System and method for focused navigation within an interactive television user interface

Abstract

An ITV system having a plurality of channels is provided. A visual card is created for each channel, each visual card including a graphical representation of the channel. The visual cards may be linked together or grouped in one or more sequences. One or more visual cards from one or more sequences may be displayed across the GUI, with one visual card being displayed within a focus area. In response to a single user action, the visual cards within a particular sequence may be successively displayed within the focus area. When the user sees a visual card representing a desired channel, the user takes some additional action and the successive display of visual cards is discontinued. The visual card representing the desired channel is then displayed in the focus area within the user interface, and may be visually enhanced. Once the successive display of visual cards has been discontinued, the user may select the channel represented by the visual card.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for focused navigation of a plurality of channels within a user interface of an interactive television (ITV) system, the method comprising: 
 storing a plurality of visual cards, each visual card graphically representing a channel associated with the ITV system;    in response to a single user action, successively displaying the visual cards in a focus area of the user interface; and    in response to an additional user action, discontinuing the successive display of visual cards to show a particular visual card representing a desired channel.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise broadcast television channels.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise interactive channels.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the interactive channels are selected from the group consisting of a World Wide Web browser, an e-mail program, a videophone, a personal video recorder, and a directory of contacts.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise broadcast channels, and wherein at least one broadcast channel is graphically represented on a visual card by a video frame taken from a television program.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a displayed visual card occupies between about one-fifth and about one-fourth of a television screen.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the focus area comprises a center portion of the ITV user interface.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single user action comprises pressing and holding down a control on a remote control.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the additional user action comprises releasing the control on the remote control.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single user action comprises activating a first control on a remote control.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additional user action comprises re-activating the first control.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additional user action comprises activating a second control on the remote control.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 enhancing the visual card shown in the focus area in response to the additional user action.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise broadcast channels, and wherein enhancing the visual card comprises displaying a reduced-size presentation of the broadcast channel in place of the visual card.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein enhancing the visual card comprises displaying information within the user interface that is descriptive of the represented channel.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise interactive channels, and wherein enhancing the visual card comprises animating a graphical representation on the visual card.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein discontinuing comprises reverting to a previously-displayed visual card in response to the additional user action.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 displaying the desired channel in place of the user interface in response to a selection action by the user.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the selection action comprises activating a selection control on a remote control.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the selection action comprises not activating a control on a remote control for a set amount of time.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual cards are successively displayed at a maximum rate approximating a user's image recognition threshold.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the visual cards are successively displayed at a user-selected rate between about five representations per second and about eight representations per second.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 determining a user's image recognition threshold.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 increasing a rate at which the visual cards are successively displayed in response to a user command.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the user command comprises holding down a button on a remote control.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the rate is increased based on how long the button is held down.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the user command comprises pressing a button on a remote control.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the rate is increased each time the button is pressed.  
     
     
         29 . A method for focused navigation of a plurality of channels within a user interface of an interactive television (ITV) system, the method comprising: 
 storing a plurality of visual cards, each visual card graphically representing a channel associated with the ITV system;    displaying the visual cards in rapid succession in a same location of the display screen; and    in response to a user action, discontinuing the successive display of visual cards to show a particular visual card representing a desired channel.    
     
     
         30 . A method for focused navigation of a plurality of options within a user interface of an interactive television (ITV) system, the method comprising: 
 storing a first plurality of visual cards, each visual card representing a channel associated with the ITV system, each visual card comprising a graphical representation of the represented channel;    linking the first plurality of visual cards in a first sequence;    displaying a subset of the first sequence of visual cards in a first direction across the user interface, a single visual card in the sequence being displayed within a focus area of the user interface;    in response to a single user action, cyclically displaying the visual cards across the user interface in the first sequence to progressively change the visual card within the focus area; and    in response to an additional user action, halting the cyclic display to show a particular visual card within the focus area corresponding to a desired channel.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 storing a second plurality of visual cards, each visual card representing a channel associated with the ITV system, each visual card comprising a graphical representation of the represented channel;    linking the second plurality of visual cards in a second sequence; and    displaying a subset of the second sequence of visual cards in a second direction across the user interface.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the subset of the first sequence and the subset of the second sequence intersect to define the focus area.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the focus area comprises a center portion of the ITV user interface.  
     
