System and method for navigating 3D media guidance applications

Abstract

To provide a system and a method for navigating a three-dimensional media guidance application.SOLUTION: A system and a method for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) media guidance application are provided. A first selectable media guidance object may be displayed on a screen that when viewed through a stereoscopic optical device may appear in a first plane. A second selectable media guidance object may be displayed on a screen that when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device may appear in a second plane. The first and second planes may be perceived to intersect an axis perpendicular to a display in different locations. User selection of at least one of the first and second selectable media guidance objects may be received.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Cross-reference of related applications) This application claims the interests of U.S. Utility Patent Application No. 12 / 571,283 (filed on [date] 2009) and U.S. Utility Patent Application No. 12 / 571,287 (filed on September 30, 2009), the disclosures of these applications being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] The rapid increase in the amount of media content (e.g., video and audio) available to the average person (e.g., via the internet, cable, and satellite television and radio) has led to a growing popularity of interactive media guidance applications, such as interactive program guides. Typically, interactive media guidance applications present a two-dimensional (2D) grid of guide lists indexed by time and program provider (e.g., television channels). In particular, the guide list appears flat on the screen. These guidance applications further present other guide-related data (e.g., user profiles, recommendations) in the 2D view. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] In view of the above, systems and methods for navigating three-dimensional (3D) media guidance applications according to various embodiments of the present invention are provided. In particular, selectable media guidance objects displayed on a two-dimensional screen may appear to be positioned in any of the three-dimensional spaces when the two-dimensional screen is viewed using a stereoscopic optical device.

[0004] In some embodiments, a media guidance application viewed via a stereoscopic optical device may be presented on the screen. The media guidance application may include selectable media guidance objects that appear to be at different distances from the user in three-dimensional space. In some implementations, a first and a second selectable media guidance object may be displayed, respectively, appearing on a first and a second plane when viewed via a stereoscopic optical device. The second plane may be perceived to intersect an axis perpendicular to the display screen at a different position than the first plane. This may create the appearance that the first selectable media guidance object is closer to the user than the second selectable media guidance object.

[0005] In some embodiments, the stereoscopic optical device may include left and right lenses corresponding to the user's left and right eyes. The stereoscopic optical device may be configured to receive signals from a media device indicating which of the lenses to block and which to unblock. The blocked lenses may not transmit visible light, while the unblocked lenses may transmit visible light. In some implementations, the stereoscopic optical device may be instructed to block the left lens and unblock the right lens when only a portion of the stereoscopic image generated for the right eye is displayed on the screen, and the stereoscopic optical device may be instructed to block the right lens and unblock the left lens when only a portion of the stereoscopic image generated for the left eye is displayed on the screen. In some implementations, each portion of the stereoscopic image generated for the corresponding eye may be displayed on the screen, and the corresponding lenses may be alternatively blocked and unblocked at a rate fast enough that the user does not need to perceive the two images separately, and perceive the images together in order to interpret the combined image as three-dimensional.

[0006] In some embodiments, the media device may receive a user selection of at least one of the displayed selectable media guidance objects. In some implementations, the user selection may be received by an input device having an accelerometer. In other implementations, the input device may have a gyroscope instead of, or in addition to, an accelerometer. The media device may detect the movement of the input device. Based on the detected movement of the input device, the media device may perform an action on the displayed selectable media guidance object. In some implementations, the media device may move a cursor in three-dimensional space based on the movement of the input device. In particular, the user may swing the input device clockwise to the right, and as a result, the media device may move the cursor in a circular motion in three-dimensional space in a clockwise direction. In some implementations, the media device may detect abrupt movements of the input device, and as a result, the media device may enable the selection of the selectable media guidance object closest to the cursor's position in three-dimensional space.

[0007] In some embodiments, the media device may detect the movement of an input device in a specific direction, and for this purpose, the media device may change the mode of the selectable media guidance objects displayed. In particular, the mode of the selectable media guidance objects may correspond to an actor associated with a particular media asset. As a result of detecting the movement of an input device, the media device may change the mode of the selectable media guidance objects to correspond to a playlist mode. More specifically, if the selectable media guidance objects are in playlist mode, one of the selectable media guidance objects may identify a particular playlist, and the remaining selectable media guidance objects may present the media assets of the playlist.

[0008] In some embodiments, a stereoscopic media guidance application may be generated locally by a media device. The media device may generate a first image containing a selectable media guidance object centered at a first point on the screen seen by the user's right eye. The media device may generate a second image containing a copy of the selectable media guidance object centered at a second point on the screen, different from the first point seen by the user's left eye. In some implementations, the media device may superimpose the first and second images to produce a stereoscopic image for display on the screen in order to generate a stereoscopic image. The selectable media object may appear in the stereoscopic image at a distance perceived by the user when the user views the stereoscopic image through a stereoscopic optical device. The distance between the first and second points on the screen may be proportional to the perceived distance.

[0009] In some embodiments, the media device may alternate between displaying the first and second images, and may instruct the stereoscopic optics device to block / unblock the lens corresponding to the displayed image. In some implementations, the media device may alternate between displaying the first and second images at a rate faster than the user can perceive. This specification also provides, for example, the following items: (Item 1) A method for presenting a stereoscopic media guidance application to a user, wherein the media guidance application is viewed through a stereoscopic optical device worn by the user, and the method is Displaying a first selectable media guidance object using a user device having a display screen, wherein the first selectable media guidance object appears in a first plane when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device, The user device is used to display a second selectable media guidance object, wherein the second selectable media guidance object appears in a second plane when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device, and the second plane is perceived to intersect an axis perpendicular to the display screen at a different position from the first plane. To receive a user selection of at least one of the first and second selectable media guidance objects. Methods that include... (Item 2) The first selectable media guidance object identifies a group of media assets, The method described in item 1, wherein the second selectable media guidance object corresponds to one of the media assets in the group. (Item 3) The method described in item 2, wherein the group of media assets is selected from the group consisting of television programs, time slots, performers, film genres, songs, music artists, and video games. (Item 4) The method according to item 2, wherein one of the media assets in the group is selected from a group consisting of performers, program broadcasts in a specific time slot, television programs, and films belonging to a genre identified by the first selectable media asset. (Item 5) The user selection of the first selectable media guidance object is the method described in item 2, which determines which group the first selectable media guidance object identifies. (Item 6) The detection of the user's movements, In response to the detected motion, the system displays additional selectable media guidance objects that appear on different surfaces, which are perceived to intersect the axis at different positions from the first and second surfaces, when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device. The method described in item 1, further including the method described in item 1. (Item 7) The user selection is received using infrared light and a camera, as described in item 1. (Item 8) The method according to item 1, wherein the user selection is received using the input device, the input device having at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope for transmitting the operation and orientation of the input device to the user device. (Item 9) Specifying a reference point with respect to the orientation of the input device, Determining the position of the visual indicator on the display screen corresponding to the reference point, To detect movement that causes a change in the orientation of the input device, Based on the change in orientation, the direction of the movement relative to the reference point is determined, Moving the visual indicator in the determined direction of the movement to a new position on the display screen. The method described in item 8, further including the method described in item 8. (Item 10) Receiving the above means To detect movement indicating the selection of the selectable media guidance object closest to the position of the visual indicator, Select the selectable media guidance object that is closest to the position of the visual indicator. The method described in item 9, including the method described in item 9. (Item 11) The first and second selectable media guidance objects are spherical in shape, as described in item 1. (Item 12) The method according to item 1, wherein the user selection is such that the second selectable media guidance object is sensed to be orbiting the first selectable media guidance object. (Item 13) The user selection of any displayed selectable media guidance object is performed without any movement of the displayed selectable media guidance object, according to the method described in item 1. (Item 14) The first selectable media guidance object that appears within the first plane appears within a first perspective view. The second selectable media guidance object within the second plane appears within a second perspective view different from the first perspective view, according to the method described in item 1. (Item 15) The combination of the media guidance objects that appear within the first and second perspective views appears as a continuous array of the media guidance objects. The array appears to have a first fold at an adjacent first point, and the first point corresponds to a first position between the first media guidance object that appears within the first perspective view and the second media guidance object that appears within the second perspective view, according to the method described in item 14. (Item 16) A system for presenting a stereoscopic media guidance application to a user, wherein the media guidance application is viewed through a stereoscopic optical device worn by the user, and the system includes: A display screen having a vertical axis; Means for displaying a first selectable media guidance object on the display screen, wherein the first selectable media guidance object appears within a first plane when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device, and the first plane is sensed to intersect the axis at a first position; Means for displaying a second selectable media guidance object on the display screen, wherein the second selectable media guidance object appears within a second plane when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device, and the second plane is sensed to intersect the axis at a second position different from the first position; Means for receiving a user selection of at least one of the first and second selectable media guidance objects A system equipped with these features. (Item 17) The first selectable media guidance object identifies a group of media assets, The second selectable media guidance object is the system described in item 16, which corresponds to one of the media assets in the group. (Item 18) The group of media assets is selected from the group consisting of television programs, time slots, performers, film genres, songs, music artists, and video games, as described in item 16. (Item 19) The system according to item 17, wherein one of the media assets in the group is selected from a group consisting of performers, program broadcasts in a specific time slot, television programs, and films belonging to a genre identified by the first selectable media asset. (Item 20) The user selection of the first selectable media guidance object is the system described in item 17, which determines which group the first selectable media guidance object identifies. (Item 21) The means for detecting the user's movements, Means for displaying additional selectable media guidance objects on the display screen in response to detected motion, wherein the additional selectable media guidance objects appear in different planes that, when viewed through the stereoscopic optical device, are perceived to intersect the axes at positions different from the first and second positions. The system described in item 16, further comprising the above. (Item 22) The system described in item 16, wherein the user selection is received using infrared light and a camera. (Item 23) The system according to item 16, wherein the user selection is received using the input device having at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope for transmitting the operation and orientation of the input device to the user device. (Item 24) Means for assigning a reference point to the orientation of the input device, Means for determining the position of a visual indicator on the display screen corresponding to the reference point, Means for detecting motion that causes a change in the orientation of the input device, Means for determining the direction of the movement relative to the reference point based on the change in direction, Means for moving the visual indicator in the determined direction of the movement to a new position on the display screen, The system described in item 23 further includes the features described therein. (Item 25) Means for detecting movement indicating the selection of the selectable media guidance object closest to the position of the visual indicator, means for selecting the selectable media guidance object closest to the position of the visual indicator, The system described in item 24, further comprising the features described therein. (Item 26) The system described in item 16, wherein the first and second selectable media guidance objects are spherical. (Item 27) The system according to item 16, wherein the user selection is such that the second selectable media guidance object is sensed to be orbiting the first selectable media guidance object. (Item 28) The system according to item 16, wherein the user selection of any displayed selectable media guidance object is performed without moving any of the displayed selectable media guidance objects. (Item 29) The first selectable media guidance object appearing in the first plane appears in the first perspective view, The system according to item 16, wherein the second selectable media guidance object in the second plane appears in a second perspective view different from the first perspective view. (Item 30) The combination of media guidance objects appearing in the first and second perspective views appears as a continuous sequence of media guidance objects. The system according to item 29, wherein the array appears having a first fold at an adjacent first point, the first point corresponding to a first position between the first media guidance object appearing in the first perspective view and the second media guidance object appearing in the second perspective view. (Item 31) A method for designing graphics for a selectable stereoscopic media object displayed on a screen having a first point, the method being: To generate a first image containing a first selectable media object centered on a first point that should be seen by the user's right eye, To generate a second image which includes a copy of the first selectable media object centered on a second point on the screen, different from the first point, that should be seen by the user's left eye, To generate a stereoscopic image, a first image and a second image for display on the screen are superimposed, wherein the first selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a first perceptible distance from the user when the user views the stereoscopic image through a stereoscopic optical device. A method comprising the distance between the first point and the second point on the screen, wherein the distance between the first point and the second point on the screen corresponds to the first perceived distance. (Item 32) This further includes using similar triangles to determine the relationship between the offset distance and the apparent distance. The offset distance is the distance between the first point and the second point, The apparent distance is the distance from which the first selectable media object appears to be from the screen. The apparent distance is positive when the first selectable media object appears to be behind the screen, and negative when the first selectable media object appears to be in front of the screen, as described in item 31. (Item 33) The offset distance and the apparent distance are calculated according to the following formula: a = (z*e) / (D + z) z = (D*a) / (ea) The method according to item 32, wherein a is the offset distance, z is the apparent distance, e is the difference between the distance between the pupils of the user's eyes and the width of the media object, and D is the distance between the user's eyes and the screen. (Item 34) The method according to item 31, further comprising using a coordinate system to calculate the position of the first selectable media object in the first and second images. (Item 35) The method according to item 31, further comprising updating the position in the first and second images on which the first selectable media object is placed, so that it is sensed that the first selectable media object is moving within the stereoscopic image. (Item 36) The stereoscopic optical device is A first opening for the user's right eye to view the first image, wherein the first image is the only image that can be seen by the user's right eye, and the first opening A second opening for the user's left eye to view the second image, wherein the second image is the only image that can be seen by the user's left eye, and The method according to item 31, comprising: (Item 37) The stereoscopic optical device is A first lens covering the first aperture, wherein the user views the first image through the first lens, A second lens covering the second aperture, wherein the user views the second image through the second lens, The method described in item 36, further comprising: (Item 38) The aforementioned superposition is, Transmitting a first signal from the transmitter, The sensor receives the first signal, In response to the reception of the first signal, Blocking the first lens, and, Unblocking the second lens, The transmitter transmits a second signal, The sensor receives the second signal, In response to the reception of the second signal, Unblock the first lens, and Blocking the second lens and Includes, The method according to item 37, wherein the first and second lenses allow visible light to pass through when the first and second lenses are unblocked, and prevent visible light from passing through when the first and second lenses are blocked. (Item 39) The method according to item 38, wherein the first and second lenses are liquid crystal. (Item 40) The first and second lenses are blocked and unblocked using a shuttering process, as described in item 38. (Item 41) The method described in item 38, wherein the first and second signals are infrared signals. (Item 42) The first image includes a second selectable media object whose center is located at a third point, The second image includes a copy of the second selectable media object, centered at a fourth point on the screen, which is different from the third point. The second selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a second perceived distance. The first selectable media guidance object appears in the stereoscopic image in the first perspective view, The method according to item 31, wherein the second selectable media guidance object appears in the stereoscopic image in a second perspective view that is different from the first perspective view. (Item 43) The combination of media guidance objects appearing in the first and second perspective views appears as a continuous sequence of media guidance objects. The method according to item 42, wherein the arrangement appears having a first fold at an adjacent first point, the first point corresponding to a first position between the first media guidance object appearing in the first perspective view and the second media guidance object appearing in the second perspective view. (Item 44) The method according to item 31, wherein the selectable stereoscopic media object is a media object displayed in an environment selected from a group consisting of games, software applications, and media guides. (Item 45) A system for designing graphics for selectable stereoscopic media objects, wherein the system is A display screen having a first point, Means for generating a first image including a first selectable media object centered on a first point that should be seen by the user's right eye, Means for generating a second image including a copy of the first selectable media object, centered at a second point on the display screen different from the first point, which should be seen by the user's left eye; Means for superimposing a first image and a second image for display on a display screen in order to generate a stereoscopic image, wherein the first selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a first perceptible distance from the user when the user views the stereoscopic image through a stereoscopic optical device. Equipped with, The distance between the first point and the second point on the display screen corresponds to the first perceived distance in the system. (Item 46) The means of using similar triangles to determine the relationship between the offset distance and the apparent distance are further provided. The offset distance is the distance between the first point and the second point, The apparent distance is the distance from which the first selectable media object appears to be from the display screen. The apparent distance is positive when the first selectable media object appears to be behind the display screen and negative when the first selectable media object appears to be in front of the display screen, as described in item 45. (Item 47) The system further comprises means for calculating the offset distance and the apparent distance according to the following formula, a=(z * e) / (D+z) z=(D * a) / (ea) The system as described in item 46, wherein a is the offset distance, z is the apparent distance, e is the difference between the distance between the pupils of the user's eyes and the width of the media object, and D is the distance between the user's eyes and the display screen. (Item 48) The system according to item 45, further comprising means for using a coordinate system to calculate the position of the first selectable media object in the first and second images. (Item 49) The system according to item 45, further comprising means for updating the position in the first and second images on which the first selectable media object is placed, so that it is sensed that the first selectable media object is moving within the stereoscopic image. (Item 50) The stereoscopic optical device is A first opening for the user's right eye to view the first image, wherein the first image is the only image visible to the user's right eye, and the first opening A second opening for the user's left eye to view the second image, wherein the second image is the only image visible to the user's left eye, and The system described in item 45, which includes the features described therein. (Item 51) The stereoscopic optical device is A first lens covering the first aperture, wherein the user views the first image through the first lens, A second lens covering the second aperture, wherein the user views the second image through the second lens and The system described in item 50 further includes the features described therein. (Item 52) A means for transmitting a first signal by a transmitter, A means for receiving the first signal by a sensor, The means for blocking the first lens, Means for unblocking the second lens in response to the received first signal, Means for transmitting a second signal by the transmitter, The means for receiving the second signal by the sensor, Means for unblocking the first lens, In response to the received first signal, means for blocking the second lens and Furthermore, The system according to item 51, wherein the first and second lenses allow visible light to pass through when the first and second lenses are unblocked and prevent visible light from passing through when the first and second lenses are blocked. (Item 53) The system according to item 52, wherein the first and second lenses are liquid crystal. (Item 54) The system according to item 52, further comprising means for blocking and unblocking the first and second lenses using a shuttering process. (Item 55) The system described in item 52, wherein the first and second signals are infrared signals. (Item 56) The first image includes a second selectable media object whose center is located at a third point, The second image includes a copy of the second selectable media object, centered at a fourth point on the display screen, which is different from the third point. The second selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a second perceived distance. The first selectable media guidance object appears in the stereoscopic image in the first perspective view, The system according to item 45, wherein the second selectable media guidance object appears in the stereoscopic image in a second perspective view that is different from the first perspective view. (Item 57) The combination of media guidance objects appearing in the first and second perspective views appears as a continuous sequence of media guidance objects. The system according to item 56, wherein the arrangement appears having a first fold at an adjacent first point, the first point corresponding to a first position between the first media guidance object appearing in the first perspective view and the second media guidance object appearing in the second perspective view. (Item 58) The selectable stereoscopic media object is a media object displayed within an environment selected from a group consisting of games, software applications, and media guides, as described in item 45. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, which is to be interpreted in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where similar reference letters refer to similar parts throughout. [Figure 1] Figures 1 and 2 show exemplary display screens that may be used to provide a list of media guidance applications according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figures 1 and 2 show exemplary display screens that may be used to provide a list of media guidance applications according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an exemplary user device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a diagram of an exemplary bidirectional media system between platforms according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A shows an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B shows an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5C] Figure 5C shows an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5D] Figure 5D shows a pattern of an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A shows an exemplary front view of a display screen of media objects appearing on different surfaces, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B shows an exemplary side view of the display screen shown in Figure 6A, according to one embodiment of the present invention, assuming that the media object is actually three-dimensional. [Figure 7] Figure 7A shows an exemplary display screen of a media object displayed on different sides according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7B shows an exemplary display screen of a performer presentation displayed on different sides according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an exemplary configuration of a user device and peripheral devices according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figures 9A-B show an exemplary configuration of a media guidance object on a display screen according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 10-11 is an exemplary flowchart for navigating a 3D media guidance application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Figure 10-11 is an exemplary flowchart for navigating a 3D media guidance application according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12A] Figure 12A shows an exemplary image as seen by the user's left eye according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12B] Figure 12B shows an exemplary image as seen by the user's right eye according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12C] Figure 12C shows an exemplary side view of a stereoscopic image formed by superimposing the images in Figures 12A-B, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the use of similar triangles in the generation of a 3D image according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows the coordinate system used for generating a stereoscopic image according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is an exemplary flowchart for designing graphics for a 3D media guide display according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows an exemplary display screen of a media guidance object shown from different viewpoints, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] This invention relates, in general, to the presentation and design of stereoscopic, or 3D, media guidance applications. In particular, a plurality of focused objects (e.g., user profile, media asset, or program schedule information) are displayed on a first plane, and a plurality of remaining objects are displayed on an additional plane that is perceived to intersect an axis perpendicular to the display screen at a different position from the first plane. More specifically, the focused object may be displayed to appear flat on the screen, while other objects may be displayed to appear as if they are in front of or behind the screen. As defined herein, an asset or media asset refers to any type of media (or data file) that may be played, accessed, recorded, and / or viewed. The term “focus” or being focused, as used herein, should be understood to mean altering the appearance of a displayed item or object to make it visually more prominent than other items or objects.

