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US 8,819,734 B2Granted
Contextual navigational control for digital television
AssigneeTVWorks, LLC
InventorsSamuel Moreau, John Carney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contextual navigational control for digital television is described. An apparatus, comprises a contextual navigation control interface (CNCI). The CNCI includes a first area that represents a plurality of cable television programs having a first level of relevance. A second area represents a first group of the plurality of programs having a second level of relevance. A third area represents a first subgroup of the first group having a third level of relevance. A fourth area represents a second subgroup of the first group having a fourth level of relevance. There may be additional areas representing additional sub-groups of relevance to the current viewing context.
Claims17
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
- generate a programming guide user interface comprising a menu that includes a plurality of levels arranged from general to specific, a first of the plurality of levels displaying a category of programming options, wherein the category of programming options is dynamically selected based on a category of programming associated with a program currently displayed, the program currently displayed having been selected by a user controlling the apparatus;
- overlay the programming guide user interface on the program currently displayed to allow for content selection by the user with continued viewing of the program currently displayed;
- and
- in response to a user selection of the category of programming options:
- regenerate the programming guide user interface comprising the menu, the menu simultaneously displaying the first of the plurality of levels and a second of the plurality of levels, the first of the plurality of levels displaying the category of programming options and the second of the plurality of levels displaying a subsidiary category of programming options, wherein the subsidiary category of programming options comprises a sub-category of programming options of the category of programming options dynamically selected by the processor based on a subsidiary category of programming associated with the program currently displayed;
- and
- overlay the regenerated programming guide user interface on the program currently displayed to allow for content selection by the user with continued viewing of the program currently displayed.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- generating, at an apparatus comprising a processor, a programming guide user interface comprising a menu that includes a plurality of levels arranged from general to specific, a first of the plurality of levels displaying a category of programming options, wherein the category of programming options is dynamically selected based on a category of programming associated with a program currently displayed, the program currently displayed having been selected by a user controlling the apparatus;
- overlaying the programming guide user interface on the program currently displayed to allow for content selection by the user with continued viewing of the program currently displayed;
- and
- in response to a user selection of the category of programming options:
- regenerating the programming guide user interface comprising the menu, the menu simultaneously displaying the first of the plurality of levels and a second of the plurality of levels, the first of the plurality of levels displaying the category of programming options and the second of the plurality of levels displaying a subsidiary category of programming options, wherein the subsidiary category of programming options comprises a sub-category of programming options of the category of programming options dynamically selected by the processor based on a subsidiary category of programming associated with the program currently displayed;
- and
- overlaying the regenerated programming guide user interface on the program currently displayed to allow for content selection by the user with continued viewing of the program currently displayed.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a client device configured to:
- generate a programming guide user interface based at least in part on data received from a server, the programming guide user interface comprising a menu that includes a plurality of levels arranged from general to specific, a first of the plurality of levels displaying a category of programming options, wherein the category of programming options is dynamically selected based on a category of programming associated with a program currently displayed, the program currently displayed having been selected by a user controlling the client device;
- overlay the programming guide user interface on the program currently displayed to allow for content selection by the user with continued viewing of the program currently displayed;
- and
- responsive to a user selection of the category of programming options:
- regenerate the programming guide user interface comprising the menu, the menu simultaneously displaying the first of the plurality of levels and a second of the plurality of levels, the first of the plurality of levels displaying the category of programming options and the second of the plurality of levels displaying a subsidiary category of programming options, wherein the subsidiary category of programming options comprises a sub-category of programming options of the category of programming options dynamically selected by the processor based on a subsidiary category of programming associated with the program currently displayed;
- and
- overlay the regenerated programming guide user interface on the program currently displayed to allow for content selection by the user with continued viewing of the program currently displayed.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.