TV side bar user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245967-B2
Application number	US-201816108519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for a media content user interface. A media content provider includes storage for storing and serving video content to subscribers. The media content provider records and or otherwise stores video content from around the world. Subscribers are provided a user interface to the system that includes a side bar. The side bar includes multiple elements representing different categories of video content. By selecting a given category, available content is filtered according to the selected category and presented. Content which is presented may include live broadcast video for multiple channels on multiple television networks or other content providers. The side bar may further include a collection category specific to a given viewer. Selection of such a category may display video content within the collection. Subcategories in the side bar may be selected for further filtering of available content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device:
receiving, via one or more input devices, an input corresponding to a request to view information about a plurality of content items available for viewing on the electronic device; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the request to view information about the plurality of content items available for viewing on the electronic device, displaying, on a display, a user interface including:
in a first region of the user interface, a first plurality of representations corresponding to channels available for viewing on the electronic device, including:
a first representation of a first channel, wherein the first representation of the first channel displays live broadcast video from a first content item that is currently being broadcasted live on the first channel; and
a second representation of a second channel, different than the first channel, wherein the second representation of the second channel displays live broadcast video from a second content item that is currently being broadcasted live on the second channel; and

in a second region of the user interface, different than the first region of the user interface, one or more representations corresponding to one or more collections of episodic content available for viewing on the electronic device, including a respective representation of the one or more representations associated with a first collection of episodic content and a second respective representation of the one or more representations associated with a second collection of episodic content, different from the first collection of episodic content;

while displaying the user interface including the respective representation and the second respective representation, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a first input corresponding to selection of the respective representation associated with the first collection of episodic content;
in response to receiving the first input, displaying, on the display, a first landing page associated with the first collection of episodic content, and not associated with the second collection of episodic content, the first landing page different from the user interface, and the first landing page including a second plurality of representations of a plurality of episodes from a first season of the first collection of episodic content, including a given episode not currently being broadcast live, that are selectable to display respective episodes of the first collection of episodic content;
while displaying the first landing page, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a respective user input;
in response to receiving the respective user input, displaying, in the first landing page, a third plurality of representations of a plurality of episodes from a second season of the first collection of episodic content that are selectable to display a respective episode from the second season of the first collection of episodic content;
while displaying the user interface including the respective representation and the second respective representation, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input corresponding to selection of the second respective representation associated with the second collection of episodic content; and
in response to receiving the second input, displaying, on the display, a second landing page associated with the second collection of episodic content, and not associated with the first collection of episodic content, the second landing page different from the user interface, and the second landing page including a fourth plurality of representations of a plurality of episodes from a first season of the second collection of episodic content, including a given episode not currently being broadcast live, that are selectable to display respective episodes of the second collection of episodic content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input corresponding to the request to view information about a plurality of content items available for viewing on the electronic device was received while the electronic device was playing video content on the display, and
displaying the user interface comprises displaying the user interface overlaid on the video content while the video content continues playing.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the video content is visible on the display through at least a portion of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises an electronic device that includes the display.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a separate device from a display device that includes the display.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of representations corresponding to channels and the one or more representations corresponding to one or more collections of episodic content include at least one representation that is at least partially not displayed on the display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a plurality of rows of representations, including:
a first row of representations, including the first plurality of representations corresponding to channels,
a second row of representations, including the one or more representations corresponding to one or more collections of episodic content, corresponding to a collection of episodic content category of content, and
a third row of representations corresponding to a second category of content, different than the collection of episodic content category of content.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second category of content corresponds to a movies category of content, and the collection of episodic content category of content corresponds to a television shows category of content.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while displaying the user interface, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a sequence of one or more inputs directed at a representation, in the user interface, corresponding to content; and
in response to receiving the sequence of one or more inputs directed at the representation corresponding to content:
in accordance with a determination that the representation corresponding to content is a respective representation of the first plurality of representations corresponding to a respective channel available for viewing on the electronic device, displaying, on the display, live broadcast video from a respective content item that is currently being broadcasted live on the respective channel; and
in accordance with a determination that the representation corresponding to content is a respective representation of the one or more representations corresponding to a respective collection of episodic content available for viewing on the electronic device, displaying, on the display, a landing page corresponding to the respective collection of episodic content.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein displaying, on the display, the landing page corresponding to the respective collection of episodic content includes displaying, on the display, a representation of a current episode from a current season of the respective collection of episodic content, without displaying a representation of another episode of the respective collection of episodic content.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the other episode of the respective collection of episodic content is from another season, different than the current season, of the respective collection of episodic content.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the other episode of the respective collection of episodic content is from the current season of the respective collecti

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Christie Gregory N
• Sabatelli Alessandro
• Bachman William M
• Chaudhri Imran
• Robbin Jeffrey
• Young Jim
• Howard Joe
• Van Os Marcel
• Coffman Patrick L
• Lemay Stephen O
• Ma Jeffrey
• Kress Lynne

Classifications

• H04N21/482 Primary

  End-user interface for programme selection · CPC title

• H04N21/2187

  Live feed · CPC title

• H04N21/4316 Primary

  for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window · CPC title