[0012] In any given media delivery system, the amount of media available to a user can be enormous. As a result, many users desire a form of media guidance through an interface that allows them to efficiently navigate media options and easily identify desired media content. Applications that provide such guidance are referred to herein as interactive media guidance applications, but may also be referred to as media guidance applications or guidance applications.

[0013] Interactive media guidance applications may take various forms depending on the media that provides the guidance. One typical type of media guidance application is an interactive television program guide. An interactive television program guide (sometimes called an electronic program guide) is a well-known guidance application that enables users to navigate and search among many types of media content, including, among other things, traditional television programs (provided via traditional broadcast, cable, satellite, the internet or other means), as well as pay-per-view programs, on-demand programs (such as video-on-demand (VOD) systems), internet content (e.g., streaming media, downloadable media, webcasts, etc.), and other types of media or video content. Guidance applications also enable users to navigate and search among content related to video content, such as video clips, articles, advertisements, chat sessions, games, etc. Guidance applications also enable users to navigate among multimedia content. The term “multimedia” is defined herein as media and content that utilize at least two different content forms, such as text, audio, still images, pictures, moving images, video, and interactive content forms. Multimedia content may be recorded and played back, displayed or accessed by information content processing devices such as computers and electronic devices, and may also be part of a live performance. It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention discussed in relation to media content are also applicable to other types of content such as video, audio, and / or multimedia.

[0014] With the advent of the internet, mobile computing, and high-speed wireless networks, users are accessing media on personal computers (PCs) and other devices they did not previously access, such as handheld computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, or other mobile devices. On these devices, users can navigate and search among the same media available through television. Consequently, media guidance is also needed on these devices. The guidance provided may be for media content available only through television, media content available through only one or more of these devices, or media content available through both television and one or more of these devices. Media guidance applications may be provided on handheld computers such as PDAs, mobile phones, or other mobile devices as online applications (i.e., provided on a website), or as standalone applications or clients. Various devices and platforms on which media guidance applications may be implemented are described in more detail below.

[0015] One of the functions of a media guidance application is to provide the user with a media list and media information. Figure 1-2 shows an exemplary display screen that may be used to provide media guidance, particularly a media list. The display screens shown in Figures 1-2, 7A-B, 9A-B, and 12A-C may be implemented on any suitable device or platform. Although the displays in Figures 1-2, 7A-B, 9A-B, and 12A-C are illustrated as full-screen displays, they may also be fully or partially overlaid on the displayed media content. The user may indicate a request for access to media information by selecting a selectable option provided on the display screen (e.g., menu options, list options, icons, hyperlinks, etc.) or by pressing a dedicated button on a remote control or other user input interface or device (e.g., a “Guide” button). Depending on user instructions, the media guidance application may provide a display screen with media information organized in one of several ways, such as by time and channel in a grid, by time, by channel, by media type, by category (e.g., movies, sports, news, children's programs, or other program categories), or by other predetermined, user-defined, or other organizational criteria.

[0016] Figure 1 shows an exemplary grid program listing display 100 arranged by time and channel, which also allows access to different types of media content within a single display. Display 100 may include a grid 102 having (1) a column of channel / media type identifiers 104 in which each channel / media type identifier (cell in the column) identifies a different channel or media type available, and (2) a row of time identifiers 106 in which each time identifier (cell in the row) identifies the time slot of a program. Grid 102 also includes cells for program listings, such as program listings 108, where each listing provides the title of the program being offered, above the channel and time associated with the listing. Using a user input device, the user can select a program listing by moving a highlight area 110. Information about the program listing selected by the highlight area 110 may be provided in a program information area 112. Area 112 may include, for example, the program title, program content, the time the program is offered (if applicable), the channel on which the program is broadcast (if applicable), the program rating, and other desired information.

[0017] In addition to providing access to linear programming delivered according to a schedule, the media guidance application also provides access to non-linear programming that is not delivered according to a schedule. Non-linear programming may include content from different media sources, including on-demand media content (e.g., VOD), internet content (e.g., streaming media, downloadable media, etc.), locally stored media content (e.g., video content stored on digital video recorders (DVRs), digital video discs (DVDs), videocassettes, compact discs (CDs), etc.), or other media content that is not time-constrained. On-demand content may include both movies and original media content provided by specific media providers (e.g., HBO On Demand, which offers "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"). HBO ON DEMAND is a service mark owned by Time Warner Company LP and others, and THE SOPRANOS and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM are trademarks owned by Home Box Office, Inc. Internet content may include web events such as chat sessions or webcasts, or content available on demand as streaming media or downloadable media through internet websites or other internet access (e.g., FTP).

[0018] Grid 102 may provide a non-linear list of programs, including an on-demand list 114, a recorded media list 116, and an internet content list 118. A display that combines lists for content from different types of media sources is sometimes called a “mixed media” display. Various permutations of list types that may be displayed, different from display 100, may be based on user selection or guidance application definition (e.g., displaying only recorded and broadcast lists, or only on-demand and broadcast lists). As illustrated, lists 114, 116, and 118 are shown as spanning the entire time period in which they appear in grid 102, indicating that selection of these lists may provide access to displays dedicated to on-demand lists, recorded lists, or internet lists, respectively. In other embodiments, these media type lists may be directly included in grid 102. Additional lists may be displayed in response to the user selecting one of the navigation icons 120 (pressing arrow keys on a user input device may affect the display as well as selecting a navigation icon 120).

