# US 2014/0157204 A1 · Systems and Methods for Remote Control Device Based Interaction with a Graphical User Interface

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- Number: US 2014/0157204 A1
- Document ID: US20140157204A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/093,280
- Filed: 2013-11-29
- 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/US20140157204A1

## 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

An exemplary method includes a user interface system providing a graphical user interface view that includes a high-level menu including first and second of high-level menu options respectively associated with first and second sub-menus, assigning the first high-level menu option an active status, activating the first sub-menu such that the first sub-menu is navigable with a directional pad (“D-pad”) of a remote control device while the first high-level menu option has the active status, receiving user input provided by way of a toggle button of the remote control device designated to toggle between the first and second high-level menu options, toggling the active status from the first high-level menu option to the second high-level menu option, and activating the second sub-menu such that the second sub-menu is navigable with the D-pad of the remote control device while the second high-level menu option has the active status.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
providing, by a user interface system, a graphical user interface (“GUI”) view for display on a display screen, the GUI view including a high-level menu of a plurality of high-level menu options respectively associated with a plurality of sub-menus, a first high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options assigned to have an active status, a first sub-menu included in the plurality of sub-menus and corresponding to the first high-level menu option configured to be navigated by a user providing input by way of a directional pad (“D-pad”) of a remote control device when the first high-level menu option has the active status;
receiving, by the user interface system while the first high-level menu option has the active status, user input provided by way of a button of the remote control device, the button being separate from the D-pad of the remote control device and designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options; and
toggling, by the user interface system in response to the receiving of the user input provided by way of the button designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options, the active status from the first high-level menu option to a second high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options, a second sub-menu included in the plurality of sub-menus and corresponding to the second high-level menu option configured to be navigated by the user providing input by way of the D-pad of the remote control device when the second high-level menu option has the active status.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the toggling of the active status from the first high-level menu option to the second high-level menu option comprises removing the active status from the first high-level menu option and assigning the active status to the second high-level menu option.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the toggling of the active status from the first high-level menu option to the second high-level menu option further comprises:
deactivating D-pad navigation of the first sub-menu associated with the first high-level menu option in response to the removing of the active status from the first high-level menu option; and
activating D-pad navigation of the second sub-menu associated with the second high-level menu option in response to the assigning of the active status to the second high-level menu option.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI view further includes a graphical representation of the button of the remote control device designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level options.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical representation of the designated button of the remote control device is positioned within the high-level menu of the GUI view.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
when the first high-level menu option has the active status, the GUI view further includes a graphical representation of the first sub-menu and a selector positioned within the first sub-menu, the selector configured to be moved within the first sub-menu with the D-pad of the remote control device; and
the user input provided by way of the button of the remote control device designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options is received while the selector is positioned within the first sub-menu.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the toggling comprises moving, by the user interface system, the selector from a position within the first sub-menu to a position within the second sub-menu, the moving comprising determining the position within the second sub-menu based on a previous selector position within the second sub-menu when the second high-level menu option was previously assigned the active status.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, by the user interface system, while the second high-level menu option has the active status, additional user input provided by way of the button of the remote control device, the button being separate from the D-pad of the remote control device and designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options; and
toggling, by the user interface system in response to the receiving of the additional user input provided by way of the button designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options, the active status from the second high-level menu option to a third high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options, a third sub-menu included in the plurality of sub-menus and corresponding to the third high-level menu option configured to be navigated by the user providing input by way of the D-pad of the remote control device when the third high-level menu option has the active status.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
providing, by the user interface system, an additional GUI view for display on the display screen, the additional GUI view including an input form having a plurality of input fields;
wherein the button of the remote control device designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options in the GUI view is designated for use by the user to tab between the input fields of the input form in the additional GUI view.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein a graphical representation of the button of the remote control device designated for use by the user to tab between the input fields of the input form is included within the additional GUI view.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

### Claim 12

A method comprising:
providing, by a user interface system and in a graphical user interface (“GUI”) view for display on a display screen, a high level menu that includes a plurality of high-level menu options;
receiving, by the user interface system, user input provided by way of a directional pad (“D-pad”) of a remote control device to position a selector to select a first high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options;
assigning, by the user interface system, an active status to the first high-level menu option in response to the selector being positioned to select the first high-level menu option;
activating, by the user interface system in response to the assigning of the active status to the first high-level menu option, a first sub-menu associated with the first high-level menu option such that the first sub-menu becomes navigable by way of the D-pad of the remote control device;
receiving, by the user interface system, additional user input provided by way of the D-pad to move the selector from the first high-level menu option having the active status into the first sub-menu;
receiving, by the user interface system while the selector is positioned in the first sub-menu, user input provided by way of a button of the remote control device, the button being separate from the D-pad of the remote control device and designated as input to toggle the active status from the first high-level menu option having the active status to a second high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options;
assigning, by the user interface system, the active status to the second high-level menu option in response to the receiving of the user input provided by way of the button designated as input to toggle the active status; and
activating, by the user interface system in response to the assigning of the active status to the second high-level menu option, a second sub-menu that is associated with the second high-level menu option such that the second sub-menu becomes navigable by way of the D-pad of the remote control device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the providing of the high-level menu within the GUI view comprises including, within the high-level menu, a graphical representation of the button designated as input to toggle the active status.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

### Claim 15

A system comprising:
at least one physical computing device that:
provides a graphical user interface (“GUI”) view for display on a display screen, the GUI view including a high-level menu of a plurality of high-level menu options respectively associated with a plurality of sub-menus, a first high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options assigned to have an active status, a first sub-menu included in the plurality of sub-menus and corresponding to the first high-level menu option configured to be navigated by a user providing input by way of a directional pad (“D-pad”) of a remote control device when the first high-level menu option has the active status;
receives, while the first high-level menu option has the active status, user input provided by way of a button of the remote control device, the button being separate from the D-pad of the remote control device and designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options; and
toggles, in response to the receiving of the user input provided by way of the button designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options, the active status from the first high-level menu option to a second high-level menu option included in the plurality of high-level menu options, a second sub-menu included in the plurality of sub-menus and corresponding to the second high-level menu option configured to be navigated by the user providing input by way of the D-pad of the remote control device when the second high-level menu option has the active status.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one physical computing device toggles the active status from the first high-level menu option to the second high-level menu option by removing the active status from the first high-level menu option and assigning the active status to the second high-level menu option.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one physical computing device toggles the active status from the first high-level menu option to the second high-level menu option by:
deactivating D-pad navigation of the first sub-menu associated with the first high-level menu option in response to the removing of the active status from the first high-level menu option; and
activating D-pad navigation of the second sub-menu associated with the second high-level menu option in response to the assigning of the active status to the second high-level menu option.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the GUI view further includes a graphical representation of the button of the remote control device designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level options, the graphical representation of the designated button of the remote control device positioned within the high-level menu of the GUI view.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein:
when the first high-level menu option has the active status, the GUI view further includes a graphical representation of the first sub-menu and a selector positioned within the first sub-menu, the selector configured to be moved within the first sub-menu with the D-pad of the remote control device; and
the user input provided by way of the button of the remote control device designated as input to toggle the active status between the high-level menu options is received while the selector is positioned within the first sub-menu.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one physical computing device toggles the active status from the first high-level menu option to the second high-level menu option by moving the selector from a position within the first sub-menu to a position within the second sub-menu, the moving comprising determining the position within the second sub-menu based on a previous selector position within the second sub-menu when the second high-level menu option was previously assigned the active status.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein:
the high-level menu options correspond to input fields of an input form; and
each sub-menu included in the plurality of sub-menus is a virtual keypad.