Concurrent Media Channel Navigation Pane for Streaming Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional media channel navigation technologies are inefficient and inconvenient, making it difficult for users to discover and access specific media channels or programs among hundreds or thousands of options.
Innovation Solution
A media channel navigation user interface system that includes a detection facility, user interface management facility, and storage facility, allowing for a media channel navigation user interface pane to be displayed concurrently with media content, featuring tools like recency-based, similarity-based, and alphabet-based menus to facilitate intuitive and efficient channel surfing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional media programming navigation technologies are used, then the system structure remains simple, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to limited channel surfing capabilities among hundreds or thousands of channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large set of media channels into multiple organized menus including recency-based menu, similarity-based menu, and alphabet-based menu. This segmentation allows users to navigate through channels in manageable groups rather than facing the overwhelming full channel list, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining reasonable system complexity through structured organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multiple navigation dimensions beyond simple channel number sequencing. Users can navigate channels based on recency of viewing, similarity of content, or alphabetical order, adding dimensional flexibility to the navigation system. This multi-dimensional approach enhances ease of operation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Loss of time
If the full media channel list is presented to users, then complete channel access is enabled, but the loss of time increases due to the difficulty of discovering specific channels among hundreds or thousands of options
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary organization of channels into multiple themed menus (recency-based, similarity-based, alphabet-based) before user interaction. This preliminary structuring allows users to immediately access channels through the most relevant organization method without manually searching through the full channel list, dramatically reducing channel discovery time while preserving all channel information through the menu structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces menu structures as intermediary layers between the user and the full channel list. These menus act as mediators that organize and present channel information in digestible formats, reducing the time users need to discover specific channels while maintaining comprehensive access to all channel information through the organized menu system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple menu types are provided for channel navigation, then the adaptability of the navigation system improves, but the device complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple menu structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal navigation framework that handles multiple menu types (recency-based, similarity-based, alphabet-based) through a common interface and control mechanism. This multi-functional design allows the system to provide diverse navigation methods while managing complexity through a unified structure that can adapt to different menu types without requiring separate management systems for each.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary method includes a media channel navigation user interface system detecting, while media content distributed on a media channel is being presented for display on a display screen, a user request to launch a media channel navigation user interface, and providing, in response to the detected user request and for concurrent display with the presentation of the media content on the display screen, a media channel navigation user interface pane comprising a set of media channel navigation tools that include at least media content channel navigation tools selectable by a user to launch different types of menus of media channels in the media channel navigation user interface pane.