[0019] Display 100 may also include a video area 122, an advertisement 124, and an optional area 126. The video area 122 may allow the user to view and / or preview programs that are currently available, will become available in the future, or have been available. The content of the video area 122 may correspond to or be independent of one of the lists displayed in grid 102. A grid display including a video area is sometimes referred to as a Picture-in-Guide (PIG) ​​display. PIG displays and their functions are described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,564,378 by Satterfield et al., issued May 13, 2003, and U.S. Patent No. 6,239,794 by Yuen et al., issued May 29, 2001, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. PIG displays may be included in other media guidance application display screens of the present invention.

[0020] Advertisements 124 may advertise media content that is currently available, will become available in the future, or will never become available, depending on the user's access rights (e.g., to subscribed programs), and may correspond to or be unrelated to one or more media listings in grid 102. Advertisements 124 may also be for products or services that are related to or unrelated to the media content appearing in grid 102. Advertisements 124 may be selectable to provide further information about the media content, provide information about products or services, enable the purchase of media content, products, or services, or provide media content related to the advertisement. Advertisements 124 may be targeted based on the user's profile / preferences, monitored user activity, the type of display offered, or other suitable targeted advertising infrastructure.

[0021] Advertisements 124 are shown as rectangles or banners, but advertisements may be provided in any suitable size, shape, and location within the guidance application display. For example, advertisement 124 may be provided as rectangles horizontally adjacent to grid 102. This is sometimes referred to as a panel advertisement. In addition, advertisements may be overlaid on media content or guidance application displays, or embedded within displays. Advertisements may also include text, images, rotated images, video clips, or other types of media content. Advertisements may be stored in a user device having a guidance application, in a database connected to the user device, in a remote location (including a streaming media server), or on other storage means or a combination of these locations. The step of providing advertisements to a media guidance application is discussed in more detail, for example, in Knudson et al., U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 347,673, filed January 17, 2003; Ward, III et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,756,997, issued June 29, 2004; and Schein et al., U.S. Patent No. 6,388,714, issued May 14, 2002, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. It will be understood that advertisements may be included in the display screens of other media guidance applications of the present invention.

[0022] The options area 126 may allow the user to access different types of media content, media guidance application displays, and / or media guidance application features. The options area 126 may be part of the display 100 (and other display screens of the present invention), or it may be invoked by the user by selecting an option on the screen or by pressing a dedicated or assignable button on a user input device. The selectable options within the options area 126 may also relate to features related to the program list in the grid 102, or they may include options available from the main menu display. Features related to the program list may include searching for other broadcast times or ways to receive programs, recording programs, enabling continuous recording of programs, setting programs and / or channels as favorites, purchasing programs, or other features. Options available from the main menu display may include search options, VOD options, parental control options, access to various types of list displays, subscription to premium services, editing the user profile, access to a browser overlay, or other options.

[0023] A media guidance application may be personalized based on user preferences. A personalized media guidance application allows users to customize its display and features so that the media guidance application generates a personalized “experience.” This personalized experience may be generated by allowing users to input these customizations and / or by the media guidance application monitoring user activity to determine various user preferences. Users may access the personalized guidance application by logging in or otherwise identifying themselves to the guidance application. Customizations of the media guidance application may be created according to a user profile. Customizations may include steps to vary the presentation method (e.g., display color scheme, text font size, etc.), the manner in which the media content list is displayed (e.g., HDTV programs only, user-specified broadcast channels based on favorite channel selection, sorting of channel display, recommended media content, etc.), desired recording features (e.g., recording or continuous recording for a specific user, recording quality, etc.), parental control settings, and other desired customizations.

[0024] The media guidance application may allow the user to provide user profile information, or it may automatically organize user profile information. The media guidance application may monitor, for example, the media the user accesses and / or other interactions the user may have with the guidance application. In addition, the media guidance application may obtain all or part of other user profiles related to a particular user (e.g., from other websites on the internet that the user accesses, such as www.tvguide.com, from other media guidance applications that the user accesses, from other interactive applications that the user accesses, from the user's handheld device, etc.), and / or obtain information about the user from other sources that the media guidance application may access. As a result, a unified guidance application experience can be provided to the user across different devices. This type of user experience will be described in more detail below in relation to Figure 4. Additional personalized media guidance application features are described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 179,410 filed July 11, 2005, U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 437,304 filed November 9, 1999, and U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 105,128 filed February 21, 2002, which are incorporated herein by reference to their entirety.

[0025] Another display configuration for providing media guidance is shown in Figure 2. The video mosaic display 200 includes selectable options 202 for media content information organized based on media type, genre, and / or other organizing criteria. In display 200, the TV list option 204 is selected, and therefore lists 206, 208, 210, and 212 are provided as broadcast program lists. Unlike the lists in Figure 1, the lists in display 200 are not limited to simple text describing the media (e.g., program titles) and icons. Rather, in display 200, the lists may provide graphic images, including cover art, still images from media content, previews of video clips, live video from media content, or other types of media that show the user the media content described by the list. Each graphic list may also be accompanied by text to provide further information about the list and the associated media content. For example, list 208 may include one or more parts, including a media section 214 and a text section 216. The media section 214 and / or text section 216 may be selectable to view the video in full screen or to view a list of programs related to the video displayed in the media section 214 (for example, to view a list of channels on which the video is shown).

[0026] The lists in Display 200 are of different sizes (i.e., list 206 is larger than lists 208, 210, and 212), but all lists may be the same size if desired. Lists may be of different sizes or graphically emphasized to indicate the degree of interest to the user or to highlight certain content, as desired by the media provider or based on user preferences. Various systems and methods for graphically emphasizing media lists are discussed, for example, in Yates' U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 324,202, filed December 29, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference in whole.

[0027] A user may access media content and media guidance applications (and their display screens above and below) from one or more of these user device equipment. Figure 3 shows a generalized embodiment of an exemplary user device equipment 300. More specific implementations of the user device equipment are described below in relation to Figure 4. The user device equipment 300 may receive media content and data via an input / output (hereinafter, "I / O") path 302. The I / O path 302 may provide media content (e.g., broadcast programming, on-demand programming, internet content, and other video or audio) and data to a control circuit 304, which includes a processing circuit 306 and a storage device 308. The control circuit 304 may be used to send and receive commands, requests, and other appropriate data using the I / O path 302. The I / O path 302 may connect the control circuit 304 (and specifically the processing circuit 306) to one or more communication paths (described below). I / O functionality may be provided by one or more of these communication paths, but to avoid making the diagram too complex, it is shown as a single path in Figure 3.

[0028] The control circuit 304 may be based on any suitable processing circuit 306, such as a processing circuit based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic elements, etc. In some embodiments, the control circuit 304 executes instructions for a media guidance application stored in memory (i.e., storage device 308). In client-server based embodiments, the control circuit 304 may include a suitable communication circuit for communicating with a guidance application server or other network or server. The communication circuit may include a cable modem, Integrated Digital Network (ISDN) modem, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, telephone modem, or wireless modem for communication with other devices. Such communication may involve the Internet or any other suitable communication network or route (described in more detail in relation to Figure 4). In addition, the communication circuit may include a circuit that enables peer-to-peer communication between user equipment devices or communication between user equipment devices located at distant locations (described in more detail below).

[0029] Memory (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, or any other suitable memory), a hard drive, an optical drive, or any other suitable fixed or removable storage device (e.g., a DVD recorder, CD recorder, video cassette recorder, or other suitable recording device) may be provided as a storage device 304 which is part of the control circuit 308. The storage device 308 may include one or more of the above-described types of storage devices. For example, the user equipment device 300 may include a hard drive for a DVR (sometimes referred to as a personal video recorder or PVR) and a DVD recorder as a secondary storage device. The storage device 308 may be used to store various types of media and guidance application data described herein, including program information, guidance application settings, user preference or profile information, or other data used when operating the guidance application. Non-volatile memory may also be used (e.g., to start boot-up routines or other instructions).

[0030] The control circuit 304 may include video generation and tuning circuits, such as one or more analog tuners, one or more MPEG-2 decoders, or other digital decoding circuits, high-resolution tuners, or any other suitable tuning or video circuits, or combinations of such circuits. Encoding circuits (e.g., for converting radio, analog, or digital signals to MPEG signals for storage) may also be provided. Circuit 304 may also include scaler circuits for converting media up and down to a preferred output format of the user device 300. Circuit 304 may also include digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion circuits for converting between digital and analog signals. The tuning and encoding circuits may be used by the user device to receive and display, play back, or record media content. The tuning and encoding circuits may also be used to receive guidance data. For example, the circuits described herein, including tuning, video generation, encoding, decoding, scaling, and analog / digital circuits, may be implemented using software running on one or more general-purpose or specialized processors. Multiple tuners may be provided to accommodate simultaneous tuning functions (e.g., viewing and recording functions, picture-in-picture (PIP) function, multiple tuner recording function, etc.). If the storage device 308 is provided as a separate device from the user device 300, the tuning and encoding circuits (including multiple tuners) may be associated with the storage device 308.

[0031] The user may control the control circuit 304 using the user input interface 310. The user input interface 310 may be any suitable user interface, such as a remote control, mouse, trackball, keypad, keyboard, touch screen, touchpad, stylus input, joystick, voice recognition interface, or other user input interface. In some embodiments, the user input interface 310 may include an accelerometer 316. When the user moves the user input interface 310 including the accelerometer 316, the accelerometer 316 may transmit information about the movement and orientation of the user input interface to the user device 300. In some embodiments, the user input interface 310 may include, in addition to or instead of, the accelerometer 316, a gyroscope (not shown).

[0032] For example, the user input interface 310, including the accelerometer 316, may be a rod-shaped device similar to the user input interface used in the Nintendo Wii. In one embodiment, the rod-shaped device may be in the shape of a rectangular prism. In other embodiments, the rod-shaped device may be in the shape of a triangular prism, a sphere, or a cylinder, or the rod-shaped device may gradually narrow from one end to the other, like a pyramid or a cone. When the user holds the rod-shaped device and swings their arm, the accelerometer 316 may transmit information indicating the upward movement and upward orientation of the point on the rod-shaped device furthest from the user. When the user holds the rod-shaped device and swings their arm downward, the accelerometer 316 may transmit information indicating the downward movement and downward orientation of the point on the rod-shaped device furthest from the user. When the user holds the rod-shaped device and swings their arm parallel to the ground, the accelerometer 316 may transmit information indicating the lateral movement and the orientation of the rod-shaped device parallel to the ground. The user may move the rod-shaped device and change its orientation with any combination of upward, downward, and lateral arm movements. The user may move the rod-shaped device and change its orientation by moving only their wrist, rather than their entire arm, such as moving their wrist up, down, left, right, or in a circular motion while holding the rod-shaped device.

[0033] The display 312 may be provided as a standalone device or integrated with other elements of the user equipment device 300. The display 312 may be one or more of a monitor, a television, a liquid crystal screen (LCD) for a mobile device, or any other suitable device for displaying visual images. In some embodiments, the display 312 may be HDTV-compatible. The speaker 314 may be provided as an integration with other elements of the user equipment device 300 or may be a standalone unit. Audio components of video and other media content displayed on the display 312 may be played through the speaker 314. In some embodiments, the audio may be delivered to a receiver (not shown) that processes and outputs the audio via the speaker 314.

[0034] The guidance application may be implemented using any preferred architecture. For example, it may be a standalone application fully implemented on the user device 300. In such an approach, the application's instructions are stored locally, and data for use by the application is downloaded periodically (e.g., from the VBI of a TV channel, from an out-of-band feed, or using another preferred approach). In another embodiment, the media guidance application is a client-server based application. Data for use by a thick or thin client implemented on the user device 300 is retrieved on demand by issuing requests to a server located remotely from the user device 300. In one embodiment of the client-server based guidance application, the control circuit 304 runs a web browser that interprets web pages provided by the remote server.

[0035] In yet another embodiment, the media guidance application is downloaded, interpreted, or otherwise executed by an interpreter or virtual machine (executed by the control circuit 304). In some embodiments, the guidance application may be encoded in ETV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF), received by the control circuit 304 as part of a preferred feed, and interpreted by a user agent running on the control circuit 304. For example, the guidance application may be an EBIF widget. In other embodiments, the guidance application may be defined by a set of Java®-based files received and executed by a local virtual machine or other preferred middleware executed by the control circuit 304. In some of such embodiments (e.g., employing MPEG-2 or other digital media encoding schemes), the guidance application may be encoded and transmitted, for example, in an MPEG-2 object carousel using MPEG audio and video packets of a program.

[0036] The user equipment device 300 in Figure 3 can be implemented in the system 400 in Figure 4 as any other type of user equipment suitable for accessing media such as user television equipment 402, user computer equipment 404, wireless communication device 406, or non-portable game consoles. For simplicity, these devices may be collectively referred to herein as user equipment or user equipment devices. User equipment devices on which media guidance applications are implemented may function as standalone devices or as part of a network of devices. Various network configurations of devices may be implemented and will be discussed in more detail below.

[0037] User television equipment 402 may include a set-top box, satellite receiver (IRD), television set, digital storage device, DVD recorder, video cassette recorder (VCR), local media server, or other user television equipment. One or more of these devices may be integrated into a single device, if desired. User computer equipment 404 may include a PC, laptop, tablet, WebTV box, personal computer television (PC / TV), PC media server, PC media center, or other user computer equipment. WEBTV is a trademark owned by Microsoft Corp. Wireless user communication device 406 may include a PDA, mobile phone, portable video player, portable music player, portable game console, or other wireless device.

