Interactive access to media or other content related to current program

Abstract

A method for providing content related to a multimedia program on a display device, including: monitoring a currently viewed multimedia program by a user on a display device; retrieving content related to the currently viewed multimedia program from a content source based on information obtained from said currently viewed multimedia program; and displaying at least a portion of the content on a flexible user interface on the display device upon request by the user; in which the user is able to adjust a size and position of the flexible user interface on the display device.

1 . A method of providing content related to a multimedia program on a display device, comprising:
 monitoring a currently viewed multimedia program on a display device;   retrieving content related to said currently viewed multimedia program from a content source based on information obtained from said currently viewed multimedia program; and   displaying at least a portion of said content on an interactive user interface on said display device;   wherein movement of a user interface module of the interactive user interface is performed with a single press of a button.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said content is displayed simultaneously with said currently viewed multimedia program and said user interface overlays at least a portion of said currently viewed multimedia program. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said user interface is positioned on said display device such that said user interface and said currently viewed multimedia program do not overlap. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying either said size or position of said user interface with a remote control device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting an amount of said content displayed on said user interface by increasing or decreasing said size of said user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said user interface comprises at least a first and a second module, such that said first and second modules display different content related to said currently viewed multimedia program. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , in which a user is able to select which of said at least first and second modules is displayed on said display device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , in which said modules of said user interface are separable, such that each of said modules is able to be moved to different positions on said display device independently of other modules. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , in which a user is able to adjust a size of each of said modules with a remote control device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said content source comprises a cable headend signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said content source comprises a satellite dish signal. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said content source comprises an Internet connection. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , in which said user interface comprises at least one application tool that allows said user to select further related content not displayed on said display device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said related content comprises other available multimedia programming related to said currently viewed multimedia program, such that a user has an option to view or record said available programming. 
     
     
         15 . A multimedia user interface system for providing content related to a currently viewed multimedia program on a display device, comprising:
 a display device for displaying a currently viewed multimedia program, said multimedia program comprising metadata comprising information about said multimedia program;   an interactive user interface also displayed on said display device, the interactive user interface configured;   for retrieving only content related to said information about said multimedia program from a content source,   said content being then displayed on said user interface, wherein movement of a user interface module of the interactive user interface is performed with a single press of a button.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , in which a size of said user interface is adjustable, such that an amount of content displayed on said user interface is adjusted by either increasing or decreasing said size of said user interface. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , in which said user interface is modular, such that said user interface comprises at least a first and a second module, each of said first and second modules comprising different content related to said multimedia program, and content displayed in each of said first and second modules is able to be modified by a user. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , in which said user is able to further modify content displayed on said user interface by adding or removing modules from said user interface. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , in which said content comprises metadata comprising information about other available multimedia programming determined to be related to said multimedia program. 
     
     
         20 . A method of providing content related to a currently viewed multimedia program on a display device, said method comprising:
 with a control device, selecting modules for a user interface from among a list of available modules, such that said selected modules are displayed on a display device, each module containing a different type of information, at least some of which is specific to said current viewed multimedia program being shown on said display device;   with said control device, adjusting a size or position of any of said modules independent of other said modules on said display device and relative to a currently viewed multimedia program being shown on said display device, wherein movement of a user interface module of the user interface is performed with a single press of a button.