System and method for focused navigation using option type filters

1. A method for navigating options within a user interface, comprising:

providing a first sequence of cards, each card graphically representing an available option from one of a plurality of option types;

providing a user interface including a focus area intersected by a first axis and a second axis, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis;

displaying a set of cards representing filters along the second axis, each filter corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of option types;

receiving a selection of a filter in response to a user scrolling the set of filter cards along the second axis to align a corresponding filter card with the focus area;

filtering the first sequence of cards according to the selected filter to produce a second sequence of cards, the second sequence of cards only including cards representing the type of option corresponding to the selected filter; and

displaying at least a subset of the second sequence of cards along the first axis, one card being displayable within the focus area.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

scrolling the second sequence of cards along the first axis in response to a single user action to progressively change the card within the focus area to a next card in the second sequence; and

halting the scrolling of cards in response to a subsequent user action to show a selected card from the second sequence within the focus area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each filter comprises filtering criteria, and wherein filtering comprises:

comparing each card in the first sequence to the filtering criteria of the selected filter; and

copying each card from the first sequence that matches the filtering criteria to the second sequence.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the filtering criteria comprises one or more of a search term, a search attribute, and a logical expression.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein each card comprises at least one tag, and wherein comparing comprises:

comparing the at least one tag of each card to the filtering criteria of the selected filter.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one tag indicates a card characteristic from one or more of a genre, a type, a function, and a priority.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first axis comprises a vertical axis and the second axis comprises a horizontal axis.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one filter is user defined.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one filter is implicitly defined based on one or more of historical viewing habits and demographics.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is downloaded from a remote server via a broadband network.

11. A system for navigating options within a user interface, comprising:

a memory for storing a first sequence of cards, each card graphically representing an available option from one of a plurality of option types, the memory also storing a set of filter cards, each filter card representing a filter corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of option types;

a display interface for presenting a focus area intersected by a first axis and a second axis, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis, at least a subset of the filter cards being displayed along the first axis; and

an input interface for receiving a user selection of a filter in response to the at least a subset of filter cards being scrolled along the first axis to align a corresponding filter card with the focus area,

wherein the display interface is to display, in response to selection of a filter, at least a subset of the second sequence of cards along the second axis, one card being displayable within the focus area, the second sequence of cards only including cards representing the type of option corresponding to the selected filter.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the selected filter comprises filtering criteria, and wherein the selected filter is further adapted to compare each card in the first sequence to the filtering criteria and copy each card from the first sequence that matches the filtering criteria to the second sequence.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the filtering criteria comprises one or more of a search term, a search attribute, and a logical expression.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein each card comprises at least one tag, and wherein the selected filter is further adapted to compare the at least one tag of each card to the filtering criteria.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein at least one tag indicates a card characteristic from one or more of a genre, a type, a function, and a priority.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first axis comprises a horizontal axis and the second axis comprises a vertical axis.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one filter is user defined.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one filter is implicitly defined based on one or more of historical viewing habits and demographics.

19. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a network interface for downloading at least one filter via a broadband network.

20. A system for navigating options within a user interface, comprising:

means for providing a first sequence of cards, each card graphically representing an available option from one of a plurality of option types;

means for providing a user interface including a focus area intersected by a first axis and a second axis, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis;

means for displaying a set of cards representing filters along the second axis, each filter corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of option types;

means for receiving a selection of a filter in response to a user scrolling the set of filter cards along the second axis to align a corresponding filter card with the focus area;

means for filtering the first sequence of cards according to the selected filter to produce a second sequence of cards, the second sequence of cards only including cards representing the type of option corresponding to the selected filter; and

displaying at least a subset of the second sequence of cards along the first axis, one card being displayable within the focus area.

21. A method for navigating options within a user interface, comprising:

providing a first set of cards, each card graphically representing an available option from one of a plurality of option types;

providing a user interface including a focus area;

displaying a sequence of filter cards representing different filters along a first axis of the user interface intersecting the focus area, each filter corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of option types;

receiving a selection of a filter in response to a user scrolling the sequence of filter cards along the first axis to align a corresponding filter card with the focus area, wherein each filter card represents a single filter, and wherein the sequence of filter cards is scrolled through the focus area without scrolling any cards not in the sequence;

filtering the first set of cards according to the selected filter to produce a second set of cards, the second set of cards only including cards representing the type of option corresponding to the selected filter; and

displaying at least a subset of the second set of cards along a second axis of the user interface that is perpendicular to the first axis, one card being displayable within the focus area, wherein the second set of cards is displayed in response to the filter card corresponding to the selected filter being aligned with the focus area without any additional selection action.

22. A system for navigating options within a user interface, comprising:

means for providing a first set of cards, each card graphically representing an available option from one of a plurality of option types;

means for providing a user interface including a focus area;

means for displaying a sequence of filter cards representing different filters along a first axis of the user interface intersecting the focus area, each filter corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of option types;

means for receiving a selection of a filter in response to a user scrolling the sequence of filter cards along the first axis to align a corresponding filter card with the focus area, wherein each filter card represents a single filter, and wherein the sequence of filter cards is scrolled through the focus area without scrolling any cards not in the sequence;

means for filtering the first set of cards according to the selected filter to produce a second set of cards, the second set of cards only including cards representing the type of option corresponding to the selected filter; and

means for displaying at least a subset of the second set of cards along a second axis of the user interface that is perpendicular to the first axis, one card being displayable within the focus area, wherein the second set of cards is displayed in response to the filter card corresponding to the selected filter being aligned with the focus area without any additional selection action.