[0038] With the emergence of PC TV tuner cards, WebTV, and video integration into other user equipment devices, it should be noted that attempting to classify a device as one of the above devices may no longer result in a clear distinction. In fact, each of the user TV equipment 402, user computer equipment 404, and wireless user communication device 406 may utilize at least some of the system features described above in relation to Figure 3, and as a result, may include flexibility regarding the types of media content available on the device. For example, the user TV equipment 402 may be internet-enabled, enabling access to internet content, while the user computer equipment 404 may include a tuner, enabling access to television programs. The media guidance application may also have the same layout on various types of user equipment, or it may be adapted to the display capabilities of the user equipment. For example, on user computer equipment, the guidance application may be provided as a website accessed by a web browser. In another embodiment, the guidance application may be scaled down for wireless user communication devices.

[0039] In System 400, there are typically two or more of each type of user equipment device, but to avoid making the diagram too complex, only one of each is shown in Figure 4. In addition, each user may use two or more types of user equipment devices (for example, a user may have a television set and a computer), and may also use two or more of each type of user equipment device (for example, a user may have a PDA and a mobile phone and / or multiple television sets).

[0040] Users may also configure various settings to maintain consistent media guidance application settings across home and remote devices. These settings include the settings described herein, as well as favorite channels and programs, program preferences, display preferences, and other desired guidance settings that the guidance application uses to recommend programs. For example, if a user sets a channel as a favorite on their office PC, for example, on the website www.tvguide.com, the same channel will appear as a favorite on the user's home devices (e.g., user television equipment and user computer equipment), as well as on the user's mobile devices, if desired. Therefore, changes made on one user device, whether the user device is the same or different type, can change the guidance experience on another user device. Furthermore, changes made may be based on user setting inputs, as well as user activity monitored by the guidance application.

[0041] User equipment devices may be connected to the communication network 414. That is, user television equipment 402, user computer equipment 404, and wireless user communication device 406 are connected to the communication network 414 via communication paths 408, 410, and 412, respectively. The communication network 414 may be one or more networks, including the Internet, a mobile phone network, a mobile device (e.g., Blackberry) network, a cable network, a public switched telephone network, or other types of communication networks, or a combination of communication networks. BLACKBERRY is a service mark owned by Research In Motion Limited Corp. Paths 408, 410, and 412 may, individually or together, include one or more communication paths, such as a satellite path, a fiber optic path, a cable path, a path supporting Internet communications (e.g., IPTV), a free-space connection (e.g., for broadcast or other radio signals), or any other suitable wired or wireless communication path, or a combination of such paths. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 4, route 412 is drawn with a dashed line to indicate that it is a wireless route, and routes 408 and 410 are drawn with solid lines to indicate that they are wired routes (however, these routes may also be wireless routes if desired). Communication with the user equipment device may be provided by one or more of these communication routes, but in Figure 4, it is shown as a single route to avoid making the drawing too complex.

[0042] Although communication paths between user equipment devices are not illustrated, these devices may communicate directly with each other via communication paths such as those described above in relation to paths 408, 410, and 412, as well as other short-range point-to-point communication paths such as USB cables, IEEE 1394 cables, wireless paths (e.g., Bluetooth®, infrared, IEEE 802-11x, etc.), or other short-range communications via wired or wireless paths. BLUETOOTH is a certification mark owned by Bluetooth® SIG, INC. User equipment devices may also communicate directly with each other via indirect paths through communication network 414.

[0043] System 400 includes a media content source 416 and a media guidance data source 418, which are connected to a communication network 414 via communication paths 420 and 422, respectively. Paths 420 and 422 may include any of the communication paths described above with respect to paths 408, 410, and 412. Communication with the media content source 416 and the media guidance data source 418 may occur via one or more communication paths, but in Figure 4, they are shown as a single path to avoid over-complexity of the diagram. In addition, there may be two or more media content sources 416 and media guidance data sources 418, but in Figure 4, only one of each is shown to avoid over-complexity of the diagram. (Different types of these sources will be discussed below). If desired, the media content source 416 and the media guidance data source 418 may be integrated as a single source device. Although the communication between sources 416 and 418 and user equipment devices 402, 404, and 406 is shown as occurring through the communication network 414, in some embodiments sources 416 and 418 may communicate directly with user equipment devices 402, 404, and 406 via communication paths (not shown), such as those described above in relation to paths 408, 410, and 412.

[0044] Media content source 416 may include one or more types of media distribution equipment, including television distribution facilities, cable system headends, satellite distribution facilities, program sources (e.g., television broadcasters such as NBC, ABC, and HBO), intermediate distribution facilities and / or servers, internet providers, on-demand media servers, and other media content providers. NBC is a trademark owned by National Broadcasting Company, Inc., ABC is a trademark owned by ABC, INC., and HBO is a trademark owned by Home Box Office, Inc. Media content source 416 may be a source of media content (e.g., a television broadcaster, a webcast provider, etc.) or may not be a source of media content (e.g., an on-demand media content provider, an internet provider of video content for broadcast programs for download, etc.). Media content source 416 may include cable sources, satellite providers, on-demand providers, internet providers, or other media content providers. Media content source 416 may include remote media servers used to store different types of media content (including video content selected by the user) located remotely from any of the user equipment devices. Systems and methods for remote storage of media content and for providing remotely stored media content to user devices are discussed in more detail in relation to U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 332,244, filed June 11, 1999, by reference to the whole of the said application.

[0045] The media guidance data source 418 may provide media guidance data such as media lists, media-related information (e.g., broadcast times, broadcast channels, media titles, media content, rating information (e.g., parental control ratings, critic ratings, etc.), genre or category information, actor information, logo data of broadcasting companies or providers, etc.), media format (e.g., standard definition, high definition, etc.), advertising information (e.g., text, images, media clips, etc.), on-demand information, and any other types of guidance data that help users navigate and search between their desired media selections.

[0046] Media guidance application data may be provided to the user's equipment using any preferred approach. In some embodiments, the guidance application may be a standalone, interactive television program guide that receives program guide data via a data feed (e.g., a continuous feed, a trickle feed, or data within the vertical retrace interval of a channel). Program schedule data and other guidance data may be provided to the user's equipment on the sideband of a television channel, within the vertical retrace interval of a television channel, using in-band digital signals, using out-of-band digital signals, or by any other preferred data transmission technique. Program schedule data and other guidance data may be provided to the user's equipment on multiple analog or digital television channels. Program schedule data and other guidance data may be provided to the user's equipment at any preferred frequency (e.g., continuously, daily, at user-specified intervals, at system-specified intervals, on request from the user's equipment, etc.). In some approaches, guidance data from the media guidance data source 418 may be provided to the user's equipment using a client-server approach. For example, a guidance application client residing on the user's equipment may initiate a session with source 418 to retrieve guidance data when needed. The media guidance data source 418 may provide the user device 402, 404, and 406 with the media guidance application itself, or software updates for the media guidance application.

[0047] The media guidance application may be, for example, a standalone application implemented on a user device. In other embodiments, the media guidance application may be a client-server application only if the client resides on the user device. For example, the media guidance application may be implemented partly as a client application on the control circuit 304 of the user device 300 and partly as a server application on a remote server (e.g., media guidance data source 418). Guidance application displays may be generated by the media guidance data source 418 and transmitted to the user device. The media guidance data source 418 may also transmit data for storage on the user device, which then generates guidance application displays based on instructions processed by the control circuit.

[0048] The media guidance system 400 is intended to illustrate several approaches or network configurations, thereby allowing user equipment devices and sources of media content and guidance data to communicate with each other for the purpose of accessing media and providing media guidance. The present invention may be applied in any one or part of these approaches, or in systems employing other approaches for delivering media and providing media guidance. The following three approaches provide specific examples of the generalized embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0049] In one approach, user equipment devices may communicate with each other within a home network. User equipment devices can communicate with each other directly via the short-range point-to-point communication scheme described above, via an indirect route through a hub or other similar device provided on the home network, or via the communication network 414. Each of several individuals in a household may operate different user equipment devices on the home network. As a result, it may be desirable for various media guidance information or settings to be transmitted between different user equipment devices. For example, as described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 179,410 filed July 11, 2005, it may be desirable for a user to maintain consistent media guidance application settings on different user equipment devices within a home network. Different types of user equipment devices within a home network may also communicate with each other to transmit media content. For example, a user may transmit media content from a user computer device to a portable video player or portable music player.

[0050] In a second approach, a user may have multiple types of user devices that allow them to access media content and obtain media guidance. For example, some users may have a home network accessed by both home and mobile devices. Users may control their home devices via a media guidance application implemented on a remote device. For example, a user may access an online media guidance application on a website via a personal computer in their office or a mobile device such as a PDA or web-enabled mobile phone. Users may control their home devices by configuring various settings (e.g., recording, reminders, or other settings) on the online guidance application. The online guidance may control the user's devices directly or by communicating with the media guidance application on the user's home devices. Various systems and methods for communication between user device devices that are located remotely from one another are discussed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application 10 / 927,814, filed August 26, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0051] In a third approach, user devices inside and outside the home can use a media guidance application to communicate directly with the media content source 416 and access media content. Specifically, within the home, users of user television equipment 404 and user computer equipment 406 may access the media guidance application to navigate and search for desired media content. Users may also use a wireless user communication device 406 to access the media guidance application outside the home to navigate and search for desired media content.

[0052] While discussions of media content primarily focus on video content, it will be understood that the principles of media guidance can be applied to other types of media content, such as music and images.

[0053] In some embodiments, media guidance application objects or media guidance objects may appear to be displayed on different surfaces. In particular, one of the media guidance objects may appear on a first surface (for example, the media guidance object appears flat on the screen), and the other media guidance object may appear on a second surface (for example, the media guidance object may appear as if it were in front of or behind the screen).

[0054] As defined herein, the terms Media Guidance Object or Media Guidance Application Object mean any website, live video feed, or recorded video feed playback or visual presentation of Media Guidance Application Data such as a visual presentation of a user profile, media assets, previously recorded media assets, media asset recommendations, email messages, notifications, reminders, scheduled recordings, favorite channels, photos, icons, sketches, short message service (SMS) messages, multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages, service provider messages, new media asset releases, media categories, queues including media assets to be viewed at future times, media asset playlists, or home video, or any combination thereof.

[0055] In stereoscopic media guidance applications, the stereoscopic effect may be achieved by generating a first image for the user's right eye and a second image for the user's left eye. The two images are superimposed to generate a stereoscopic image. In the stereoscopic image, some objects appear closer to the user, while others appear further away. To separate the images presented to each of the user's eyes, the user may view the stereoscopic media guidance application through a stereoscopic optical device.

[0056] Figure 5A shows an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the stereoscopic optical device 500 may have a spectacle-like structure. The stereoscopic optical device 500 may have a first aperture 502a for the user's right eye and a second aperture 502b for the user's left eye. When the user looks through aperture 502a, the user sees only the image produced for the user's right eye. Similarly, when the user looks through aperture 502b, the user sees only the image produced for the user's left eye. Apertures 502a and 502b may be surrounded by a frame structure 504. The frame structure 504 may include a bridge 506 that can be placed on the user's nose when the user wears the stereoscopic optical device 500. The stereoscopic optical device 500 may further have side pieces 508 that run along the sides of the user's head and hook onto the user's ears. The side pieces 508 may be attached to the frame structure 504 by screws, hinges, glue, or any other suitable mounting means. In some embodiments, the side piece 508 may be folded behind the frame structure 504 when the user is not wearing the stereoscopic optical device 500.

[0057] In one embodiment, the frame structure 504, bridge 506, and side piece 508 may be made of plastic. In another embodiment, the frame structure 504, bridge 506, and side piece 508 may be made of metal. Any other suitable material may be used to create the frame structure 504, bridge 506, and side piece 508. In some embodiments, the frame structure 504, bridge 506, and side piece 508 may all be made of the same material. In other embodiments, each of the frame structure 504, bridge 506, and side piece 508 may be made of a different material. In yet another embodiment, one of the frame structure 504, bridge 506, and side piece 508 may be made of a different material than the other two parts.

[0058] In some embodiments, aperture 502a may be covered by a first lens, and aperture 502b may be covered by a second lens. The lenses may be made of liquid crystal or some other suitable material. In some embodiments, the images seen through each of the lenses are superimposed by blocking and unblocking the lenses as appropriate. When a lens is blocked, visible light cannot pass through the lens. When a lens is unblocked, visible light can pass through the lens.

[0059] In some embodiments, a transmitter on a user device may transmit a first signal received by a sensor. Upon receipt of the first signal, the first lens is blocked and the second lens is unblocked. Then, a second signal may be transmitted by the transmitter and received by the sensor. Upon receipt of the second signal, the first lens is unblocked and the second lens is blocked. The transmitter, sensor, and signal are described in more detail below with reference to Figure 8.

[0060] In some embodiments, the lens may be blocked and unblocked using a shuttering process. For example, the above lens blocking and unblocking process may be repeated many times per second so that the user does not notice the lens shuttering due to visual afterimages, and instead is shown a continuous stereoscopic image. In some embodiments, the lens blocking and unblocking results in a rate of 60 times per second. In other embodiments, blocking and unblocking may occur at a slower or faster rate. For example, blocking and unblocking may occur at a rate of 30 times per second.