     
         34 . A system for focused navigation of a plurality of channels within a user interface, the system comprising: 
 a storage device configured to store a plurality of visual cards, each visual card representing a channel associated with the system, each visual card comprising a graphical representation of the represented channel;    a user input detector configured to detect user actions; and    a display unit configured to successively display the visual cards in a focus area of the user interface in response to a single user action being detected, and to discontinue the successive display of visual cards to show a particular visual card of a desired channel in response to an additional user action being detected.    
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise broadcast channels.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise interactive channels.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the interactive channels are selected from the group consisting of a World Wide Web browser, an e-mail program, a videophone, a personal video recorder, and a directory of contacts.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise broadcast channels, and wherein at least one broadcast channel is graphically represented on a visual card by a video frame taken from a television program.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein a displayed visual card occupies between about one-fifth and about one-fourth of a television screen.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the focus area comprises a center portion of the user interface.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the single user action comprises pressing and holding down a control on a remote control.  
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the additional user action comprises releasing the control on the remote control.  
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the single user action comprises activating a first control on a remote control.  
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the additional user action comprises re-activating the first control.  
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the additional user action comprises activating a second control on the remote control.  
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the display unit is further configured to enhance the visual card shown in the focus area in response to the additional user action.  
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the channels represented by the visual cards comprise broadcast channels, and wherein the visual card is enhanced by displaying a reduced-size presentation of the broadcast channel in place of the visual card.  
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the visual card is enhanced by displaying information within the user interface that is descriptive of the represented channel.  
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the visual card is enhanced by animating a graphical representation on the visual card.  
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the display unit is further configured to revert to a previously-displayed visual card in response to the additional user action.  
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the display unit is further configured to display the desired channel in place of the user interface in response to a user selection action being detected.  
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the user selection action comprises activating a selection control on a remote control.  
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the user selection action comprises not activating a control on a remote control for a set amount of time.  
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the visual cards are successively displayed at a maximum rate approximating a user's image recognition threshold.  
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the visual cards are successively displayed at a user-selected rate between about five representations per second and about eight representations per second.  
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the display unit is further configured to determine a user's image recognition threshold.  
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the display unit is further configured to increase a rate at which the visual cards are successively displayed in response to a user command.  
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the user command comprises holding down a button on a remote control.  
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the rate is increased based on how long the button is held down.  
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the user command comprises pressing a button on a remote control.  
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the rate is increased each time the button is pressed.  
     
     
         62 . A system for focused navigation of a plurality of channels within a user interface, the system comprising: 
 a storage device configured to store a plurality of visual cards, each visual card graphically representing a channel associated with the system;    a user input detector configured to detect user actions; and    a display unit configured to display the visual cards in rapid succession in a focus area of the user interface and to discontinue the successive display of visual cards to show a particular visual card of a desired channel in response to a user action being detected.    
     
     
         63 . A system for focused navigation of a plurality of channels within a user interface, the system comprising: 
 a computer-readable medium configured to store a first linked sequence of visual cards, each visual card representing a channel associated with the system, each visual card comprising a graphical representation of the represented channel;    a user input detector configured to detect user actions; and    a display unit configured to: 
 display a subset of the first linked sequence of visual cards in a first direction across the user interface, a single visual card in the sequence being displayed within a focus area of the user interface;  
 cyclically display the visual cards across the user interface in the first linked sequence to progressively change the visual card within the focus area in response to a single user action being detected; and  
 halt the cyclic display to show a particular visual card within the focus area corresponding to a desired channel in response to an additional user action being detected.  
   
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , further comprising: 
 a computer-readable medium configured to store a second linked sequence of visual cards, each visual card representing a channel associated with the system, each visual card comprising a graphical representation of the represented channel; and    
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , wherein the subset of the first linked sequence and the subset of the second linked sequence intersect to define the focus area.  
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the focus area comprises a center portion of the user interface.  
     
     
         67 . A system for focused navigation of a plurality of channels, the system comprising: 
 means for storing a plurality of visual cards, each visual card graphically representing a channel associated with the system;    means for successively displaying the visual cards in a focus area of the user interface in response to a single user action; and    means for discontinuing the successive display of visual cards to show a particular visual card representing a desired channel in response to an additional user action.