Dynamic Electronic Program Guide Layout for Mobile Video Metadata
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electronic program guides (EPGs) on mobile devices struggle to display complete information for videos due to small screen sizes, requiring users to manually zoom in and out and process multiple user interactions.
Innovation Solution
The technology dynamically adjusts the EPG by automatically modifying the amount and type of information displayed for videos in response to a single user interaction, utilizing a focus area that displays additional information for a selected video.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the EPG displays complete information for all videos, then information completeness is improved, but screen space is insufficient due to small display size
Solution Approach 1:
The EPG interface is segmented into multiple functional areas: a timeline area displaying video thumbnails and basic information, and a detail area that provides expanded information. This segmentation allows the interface to display both overview information for multiple videos and detailed information for selected videos without requiring the entire screen to accommodate all information simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional grid layout to a timeline-based horizontal arrangement with vertical detail expansion. When a user selects a video in the timeline area, the detail area expands vertically to provide additional information, effectively utilizing the third dimension (depth/vertical space) to accommodate more information without compromising the horizontal timeline display.
2Loss of information
If the EPG displays detailed information for each video, then information accessibility is improved, but the number of user interactions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The timeline area is pre-configured to display video thumbnails, titles, and basic metadata in a condensed format. This preliminary display provides users with essential information immediately upon loading the EPG, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple screens or pop-up windows to access basic video information.
Solution Approach 2:
The detail area serves as an intermediary between the compact timeline display and comprehensive video information. It provides a intermediate level of detail that can be dynamically expanded or collapsed, allowing users to access additional information on-demand without requiring full expansion of all video details simultaneously.
3Loss of information
If the EPG uses manual zooming to display more information, then information visibility is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The EPG interface dynamically adjusts its layout and information display based on user interactions. The detail area can expand and collapse automatically in response to user selections, and the timeline area can adjust its content density. This dynamic behavior eliminates the need for manual zooming while maintaining ease of operation, as the interface adapts to user needs automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
Metadata for media content items is received. The metadata identifies a thumbnail representation of the media content items. At least some of media content items are displayed in an overview area in an EPG of a user interface. The overview area includes cells aligned in one or more rows. The cells include a subset of the metadata for a respective media content item. The subset of the metadata includes the thumbnail representations of media content items. A first media content item is displayed in a focus area in the EPG of the user interface. The focus area includes expanded metadata having a sample of the first media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of at least some other metadata of the first media content item such that playback is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the first media content item.