[0061] Figure 5B shows an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the stereoscopic optical device 520 may be in the form of goggles. The stereoscopic optical device 520 may have a first aperture 522a for the user's right eye and a second aperture 522b for the user's left eye. When the user looks through aperture 522a, the user sees only the image produced for the user's right eye. Similarly, when the user looks through aperture 522b, the user sees only the image produced for the user's left eye. Apertures 522a and 522b may be surrounded by a frame structure 524. The frame structure 524 may include a bridge 526 which may be placed on the user's nose when the user wears the stereoscopic optical device 520. The stereoscopic optical device 520 may further have a band 528 which wraps around the user's head to secure the stereoscopic optical device 520. The band 528 may be attached to the frame structure 524 by screws, hinges, glue, or any other suitable mounting means.

[0062] In one embodiment, the frame structure 524 and bridge 526 may be made of plastic. In another embodiment, the frame structure 524 and bridge 526 may be made of metal. Any other suitable material may be used to create the frame structure 524 and bridge 526. In some embodiments, the frame structure 524 and bridge 526 may be made of the same material. In other embodiments, the frame structure 524 and bridge 526 may be made of different materials.

[0063] In some embodiments, the band 528 may be made of a rigid material such as plastic or metal. In other embodiments, the band 528 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or latex. The length of the band 528 may be adjustable so that the stereoscopic optical device 520 may be worn by users of different sizes. In some embodiments, aperture 522a may be covered by a first lens, and aperture 522b may be covered by a second lens. The lenses may be made of liquid crystal or some other suitable material. In some embodiments, the images seen through each of the lenses are superimposed by blocking and unblocking the lenses at appropriate times as described above, in relation to Figure 5A.

[0064] Figure 5C shows an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the stereoscopic optical device 540 may have a structure similar to opera glasses. The stereoscopic optical device 540 may have a first aperture 542a for the user's right eye and a second aperture 542b for the user's left eye. When the user looks through aperture 542a, the user sees only the image produced for the user's right eye. Similarly, when the user looks through aperture 542b, the user sees only the image produced for the user's left eye. Apertures 542a and 542b may be surrounded by frame structures 544a and 544b, respectively. Frame structures 544a and 544b may be connected by a bridge 546 which may be placed on the user's nose when the user wears the stereoscopic optical device 540. The length of the bridge 546 may be adjustable so that the stereoscopic optical device 540 can be used by users of different sizes.

[0065] In some embodiments, the frame structures 544a and 544b and the bridge 546 may be made of plastic, paper, and / or metal. Any other suitable material may be used to create the frame structures 544a and 544b and the bridge 546. In some embodiments, the frame structures 544a and 544b and the bridge 546 may be made of the same material. In other embodiments, the frame structures 544a and 544b and the bridge 546 may be made of different materials. In some implementations, the stereoscopic optical device 540 may be provided on a sheet of paper and cut based on a specific area. The stereoscopic optical device 540 may be formed by joining and folding the cut surfaces of an object, as illustrated in relation to Figure 5D and described below. The stereoscopic optical device 540 may be positioned on the user's face such that, in a particular orientation, the second aperture 542b allows visible light to pass through the user's right eye, and only a portion of the superimposed stereoscopic image generated for viewing by the user's right eye can be seen. Furthermore, in certain orientations, the first aperture 542a may be configured to allow visible light to pass through the user's left eye, so that only a portion of the superimposed stereoscopic image generated for the user's left eye to see can be viewed. When viewed together, the user's brain combines the images and perceives the combined image as a three-dimensional object (as described in more detail below).

[0066] The stereoscopic optical device 540 may further have a handle 548 that the user can hold when looking through apertures 542a and 542b. The handle 548 may be attached to either frame structure 544a or frame structure 544b by screws, hinges, glue, or any other suitable mounting means. The length of the handle 548 may be adjustable so that the stereoscopic optical device 540 can be used by users of different sizes. The handle 548 may be made of plastic, metal, rubber, or any other suitable material or combination of materials. In some embodiments, the handle 548 may be folded behind frame structures 544a and 544b when the stereoscopic optical device 540 is not in use.

[0067] In some embodiments, aperture 542a may be covered by a first lens, and aperture 542b may be covered by a second lens. The lenses may be made of liquid crystal or some other suitable material. In some embodiments, the images seen through each of the lenses are superimposed by blocking and unblocking the lenses at appropriate times, as described above in relation to Figure 5A.

[0068] Figure 5D shows a pattern 560 of an exemplary stereoscopic optical device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Pattern 560 may be cut and assembled to form a stereoscopic optical device similar to the stereoscopic optical device 540 described above. After the outline of pattern 560 is cut, slits may be cut along lines 562a-d. Pattern 560 may be folded along dotted lines 564a-f so that the black sides face each other and form a frame structure. The frame structure may be fixed together by inserting slit 562a into slit 562b and slit 562d into slit 562c.

[0069] In embodiments where images for each eye are presented side by side, a stereoscopic optical device formed from pattern 560 may be used. For example, the image for the left eye may be displayed on the left portion of the screen, and the image for the right eye may be displayed on the right portion of the screen at a suitable distance away from the rest of the screen. In some implementations, two separate screens may be configured to display the image for each eye, respectively. The user may view the images for each eye from the frame structure and the wider side of the frame by closing one eye at times. The user may view a single stereoscopic image when both eyes are open.

[0070] Stereoscopic optical devices, such as those described above in relation to Figures 5A-D, may be used when a user views a stereoscopic media guidance application. Exemplary stereoscopic media guidance application display screens are described in detail below in relation to Figures 6A-B and 7A-B.

[0071] Figure 6A shows an exemplary front view of a display screen 600 of media objects appearing on different surfaces, according to one embodiment of the present invention. A user 608 viewing the display screen 600 sees a first selectable media guidance object 602 and a second selectable media guidance object 604. When viewed, the first selectable media guidance object 602 appears closer to the user than the second selectable media guidance object 604 along an axis 606 perpendicular to the display screen 600.

[0072] The user perception of the first and second selectable media guidance objects 602 and 604 is further shown in Figure 6B. Figure 6B shows an exemplary side view of the display screen shown in Figure 6A, assuming that the first and second selectable media guidance objects 602 and 604 are actually three-dimensional. The first selectable media guidance object 602 is displayed on a first plane indicated by a dotted line 612. The second selectable media guidance object 604 is displayed on a second plane indicated by a dotted line 614 that intersects an axis 606 located at a different position from the first plane 612. The user may view the display screen 600 via a stereoscopic optical device 616 similar to the one described above in relation to Figures 5A-C. The user may select at least one of the first and second selectable media guidance objects 602 and 604 having a user input device 610, such as the user input device described above in relation to Figure 3. The selection of selectable media guidance objects is described in detail below in relation to Figures 9A-B and 910.

[0073] Multiple selectable media guidance objects may be configured for a stereoscopic media guidance application display, as described below in relation to Figures 7A-B. Figure 7A shows an exemplary display screen 700 of selectable media objects displayed on different faces according to one embodiment of the present invention. The selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be configured based on a planetary system. In particular, the selectable media guidance object 702 may be located at the position of the sun in the planetary system, and the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be located at the positions of planets orbiting the sun. More specifically, the selectable media guidance object 702 may be perceived by the user as being in the central region of three-dimensional space when using a stereoscopic optical device, and the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be perceived by the user as surrounding the selectable media guidance object 702 in three-dimensional space.

[0074] In some implementations, the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be positioned and perceived as being at the same level (or height) as selectable media guidance object 702, or each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may appear to be at a different level. In some implementations, the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be positioned and perceived as being equidistant from selectable media guidance object 702, or each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may appear to be at a different distance. In some embodiments, the distance between any one of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 and the selectable media guidance object 702 may correspond to how the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 relate to the selectable media guidance object 702.

[0075] In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may rotate around the selectable media guidance object 702. For example, each selectable media guidance object 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may move in a circular motion around the selectable media guidance object 702 at a specific speed (which may be predetermined or selected by the user) in time. In some implementations, the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may move when the processing circuit 306 detects movement by an input device in a particular direction. For example, if the user suddenly moves the input device once to the right, the processing circuit 306 may reposition the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 by rotating them clockwise around the selectable media guidance object 702.

[0076] Each of the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may appear in a different plane that intersects the perpendicular of the screen at different points. For example, when the first selectable media guidance object 602 appears to the user (for example, it may appear closer to the user in 3D space), the selectable media guidance object 702 may appear to the user, and when the second selectable media guidance object 704 appears to the user, the selectable media guidance object 712 may appear to the user (for example, it may appear further away from the user in 3D space). In some implementations, the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be spherical, rectangular, triangular, or any other shape.

[0077] In some embodiments, selectable media guidance objects may appear semi-transparent, partially transparent, or completely transparent. For example, selectable media object 706 may appear closer to the user in three-dimensional space than selectable media object 708. Selectable media object 706 may partially or completely obstruct the user's view of selectable media object 708. Selectable media object 706 may be displayed semi-transparent, partially transparent, or completely transparent so that the user can still see selectable media object 708 through selectable media object 706. In particular, the user can see both selectable media object 708 and selectable media object 706 in the same portion of the screen. In some implementations, the level of transparency may be adjusted (e.g., by the user or the system). For example, the user may set a higher level of transparency that can approach complete transparency, allowing more visible light to pass through (e.g., appearing like a window) due to the transparency effect. Alternatively, the user may set a lower transparency level to produce a transparency effect that makes one object appear slightly more opaque than another, allowing less visible light to pass through (for example, making it look like frosted glass).

[0078] In some embodiments, selectable media objects may overlap more than any other selectable media object. For example, selectable media object 706 may overlap with both selectable media object 708 and selectable media object 710. In some embodiments, selectable media object 708 may overlap with selectable media object 710 and may also overlap with selectable media object 706. It should be understood that overlap between selectable media objects may be by parts of each selectable media object or by the entirety of one or more selectable media objects.

[0079] In some embodiments, the selectable media object 706 may appear semi-transparent, partially transparent, or completely transparent in areas overlapping with the selectable media object 708, and opaque in other non-overlapping areas. In other embodiments, the selectable media object 706 may appear entirely semi-transparent or completely transparent even in areas that do not overlap with other selectable media objects.

[0080] In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a group of media assets, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may correspond to one of the media assets in the group. For example, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a group of television programs, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent a different television program within the group. In particular, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a group of television programs that are available or broadcast at a particular time or from a particular source (e.g., broadcast, satellite, internet, terrestrial), and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent a different media asset that is available or broadcast at a particular time or from a particular source. Similarly, selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a group of performers or directors of a media asset, and each of selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent one of the performers or directors in the group. Selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 (above and below) may present to the user a media asset that has other unique presentations of the media asset that identify the media asset, such as images, videos, text, audio files, websites, or other media assets that have other unique presentations of the media asset that identify the media asset, when the user perceives a media asset presentation provided by one of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712.

[0081] In some implementations, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a genre of media assets, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may present one different media asset in a group. For example, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a genre of film, such as comedy or action, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent different film titles of that genre. In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify songs, music artists, categories, emails received by the user, favorite media assets, playlists, or video games. For example, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a playlist of media assets, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent one different media asset in the playlist or other media assets of a similar genre or duration.

[0082] In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a user profile, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent different recommendations for the user profile. Recommendations may be based on the viewing history associated with the user profile, or they may be recommendations for social networks. In some embodiments, recommendations may be recommendations for related media assets, such as similar movies or documentaries, on a particular topic. In some embodiments, recommendations may be recommendations for products that the user may be interested in, such as movie posters, DVDs, or sports matches.

[0083] In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a media asset, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may include advertisements related to the identified media asset. For example, if the identified media asset is a song, the advertisement may be associated with a local concert by the artist who sings the song or with a CD containing the song. If the identified media asset is a sporting event, the advertisement may be related to food that a user might want to order while watching the event or with the uniforms of the teams playing. In some embodiments, the advertisement may include discounts on advertised items. In some embodiments, some of the displayed advertisements may not be directly related to the identified media asset and may instead be local or district advertisements.

[0084] In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance object 702 may identify a media asset, and each of the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may represent the interrelationships associated with the identified media asset. For example, if the selectable media guidance object 702 identifies a television program, the selectable media guidance object 704 may present an option to recommend the television program to another user, and the selectable media guidance object 706 may include a hyperlink that allows the user to obtain more information about the television program. In addition, the selectable media guidance object 708 may present an option to chat with other users about the television program, while the selectable media guidance object 710 may invite the user to play a trivia game about the television program.

