System, apparatus and methods providing a user interface
View Patent ↗Apparatus, methods and systems associated with electronic devices can involve determining a plurality of available services providing content, wherein each service has an associated content format; determining an order of the plurality of available services, based on the content format of each service and a sequence of switching between the plurality of available services, to reduce a transition time when switching, based on the sequence, from a first one of the plurality of available services to a second one of the plurality of services different from the first one; generating, based on the order, a list of the plurality of available services representing a program guide, wherein the first and second services are adjacent in the program guide; and enabling, based on the program guide, switching from the first service to the second service.
1. An apparatus for providing a user interface to present adjacently listed services indicating video content, the apparatus comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive a first list of a plurality of services indicating video content, wherein each of the services of the first list has a channel number and an associated video format being a combination of a video transfer function and a video resolution;
reorganize an order of the first list, based on the associated video format of each service, to generate a second list by grouping together services having same combinations of video transfer function and video resolution; and
present a user interface using the second list, wherein the user interface allows switching from any one service to an adjacent service in the second list.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second list reduces instances of latency when sequentially switching between adjacent services in the second list compared to switching between adjacent services arranged in a numeric order by channel number.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second list reduces instances of latency by reducing a likelihood of a reconfiguration of a video pipeline when switching from processing content provided by a first service to processing content provided by a second service adjacent to the first service.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user interface using the second list comprises an electronic program guide wherein a channel number indicates a video content service.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an order of the second list reduces a transition time by reducing an expected time to acquire an I-frame of an adjacent service in the second list.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user interface using the second list enables a channel surfing sequence by a user repeatedly activating one or more of a channel-up command and a channel-down command of a remote control for any of a television, a television signal receiver, a set-top box, a gateway device, a mobile device, a cell phone, or a tablet computer.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein grouping together services having same combinations of video transfer function and video resolution is further based on one or more user preferences.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the one or more user preferences correspond to user selection of program content available in one video format rather than user selection of program content available in a different video format.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors reorganize the order of the first list further based on any of:
reducing an occurrence of a video format parameter change associated with a transition from one service to an adjacent service that causes a greatest latency;
a prioritization by a user of any of content and services into two or more tiers of favorites; or
placement in the second list of a wrap-around point at which advancing through a sequence of adjacent services past an end of an electronic program guide moves the sequence of adjacent services to a beginning of the electronic program guide.
10. A method for presenting adjacently listed services indicating video content, the method comprising:
receiving a first list of a plurality of services indicating video content, wherein each of the services has a channel number and an associated video format being a combination of a video transfer function and a video resolution;
reorganizing an order of the first list, based on the associated video format of each service, to generate a second list by grouping together services having same combinations of video transfer function and video resolution; and
presenting a user interface using the second list, wherein the user interface allows switching from any one service to an adjacent service in the second list.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein reorganizing the order of the first list to generate the second list reduces instances of latency when sequentially switching between adjacent services in the second list compared to switching between adjacent services arranged in numeric order by channel number.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second list reduces instances of latency by reducing a likelihood of a reconfiguration of a video pipeline when switching from processing content provided by a first service to processing content provided by a second service adjacent to the first service.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein presenting the user interface using the second list comprises presenting an electronic program guide using the second list.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein grouping together services having same combinations of video transfer function and video resolution is further based on one or more user preferences.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more user preferences correspond to user selection of program content available in one video format rather than user selection of program content available in a different video format.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein reorganizing the order of the first list to generate the second list produces an order of the second list that reduces an expected time to acquire an I-frame of an adjacent service in the second list.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein presenting a user interface using the second list enables a channel surfing sequence by a user repeatedly activating one or more of a channel-up command and a channel-down command of a remote control for any of a television, a television signal receiver, a set-top box, a gateway device, a mobile device, a cell phone, or a tablet computer.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:
receiving a first list of a plurality of services indicating video content, wherein each of the services has a channel number and an associated video format being a combination of a video transfer function and a video resolution;
reorganizing an order of the first list, based on the associated video format of each service, to generate a second list by grouping together services having same combinations of video transfer function and video resolution; and
presenting a user interface using the second list, wherein the user interface allows switching from any one service to an adjacent service in the second list.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein presenting a user interface using the second list comprises presenting an electronic program guide using the second list.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein grouping together services having same combinations of video transfer function and video resolution is further based on one or more user preferences that correspond to user selection of program content available in one video format rather than user selection of program content available in a different video format.