Media Mosaic Management Using Dynamic Filters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy electronic program guides (EPGs) and video mosaics are limited in presenting information, often requiring users to scroll through numerous channels to find relevant programs, and they cannot effectively utilize limited display space to show more than a small amount of information at once.
Innovation Solution
A media mosaic management system that generates a customized mosaic filter based on user-selected programs, allowing for the presentation of related media content events in a tailored and efficient manner, using tiles that display video and text information, and enabling users to create personalized mosaics based on preferences and viewing habits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a legacy EPG is arranged as a table or grid to present program information, then the structure is simple and easy to implement, but the amount of information that can be presented at a single moment is limited by the display size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional table/grid EPG layouts to a three-dimensional mosaic interface where multiple program thumbnails are arranged in a grid that can be navigated through multiple pages. This dimensional expansion allows significantly more programs to be displayed simultaneously while maintaining the simple grid-based structure that users can easily comprehend and navigate.
Solution Approach 2:
The EPG information is segmented into multiple discrete program thumbnails arranged in a mosaic grid, where each thumbnail represents a separate program with its own visual preview. This segmentation allows the system to present numerous programs at once by dividing the overall information set into manageable, visually distinct units that fit within the display area.
2Ease of manufacture
If channels are arranged in a largely arbitrary manner in legacy EPG, then the implementation is simple, but channels of interest are not presented near one another requiring considerable scrolling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic channel arrangement where the mosaic grid can be reorganized based on user preferences, viewing habits, and program categories. Channels and programs of interest can be automatically grouped together or positioned in prominent locations, transforming the static arbitrary arrangement into a dynamic, adaptive layout that reduces navigation time while maintaining implementation simplicity through automated algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that track user interaction patterns with the EPG, such as which channels are frequently viewed or which programs are selected. This feedback is used to automatically adjust the mosaic arrangement, positioning channels of interest closer together based on actual user behavior, thereby reducing scrolling time while keeping the system simple to implement through automated learning.
3Illumination intensity
If a video mosaic uses larger tiles to present program information, then the visual presentation is improved, but the amount of information that can be presented is reduced compared to legacy EPG
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by utilizing multiple pages of mosaic grids rather than forcing all information onto a single page. Each page displays a manageable number of large, visually rich program thumbnails, but the multi-page structure allows the system to present a much larger total amount of information. Users can navigate between pages to access additional programs, thereby maintaining high visual quality while expanding overall information capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mosaic interface employs a nested structure where multiple levels of program information are organized hierarchically. The main mosaic grid displays prominent program thumbnails, and selecting a program or navigating to additional pages reveals nested layers of related programs or detailed information. This nesting allows large visual tiles to be used while still accommodating extensive program information across multiple nested levels.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for managing media mosaics are described. One embodiment provides a media mosaic management method in a media device. The method generates a mosaic filter based on a program selected from a first media mosaic. The mosaic filter is used to identify related programs for presentation in a second, customized media mosaic.