Abstract:
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for browsing a collection of metadata to locate media content associated with an item of metadata. The system operates by receiving a selection of an affinity from a user, wherein the affinity specifies a baseline preference of the user. Next, the system determines a value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata that specifies how well each item of metadata fits the affinity. Finally, the system arranges the collection of metadata in a view, so that items of metadata with similar values are arranged in close proximity within the view, and so that items of metadata with dissimilar values are not arranged in close proximity within the view.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/722,696, filed on 29 Sep. 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference (Attorney Docket No. SUN 06-0255 PSP). 
     
    
     COLOR DRAWINGS  
       [0002]     The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     The present invention relates to media content. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for browsing media content based on user affinity.  
         [0005]     2. Related Art  
         [0006]     Traditional browsers or search methodologies for browsing media content typically present the media in a linear grid format. The resulting view of the media content resembles the image of a “brick wall”. For example, cable or satellite providers typically allow consumers to browse an on-screen programming guide. These guides typically use the “brick wall” format, with channels listed down the left side and times listed across the bottom. This format works well for a relatively small amount of content, but as the amount of content grows, this format makes it increasingly difficult for the consumer to locate items of interest.  
         [0007]     Furthermore, many of these television providers do not group channels together by type. For example, if a parent is browsing for suitable children&#39;s programming, the parent may have to scroll through various pages of information to find the available children&#39;s programming channels. This process can be time consuming, and can involve numerous button clicks on the remote. In addition, traditional systems rely on the consumer&#39;s ability to remember where each channel is located in the guide, and what type of content each channel provides.  
         [0008]     To help alleviate the complexity, some of these on-screen programming guides include the ability to perform a text-based search for programs by title, but such searches are of little use unless the consumer already knows exactly what he or she is looking for.  
         [0009]     Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for browsing large collections of media content without the problems listed above.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0010]     One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for browsing a collection of metadata to locate media content associated with an item of metadata. The system operates by receiving a selection of an affinity from a user, wherein the affinity specifies a baseline preference of the user. Next, the system determines a value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata that specifies how well each item of metadata fits the affinity. Finally, the system arranges the collection of metadata in a view, so that items of metadata with similar values are arranged in close proximity within the view, and so that items of metadata with dissimilar values are not arranged in close proximity within the view.  
         [0011]     In a variation on this embodiment, prior to arranging the metadata in the view, the system receives a selection of a second affinity from the user. Next, the system receives a weight for the affinity and a second weight for the second affinity to create a weighted affinity and a weighted second affinity. Finally, the system determines the value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata that specifies how well each item of metadata fits a combination of the weighted affinity and the weighted second affinity. Note that the present invention is not meant to be limited to the use of one or two gels and one or two affinities. In fact, any number of gels and affinities may be used. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system receives a selection of a third affinity from the user. Next, the system receives a third weight for the third affinity to create a weighted third affinity. Finally, the system determines the value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata that specifies how well each item of metadata fits a combination of the weighted affinity, the weighted second affinity, and the weighted third affinity.  
         [0012]     In a further variation, receiving the selection of the affinity involves receiving the results of a drag and drop operation from the user wherein the user dropped a gel into a selection area, and wherein the gel is a colored translucent object within the view that corresponds to an affinity.  
         [0013]     In a further variation, receiving the weight of the affinity involves receiving the results of a resize operation performed by the user, wherein the user resized the gel, and wherein the size of the gel represents the corresponding weight of the affinity.  
         [0014]     In a further variation, the system determines the value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata. Upon receiving an operation on the gel, the system arranges the metadata in the view with no perceptible delay to the user.  
         [0015]     In a variation on this embodiment, the system adjusts a zoom factor of the view to show items of metadata with values above a pre-determined threshold.  
         [0016]     In a variation on this embodiment, the system applies a fisheye lens to the view, wherein items of metadata that are directly below the fisheye lens are magnified with respect to items that are not directly below the fisheye lens.  
         [0017]     In a further variation, the fisheye lens is initially applied to the view in a position directly above items of metadata with the highest values.  
         [0018]     In a further variation, the system receives a drag command from the user to drag the fisheye lens across the view. In response to the drag command, the system moves the fisheye lens across the view.  
         [0019]     In a further variation the system displays a picture in the fisheye lens, wherein the picture is associated with an item of metadata in the view directly below the fisheye lens.  
         [0020]     In a variation on this embodiment, the system stores the value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata in a persistent storage. Then, the system uses the stored value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata as a baseline when determining a new value for each item of metadata in the collection of metadata.  
         [0021]     In a variation on this embodiment, the affinity can include one of a genre, an era, a score, a visual style, a character, a rating, an award, a previously viewed indicator, a runtime, a recommendation, a foreign designation, an animated designation, a new release designation, and a children&#39;s designation.  