[0085] In some embodiments, user selection of a selectable media guidance object 702 ("Sun" object) may set a mode that the selectable media guidance object 702 identifies. The mode selected for the "Sun" object may determine which "Planet" objects to display. For example, a user may set a mode for the selectable media guidance object 702 to present or identify a group of actors in a particular media asset, or may change its mode to present or identify a group of television programs broadcast at a particular time by the selectable media guidance object 702. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 306 may detect vertical movement of the input device (e.g., based on the input, the processing circuit 306 receives from an accelerometer and / or gyroscope), and as a result may change the mode of the "Sun" object, and thus the "Planet" objects that may be displayed. In some implementations, the mode set for the Sun object may change based on a specific direction in which the input device moves suddenly. For example, if the processing circuit 306 determines that the input device moves abruptly in the direction of a line that forms a 45-degree angle with respect to the perpendicular of the display, the processing circuit 306 may set a mode for the selectable media guidance object 702 that will be the TV schedule. If the processing circuit 306 determines that the input device moves abruptly in the direction of a line that forms a 90-degree angle with respect to the perpendicular of the display, the processing circuit 306 may set a mode for the selectable media guidance object 702 that will be the actor in the media asset. More specifically, each mode of the selectable media guidance object 702 may be associated with a different direction in which the input device moves or moves abruptly.

[0086] In some embodiments, the user may select one of the "planet" objects to become a new "sun" object, which may then flick the "sun" object off the screen (e.g., in 3D space) like a billiard ball, replacing it and displaying the new "planet" object. In other embodiments, the user may drag a "planet" object to the position of the "sun" object to make the "planet" object the new "sun" object.

[0087] In some embodiments, an image box 714 and a description box 716 may be displayed along with selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712. The image box 714 may display an image associated with one of the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712. In some embodiments, the image in the image box 714 may be a still image. For example, the still image may be a photograph of an actor or a screenshot from a television show. In other embodiments, the image in the image box 714 may be a video, such as a rotating image or a streaming clip of content. In some embodiments, the video may be a movie trailer or an interview with an actor.

[0088] The description box 716 may display text describing one of the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712. In some embodiments, the text in the description box 716 may be sized so that all of the text is immediately visible. In other embodiments, the user may manually scroll up and down or left and right within the description box 716 to see all of the text. In yet another embodiment, the text 716 in the description box may automatically scroll up and down or left and right so that the user can read all of the text. In yet another embodiment, some text may be displayed within the description box 716, and the user may select the description box 716 to read the rest of the text. The text 716 in the description box may relate to one or all of the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712. For example, the text 716 in the description box may be an actor's biography, a synopsis, song lyrics, or a video game description.

[0089] In some embodiments, the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 themselves may contain images, text, or both. The images and text within the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 may be displayed in any or all of the ways described above in relation to the image box 714 and the description box 716.

[0090] Figure 7B shows an exemplary display screen 750 of presenting performers displayed on different planes intersecting the perpendicular lines of the screen at different positions according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the selectable media guidance objects 752, 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762 may be configured based on a planetary system. Each of the selectable media guidance objects 752, 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762 may be displayed on different planes intersecting the perpendicular lines of the screen at different points or positions. The selectable media guidance object 752 may be a “sun” object and may identify the television program “House”. The selectable media guidance object 752 may be the same or may have a similar function to the selectable media guidance object 702 (Figure 7A). The selectable media guidance objects 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762 may be “planet” objects and may correspond to performers of the television program “House” identified by the selectable media guidance object 752. The selectable media guidance objects 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762 may be the same as, or have similar functions to, the selectable media guidance objects 704, 706, 708, 710, and 712 (Figure 7A). The "planet" objects 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762 may include photographs and names of performers. In another embodiment, the "sun" object may identify a time period, and the "planet" object may correspond to a program scheduled for that time period. In yet another embodiment, the "sun" object may identify a genre of film, and the "planet" object may correspond to a film belonging to that genre.

[0091] Image box 764 in Figure 7B displays an image associated with the “Sun” object, the selectable media guidance object 752. In particular, the image in image box 764 may be a photograph of Dr. House, the main character of the television show identified by the “Sun” object. In another embodiment, the image in image box 764 may be a commercial for the next episode of “House.” In yet another embodiment, the image in image box 764 may be a photograph of a performer appearing in one of the selectable media guidance objects 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762.

[0092] The description box 766 in Figure 7B displays text associated with one of the “Planet” objects. In particular, the text 766 in the description box may be the biography of Omar Epps, a performer displayed in the selectable media object 754. In another embodiment, the text 766 in the description box may generally describe the television show “House.” In yet another embodiment, the text 766 in the description box may be a synopsis of a previous or next episode of “House.”

[0093] The stereoscopic media guidance applications described above may be displayed and navigated using a plurality of user device and peripheral devices. Figure 8 shows an exemplary configuration of user device and peripheral devices 800 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The stereoscopic media guidance application may be displayed on the screen of a television set 802. The user 810 may view the stereoscopic media guidance application through a stereoscopic optical device 812, such as one of the stereoscopic optical devices described above in relation to Figures 5A-C. The set-top box 804 may be mounted on or incorporated into the television set 802. The camera 806 may further be mounted on or incorporated into the television set 802. As referred to herein, the user television setup may include, independently or in combination, each or all of the set-top boxes 804, camera 806 and television set 802. The camera 806 may detect the movement of the user 810 or the user input device 814. In some embodiments, the camera 806 may be an infrared camera. The infrared camera may detect the user 810's movement by forming a thermal image of the user 810. Alternatively, the user input device 814 may emit infrared light that can be detected by the infrared camera.

[0094] The transceiver 808 may also be mounted on or incorporated into the television set 802. The transceiver 808 may also be included in the user television device mentioned above and below. The transceiver 808 may be used to control the stereoscopic optical device 812. For example, the transceiver 808 may transmit infrared signals received by sensors on the stereoscopic optical device 812. The infrared signals may block and unblock lenses on the optical device 812 so that the user 810 can see a stereoscopic image, as described above in relation to Figures 5A-C. For example, the processing circuit 306 may display an image on the screen that the user sees with only the left eye, and therefore may instruct the transceiver 808 to send a message to the user's optical device to block the right lens and unblock the left lens. After a period of (for example, milliseconds or microseconds), the processing circuit 306 may display an image on the screen that the user sees with only their right eye, and therefore may instruct the transceiver 808 to send a message to the user's optical device to block the left lens and unblock the right lens.

[0095] The transceiver 808 may further receive signals from the user input device 814. For example, user 810 may press a button on the user input device 814 to select a selectable media guidance object to be displayed. The user input device 814 may transmit a signal, such as an infrared signal, indicating the user selection received by the transceiver 808. In some embodiments, the transceiver 808 may work in conjunction with the camera 806 to detect the movement of user 810 and the user input device 814. For example, the camera 806 may detect the wide range of arm movements of user 810, while the transceiver 808 receives information about the movement and orientation of the user input device 814, which is collected by an accelerometer in the user input device 814. Based on the information collected by the camera 806 and the transceiver 808, the stereoscopic media guidance application display may be modified as described in detail below in relation to Figures 9A-B.

[0096] Figures 9A-B show exemplary configurations 900 and 950 of media guidance objects on a display screen according to one embodiment of the present invention. Configurations 900 and 950 are both planetary configurations, as described above in relation to Figures 7A-B. In particular, the selectable media guidance objects 902, 904, 906, 908, 910, and 912 in Figure 9A and the selectable media guidance objects 952, 954, 956, 958, 960, and 962 in Figure 9B are configured based on a planetary system and have the same or similar functions as the selectable media guidance objects 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, 712 and / or 752, 754, 756, 758, 760, and 762 (Figures 7A and 7B), respectively.

[0097] Each of the selectable media guidance objects 902, 904, 906, 908, 910, and 912 in Figure 9A and the selectable media guidance objects 952, 954, 956, 958, 960, and 962 in Figure 9B may be displayed on different planes intersecting the perpendicular lines of the screen at different points. Selectable media guidance object 902 may be the “Sun” object in Figure 9A, and selectable media guidance object 952 may be the “Sun” object in Figure 9B. Although both “Sun” objects are shown to identify the television program “House,” it should be understood that the Sun object can identify any group of media assets as described above. The images in image boxes 918 and 968 correspond to the “Sun” objects in their respective configurations. The selectable media guidance objects 904, 906, 908, 910, and 912 in Figure 9A, as well as the selectable media guidance objects 954, 956, 958, 960, and 962, may be "planet" objects or may correspond to the performers of "House".

[0098] The selectable media guidance object 904 in Figure 9A may be surrounded by a visual indicator 914. In some embodiments, the visual indicator 914 may be completely semi-transparent or transparent. In other embodiments, the visual indicator 914 may be semi-transparent or transparent in areas overlapping with the selectable media guidance object, and opaque in other areas.

[0099] The description box 920 displays text associated with the selectable media guidance object 904, the selectable media guidance object that is focused by the visual indicator 914. In particular, the text 920 in the description box is the biography of the performer, Omar Epps, displayed on the selectable media object 904. In some embodiments, the description box 920 and / or image box 918 may provide information associated with the selectable media guidance object 902. In such a situation, the description box 920 and / or image box 918 may appear to be on the same plane as the associated selectable media guidance object. For example, the description box 920 and / or image box 918 may include information about "House" identified by the selectable media guidance object 902, which may appear to be on a plane intersecting the perpendiculars of the screen at a first position that causes the selectable object 902 to be displayed at a closer distance to the user than the selectable media guidance object 912. Therefore, the description box 920 and / or image box 918 may also be on the same plane as the selectable media guidance object 902, and may appear at the same distance from the user as the media guidance object 902. This may allow the user to visually identify which of the displayed selectable media guidance object description boxes 920 and / or image boxes 918 corresponds to which.

[0100] In some embodiments, the description box 920 and / or the image box 918 may appear on the screen surface, while the selectable media guidance objects may appear on the front and / or back surfaces of the screen. In some embodiments, one or more selectable media guidance objects may appear on the screen surface, while other selectable media guidance objects may appear on the front and / or back surfaces of the screen. For example, the description box 920 and the image box 918 may appear on the screen surface having the selectable media guidance object 902, while other selectable media guidance objects may appear on the front and back surfaces of the screen.

[0101] The user may change the position of the visual indicator 914 in the stereoscopic media guidance application display. In some embodiments, the user may move the visual indicator 914 using the up, down, left, and right arrow keys or other buttons on the user input device. In other embodiments, the user may hold the user input device and move one arm in the direction in which they want to move the visual indicator 914. For example, if the user wants to move the visual indicator 914 to a selectable media guidance object 906, the user may move their arm to the right. If the user wants to move the visual indicator 914 towards a selectable media guidance object 902, the user may raise their arm. In some implementations, the processing circuit 306 may move the cursor around the screen based on a slow and uniform speed at which the input device is moved (e.g., based on the user's arm movement), and may influence the selection of a mode change related to a selectable media guidance object adjacent to the cursor's position based on a fast and moderate speed at which the input device is moved (e.g., based on the user's sudden movement of the wrist in a particular direction).

[0102] In another embodiment, the visual indicator 914 may remain stationary while the “planet” objects move. For example, the user may move their arm in a circular motion to rotate the “planet” objects in Figure 9A around the “sun” object. The result is illustrated in Figure 9B. In Figure 9B, the processing circuit 306 may shift the “planet” objects by one position in a clockwise direction compared to their respective positions in Figure 9A. In particular, the selectable media guidance object 954 representing performer Olivia Wilde is shifted to the visual indicator 964 in Figure 9B, and the text 970 in the description box becomes Olivia Wilde's biography. The selectable media guidance object 962 representing performer Omar Epps is shifted behind the “sun” object, and all other “planet” objects 956, 958, and 960 are shifted clockwise accordingly to maintain the configuration shown in Figure 9A. Navigation and modification of the stereoscopic media guidance application are described in more detail below in relation to Figures 10 and 11. The movements described above and below occur within a three-dimensional space (domain). Therefore, even if a media guidance object is rearranged on a two-dimensional screen, when viewed through a stereoscopic optical device, the media guidance object will be rearranged and appear to move closer to and further away from the user in the three-dimensional domain.

[0103] It should be understood that the circle sizes shown in Figures 7A, 7B, 9A, and 9B represent different positions of selectable media guidance objects in three-dimensional space. For example, the circle size represents how close / far the selectable media guidance object appears to be from the user when viewed through a stereoscopic optical device. In particular, the larger the circle size, the closer the selectable media guidance object appears to be from the user, and the smaller the circle size, the further away the selectable media guidance object appears to be from the user. More specifically, selectable media guidance object 752 appears closer to the user when viewed through a stereoscopic optical device than selectable media guidance object 760, which is shown as being smaller in size.

[0104] Figure 10 is an exemplary flowchart 1000 for navigating a 3D media guidance application according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 1002, user movement is detected. For example, processing circuit 306 may detect a user swinging their arms in a circular motion or from side to side.

[0105] In step 1004, it is determined whether the movement indicates a command to display an additional selectable media guidance object. For example, the user may point to or highlight a section of the display screen labeled "Advanced Options". The processing circuit 306 may also detect several predetermined movements, such as a quick lateral arm rotation by the user indicating that more options are desired. If it is determined in step 1004 that the movement does not indicate a command to display an additional selectable media guidance object, the process proceeds to step 1006.

[0106] In step 1006, additional selectable media guidance objects are displayed. The additional selectable media guidance objects that may be displayed may appear on a different surface from the selectable media guidance objects already displayed. For example, more program lists may be displayed for a particular time period. Some of the program lists may appear in front of the display screen, while others may appear behind the display screen. Alternatively, more media assets of a particular genre may be displayed. Some of the media assets may appear in front of the display screen, while others may appear behind the display screen.

