Patent ID: 7827490

Claim:
A method for execution in a computer system for rendering on a display device a user interface for representing a current playback position and availability of stored media content in the presentation of media content, the method comprising: rendering a buffer container in the user interface, the buffer container indicating a duration of a time slot for the media content; rendering a buffer bar within the buffer container, the buffer bar indicating an amount of available stored media content and comprising a first visual element and a second visual element within the buffer bar, the second visual element being visually distinguishable from the first visual element; rendering the first visual element of the buffer bar in a first color or pattern for visually distinguishing available stored media content ahead of the current playback position; rendering the second visual element of the buffer bar in a second color or pattern contrasting with the first color or pattern for visually distinguishing available stored media content behind the current playback position; abutting adjacent ends of the first visual element and the second visual element that are rendered in contrasting colors or patterns, wherein: a left end of the first visual element that is rendered in the first color or pattern abuts a right end of the second visual element that is rendered in the second color or pattern to define an interface representing the current playback position, movement of the interface representing the current playback position is limited to incrementing or decrementing to predetermined pixel increments determined as percentages of the duration of the time slot to avoid a flicker effect between the first color or pattern of the left end of the first visual element and the second color or pattern of the right end of the second visual element, and the left end of the first visual element and the right end of the second visual element snap to the predetermined pixel increments based on elapsed playback time of the media content with respect to the duration of the time slot; decreasing size of the first visual element within the buffer bar and increasing size of the second visual element within the buffer bar as the current playback position advances in response to forward playback or input control; and decreasing size of the second visual element within the buffer bar and increasing size of the first visual element within the buffer bar as the current playback position retreats in response to reverse playback or input control.