Display inserts, overlays, and graphical user interfaces for multimedia systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924235-B2
Application number	US-201615360767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2006
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A disclosed digital media device operational at user premises to receive media signals from a media source for presentation via endpoint devices such as a television display. The digital media device can include gateway and digital media management functionality and can be referred to as a gateway and digital media device. The device offers application services obtained over a wide area network and a user premises network. The digital media device may form a composite signal from the media signal and application service information, for example, for a composite audio and/or video signal for television type presentation to the user. The digital media device may receive a selection signal based on the presentation, for transmission to the application service provider device or to the media source. The media device also offers a GUI presenting a moveable arrangement of icons for selectively accessing application services.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
establishing, via a wireless network at a user premises, a wireless connection with a media delivery device at the user premises, wherein the media delivery device is configured to provide media from a service provider;
storing a plurality of media applications that include a first media application associated with media available from a first service provider and a second media application associated with media available from a second service provider;
receiving, via the wireless network, a transmission for enabling at least one of the first media application or the second media application based on received user information;
displaying, via a display of an endpoint device at least one composite image that includes a plurality of application icons representing the plurality of media applications for accessing media, wherein the plurality of application icons includes
a first application icon that represents the first media application, wherein the first application icon is selectable to establish bi-directional communication with the first service provider, and
a second application icon that represents the second media application, wherein the second application icon is selectable to establish bi-directional communication with the second service provider independent of the first service provider,
wherein, one or more icons of the at least one composite image are added or removed based on subscription information, wherein the one or more icons include at least one of the application icons or an icon representing streamable media,

moving the application icons along the display of the endpoint device in response to receiving one or more first signals from a remote control;
in response to receiving one or more second signals from the remote control for selecting the first application icon, the second application icon, or the icon representing streamable media, receiving, via the wireless network and the media delivery device at the user premises, streamable media associated with the selected first media application, second media application, or the icon representing streamable media; and
displaying, via the endpoint device, the received streamable media.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving login information from a user, wherein the login information is associated with one of the media applications; and
sending the login information to the media delivery device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the login information includes a username and a password.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dynamically managing the one or more icons of the at least one composite image based on the subscription information associated with the user information, wherein the icon representing streamable media is a graphical icon representing video available for video streaming.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising modifying access to media provided by the media delivery device based on the subscription information.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, via the endpoint device, a dynamic graphical interface with the application icons; and
adding application icons to or removing application icons from the dynamic graphical interface based on the user information.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the wireless network, one or more updates for the media applications; and
automatically installing the received one or more updates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the at least one composite image includes:
determining a composite signal including a primary image corresponding to one or more of the plurality of application icons and a secondary image corresponding to a selected application icon of the one or more application icons, and
sending the composite signal to the endpoint device for displaying the primary and secondary images.

9. A media streaming device, comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the media streaming device to:
establish, via a local wireless network, a wireless connection with a media delivery device configured to receive media from a remote server of a service provider,
store, via the media streaming device located at a user premises, a plurality of media applications that includes a first media application associated with media available from a first server associated with a first service provider and a second media application associated with media available from a second server associated with a second service provider,
cause the endpoint device to display at least one composite image including a plurality of application icons representing the plurality of media applications, wherein the plurality of application icons include
a first application icon that represents the first media application, wherein the first application icon is selectable to establish bi-directional communication with the first service provider, and
a second application icon that represents the second media application, wherein the second application icon is selectable to establish bi-directional communication with the second service provider independent of the first service provider;

add or remove one or more icons associated with the at least one composite image for display by the endpoint device based on user information, wherein the one or more icons include at least one of the application icons or a media icon,
in response to receiving one or more inputs from a remote control, receive, via the local wireless network, media from at least one of the first service provider or the second service provider, and
cause the received media to be displayed on the endpoint device.

10. The media streaming device of claim 9 , wherein user information is associated with at least one subscription, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to dynamically manage the application icons based on the at least one subscription.

11. The media streaming device of claim 10 , wherein the user information is associated with the at least one subscription, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
add application icons to or remove application icons from a dynamic graphical interface based on the at least one subscription.

12. The media streaming device of claim 9 , wherein the media delivery device includes a gateway, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute instructions to cause the media streaming device to:
wirelessly communicate with a user media source configured to communicate with the media delivery device, wherein the user media source is independent from the gateway;
receive media from the user media source; and
display, via the endpoint device, the received media from the user media source.

13. A method, comprising:
establishing a wireless connection with a media delivery device located at a user premises, wherein the media delivery device is configured to provide media from service providers;
storing a plurality of media applications on the media delivery device, wherein the media applications include a first media application associated with media from a first service provider and a second media application associated with media from a second service provider;
causing a television to display a dynamic graphical interface with at least one composite image having a plurality of icons including
a first media application icon corresponding to the first media application, wherein the first media application icon is selectable to establish bi-directional communication with the first

Assignees

• Kip Prod P1 Lp

Inventors

• Ansari Amir
• Cowgill George A
• Nicholls Leon E
• Raissyan Atousa
• Ramayya Jude P
• Masina Ramprakash
• Mcquarters Alvin R

Classifications

• H04N21/238

  Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams {(hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)} · CPC title

• H04N21/2402

  Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876) · CPC title

• H04N21/47217

  for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312) · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• H04N21/42204

  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) · CPC title