System and method for improved navigation of available choices
A system and method for improved navigation of available titles for a streaming media service is disclosed herein. After entering a discovery mode, a list of categories is presented to a user. Once a user selects a category, a list of criteria specific to the selected category is presented. After a user selects a criteria, a list of categories can be shown to the user, limited to those categories available after the criteria was selected. After a second category is selected, then a list of criteria, specific to the previously selected criteria and to the second category, is presented. Each time a user selects a new criteria, the number of titles available to a user is reduced. Such a process can be repeated, further limiting the number of titles shown to the user, until a user finally chooses a media file to view. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a menu selection of a menu choice of one or more menu choices, wherein:
the menu selection of the menu choice is:
configured to initiate a display of a new media file; and
made via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an electronic device of a user;
the electronic device is at least internet-capable for streaming or downloading via the internet; and
after being selected, the menu choice is visually differentiated from other menu choices of the one or more menu choices;
facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user:
one or more boxes below the one or more menu choices, each respective box of the one or more boxes:
representing a respective media file of a selection of media files; and
being selectable via the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
one or more panels below the one or more boxes, a first panel of the one or more panels comprising a start selector and a total number of the media files in the selection of the media files;
receiving a start selection of the start selector from the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
in response to receiving the start selection of the start selector, facilitating displaying, in a second panel of the one or more panels, a list of categories of the media files, each category of the list of categories being selectable via the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
receiving, from the GUI of the electronic device of the user, a first category selection of a first category of the list of categories displayed in the second panel;
in response to receiving the first category selection, facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user, one or more first category criteria of the first category, the one or more first category criteria being selectable on the GUI;
receiving a first criterion selection of a first criterion of the one or more first category criteria from the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
querying a media file database comprising the media files to determine one or more first media files of the selection of the media files having at least the first criterion, as selected;
facilitating displaying:
in the second panel of the one or more panels:
the first category, as selected, near a top of the second panel;
a number of the media files of the selection of the media files having the at least the first criterion, as selected; and
the first criterion, as selected, in a position of the first category when the first category was displayed in the list of categories in the second panel;
a first line segment extending from a bottom of the first panel to the first criterion, as selected and displayed, in the second panel;
at least one updated box of the one or more boxes, wherein:
the at least one updated box represents a matching media file characterized by the at least the first criterion, as selected; and
the at least one updated box is displayed in a position for a non-matching media file not having the at least the first criterion, as selected;
in a third panel of the one or more panels, the list of categories of the media files;
receiving, from the GUI of the electronic device of the user, a second category selection of a second category of the list of categories displayed in the second panel, the second category being different than the first category;
in response to receiving the second category selection, facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user, one or more second category criteria of the second category, the one or more second category criteria being selectable on the GUI and being different than the one or more first category criteria;
receiving a second criterion selection of a second criterion of the one or more second category criteria from the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
querying the media file database to determine one or more second media files of the selection of the media files having at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected;
facilitating displaying:
in the third panel of the one or more panels:
the second category, as selected, near a top of the third panel;
a number of the media files of the selection of the media files having the at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected; and
the second criterion, as selected, in a position of the second category when the second category was in the list of categories in the third panel;
a second line segment extending from the first criterion, as selected and displayed in the second panel, to the second criterion, as selected and displayed in the third panel;
at least one new box of the one or more boxes, wherein:
the at least one new box represents a new media file having the at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected; and
the at least one updated box is displayed in a position for a second non-matching media file having the at least the first criterion, as selected, but not the second criterion, as selected;
in a fourth panel of the one or more panels, the list of categories of the media files;
receiving a movement of a navigation element to the at least one new box of the one or more boxes;
in response to receiving the movement of the navigation element, facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user, a detail box comprising production information of the new media file, a rating of the new media file, user generated information for the new media file, and availability information of the new media file;
receiving a playback selection for the at least one new box of the one or more boxes; and
in response to receiving the playback selection, facilitating playback of the new media file on the GUI of the electronic device of the user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
querying the media file database to determine the one or more second media files of the selection of the media files having the at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected comprises:
using the media file database and the second category criterion to analyze a first filtered list of the selection of the media files; and
when the first filtered list of the selection of the media files no longer comprises a specific category of the list of categories, removing the specific category from the list of categories, as displayed in the fourth panel of the one or more panels.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating the playback of the new media file comprises:
beginning a transfer of the new media file to the electronic device of the user; and
providing instructions to the electronic device of the user, the instructions configured to request playback of the new media file.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the media file database comprises one or more fields for a plurality of category criteria, each respective category criterion of the plurality of category criteria belonging to a respective category of a plurality of categories.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein:
the media file database further comprises a bitmap index of the plurality of category criteria and a bitmap index of the list of the plurality of categories.
6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
determining a number of categories of the selection of the media files in the first filtered list of the media files; and
displaying the number of categories of the selection of the media files on the GUI of the electronic device of the user.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each respective box of the one or more boxes further comprises:
a graphic associated with each corresponding, respective media file; and
a stylized title for each corresponding, respective media file separate from the graphic.
8. The method of claim 1
wherein the navigation element is configured to allow scrolling through the one or more menu choices, the one or more boxes, the list of categories of the media files, the one or more first category criteria, and the one or more second category criteria.
9. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
receiving a menu selection of a menu choice of one or more menu choices, wherein:
the menu selection of the menu choice is:
configured to initiate a display of a new media file; and
made via a graphical user interface (GUI) of an electronic device of a user;
the electronic device is at least internet-capable for streaming or downloading via the internet; and
after being selected, the menu choice is visually differentiated from other menu choices of the one or more menu choices;
facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user:
one or more boxes below the one or more menu choices, each respective box of the one or more boxes:
representing a respective media file of a selection of media files; and
being selectable via the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
one or more panels below the one or more boxes, a first panel of the one or more panels comprising a start selector and a total number of the media files in the selection of the media files;
receiving a start selection of the start selector from the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
in response to receiving the start selection of the start selector, facilitating displaying, in a second panel of the one or more panels, a list of categories of the media files, each category of the list of categories being selectable via the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
receiving, from the GUI of the electronic device of the user, a first category selection of a first category of the list of categories displayed in the second panel;
in response to receiving the first category selection, facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user, one or more first category criteria of the first category, the one or more first category criteria being selectable on the GUI;
receiving a first criterion selection of a first criterion of the one or more first category criteria from the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
querying a media file database comprising the media files to determine one or more first media files of the selection of the media files having at least the first criterion, as selected;
facilitating displaying:
in the second panel of the one or more panels:
the first category, as selected, near a top of the second panel;
a number of the media files of the selection of the media files having the at least the first criterion, as selected; and
the first criterion, as selected, in a position of the first category when the first category was in the list of categories in the second panel;
a first line segment extending from a bottom of the first panel to the first criterion, as selected and displayed, in the second panel;
at least one updated box of the one or more boxes, wherein:
the at least one updated box represents a matching media file characterized by the at least the first criterion, as selected; and
the at least one updated box is displayed in a position for a box of the one or more boxes comprising a non-matching media file not having the at least the first criterion, as selected;
in a third panel of the one or more panels, the list of categories of the media files;
receiving, from the GUI of the electronic device of the user, a second category selection of a second category of the list of categories displayed in the second panel, the second category being different than the first category;
in response to receiving the second category selection, facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user, one or more second category criteria of the second category, the one or more second category criteria being selectable on the GUI and being different than the one or more first category criteria;
receiving a second criterion selection of a second criterion of the one or more second category criteria from the GUI of the electronic device of the user;
querying the media file database to determine one or more second media files of the selection of the media files having at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected;
facilitating displaying:
in the third panel of the one or more panels:
the second category, as selected, near a top of the third panel;
a number of the media files of the selection of the media files having the at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected; and
the second criterion, as selected, in a position of the second category when the second category was in the list of categories in the third panel;
a second line segment extending from the first criterion, as selected and displayed in the second panel, to the second criterion, as selected and displayed in the third panel;
at least one new box of the one or more boxes, wherein:
the at least one new box represents a new media file having the at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected; and
the at least one updated box is displayed in a position for a second non-matching media file having the at least the first criterion, as selected, but not the second criterion, as selected;
in a fourth panel of the one or more panels, the list of categories of the media files;
receiving a movement of a navigation element to the at least one new box of the one or more boxes;
in response to receiving the movement of the navigation element, facilitating displaying, on the GUI of the electronic device of the user, a detail box comprising production information for the new media file, a rating of the new media file, user generated information of the new media file, and availability information of the new media file;
receiving a playback selection for the at least one new box of the one or more boxes; and
in response to receiving the playback selection, facilitating playback of the new media file on the GUI of the electronic device of the user.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
querying the media file database to determine the one or more second media files of the selection of the media files having the at least the first criterion, as selected, and the second criterion, as selected comprises:
using the media file database and the second category criterion to analyze a first filtered list of the selection of the media files; and
when the first filtered list of the selection of the media files no longer comprises a specific category of the list of categories, removing the specific category from the list of categories, as displayed in the fourth panel of the one or more panels.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein facilitating the playback of the new media file comprises:
beginning a transfer of the new media file to the electronic device of the user; and
providing instructions to the electronic device of the user, the instructions configured to request playback of the new media file.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein:
the media file database comprises one or more fields for a plurality of category criteria, each respective category criterion of the plurality of category criteria belonging to a respective category of a plurality of categories.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein:
the media file database further comprises a bitmap index of the plurality of category criteria and a bitmap index of the list of the plurality of categories.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the computing instructions further comprise:
determining a number of categories of the selection of the media files in the first filtered list of the media files; and
displaying the number of categories of the selection of the media files on the GUI of the electronic device of the user.
15. The system of claim 9 wherein each respective box of the one or more boxes further comprises:
a graphic associated with each corresponding, respective media file; and
a stylized title for each corresponding, respective media file separate from the graphic.
16. The system of claim 1 wherein the
navigation element is configured to allow scrolling through the one or more menu choices, the one or more icons, the list of categories of the media files, the one or more first category criteria, and the one or more second category criteria.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the list of categories of media files comprises at least mood, plot, period, and place;
when the first category selection of the first category comprises mood, then the one or more first category criteria comprises two or more mood criteria that each describe how any media file of the selection of the media files having the two or more mood criteria is intended to make a viewer feel;
when the first category selection of the first category comprises plot, then the one or more first criteria comprises two or more plot criteria that each describe a type of movie plot;
when the first category selection of the first category comprises period, then the first category criteria comprises two or more time periods; and
when the first category selection of the first category comprises place, then the one or more category criteria comprises two or more place criteria that each describe where any media file of the selection of the media files having the two or more place criteria takes place.
18. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the list of categories of media files comprises at least mood, plot, period, and place;
when the first category selection of the first category comprises mood, then the one or more first category criteria comprises two or more mood criteria that each describe how any media file of the selection of the media files having the two or more mood criteria is intended to make a viewer feel;
when the first category selection of the first category comprises plot, then the one or more first criteria comprises two or more plot criteria that each describe a type of movie plot;
when the first category selection of the first category comprises period, then the first category criteria comprises two or more time periods; and
when the first category selection of the first category comprises place, then the one or more category criteria comprises two or more place criteria that each describe where any media file of the selection of the media files having the two or more place criteria takes place.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user opens a connection to a streaming service.
20. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user opens a connection to a streaming service.