Systems and methods for enabling transitions between items of content

Abstract

A computing device for facilitating access to items of content includes is configured to enable communication with a companion device. A companion device includes a user interface including a touch panel. The computing device is configured to determine whether touch event data received from a companion device corresponds to a particular gesture. The computing device causes a guide to be presented on the display, upon determining that the received touch event data corresponds to a swipe gesture, and causes a transition from the selected item of content to another item of content, upon determining that the received touch event data corresponds to a perpendicular swipe gesture.

1 . A method of facilitating access to items of content, the method comprising:
 causing a video presentation for a selected item of content to be rendered on a display;   receiving touch event data from a companion device;   determining the touch event data corresponds to a vertical swipe gesture;   causing a guide associated with an ordered set of items of content to be presented on the display in response to the vertical swipe gesture, wherein presenting the guide on the display includes rendering an image on the display for each item of content within a subset of the ordered set of items of content, wherein the subset is updated in response to subsequently received touch event data; and   caching images associated with items of content in the ordered set of items of content based on the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data will cause the image to be rendered on the display.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing a video presentation for a selected item of content to be rendered on the display includes causing a full screen video presentation for the selected item of content to be rendered on the display, and wherein causing a guide to be presented on the display includes causing a reduced size video presentation to be rendered on the display. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the items of content within the subset is selected, and further comprising changing the selected item of content upon receiving a directional click activation. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing a guide to be presented on the display includes causing a dynamic guide to be presented on the display, upon determining that the received touch event data corresponds to a vertical swipe gesture having a first direction and causing an on now guide to be presented on the display, upon determining that the received touch event data corresponds to a vertical swipe gesture having a direction opposing the first direction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a dynamic guide includes trending items of content. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein an on now guide includes event based items of content. 
     
     
         9 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A device for facilitating access to items of content comprising:
 an interface configured to enable communication with a companion device; and   one or more processors configured to:
 cause a video presentation for a selected item of content to be rendered on a display; 
 determine touch event data received from a companion device corresponds to a vertical swipe gesture; 
 cause a guide associated with an ordered set of items of content to be presented on the display in response to the vertical swipe gesture, wherein presenting the guide on the display includes rendering an image on the display for each item of content within a subset of the ordered set of items of content, wherein the subset is updated in response to subsequently received touch event data; and 
 cache images associated with items of content in the ordered set of items of content based on the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data will cause the image to be rendered on the display. 
   
     
     
         17 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein one of the items of content within the subset is selected and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a directional click activation from the companion device and change the active tile, upon receiving the directional click activation 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send an indication of the subset of items of content to the companion device, and change the selected item of content to an item of content upon receiving touch event data from the companion device that corresponds to activation of an icon associated with an item of content. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data will cause an image to be rendered on the display is based on the likelihood that a particular user will perform a particular gesture. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the likelihood that a particular user will perform a particular gesture is based on information included in a user profile. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein information included in the user profile includes past behavior of the user. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein information included in the user profile includes information regarding whether the user is left hand dominant or right hand dominant. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein updating the subset in response to subsequently received touch event data includes causing lower numbered items of content included in the ordered set of items of content to be included in the subset, upon determining that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to a horizontal swipe gesture having a first direction and causing higher numbered items of content included in the ordered set of items of content to be included in the subset, upon determining that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to a horizontal swipe gesture having a direction opposing the first direction. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein caching images associated with items of content in the ordered set of items of content based on the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data will cause the image to be rendered on the display includes caching images based on the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to the horizontal swipe gesture having a particular direction. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to the horizontal swipe gesture having a particular direction is based on whether the user is left hand dominant or right hand dominant. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to a horizontal swipe gesture having a particular direction is based on past user behavior. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein updating the subset in response to subsequently received touch event data includes causing lower numbered items of content included in the ordered set of items of content to be included in the subset, upon determining that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to a horizontal swipe gesture having a first direction and causing higher numbered items of content included in the ordered set of items of content to be included in the subset, upon determining that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to a horizontal swipe gesture having a direction opposing the first direction; and
 wherein caching images associated with items of content in the ordered set of items of content based on the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data will cause the image to be rendered on the display includes caching images based on the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to a horizontal swipe gesture having a particular direction.   
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 29 , wherein the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to the horizontal swipe gesture having a particular direction is based on whether a particular user is left hand dominant or right hand dominant. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 29 , wherein the likelihood that subsequently received touch event data corresponds to the horizontal swipe gesture having a particular direction is based on past user behavior.