IP Library Granted Patent US 12,294,759
Granted Patent B2
US 12,294,759 · App. 18/372,017 · Granted May 6, 2025

Dynamically adjustable electronic program guide

Inventors: Michael Kleinerman (New York, NY); Neil Cormican (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
H04N21/4312H04N21/26283H04N21/41407H04N21/4314H04N21/47H04N21/4821H04N21/4858H04L65/75
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,294,759
App. No.
18/372,017
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Metadata for media content items is received. The metadata identifies a thumbnail representation of the media content items. At least some of media content items are displayed in an overview area in an EPG of a user interface. The overview area includes cells aligned in one or more rows. The cells include a subset of the metadata for a respective media content item. The subset of the metadata includes the thumbnail representations of media content items. A first media content item is displayed in a focus area in the EPG of the user interface. The focus area includes expanded metadata having a sample of the first media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of at least some other metadata of the first media content item such that playback is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the first media content item.

Claims (39)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, metadata for a plurality of media content items, wherein the metadata identifies a thumbnail representation of each of the plurality of media content items;

displaying at least some of the plurality of media content items in an overview area in an electronic program guide (EPG) of a user interface, wherein the overview area comprises a plurality of cells aligned in one or more rows, wherein the plurality of cells comprise a subset of the metadata for a respective media content item, wherein the subset of the metadata comprises the thumbnail representations of the plurality of media content items, and wherein the thumbnail representations are displayed in the overview area; and

displaying a first media content item of the plurality of media content items in a focus area in the EPG of the user interface, the focus area comprising expanded metadata that includes a sample of the first media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of at least some other metadata of the first media content item such that playback of the sample is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the first media content item, wherein the focus area displays the first media content item but not other media items of the plurality of media content items.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving input indicative of a selection of a second media content item of the plurality of media content items of the EPG; and

responsive to receiving the input indicative of the selection of the second media content item,

removing the display of the first media content item in the focus area in the EPG of the user interface, and

displaying the second media content item in in the focus area in the EPG of the user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the focus area comprises other expanded metadata that includes an other sample of the second media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of other metadata of the second media content item such that playback of the other sample is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the second media content item.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: playing the sample of the first media content item in the focus area.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focus area is located above the overview area, and wherein no other media content items are displayed above the focus area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focus area is displayed as a rectangular area of the EPG.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells comprise a first plurality of cells and a second plurality of cells, wherein the first plurality of cells align in a first row of the one or more rows of the overview area, and wherein the second plurality of cells align in a second row of the one or more rows of the overview area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells of the overview area are scrollable.

9. A system, comprising: a memory; and

a processing device, coupled to the memory, to perform operations comprising:

receiving metadata for a plurality of media content items, wherein the metadata identifies a thumbnail representation of each of the plurality of media content items;

displaying at least some of the plurality of media content items in an overview area in an electronic program guide (EPG) of a user interface, wherein the overview area comprises a plurality of cells aligned in one or more rows, wherein the plurality of cells comprise a subset of the metadata for a respective media content item, wherein the subset of the metadata comprises the thumbnail representations of the plurality of media content items, and wherein the thumbnail representations are displayed in the overview area; and

displaying a first media content item of the plurality of media content items in a focus area in the EPG of the user interface, the focus area comprising expanded metadata that includes a sample of the first media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of at least some other metadata of the first media content item such that playback of the sample is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the first media content item, wherein the focus area displays the first media content item but not other media items of the plurality of media content items.

10. The system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

receiving input indicative of a selection of a second media content item of the plurality of media content items of the EPG; and

responsive to receiving the input indicative of the selection of the second media content item,

removing the display of the first media content item in the focus area in the EPG of the user interface, and

displaying the second media content item in in the focus area in the EPG of the user interface.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the focus area comprises other expanded metadata that includes an other sample of the second media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of other metadata of the second media content item such that playback of the other sample is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the second media content item.

12. The system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

playing the sample of the first media content item in the focus area.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the focus area is located above the overview area, and wherein no other media content items are displayed above the focus area.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, responsive to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving metadata for a plurality of media content items, wherein the metadata identifies a thumbnail representation of each of the plurality of media content items;

displaying at least some of the plurality of media content items in an overview area in an electronic program guide (EPG) of a user interface, wherein the overview area comprises a plurality of cells aligned in one or more rows, wherein the plurality of cells comprise a subset of the metadata for a respective media content item, wherein the subset of the metadata comprises the thumbnail representations of the plurality of media content items, and wherein the thumbnail representations are displayed in the overview area; and

displaying a first media content item of the plurality of media content items in a focus area in the EPG of the user interface, the focus area comprising expanded metadata that includes a sample of the first media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of at least some other metadata of the first media content item such that playback of the sample is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the first media content item, wherein the focus area displays the first media content item but not other media items of the plurality of media content items.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the operations further comprising:

receiving input indicative of a selection of a second media content item of the plurality of media content items of the EPG; and

responsive to receiving the input indicative of the selection of the second media content item,

removing the display of the first media content item in the focus area in the EPG of the user interface, and

displaying the second media content item in in the focus area in the EPG of the user interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the focus area comprises other expanded metadata that includes an other sample of the second media content item that is played as an underlay of a display of other metadata of the second media content item such that playback of the other sample is presented underneath the display of the other metadata of the second media content item.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2023
From: KLIENERMAN, MICHAEL; CORMICAN, NEIL
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 065030/0958 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 26, 2023
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 065031/0435 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17972428 · Oct 24, 2022
Continuation 16788141 · Feb 11, 2020
Continuation 15627345 · Jun 19, 2017
Related Publication 20240107106A1 · Mar 28, 2024
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