Patent Application
20120221974
The present disclosure relates generally to presentation of user interface elements, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for presenting a plurality of graphical display elements.
Typical methods of providing a device interface are usually directed to device operation for playback of a single media file or source. Some conventional devices provide a graphical menu for selection of particular media. However, these methods and devices generally require a particular input device for user selection.
With the development of network based services, many providers of media content allow for purchase and/or renting of media. Many users desire an interface for viewing and selecting media. Conventional approaches generally provide interfaces similar to network browser applications for selecting media. However, the conventional user interfaces and devices may not be suitable for presenting a plurality of files. In many instances, users desire the ability to browse a plurality of media files for rent and/or purchase on a display device. One drawback of typical systems may be the ability to view or even navigate to a desired media title, especially when many available titles that may be accessed. Thus, there is a desire for a user interface that allows for selection and presentation of media that may be accessed using device controls. Further, there exists a need to allow for a more efficient and visually pleasing presentation of content to a user.
Disclosed and claimed herein are methods and apparatus for displaying a user interface by a device to present a plurality of media titles. In one embodiment, a method includes displaying, by the device, a user interface including a plurality of graphical elements, wherein each graphical element is associated with a media title and assigned a focus state, and assigning one of the graphical elements with a selected focus state, wherein the graphical element is displayed to include a glow accent. The method further includes detecting a user command, by the device, to adjust the display of the user interface, and adjusting the display of the user interface to initiate scrolling of graphical elements based on the user command, wherein adjusting the display relates to speed scrolling and the display of graphical elements is transitioned continuously to present graphical elements at an increased rate and for continuous motion across the user interface based on the user command, and wherein the selected focus state and at least one focus state of the graphical elements is updated based on the scrolling.
Other aspects, features, and techniques of the disclosure will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art in view of the following detailed description of the embodiments.
The features, objects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference characters identify correspondingly throughout and wherein:
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to displaying a user interface to present a plurality of media titles. Accordingly, a device and methods are provided for display of a plurality of graphical display elements. Display of the graphical elements may be based on one or more focus states to allow for a visually pleasing display of elements and identifying selection of an element. In one embodiment, a process is provided which includes assigning a graphical element a selected focus state to allow a user to navigate a plurality of displayed graphical elements. The process may include adjusting the display of a user interface based on a detected user command. For example, adjustment of the display may relate to a focus transition, wherein a selected focus state may be applied to another graphical display element. According to another embodiment, adjustment may relate to scrolling the display of graphical elements to allow for user viewing of the display elements. For example, the user interface may allow for a user to view media content by one or more of slow scrolling, fast scrolling and group scrolling. As will be discussed in more detail below, scrolling may provide for a continuous transition of display elements. Group scrolling, for example, may be provided by initiating scrolling at a first rate and increasing the rate that graphical elements are presented to an increased rate wherein the display transitions the graphical elements to navigate to one or more sections of media titles. In certain embodiments, spotlight treatment and adjustment of display elements while navigating content may additionally be provided.
As used herein, the terms “a” or “an” shall mean one or more than one. The term “plurality” shall mean two or more than two. The term “another” is defined as a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having” are open ended (e.g., comprising). The term “or” as used herein is to be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B or C” means “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C”. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment,” “certain embodiments,” “an embodiment,” or similar term means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, the disclosure is described below with reference to operations that are performed by a computer system or a like electronic system. Such operations are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed. It will be appreciated that operations that are symbolically represented include the manipulation by a processor, such as a central processing unit, of electrical signals representing data bits and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations, such as in system memory, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic properties corresponding to the data bits.
When implemented in software, the elements of the disclosure are essentially the code segments to perform the necessary tasks. The code segments can be stored in a processor readable medium, which may include any medium that can store or transfer information. Examples of the processor readable mediums include an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory or other non-volatile memory, a floppy diskette, a CD-ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk, etc.
Referring now to the figures,
In certain embodiments, user interface 100 may include menu 115. Menu 115 may relate to a listing that a user may select to display one or more media titles. For example, as depicted in
According to one embodiment, media titles 105 are depicted in a formation associated with a grid unit. Media titles may be arranged in a hierarchical arrangement, wherein a user may scroll, as shown by direction arrows 120 and 125. Arrangement of media titles in a hierarchical arrangement may be based on categorizations of featured or recommended content and then based on menu categorizations. In that fashion, media titles 105 may relate to a subset of media titles which may be presented to a user. By displaying a subset of the media titles available, a user may be presented with a manageable set of titles. As will be discussed in more detail below with respect to
Although user interface 100 is described above with reference to media titles, it should be appreciated that the user interface may be employed for graphical display and/or presentation of different types of elements including but not limited to account management files, personnel files, data folders, calendar entries, contacts, etc. Similarly, the user interface may be employed for presentation of real-time messages, such as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.
