Patent ID: 8566874
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a media content processing subsystem, said media content subsystem including an output driver configured to provide at least a component of a media content instance to a display for presentation to a user, and a receiver configured to receive at least one input command initiated by the user during said presentation of said at least a component of said media content instance; wherein a media content instance is at least one of a television program, on-demand program, pay-per-view program, broadcast media program, video-on demand program, commercial, video, movie, song, or audio program; a set of user profiles; and a group of control panes, wherein each control pane in the group of control panes includes a display of a set of icons, each icon representing one control tool for performing an electronic function, wherein each of said control panes includes a different set of control tool icons, and wherein the group of control panes at least partially surrounds said media content instance outside of a viewable portion of the display, wherein said media content processing subsystem is configured to select a control pane from the group of control panes based on a first input command of said at least one input command and shifts said media content instance into a viewing area defined by at least one of the viewable portion of said display and said selected control pane such that said selected control pane is viewable on the display concurrently with said media content instance in response to said first input command; wherein said media content processing subsystem is further configured to select a user profile of said set of user profiles based on a second command of said at least one input command, wherein said set of user profiles are displayed as icons in a control pane of said group of control panes, and wherein at least some of said control tools are contextually selected for inclusion in said group of control panes based on said selected user profile, and wherein said media content processing subsystem is further configured to adjust a size and location of the viewing area based on said control pane selected.