Margin Menu Navigation for TV Content Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The explosion of available television content creates a paradox of choice, where viewers struggle to find suitable programming due to excessive options, leading to an inefficient viewing experience.
Innovation Solution
A supermodal zoomable viewer interface (ZUI) utilizing standard remote control directional keys to navigate content, providing margin menus that allow seamless transitions between watching and browsing, with features like margin menus, expanded navigation interfaces, and content recommendations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of available television channels and video on demand content is increased to provide more choice, then viewer selection diversity is improved, but viewer ability to choose and navigate content deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overwhelming content library into organized categories and subcategories (e.g., genre, time, rating, actor). The guide interface divides content into manageable sections with hierarchical navigation, allowing viewers to break down the selection process into smaller, more manageable steps rather than facing all content options simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multiple navigation dimensions beyond simple channel numbering or alphabetical order. Viewers can navigate by genre, time, rating, actor, or other metadata dimensions simultaneously. The guide displays content organized across multiple categorical dimensions, enabling viewers to filter and sort content along different axes to find what they want more efficiently.
2Device complexity
If traditional remote control directional keys are used for menu navigation, then device simplicity is maintained, but navigation efficiency and viewer engagement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements predictive text input and automatic completion features where the system anticipates what the viewer wants to type or select based on previous inputs. The guide pre-organizes content in likely navigation paths and provides predictive suggestions, reducing the number of key presses needed to reach desired content.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to viewers during navigation, displaying preview thumbnails, content descriptions, and navigation hints as viewers move through the guide. The interface responds dynamically to directional key inputs by highlighting relevant content and adjusting the display to guide viewers toward their likely destinations, making the navigation process more efficient despite using simple remote controls.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system to navigate viewable content in the context of television entertainment is provided. In one example embodiment, the system comprises a presentation module to present main content on a display screen, a communications module to receive a first request associated with a first directional key on a remote control device, a navigation mode detector to determine a navigation mode associated with the first request; a margin menu module to activate a margin menu associated with the determined navigation mode. The margin menu may be presented along one of the margins of a display screen, while permitting viewing of the main content.