Referring now to
As shown in
I/O interface 215 may include one or more buttons for user input, such as a numerical keypad, volume control, channel control, menu controls, pointing device, track ball, mode selection buttons, and playback functionality (e.g., play, stop, pause, forward, reverse, slow motion, etc). Buttons of I/O interface 215 may include hard and soft buttons, wherein functionality of the soft buttons may be based on one or more applications running on device 200. I/O interface 215 may be employed for one or more user commands, such as scrolling or selection of a graphical element. I/O interface 215 may additionally be configured to decode one or more remote control commands for navigating a user interface. In another embodiment, device 200 may include one or more optical drives, not shown in
Communication interface 225 may be configured to allow for network based communications (e.g., downloading, uploading, streaming, etc.) including but not limited to LAN, WAN, and Wi-Fi. Communication interface 225 may be configured to allow for one or more devices to communicate with device 200 via wired or wireless communication. Communication interface 225 may additionally include one or more ports for receiving data, including ports for removable memory.
Although device 200 has been described as a computing device, it should be appreciated that the principles of the embodiments may be performed by distributed computing or processing over a network. Accordingly device 200 and one or more other computing devices may be employed to perform the functions of one or more embodiments.
Referring now to
Process 300 may continue by assigning one of the graphical elements a selected focus state at block 310. In one embodiment, graphical display elements (e.g., graphical display elements 105) may be displayed with one of four focus states. A disabled state relates to display of the graphical element, wherein the graphical element is non-selectable. A normal state relates to display of the graphical element with focus off. Display of a graphical item with focus off may relate to the graphical element displayed as partially faded. A focused state relates to display of the graphical element with focus on and including a glow accent. Display of a media title with focus on may relate to display of a graphical item without visual fading. In one embodiment, the glow accent of the focused state may be associated with a color. The selected state relates to display of a graphical display element with focus on and a glow accent associated with a color different from that of the focused state glow accent. In one embodiment, the glow accent may relate to, for example, a blue accent, while the selected item may relate to, for example, a white accent.
At block 315, the device may detect a user command to adjust the display interface. User commands may relate to a change in position of the selected graphical display element. In another embodiment, the user command may relate to a directional command, wherein the user interface is to be adjusted. For example, the user command may indicate scrolling to change the graphical elements that are displayed. The user command may be based on based on one or more of the duration held and a number of activations for a button of an input. At block 320, the device may adjust the display of the user interface. As will be discussed below in more detail, adjusting the user interface may change the focus state of one or more graphical elements. When the user command relates to a selection within a display window of the user interface, adjusting the display may relate to updating the focus state of a graphical element to a selected focus state. When the user command relates to scrolling, the user interface may initiate scrolling display to provide a continuous transition of graphical display elements at a rate based on the user command. Additionally, the selected focus state and at least one focus state of the graphical elements may be updated during scrolling.
Referring now to
The focus transition may be initiated at block 425. At block 425, the previously selected graphical display element, first element 435, fades to a focus state having glow accent 440. In addition, the second element 445 now includes glow accent 450. Glow accents 445 and 455 may be associated with one of a same color and different color. Alternatively, glow accents 445 and 455 may be different colors than the glow accent 415.
The focus transition may continue as shown in block 455. At block 455, first graphical display element 460 includes glow accent 465 while second graphical display element increases in size (e.g., display size) and includes glow accent 475. Glow accent 475 may include one or more of a continuous and pulsating backlit glow to appear as emanating from the graphical display item. The second element may be increased in size to emphasize the selected focus state. The transition may be completed at block 485, wherein the first graphical display element is depicted in a normal state, shown as 485, and second graphical display element 490 includes glow accent 495 and spotlight 496. The focus transition of
Referring now to
In one embodiment, the graphical display formation may be based on a selection of menu 540. For example, user selection of a menu category, such as family category 545, may result in display of particular media titles associated with the category. Further the user interface may display category 545 with particular display attributes. User interface 500 may also include spotlight shown as 550.
