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, requiring users to navigate through a grid-like display using a five-way navigation command system, which is not efficient or intuitive.
Innovation Solution
A voice-controllable visual search interface that encourages natural-language input, allowing users to search for content using voice commands and presenting search results on a user interface with both time-based and time-independent axes, combining scheduled programming and bundled service content in a single search.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional EPG grid display with five-way navigation is used, then scheduled programming content can be displayed and selected, but user operation becomes cumbersome and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical five-way navigation system with a voice-based search interface. Users can now search for content using natural language voice commands instead of manually navigating through grid displays, significantly improving ease of operation while eliminating the complexity of rigid navigation patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a search interface as an intermediary between the user and the content selection process. This intermediary layer processes voice queries and returns relevant results, eliminating the need for direct navigation through the complex EPG grid structure while maintaining efficient content access.
2Productivity
If separate searches for scheduled programming and bundled services are performed, then content sources can be independently searched, but user time and operational steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple content sources (scheduled programming and bundled services) into a single unified search interface. Users can search across all content types simultaneously using one voice query, eliminating the need for separate searches and significantly reducing both search time and operational steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The search interface is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple content types and sources through a single unified system. The interface can process queries for scheduled programming, bundled services, or any combination thereof, improving productivity by eliminating the need for separate specialized search operations.
3Ease of operation
If rigid navigation commands are required, then precise content selection can be achieved, but user experience becomes less intuitive and more cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the rigid mechanical navigation command structure with a flexible natural language processing system. Voice-based search allows users to express content needs intuitively without following predetermined navigation patterns, greatly enhancing user experience while reducing the apparent complexity of the interaction model.
Data Source
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.