Electronic Programming Guide Expanding Cells Video Preview
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional television programming guides are inefficient for mobile devices due to their landscape-oriented structure, which requires substantial scrolling and is not suitable for the limited display area of mobile devices, leading to tiresome navigation for users.
Innovation Solution
An electronic programming guide (EPG) with expanding cells that utilizes swipe, press-and-hold, and drag gestures on a mobile device to navigate and preview video content across multiple channels, allowing users to easily view current and upcoming programs without interrupting the current display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional landscape-oriented programming guide structure is used on mobile devices, then complete program information can be displayed, but navigation becomes tiresome and inefficient due to limited display area requiring substantial scrolling
Solution Approach 1:
The programming guide interface is segmented into multiple functional zones: a list of media channels/programs on one side and an expanding preview region on the other. This segmentation allows simultaneous display of program information and preview content without requiring full-page scrolling, thus maintaining information completeness while improving navigation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The preview region expands in a lateral dimension rather than requiring vertical scrolling. When a user selects a channel or program, the preview content expands into the available space horizontally, transforming the navigation from a single-dimension scroll to a multi-dimensional interface where information is accessed through selection rather than extensive scrolling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If extensive scrolling is required to navigate channels on mobile devices, then all channels can be accessed, but user experience deteriorates due to tiresome navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The interface presents a curated list of media channels and programs in a compact format, allowing users to see multiple options at once without scrolling. The preview region is prepared to expand instantly when a user selects any channel, eliminating the need for sequential scrolling through the entire channel list.
Solution Approach 2:
The preview region displays a copy or representation of the selected channel's content in real-time, allowing users to evaluate program content before fully accessing it. This copying mechanism enables efficient channel browsing without requiring users to physically navigate through each channel sequentially.
3Loss of information
If video preview is added to the programming guide, then user can preview program content, but display area for channel list is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The preview region is designed as a dynamic element that expands and contracts based on user interaction. When a user selects a channel or program, the preview region expands to display video content. When no selection is made, the preview region contracts or disappears, maximizing the channel list display area. This dynamic adjustment allows the interface to adapt to different user needs without permanently sacrificing display space.
Data Source
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AI summary
This document describes methodologies for an electronic programming guide with expanding cells for video preview. These techniques and apparatuses enable improved navigation for video and channel previewing based on gestures performed on a mobile device acting as a remote control to a remote display device. These techniques and apparatuses allow video preview of current program content over many channels with a simple and easy method to preview different channels. Further, these techniques and apparatuses can also be applied to view information regarding upcoming programs scheduled at a future time.