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the refinement tool comprises a media format selection tool. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the refinement tool comprises a media rating selection tool. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the refinement tool comprises a media sort selection tool. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: providing, by a media service provider system in a user interface, a media browse view that provides a user with access to a plurality of media program browse contexts associated with a plurality of media distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media distribution service; tracking, by the media service provider system during a user interface session, a plurality of values of a refinement setting for the plurality of media program browse contexts; receiving, by the media service provider system during the user interface session, a request to access a media program browse context included in the plurality of media program browse contexts, the media program browse context associated with a media distribution model included in the plurality of media distribution models and a value of the refinement setting included in the plurality of values of the refinement setting; and providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the media program browse context for display in the media browse view, the providing of the media program browse context comprising filtering, based on the media distribution model associated with the media program browse context, the media programs distributed through the media distribution service to determine a filtered set of the media programs, refining, based on the value of the refinement setting for the media program browse context, the filtered set of the media programs to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs, and populating the media program browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein tracking comprises: detecting, during the user interface session, a user selection of the value of the refinement setting; and mapping, in response to the user selection, the value of the refinement setting to the media program browse context. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising providing, by the media service provider system in the media browse view, a browse context selection tool for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the media browse view. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising providing, by the media service provider system in the media browse view, a refinement tool for use by the user to select a value of the refinement setting to be used to refine browse content of whichever of the browse contexts is currently presented in the media browse view. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. ### Claim 18 A system comprising: at least one physical computer processor; and a user interface facility that directs the at least one physical computer processor to: provide a user interface configured to provide a user with access to a plurality of browse contexts associated with a plurality of media distribution models by way of which media programs are distributed through a media service; provide, in the user interface, a browse context selection tool for use by the user to select which of the browse contexts is presented in the user interface; provide, in the user interface, a refinement tool for use by the user to select a value of a refinement setting to be used to refine browse content of whichever of the browse contexts is currently presented in the user interface; and track, throughout a user interface session, a plurality of values of the refinement setting that respectively correspond to the browse contexts. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface facility further directs the at least one physical computer processor to provide a browse context included in the plurality of browse contexts for presentation in the user interface by: filtering, based on a media distribution model included in the plurality of media distribution models and associated with the browse context, the media programs distributed through the media service to determine a filtered set of the media programs for the browse context, refining, based on a value of the refinement setting included in the plurality of values of the refinement setting and corresponding to the browse context, the filtered set of the media programs for the browse context to determine a refined filtered set of the media programs for the browse context, and populating the browse context with browse content representing the refined filtered set of the media programs for the browse context. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of media distribution models comprises at least one digital media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel and a physical media distribution model that utilizes a physical media distribution channel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein: the at least one digital media distribution model that utilizes a digital media distribution channel comprises a digital subscription-based media distribution model and a digital transactional-based media distribution model; and the physical media distribution channel comprises a media vending kiosk-based distribution channel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the browse context selection tool comprises a menu of browse context toggle buttons associated with the media distribution models. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the refinement tool comprises one of a media format selection tool, a media rating selection tool, and a media sort selection tool.