Voice Search Interface for Entertainment Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic program guides (EPGs) for selecting scheduled programming content are cumbersome to navigate, requiring a series of five-way navigation commands, which is not intuitive or efficient for users.

Innovation Solution

A visual search interface that encourages natural-language input, using voice commands as a primary modality, with a user interface that displays search results on both a time-independent and time-based axis, allowing users to search and select content without the rigid grid format of traditional EPGs, and enabling interaction with both scheduled and bundled service content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional EPG grid format is used, then scheduled programming content can be displayed, but navigation becomes cumbersome requiring multiple five-way commands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent selection processVSAvoidnavigation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical five-way navigation system with a voice-based search system. Users can now search for content by speaking natural language queries instead of manually navigating through grid cells using directional buttons, significantly reducing navigation time and improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a search interface as an intermediary between the user and the content selection process. This search interface accepts natural language input and returns relevant content results, acting as a mediator that eliminates the need for direct grid navigation while still enabling content selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If traditional EPG navigation is used, then content can be selected, but the process is not intuitive or efficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent access efficiencyVSAvoiduser interface intuitiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes the mechanical grid-navigation interface with a voice-activated search interface that processes natural language. This allows users to efficiently access content by speaking their intent rather than manually navigating, dramatically improving both productivity and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the interaction parameter from directional button presses to voice-based natural language input. This fundamental parameter change transforms the user experience from tedious grid navigation to intuitive speech-based searching, improving both efficiency and intuitiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If separate handling of scheduled and bundled service content is used, then content sources are distinct, but user experience is fragmented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent source compatibilityVSAvoidsearch interface unity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the handling of scheduled programming content and bundled service content into a single unified search interface. The system accepts a single search query and returns results from both content sources together, eliminating the need for separate searches and providing a unified, seamless user experience while maintaining adaptability to different content types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9026448B2User interface for entertainment systems

Publication Date: 2015.05.05 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for providing a search interface for an electronic device including a tuner configured to tune the electronic device to receive scheduled programming content. A search query is received and one or more data sources including information about media content are searched based, at least in part, on the search query. The results of the search are presented on a user interface using a time-based axis and a time-independent axis.