[0107] In some embodiments, the additional selectable media guidance objects displayed may be of a different media asset type than the selectable media guidance objects already displayed. In one embodiment, the “Sun” object may be a movie genre, and the already displayed “Planet” object may be a movie title of that genre. The additional selectable media guidance objects displayed may include a “Planet” object containing advertisements that may or may not be related to “Sun,” and the already displayed “Planet” object.

[0108] In some embodiments, color-coded lines may be shown between selectable media guidance objects to indicate relationships between objects. For example, a displayed "sun" object may represent a television show, a first set of displayed "planet" objects may represent episodes of a television show, and a second set of displayed "planet" objects may represent performers of a television show. A red line may connect the "sun" object to an episode's "planet" object, and a blue line may connect the "sun" object to a performer's "planet" object. In addition, a green line may connect a performer's "planet" object to another "planet" object representing an episode in which the performer appears.

[0109] If, in step 1004, it is determined that the motion does not indicate a command to display an additional selectable media guidance object, the process proceeds to step 1008. In step 1008, it is determined whether the motion indicates a selection of a selectable media guidance object. For example, the user may punch the air or tap the screen to indicate a selection. If, in step 1008, it is determined that the motion does not indicate a selection of a selectable media guidance object, the process proceeds to step 1010.

[0110] In step 1010, the selectable media guidance object closest to the position of the visual indicator is selected. For example, the visual indicator 914 may be centered on the selectable media guidance object 904, and the selectable media guidance object 904 is selected (Figure 9A). Alternatively, the visual indicator may not touch any selectable media guidance object, but may be much closer to a selectable media guidance object than any other object, and the closest object is selected. In some embodiments, the user may simply point to the desired selectable media guidance object in order to select it without moving either the visual indicator or the displayed selectable media guidance object.

[0111] If, in step 1008, it is determined that the movement does not indicate the selection of a selectable media guidance object, the process proceeds to step 1012. In step 1012, the visual indicator moves in the direction of the user's movement. For example, if the user swings their arm to the left, the visual indicator may move to the left of the screen. If the user swings their arm downward, the visual indicator may move towards the bottom of the screen.

[0112] In some embodiments, the selection of a selectable media guidance object may display more information related to the selectable media guidance object. For example, the selection of a selectable media guidance object representing a television program may display information about what the program is about, which actors appear in the program, or when and on which channel the program airs. In other embodiments, if a particular selectable media guidance object represents a television program, selecting that particular object causes the user's television device to tune into the represented program or provide access to it (for example, downloading on-demand media assets corresponding to the program from a server or streaming media assets from the internet).

[0113] Figure 11 is another exemplary flowchart 1100 for navigating a 3D media guidance application according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 1102, a reference point is assigned to the orientation of the input device. For example, if the input device is currently pointing upwards, the reference point may be the center of the top edge of the display screen. If the input device is currently pointing to the display screen, the reference point may be the center of the display screen. If the input device is currently pointing downwards, the reference point may be the center of the bottom edge of the display screen. Any suitable point on the display screen may be assigned as the reference point for the current orientation of the input device.

[0114] In step 1104, the position of the visual indicator on the display screen corresponding to the reference point is determined. For example, if the reference point is the center of the top edge of the display screen, the visual indicator may be positioned so that the top edge of the visual indicator is the reference point. If the reference point is the center of the display screen, the visual indicator may be centered on the reference point. If the reference point is the center of the bottom edge of the display screen, the visual indicator may be positioned so that the bottom edge of the visual indicator is slightly above the reference point. Any suitable relationship between the position of the visual indicator and the reference point may be determined.

[0115] In step 1106, it is determined whether the detected movement caused a change in the orientation of the input device. If it is determined that the detected movement did not cause a change in the orientation of the input device, the process restarts in step 1102. For example, the system does not need to respond to a purely lateral transformation of the entire input device. If the input device is placed on a table and points towards the ceiling, and the input device moves on the table but maintains the state of pointing towards the ceiling, it may be determined in step 1106 that the orientation of the input device has not changed.

[0116] If it is determined that the detected movement has caused a change in the orientation of the input device, the process proceeds to step 1108. In step 1108, the direction of the movement relative to the reference point is determined based on the change in orientation. For example, the input device may be tilted upward relative to the reference point. Alternatively, the input device may be rotated laterally from one side of the reference point to the other. The change in the orientation of the input device may occur in any direction relative to the reference point.

[0117] In step 1110, the visual indicator moves to a new position on the display screen in the direction of the determined movement. For example, if the input device is tilted upward, the visual indicator may move toward the top edge of the display screen. If the input device was pointing to the left of the reference point but is now pointing to the right of the reference point, the visual indicator may move toward the right edge of the display screen.

[0118] It should be understood that the steps described above in the flowchart of Figure 10-11 may be performed or executed in any order or sequence, not limited to the order and sequence shown and described in the figure. Furthermore, some of the steps described above in the flowchart of Figure 10-11 may be performed or executed nearly simultaneously or in parallel, where appropriate, to reduce waiting and processing times.

[0119] As described above, the stereoscopic effect may be achieved by generating a first image for the user's right eye, a second image for the user's left eye, and then superimposing the two images to create a stereoscopic image. The design of the two images is described in detail below in relation to Figures 12A-C and 12C.

[0120] Figure 12A shows an exemplary image 1200 as seen by the user's right eye according to one embodiment of the present invention. Image 1200 includes a selectable media object 1206 centered at point 1202. Point 1202 is located at a distance d from the left edge 1204 of image 1200.

[0121] Figure 12B shows an exemplary image 1220 as seen by the user's left eye according to one embodiment of the present invention. Image 1220 includes a selectable media object 1230 centered at point 1222. The selectable media object 1230 is a distance transformation of the selectable media object 1206 in Figure 12A, which is reproduced in Figure 12B as a dotted line selectable media object 1228 centered at point 1224. Point 1222 is located at a distance d+a from the left edge 1226 of image 1220.

[0122] Figure 12C shows an exemplary side view of a stereoscopic image 1240 formed by superimposing the images of Figures 12A-B, assuming that the stereoscopic image 1240 is actually three-dimensional, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The superposition of the selectable media object 1206 from Figure 12A and the selectable media object 1230 from Figure 12B generates a selectable media object 1242. The selectable media object 1242 is perceived to be at an apparent distance P from the user 1244 viewing the stereoscopic image 1240 via the (above-described) stereoscopic device. The relationship between distance a and P is described in more detail below in relation to Figure 13.

[0123] Figure 13 shows the use of similar triangles to generate a stereoscopic image according to one embodiment of the present invention. The distance e shown at the bottom of Figure 13 between points 1308 and 1310 represents the "effective interpupillary distance," defined as the difference between the distance between the pupils of the user's eyes and the user device. Distance D is the distance from the user's eyes, represented by line 1306, to the display screen, represented by line 1300. Distance a is the distance between an image feature in the right-eye image and the same image feature in the left-eye image, represented by points 1302 and 1304, respectively. A large distance a makes the object appear very close to the user. Three-dimensional films and three-dimensional games may apply large distances to features that appear to jump out towards the user, such as rocks, arrows, swords, and other surprising items. A media object in the stereoscopic image, represented by point 1312 along plane 1314, is perceived to appear at a distance P from the user. Two similar triangles can be formed by line 1316 being shown between points 1302 and 1310, and another line 1318 being shown between points 1304 and 1308. One triangle is formed with vertices at points 1308, 1310, and 1312. A second triangle is formed with vertices at points 1304, 1302, and 1312. These similar triangles give rise to the following relationship:

[0124] a / (DP) = e / P To obtain a clearer relationship between a and P, the above equation can be rewritten as follows:

[0125] a=e * (DP) / P or P=e * D / (a+e) Using the above design formula, the transformed distance a can be calculated for any desired apparent distance P, and the apparent distance P can be calculated for any transformed distance a. The above analysis assumes that all values ​​are positive. In some implementations, the use of coordinate systems with positive and negative values ​​reveals differences in left-right transformations and differences between media objects appearing in front of or behind the screen.

[0126] Figure 14 shows a coordinate system 1400 used to generate a stereoscopic image according to one embodiment of the present invention. For the display screen 1402, the positive x-axis 1404 points to the right, so a rightward transformation is positive and a leftward transformation is negative. Image features appearing behind the display screen 1402 may have positive z values, and image features appearing in front of the display screen 1402 may have negative z values, since the positive z-axis 1408 points behind the display screen 1402. The positive y-axis 1406 points downward. The opposite direction can occur because the graphics memory is laid out by the top-left pixel at the lowest point in memory. That is, the origin of the coordinate system may be placed at the top-left pixel of the screen. Therefore, as the value of y increases, the memory address increases, so the reversed y-axis consistently increases the value of y along with the memory address.

[0127] Using the coordinate system described above, point 1312 in Figure 13 may be defined as being at a distance of -z from line 1300. Thus, the relationship of similar triangles can be rewritten as follows:

[0128] a / z = e / (D+z) The design formula can be rewritten as follows:

[0129] a=(z * e) / (D+z) and z=(D * a) / (ea) These design formulas can vary based on the spacing between eyes and therefore can vary between users. A larger z result means the transformation moves to the right, so it can always be further away from the user; a smaller z result means the transformation moves to the left, so it can always be closer to the user.

[0130] The length dimensions in the x and y directions in the above coordinate system can be converted to pixel positions. Since the number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical directions in a graphics buffer may vary from system to system, the following general formula may be used to scale the x and y coordinates of the pixels.

[0131] x within a pixel = (local x-distance in inches from left to right / total distance on the screen in inches) * (Total number of pixels on the entire screen) Within a pixel, y = (local y-distance in inches from top to bottom / total distance on the screen in inches) * (Total number of pixels on the entire screen).

[0132] When converted to pixels, the size in inches of any given object during playback on any given user device may vary according to the size of the user device's display screen. In particular, the larger the display screen, the larger the measurable image of the object may be. By using the above formula, measurements can remain proportionally accurate regardless of how they are converted, enlarged, or reduced.

[0133] As described above in connection with FIGS. 7A-B, a stereoscopic media guidance application display can be modeled after a planetary system. Using some specific equations from 3D graphics, the "sun" and "planet" objects of the stereoscopic media guidance application display can be placed at any angle anywhere with respect to the x, y, and z coordinates of the pixels forming the objects.

[0134] In some embodiments, the "planet" objects may be animated to move out from behind and around the "sun" object. Using the coordinate system described above, the position of the media objects within the images presented to each of the user's eyes can be calculated. Additionally, the position of the media objects in the first and second images can be updated so that the media objects are perceived to move within the stereoscopic image.

[0135] In some embodiments, the calculations can be simplified by considering the center of the "sun" object to be at the origin (0, 0, 0) of the coordinate system. Since the upper left corner of the display screen can be at the origin (0, 0, 0) of the pixel space, the pixel space calculations can be transformed to treat the center of the "sun" object as the origin. The processing circuit 306 can perform the transformation using the following transformation equations from 3D computer graphics.

[0136] new_x = old_x + Tx, where Tx = constant new_y = old_y + Ty, where Ty = constant new_z = old_z + Tz, where Tz = constant. <0000�04>

[0137] In some embodiments, to convert coordinates between display screens of different sizes, the processing circuit 306 may use scaling equations from 3D computer graphics.

[0138] new_x = scaling_factor * old_x new_y=scaling_factor * old_y new_z=scaling_factor * old_z In some embodiments, a user device such as a set-top box may have sufficient processing power to compute all the points required for a 3D computer model at the rate required for animation. In some implementations, the user device may use four frame buffers, each containing a memory storage device large enough to accommodate a full-screen display of pixels. In some implementations, two of the four buffers may be used for the two images currently presented by the user device on the display screen, and the other two buffers may be used to create the next pair of images in the animation.

[0139] To convert any 2D media guidance application for display in 3D space, the above and below methods for generating stereoscopic images may be used. Furthermore, once the media guidance application is displayed in 3D space, 3D navigation techniques (e.g., using input devices having accelerometers and / or gyroscopes) may be used to complete selections and navigate through the media guidance application. A particular example of a media guidance application that may be converted from 2D to 3D is a collapsible media guidance application having a collapsible guide design consisting of different perspective views with menu options and items.

[0140] For example, a list of menu options may be displayed in a first perspective view, and an item corresponding to one of the selected menu options may be displayed adjacent to the menu option in a second perspective view different from the first perspective view. Folding guides or media guidance applications (media guidance applications) having multiple perspective views are described in detail in U.S. Patent Applications 12 / 571069, 12 / 571035 and 12 / 571186, filed September 30, 2009 (Agent reference numbers UV-486A, UV-486B and UV-486C), which are incorporated herein by reference in whole.

[0141] Figure 16 shows an exemplary display screen 1600 of media guidance objects displayed from different viewpoints according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, screen 1600 may include a first media guidance object 1602, a second media guidance object 1604, a third media guidance object 1606, a fourth media guidance object 1608, a first perspective view 1610, a second perspective view 1612, and a third perspective view 1614. Although four media guidance objects are shown on screen 1600, any number of media guidance objects may be displayed from any different viewpoint. Furthermore, although three different perspective views are shown on screen 1600, any number of perspective views may be provided.

