Touch Screen Timeline Interface for Dynamic Media Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current user interfaces for accessing media content lack intuitiveness and usability, failing to provide an optimal balance of information, control, and functionality for users to efficiently find relevant media content.
Innovation Solution
A user interface system that includes filter tools, such as a time filter tool with a graphical timeline on a touch screen display, allowing users to interactively select time periods to filter media content listings, along with channel and category filters, to dynamically update and display relevant media content programs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional user interfaces are used for accessing media content, then basic functionality is provided, but intuitiveness and usability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is segmented into distinct functional areas including a timeline portion for time-based filtering, channel portion for channel selection, and category portion for content categorization. This segmentation allows users to access different filtering capabilities independently, improving intuitiveness without overwhelming the user with a monolithic complex interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension through the timeline portion, allowing users to navigate media content not just by category or channel but by time periods. This additional dimension organizes content in a intuitive chronological manner, enhancing usability while the systematic structure prevents excessive complexity.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive media content listings are displayed, then complete information is provided, but user ability to efficiently find relevant content is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The interface performs preliminary filtering actions by providing multiple filter tools (time, channel, category) that allow users to pre-filter media content listings before viewing. This preliminary action reduces the volume of information presented to users, enabling them to efficiently locate relevant content while the system maintains the capability to access complete information when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter tools serve as intermediaries between the comprehensive media content database and the user interface. These intermediaries process and organize the complete information set into manageable, relevant subsets based on user selections, thereby maintaining information completeness in the backend while improving front-end efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If multiple filter tools are provided, then access to filtered media content is improved, but interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter tools are designed with universal functionality where each tool (time, channel, category) operates independently but contributes to the same overall goal of filtering media content. This multi-functional design allows the system to provide comprehensive filtering capabilities while maintaining a consistent, familiar interface pattern across different filter types, reducing the perceived complexity for users.
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary method includes a media content information system displaying, on a touch screen display, a first set of media content listings, a graphical representation of a timeline indicating a plurality of times, and a graphical selector to indicate a first position on the timeline, the first position corresponding to a first time within the plurality of times, detecting, a touch input provided by a user on the touch screen display to indicate a second position on the timeline, repositioning, in response to the touch input, the graphical selector to indicate the second position on the timeline, the second position corresponding to a second time within the plurality of times, identifying, a second set of media content listings associated with the second time, and dynamically replacing, the first set of media content listings with the second set of media content listings on the touch screen display.