         [0022]     In a variation on this embodiment, the collection of metadata can be associated with an audio/video media library, a file system, and a directory. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a browsing environment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2A  illustrates the Media Affinity Browser initialization Sequence in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2B  illustrates Media Affinity Browser branding in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2C  illustrates Media Affinity Browser with the “MIX” button selected in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2D  illustrates an affinity gel palette in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2E  illustrates various affinity gel arrangements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 2F  illustrates a selection of an affinity gel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2G  illustrates continuing refinement of an affinity gel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 2H  illustrates search results of the affinity gel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0032]      FIG. 2J  illustrates selection of a media content item in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2K  illustrates viewing metadata associated with the selected media content item in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0034]      FIG. 3A  illustrates Media Affinity Browser with the “MAP” button selected in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a histogram of previous searches in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0036]      FIG. 3C  illustrates an iconic representation of a selected previous search in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0037]      FIG. 3D  illustrates additional operations available on a selected previous search in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0038]      FIG. 3E  illustrates a linear view of the selected search in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0039]      FIG. 4A  presents an outline illustrating aegis considerations in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0040]      FIG. 4B  presents an outline illustrating properties of the lens object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0041]      FIG. 4C  presents an outline illustrating properties of the grid object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0042]      FIG. 4D  presents an outline illustrating properties of the toolbar object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0043]      FIG. 4E  presents an outline illustrating properties of experience objects in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0044]     The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims.  
         [0045]     The data structures and code described in this detailed description are typically stored on a computer-readable storage medium, which may be any device or medium that can store code and/or data for use by a computer system. This includes, but is not limited to, magnetic and optical storage devices such as disk drives, magnetic tape, CDs (compact discs), DVDs (digital versatile discs or digital video discs), or any device capable of storing data usable by a computer system.  
         [0000]     Overview  
         [0046]      FIG. 1  illustrates a browsing environment  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Browsing environment  100  includes user  102 , remote control  103 , high-definition television  104 , and video-on-demand service  106 . Note that high-definition television  104  can include any type of display for viewing media content including, but not limited to, standard television sets, personal computers, notebook computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), cell phones, and video game consoles.  
         [0047]     One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for browsing metadata associated with media content based on a user  102 &#39;s affinities for media content. The embodiment outlined in the following figures describes the Media Affinity Browser as it would be used in the context of a Video-On-Demand service  106 . However, note that the present invention is not meant to be limited to Video-On-Demand service  106 , but could apply to browsing metadata associated with any type of content. For example, one embodiment of the present invention provides an affinity browser for searching an audio collection on the user  102 &#39;s personal computer. In another embodiment of the present invention, an affinity browser is used in place of a standard file explorer to browse through files on the user  102 &#39;s personal computer.  
         [0048]     The Media Affinity Browser&#39;s core visual search methodology attempts to bridge the gap between what user  102  ‘knows’ and what ‘remains-to-be-seen’ by a process of affinitive juxtaposition, or “Visual Affinity Mixing.” Visual Affinity Mixing is an externalization of a particularly powerful human cognitive ability (affinity associations) into an elegant, meaningful and useful set of visual affordances for browsing and visually representing relationships, either historical or immediate, among nodes within exponentially massive media databases. Depending on how computing power and sensing evolve in the future, the Visual Affinity Mixing process could even be deployed within physical environments, as an overlay, say in retail, organizational planning, and a myriad of other consumer or enterprise level applications. The embodiment outlined in these figures describes the Media Affinity Browser as it would be used in the context of Video-On-Demand service  106 .  
         [0000]     Media Affinity Browser Event Sequence  
         [0049]      FIG. 2A  illustrates the Media Affinity Browser initialization Sequence in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The Media Affinity Browser initialization sequence animation expands outward from center screen, revealing the media grid  200  in a pixelated wash. Note that each “block” in the media grid  200 , such as blocks  202  and  204 , represents an item of content, or in this case, a video available from video-on-demand service  106 . Also note that  FIGS. 2A  to  2 K and  FIGS. 3A  to  3 E represent the visual output of the media affinity browser for display on a visual display device, such as high-definition television  104 .  
         [0050]      FIG. 2B  illustrates Media Affinity Browser branding in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As the lens object  206  and branding visual artifacts appear within the screen-space, the media grid  200  is seen to ripple outwards from the center. This is meant to be an indication of the power behind, and in, the lens object  206 . The media grid  200  initially renders at a “far” depth of field (1024 grid 200 points) and grows and shrinks in size hereafter to indicate the user  102 &#39;s general relationship to the database or media content. The user  102  relationship to the media grid  200  is never 1:1 except when viewing lens object  206  or Saved Search results, as described below.  