[0142] The first media guidance object 1602 may be displayed in the first perspective view 1610. The first media guidance object 1602 may be, for example, a user profile presentation, a media asset presentation, a program guide list, or any other media guidance object or combination thereof as described above and below. The first media guidance object 1602 may be displayed such that line 1616 converges at the first vanishing point 1618. All lines emanating from the media guidance object displayed in the first perspective view 1610 may converge at the first vanishing point 1618. The first media guidance object 1602 appears to exit screen 1600.

[0143] The second media guidance object 1604 may be shown in the second perspective view 1612. The second perspective view 1612 may be different from the first perspective view 1610. The second media guidance object 1604 may be, for example, a user profile presentation, a media asset presentation, a program guide list, or any other media guidance object or combination thereof as described above and below. The second media guidance object 1604 may be of the same type as the first media guidance object 1602, or of a different type.

[0144] The second media guidance object 1604 may be displayed with lines 1620 that are parallel and do not converge at the vanishing point. All lines emerging from the media guidance object displayed in the second perspective view 1612 may be parallel and do not converge at the vanishing point. The second media guidance object 1604 appears flat on screen 1600.

[0145] The third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 may be shown in the third perspective view 1614. The third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 may be, for example, a user profile presentation, a media asset presentation, a program guide list, or any other media guidance objects or combinations thereof described above and below. The third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 may be of the same type as the first and / or second media guidance objects 1602 and 1604, or of a different type. In some implementations, the third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 may be of the same type as the second media guidance object 1604 (e.g., a program guide) or of a different type than the first media guidance object 1602.

[0146] The third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 may be displayed such that line 1622 converges at a second vanishing point 1624, which is in a different position from the first vanishing point 1618. All lines appearing from the media guidance object displayed in the third perspective view 1614 may converge at the second vanishing point 1624. The third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 appear to enter screen 1600.

[0147] It should be understood that while media guidance objects appear in different perspectives, they are clearly visually distinguishable by the user. However, some media guidance objects displayed at a great distance from a particular viewpoint may appear distorted and difficult to distinguish visually. For example, a media guidance object may be an image or video such that the majority of the image or video displayed in any perspective is visible and clearly viewable by the user. In particular, an image or video displayed in a perspective that appears to be moving in and out of the screen is substantially as clear as an image or video displayed in a perspective that appears flat on the screen.

[0148] A media guidance object displayed in the first perspective view 1610 may be adjacent to, or next to, a media guidance object displayed in the second perspective view 1612. For example, the first media guidance object 1602 may be displayed adjacent to the second media guidance object 1604 such that the first media guidance object 1602 and the second media guidance object 1604 are connected at the first side 1626 of the second media guidance object 1604.

[0149] A media guidance object displayed in the third perspective view 1614 may be adjacent to, or next to, a media guidance object appearing in the second perspective view 1612. In some implementations, a media guidance object displayed in the third perspective view 1614 may be adjacent to a side of the media guidance object displayed in the second perspective view 1612 that is opposite to the side of the media guidance object displayed in the second perspective view 1612 that is adjacent to the media guidance object displayed in the first perspective view 1610. For example, a third media guidance object 1606 may be displayed adjacent to a second media guidance object 1604 such that the third media guidance object 1606 and the second media guidance object 1604 connect to the second side 1628 of the second media guidance object 1604, which is opposite the first side 1626.

[0150] The adjacent points between a media guidance object displayed in one perspective view and a media guidance object displayed in another perspective view are referred to herein as “folds” or “fold points.” It should be understood that the media guidance objects do not have to be directly adjacent so that they touch, and in such situations, adjacent points refer to points where one perspective view changes to another. For example, media guidance objects in screen 1600 are displayed in different viewpoints so as to create two fold points. In various embodiments, there may be one, two, or any other suitable number of fold points. Fold points cause the appearance of wrinkles in the screen that occur between two displayed media guidance objects.

[0151] In some embodiments, instead of displaying various options and items of folding guides for different perspective views limited by two-dimensional space, the folding guides may be transformed into three-dimensional space. More specifically, the options of folding guides displayed in a first perspective view may be generated for the display of a first plane intersecting the perpendiculars of the screen at a first position, and an item corresponding to one of the selected options may be generated as a display in a second plane intersecting the perpendiculars of the screen at a second position different from the first position.

[0152] For example, the first media guidance object 1602 shown in the first perspective view 1610 may appear on a first surface, such as the surface on which the selectable media guidance object 704 appears in Figure 7A. The first media guidance object 1602 may have the same or similar functions and behavior as the media guidance object 704. The second media guidance object 1604 shown in the second perspective view 1612 may appear on a second surface, such as the surface on which the selectable media guidance object 702 appears. The second media guidance object 1604 may have the same or similar functions and behavior as the media guidance object 702. The first surface may appear closer to the viewer than the second surface. In some embodiments, the third media guidance object 1606 displayed in the third perspective view 1614 may appear on a third surface, such as the surface on which the selectable media guidance object 708 is displayed, and the fourth media guidance object 1608 displayed in the third perspective view 1614 may appear on a fourth surface, such as the surface on which the selectable media guidance object 710 is displayed. In other embodiments, the third media guidance object 1606 and the fourth media guidance object 1608 may appear on the same surface, such as the third surface. In some implementations, the third and fourth media guidance objects 1606 and 1608 may have the same or similar functions and behaviors as the media guidance object 708.

[0153] In some embodiments, the first and second faces may appear to be in front of the screen, while the third and fourth faces may appear to be behind the screen. In other embodiments, all faces may appear to be in front of the screen, but the third and fourth faces may appear to be further away from the user than the first and second faces. Any other desirable configuration of the three-dimensional spatial positions of the first, second, third, and fourth faces may be selected without departing from the scope of the invention. In some embodiments, the different faces may meet at a folding point as described above.

[0154] Figure 15 is an exemplary flowchart 1500 for designing graphics for a three-dimensional media guide display according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 1502, the desired perceived distance of an object from the user is determined. For example, processing circuit 306 may determine that a selectable media guidance object 754 should appear a few inches from the user's face. Alternatively, processing circuit 306 may determine that a selectable media guidance object 762 should appear behind the display screen, away from the user.

[0155] In step 1504, an appropriate distance is calculated between the first point and the second point. The first point may be the center of the selectable media object 1206 in the image seen by the user's right eye, as described above in relation to Figure 12A. The second point may be the center of the same selectable media object 1222 in the image seen by the user's left eye, as described above in relation to Figure 12B. The appropriate distance between the first and second points may relate to the desired perceived distance of the object from the user. The processing circuit 306 may calculate these appropriate distances using one of the formulas described above in relation to Figure 13.

[0156] In step 1506, the first image is generated with an object centered on a first point visible to the user's right eye. For example, the object may be a selectable media guidance object 752 representing a television series, which is the "Sun" object in the planet guide, as described above in relation to Figure 7B. Alternatively, the object may be a selectable media guidance object 754, 756, 758, 760, or 762 representing a cast member, which is the "Planet" object. The processing circuit 306 may generate the first image of the selectable media guidance object 752 visible to the user's right eye using the similar triangle algorithm described above.

[0157] In step 1508, the second image is generated with an object centered on a second point visible to the user's left eye. For example, the object may be a selectable media guidance object 752 representing a television series, which is the “Sun” object in the planet guide, as described above in relation to Figure 7B. Alternatively, the object may be a selectable media guidance object 754, 756, 758, 760, or 762 representing a cast member, which is the “Planet” object. The processing circuit 306 may generate the second image by copying the first image of the selectable media guidance object 752 and positioning that object at a different point to the left / right of the selectable media guidance object 752 within the first image.

[0158] In step 1510, the first and second images are superimposed. For example, the processing circuit 306 may combine the first and second images into a single image for simultaneous display on the screen. When viewed by a user with a stereoscopic optical device, the superimposed image appears in three dimensions when the user's left eye sees the first image and the user's right eye sees the second image. The user's brain combines the two images seen by each of the user's eyes and interprets the image as being positioned in front of or behind the display, depending on the distance between the two positions of the selectable media guidance object 752.

[0159] It should be understood that the steps described above in the flowchart of Figure 15 may be performed or executed in any order or sequence, not limited to the order and sequence shown and described in the figure. Furthermore, some of the steps described above in the flowchart of Figure 15 may be performed or executed simultaneously or in parallel, where appropriate, to reduce waiting and processing times.

[0160] The above embodiments of the present invention are presented for illustrative purposes only, not limiting purposes, and the present invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for designing graphics for selectable stereoscopic media objects displayed on a screen having points, the method being: The method involves generating a first image containing a first selectable media object whose center is located at a first point on the screen that should be seen by the user's right eye, wherein the first selectable media object corresponds to multiple media assets. To generate a second image which includes a copy of the first selectable media object centered on a second point on the screen, different from the first point, that should be seen by the left eye of the user, To generate a stereoscopic image, the first image and the second image are superimposed for display on the screen, wherein the first selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a first perceptible distance from the user when the user views the stereoscopic image through a stereoscopic optical device, and the distance between the first point and the second point on the screen corresponds to the first perceptible distance. The first image includes a second selectable media object whose center is located at a third point. The second image includes a copy of the second selectable media object whose center is located at a fourth point on the screen, which is different from the third point. The second selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a second perceived distance, and the second selectable media object represents a media asset among the plurality of media assets. Receiving the user selection of the first selectable media object, In response to receiving the user selection of the first selectable media object, the first selectable media object is replaced by correcting the position of the second selectable media object. Methods that include...

2. This further includes using similar triangles to determine the relationship between the offset distance and the apparent distance. The offset distance is the distance between the first point and the second point. The apparent distance is the distance at which the first selectable media object appears to be from the screen. The method according to claim 1, wherein the apparent distance is positive when the first selectable media object appears to be behind the screen and negative when the first selectable media object appears to be in front of the screen.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising updating the position of the first selectable media object in the first and second images on which the first selectable media object is placed, so that it is sensed that the first selectable media object is moving within the stereoscopic image.

4. The stereoscopic optical device is A first opening for the user's right eye to view the first image, wherein the first image is the only image that can be seen by the user's right eye, A second opening for the user's left eye to view the second image, wherein the second image is the only image that can be seen by the user's left eye, and The method according to claim 1, comprising:

5. The combination of the first selectable media object and the second selectable media object appearing in the first perspective view and the second perspective view appears as a contiguous sequence of selectable media objects, The method according to claim 1, wherein the array appears having a first fold at an adjacent first point, the adjacent first point corresponding to a first position between the first selectable media object appearing in the first perspective view and the second selectable media object appearing in the second perspective view.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving user input for navigating within the stereoscopic image, causing the second selectable media object to orbit around an axis corresponding to the first selectable media object in a manner perceptible to the user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selectable stereoscopic media object is a media object displayed in an environment selected from the group consisting of games, software applications, and media guides.

8. A system for designing graphics for selectable stereoscopic media objects displayed on a screen having points, the system comprising a control circuit, The aforementioned control circuit is The method involves generating a first image containing a first selectable media object whose center is located at a first point on the screen that should be seen by the user's right eye, wherein the first selectable media object corresponds to multiple media assets. To generate a second image which includes a copy of the first selectable media object centered on a second point on the screen, different from the first point, that should be seen by the left eye of the user, To generate a stereoscopic image, the first image and the second image are superimposed for display on the screen, wherein the first selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a first perceptible distance from the user when the user views the stereoscopic image through a stereoscopic optical device, and the distance between the first point and the second point on the screen corresponds to the first perceptible distance. The first image includes a second selectable media object whose center is located at a third point. The second image includes a copy of the second selectable media object whose center is located at a fourth point on the screen, which is different from the third point. The second selectable media object appears in the stereoscopic image at a second perceived distance, and the second selectable media object represents a media asset among the plurality of media assets. Receiving the user selection of the first selectable media object, In response to receiving the user selection of the first selectable media object, the first selectable media object is replaced by correcting the position of the second selectable media object. A system configured to perform the following actions.

9. The aforementioned control circuit is It is further configured to use similar triangles to determine the relationship between the offset distance and the apparent distance, The offset distance is the distance between the first point and the second point. The apparent distance is the distance at which the first selectable media object appears to be from the screen. The system according to claim 8, wherein the apparent distance is positive when the first selectable media object appears to be behind the screen and negative when the first selectable media object appears to be in front of the screen.

10. The aforementioned control circuit is The system according to claim 8, further configured to enable detection of movement of the first selectable media object within the stereoscopic image by updating the position of the first selectable media object within the first and second images on which the first selectable media object is placed.

11. The stereoscopic optical device is A first opening for the user's right eye to view the first image, wherein the first image is the only image that can be seen by the user's right eye, A second opening for the user's left eye to view the second image, wherein the second image is the only image that can be seen by the user's left eye, and The system according to claim 8, comprising:

12. The combination of the first selectable media object and the second selectable media object appearing in the first perspective view and the second perspective view appears as a continuous sequence of selectable media objects, The system according to claim 8, wherein the array appears having a first fold at an adjacent first point, the adjacent first point corresponding to a first position between the first selectable media object appearing in the first perspective view and the second selectable media object appearing in the second perspective view.

13. The aforementioned control circuit is The system according to claim 8, further configured to cause the second selectable media object to orbit around an axis corresponding to the first selectable media object in a manner perceptible to the user, in response to receiving user input for navigating within the stereoscopic image.

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