According to another embodiment, a user interface may provide detailed information and one or more functions of a selected media title when selected by a user. Further, the user interface may employ a focus transition of graphical display elements to aid in user navigation. Referring now to
Graphical display element 615 relates to a buy or purchase button which may be selected by the user to purchase media associated with title 605. Graphical display element 615 is depicted with a selected focus state to include glow accent 620. Graphical display element 625 relates to a selection button which may be selected to rent media title 625. User interface 600 may further include a plurality of icons, shown by 630, wherein each icon may be selected as a source of the media content. Icons 630 may be based on socially driven recommendations. User interface 600 further includes media data shown as 635 which may be selected by a user to obtain further information and details of media title 605. It may further be appreciated that a spotlight may be applied in
Referring now to
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Process 700 may be initiated by detecting user activation of a directional button at block 705. The directional button may relate to a user pushing, activating or selecting a button on a remote control or via an input of the device. At block 710 the device may initiate slow scrolling. Slow scrolling may include applying a selected focus element to another graphical display element based on the user command and advancing the display of graphical elements in short intervals.
The device may be configured to monitor the duration of the user activation of the directional button. For a single activation or short press, the user interface may slowly scroll though graphical display elements. When the user activates the directional button for a period of time, speed scrolling may be applied. According to another embodiment, group scrolling may be provided when the user continues to activate the directional button. When the user releases the directional button after a short period of time, (e.g., 1-2 seconds), release of the direction button will be detected at block 715 and the user interface will stop scrolling at block 720.
According to one embodiment, speed scrolling will be initiated when a user activates a direction key for a particular period of time. Alternatively, or in combination, speed scrolling may be initiated by one or more of a dedicated button and series or directional button activations (e.g., activating the directional button two times in one direction). Speed scrolling may present graphical elements at an increased rate relative to slow scrolling to provide graphical elements moving continuously across the user interface. Process 700 may detect user selection of speed scrolling at block 725 and start speed scrolling at block 730. The device may be configured to detect release of a direction button at block 730 and stop speed scrolling at block 720. Speed scrolling, for example, may be provided by increasing the scrolling rate for presenting graphical display elements in comparison to slow scrolling. During speed scrolling, graphical elements may be displayed including image data associated with the media file. Further, the display of these elements may be presented in a smooth and continuous manner. In that fashion a user, may view media titles for selection while scrolling. In order to facilitate viewing of the graphical elements, focus states of the elements may be adjusted and/or improved to allow for easier viewing.
Group scrolling may be detected at block 740 when a user continues to activate a directional button. Alternatively, it may be appreciated that repeated activation, such as three activations of the directional button may initiate group scrolling. Group scrolling may be initiated at block 745. The device may be configured to detect release of a direction button at block 750. The device can detect if the user will continue to activate a directional button or activate another direction button. When a user fails to activate a directional button, the user interface can timeout the group adjustment at block 755, and stop scrolling at block 720. When the user activates a direction button, as shown by block 760, the group adjustment may adjust the focus of a next category, such as a menu category at block 765. Based on continued activation at block 765, the user interface may apply speed scrolling at block 770 and possibly group scrolling at block 745. Alternatively, the user interface may detect release of a direction button at block 750. Group scrolling may follow scrolling at a rate associated with speed scrolling and adjust the rate such that graphical elements are presented at a similar or increased rate. Further, the focus states of one or more menu items may be modified or adjusted to included a selected focus state, wherein the menu elements are highlighted and the display is advanced. The display may transition the graphical elements in a smooth and continuous fashion by adjusting the graphical elements display based on subsequent elements of the menu.
Referring now to
Slow scrolling may be presented when a user selects a directional button at block 825, wherein the selected focus state is applied to the next graphical display element based on the direction button pressed. Block 825, depicts slow scrolling in a down direction, wherein the focus state is applied to the following graphical element. In one embodiment, slow scrolling may be performed by the user interface when the user activates a direction button for a short period of time. Based on a follow up activation, block 830 may include a subsequent focus shift to the next graphical display element. Similarly, a further shift is shown in block 835.
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While this disclosure has been particularly shown and described with references to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the disclosure encompassed by the appended claims.
This application is related to commonly-assigned and concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled “User Interface for Presenting Graphical Elements”, the disclosure of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference.