         [0051]     In one embodiment of the Media Affinity Browser, two simple buttons appear: “MIX”  210  and “MAP”  212 .  FIGS. 2C  to  2 K illustrate “MIX” functionality, while  FIGS. 3A  to  3 E illustrate “MAP” functionality.  FIG. 2C  illustrates Media Affinity Browser with the “MIX”  210  button selected in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Both buttons carry iconic representations of their intended function. Variations on this embodiment feature a Media Affinity Browser Graphical User Interface (GUI) with more feature buttons or control arrays.  
         [0052]      FIG. 2D  illustrates an affinity gel palette  216  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Upon selection of the “MIX” feature, the lens object  206  artifact expands in size to allow the process of mixing to begin. In addition to the lens object  206 , there is also a toolbar artifact  214  containing control sets. Additionally, the “Focus” feature shown in the lens object  206  ring is meant to suggest that there might be GUI affordances placed there as well (see  FIG. 2K ). One control set specific to lens object  206  and the mixing function is the “Affinity Gel” palette  216 . Via remote device or sensor, such as remote control  103 , the user  102  is able to select affinity gels from this affinity gel palette  216  and move them into the lens object  206  wherein they are arranged in an overlapping relationship that can be manipulated further. In one embodiment of the Media Affinity Browser, three gels are shown, but more may be used. The purpose and manipulation of these gels are described below.  
         [0053]     Note that the affinity gels can be pre-defined, or in some instances, can be defined by the user  102 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the affinity gels are determined by the provider of the media content database, such as video-on-demand service  106 .  
         [0054]      FIG. 2E  illustrates various affinity gel arrangements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. “Affinity” is meant to describe any spontaneous, close relationship a user  102  may feel with any number of metadata search points. An affinity can be further described as a baseline preference of user  102 . Depicted here are examples of potential affinities and mix ratios. Visual Affinity Mixing allows a user  102  to “actively maintain control” over a visual representation of the ratio of metadata types being juxtaposed to produce, ideally, a reduced metadata set of higher resolution. The visual mechanism may be thought of as akin to an adjustable Venn Diagram, whose circular bounding elements may be expanded and contracted to yield the desired mix. The affinities are, in essence, metadata categories that have been harnessed in a visual way to effect hierarchical shifts in perspective.  FIG. 2K  demonstrates that, once the user  102  has attained a certain degree of resolution within the database, this metadata can also become available as a purely indexical affordance.  
         [0055]      FIG. 2F  illustrates a selection of an affinity gel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. After the affinity gels have been selected and adjusted to the desired mix, the media grid  200  expands (“zoom-in”) as an indication that a search sequence has begun to resolve.  
         [0056]      FIG. 2G  illustrates continuing refinement of an affinity gel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The user  102  can continually tweak the affinity mixture in order to yield individual, scored results. In one embodiment of the Media Affinity Browser, the lens object  206  appears as a stationary object but in variations on this embodiment, the lens object  206  allows multi-directional, cursor-like action to explore specific regions of the media grid  200 . Movement of lens object  206  can be controlled by remote control  103 , or any other input device.  
         [0057]      FIG. 2H  illustrates search results of the affinity gel arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Results are presented in a tiered ‘fisheye’ around the center and periphery of the lens object  206 . Each result is individually scored which determines its place within the tier structure. Affinity Gels can still be tweaked at this point to mildly or radically alter this hierarchy, in real-time.  
         [0058]      FIG. 2J  illustrates selection of a media content item in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. When the user  102  makes their selection, the selected media content item is brought to the foreground. In one embodiment of the present invention, standard choices are offered to play the media or perform some other action upon it. A screen detail from the media (a movie, in this case) is also shown as an underlay to the UI.  
         [0059]      FIG. 2K  illustrates viewing metadata associated with the selected media content item in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Should the user  102  wish to engage the selected media file&#39;s metadata, another layer of GUI would present itself. This might be achieved by turning the lens object  206  ring (as in the ‘Focus’ feature mentioned in the description of  FIG. 2D ) to achieve higher and higher degrees of information resolution for the selected item of media content.  
         [0000]     Saved Search Histogram: Mapping Prior Engagements  
         [0060]     The Saved Search Histogram feature is presented here in contrast to the functionality of the Visual Affinity Mixing in order to illustrate the idea that the Media Affinity Browser contains within itself key changes of “state” among the omnipresent visual artifacts, namely the lens object  206  and the Media grid  200 . The lens object  206  is at once a cursor, a loupe, a container, and a presentation platform depending upon the user  102 &#39;s place in the search sequence. The Media grid  200  is at once a gauge of field resolution and, as the following FIGS. will show, a mapping device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the taxonomic idiom (color, shading, text, etc) used here is present throughout the entire Media Affinity Browser GUI, as it proves useful to the function of the visual affinity mixing.  
         [0061]      FIG. 3A  illustrates Media Affinity Browser with the “MAP” button selected in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The view illustrated in  FIG. 3A  is displayed when the user  102  selects the “MAP” feature.  
         [0062]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a histogram of previous searches in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The Media grid  200  shrinks away from the user  102  (“zoom-out”) to indicate a broader perspective on the database of media content. The grid  200  then sub-divides into a representation of previously searched regions. These regions are granted their proportions (height and width) based on user  102  habit: regularity of search in a particular region may be one criteria, success or failure of selection “hits” may be another. The lens object  206  also shrinks to become more like a “cursor that may be moved about freely to explore the shaded regions.  
         [0063]      FIG. 3C  illustrates an iconic representation of a selected previous search in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. When the user  102  moves the lens object  206  cursor over a particular region grouping, some iconic representation of the search category is displayed.  
         [0064]      FIG. 3D  illustrates additional operations available on a selected previous search in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. If the user  102  lingers over a particular region for more than 2 or 3 seconds, the Media grid  200  expands its apparent field of view (“zoom-in”) to focus more directly on that grouping. The cursor then exhibits cues for navigating to nearby related regions. Note that the time the user hovers over a region before this additional information is displayed can be adjusted via a global preference. In one embodiment of the present invention, the user manually select the region to view the resulting additional information.  
         [0065]      FIG. 3E  illustrates a linear view of the selected search in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Finally, the Media grid  200  shifts to a 1:1 color-coded visual representation of the selected region. From here, the user  102  might employ the visual affinity mixing feature of the lens object  206  to refine past results within a discrete node, or simply choose to display a linear listing from which to make their selection.  
         [0000]     Aegis Considerations  
         [0066]      FIG. 4A  presents an outline illustrating aegis considerations in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the lens properties should remain constant throughout the browsing process. In addition, the lens properties should remain contextually available so that they can be adjusted at any time by user  102 . Furthermore, the lens relationship to the grid changes depending on the browsing context. For example, the lens position on the grid may vary depending on if the user  102  is performing an unstructured search, or if the user  102  is operating on a previously saved search.  
         [0000]     Device Objects  
         [0067]      FIG. 4B  presents an outline illustrating properties of the lens object  206  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the lens object  206  includes an outer ring, an inner ring, affinity gels, a lens material, a results panel, and a selection panel.  
         [0068]     The outer ring includes directional arrows that inform user  102  of which way to move the lens object  206  to encounter various results that appear. In addition, the outer ring includes directional label indicators to aid the user  102  in browsing.  
         [0069]     The affinity gels can be manipulated by performing a dragging operation on the edges of the affinity gels. In one embodiment of the present invention, placement of the affinity gels is not important. The affinity gels can also include a text label, as well as size relationship to the other affinity gels.  
         [0070]     The search panel includes a label that can include both the title of an item of media content, as well as a search hit score for the item of media content.  
         [0071]     The selection panel also includes a label that can include both the title of a selected item of media content, as well as a search hit score for the selected item of media content. In addition, the label can include action buttons that aid user  102  in performing various actions, such as view, queue, recommend, and review.  
         [0072]      FIG. 4C  presents an outline illustrating properties of the grid object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Note that in one embodiment of the present invention, the grid object is only available while the user  102  is in the “histogram” saved-search context described previously. The grid object includes the following properties: color, contrast/brightness, and labeling. Note that the labeling can be present on both the on-grid panel, as well as floating over a group of similarly associated content.  
         [0073]      FIG. 4D  presents an outline illustrating properties of the toolbar object in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the toolbar is broken up into two pieces. The right-hand side of the toolbar includes information such as the local date and time, as well as remote data, such as the status of video-on-demand service  106 . The left-hand side of the toolbar includes information and objects for performing browsing operations. This can include the affinity gel palette  216 , including the affinity gel selection tray, and scroll buttons to view more gels, as well as the affinity gel selection tab that includes information about the selected affinity gel.  
         [0000]     Experience Objects  
         [0074]      FIG. 4E  presents an outline illustrating properties of experience objects in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Experience objects are objects that describe the use and comprehension of parts of the previously described device objects. In one embodiment of the present invention, experience objects can include the media grid  200 , grid effects (including color coding, transitional movements, and transparency), lens effects (including size changes, overlap with the media grid  200 , magnification, and minimum and maximum constraint values), toolbar effects (including affinity gel selection and affinity gel placement), and affinity gel effects (including re-sizing and overlap with other affinity gels).  
         [0075]     The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present invention have been presented only for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the forms disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the above disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.