Granted Patent B2

US 12,342,050 · App. 17/379,785 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventors: Gregory N. Christie (San Jose, CA); Alessandro Sabatelli (San Francisco, CA); William M. Bachman (San Jose, CA); Imran Chaudhri (San Francisco, CA); Jeffrey Robbin (Los Altos, CA); Jim Young (Livermore, CA); Joe Howard (San Jose, CA); Marcel Van Os (San Francisco, CA); Patrick L. Coffman (San Francisco, CA); Stephen O. Lemay (Palo Alto, CA); Jeffrey Ma (Redwood City, CA); Lynne Kress (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

H04N21/4823H04N21/4383H04N21/4622

Abstract

Claims (172)

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device in communication with a display device and one or more input devices:

concurrently displaying, via the display device:

a first content item that is playing, wherein playing the first content item includes presenting respective audio associated with the first content item; and

a content bar that includes a first plurality of representations of live content items, including a first representation of a first live content item, wherein:

the first plurality of representations of live content items is overlaid on the first content item,

the first plurality of representations of live content items includes respective live media corresponding to respective live content, and

the respective live media corresponding to the first plurality of representations are of a first content category of content items;

while presenting the respective audio, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a respective input moving an indication of focus to the first representation of the first live content item;

in response to receiving the respective input, moving the indication of focus to the first representation of the first live content item and ceasing presenting the respective audio associated with the first content item;

while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar, and while displaying the indication of focus corresponding to the first representation:

presenting first audio, wherein the first audio corresponds to the first live content item;

while presenting the first audio and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a first input; and

in response to receiving the first input, and in accordance with a determination that the first input includes directional input in a first direction, and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar, updating the content bar to include a second plurality of representations of live content items, wherein:

the second plurality of representations of live content items is overlaid on the first content item,

the second plurality of representations of live content items includes respective live media corresponding to respective live content, and

the respective live media corresponding to the second plurality of representations are of a second content category of content items; and

in response to receiving the first input, and in accordance with a determination that the first input includes directional input in a second direction, different from the first direction, and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar:

updating a position of the indication of focus from the first representation of the first plurality of representations of live content items to a second representation of a second live content item that is included in the first plurality of representations of live content items;

ceasing presenting of the first audio corresponding to the first content item; and

presenting second audio, different from the first audio, wherein the second audio corresponds to the second live content item.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the content bar comprises displaying an animation of the content bar switching from including the first plurality of representations to including the second plurality of representations.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the content bar is displayed at a respective location via the display device, and the animation comprises rotating the content bar while it remains displayed at the respective location via the display device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the content bar includes ceasing display of the first plurality of representations of live content items.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items corresponds to media from channels.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

while the focus corresponds to the first representation and the first audio is playing, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input associated with switching audio playback from the content bar to the first content item; and

in response to receiving the second input, ceasing the playing of the first audio and playing third audio associated with the first content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items comprises a representation of the first content item.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

while the first content item is playing, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input selecting a respective representation of the first plurality of representations; and

in response to receiving the second input, ceasing the displaying of the first content item and displaying a second content item that is playing and that corresponds to the respective representation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more respective representations of the first plurality of representations of live content items comprise one or more titles associated with the live content items.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more respective representations of the first plurality of representations of live content items comprise one or more indications of sources of content associated with the live content items.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content bar comprises live content items corresponding to content sources selected by a user of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content bar comprises live content items corresponding to content sources selected by a user other than a user of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the content bar is associated with an ordered sequence of a plurality of categories, including the first content category and the second content category; and

the first input comprises a request to traverse the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories in a first direction, wherein the second content category of content items is a next content category in the sequence of the plurality of categories, the method further comprising:

while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar corresponding to the live content items of the first content category of content items, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input comprising a request to traverse the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories in a second direction, different from the first direction; and

in response to receiving the second input, updating the content bar to include live content items of a previous category of live content items in the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

while displaying the content bar associated with the first content category of content items, displaying, in association with the content bar, a first indication corresponding to the first content category; and

in response to receiving the second input, and while maintaining display of the first plurality of representations of live content items in the content bar, replacing display of the first indication corresponding to the first content category with display of a second indication corresponding to the previous category of content items.

15. The method of claim 14 , the method further comprising:

in response to displaying the first plurality of representations of live content items in the content bar in association with the second indication corresponding to the previous category of content items for a predetermined amount of time, updating the content bar to include a third plurality of representations of live content items corresponding to the previous category of content items.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is based upon activity of a user of the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items correspond to live content obtained from a first plurality of content sources, and the second plurality of representations of live content items correspond to live content obtained from a second plurality of content sources.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

while not displaying the content bar:

displaying, via the display device, the first content item that is playing; and

presenting the respective audio that corresponds to the first content item;

while displaying the first content item that is playing and while presenting the respective audio that corresponds to the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input corresponding to a request to display the content bar; and

in response to receiving the second input:

concurrently displaying, via the display device, the first content item that is playing, the content bar that includes the first plurality of representations of live content items, including the first representation of the first live content item, and the indication of focus corresponding to the first representation of the first live content item; and

ceasing presenting the respective audio and presenting the first audio that corresponds to the first live content item.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first input is received while the indication of focus corresponds to the first representation.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device in communication with a display device and one or more input devices, cause the electronic device to:

concurrently display, via the display device:

a first content item that is playing, wherein playing the first content item includes presenting respective audio associated with the first content item; and

a content bar that includes a first plurality of representations of live content items including a first representation of a first live content item, wherein:

the first plurality of representations of live content items is overlaid on the first content item,

the first plurality of representations of live content items includes respective live media corresponding to respective live content, and

the respective live media corresponding to the first plurality of representations are of a first content category of content items;

while presenting the respective audio, receive, via the one or more input devices, a respective input moving an indication of focus to the first representation of the first live content item;

in response to receiving the respective input, move the indication of focus to the first representation of the first live content item and ceasing presenting the respective audio associated with the first content item;

while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar:

present first audio, wherein the first audio corresponds to the first live content item;

while presenting the first audio and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar, receive, via the one or more input devices, a first input; and

in response to receiving the first input, and in accordance with a determination that the first input includes directional input in a first direction, and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar, update the content bar to include a second plurality of representations of live content items, wherein:

the second plurality of representations of live content items is overlaid on the first content item,

the second plurality of representations of live content items includes respective live media corresponding to respective live content, and

the respective live media corresponding to the second plurality of representations are of a second content category of content items; and

in response to receiving the first input, and in accordance with a determination that the first input includes directional input in a second direction, different from the first direction, and while presenting the first audio and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar:

update a position of the indication of focus from the first representation of the first plurality of representations of live content items to a second representation of the first plurality of representations of live content items;

cease presenting of the first audio corresponding to the first content item; and

present second audio, different from the first audio, wherein the second audio corresponds to the second live content item.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein updating the content bar comprises displaying an animation of the content bar switching from including the first plurality of representations to including the second plurality of representations.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the content bar is displayed at a respective location via the display device, and the animation comprises rotating the content bar while it remains displayed at the respective location via the display device.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein updating the content bar includes ceasing display of the first plurality of representations of live content items.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items corresponds to media from channels.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the one or more instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:

while the focus corresponds to the first representation and the first audio is playing, receive, via the one or more input devices, a second input associated with switching audio playback from the content bar to the first content item; and

in response to receiving the second input, cease the playing of the first audio and playing third audio associated with the first content item.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items comprises a representation of the first content item.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the one or more instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:

while the first content item is playing, receive, via the one or more input devices, a second input selecting a respective representation of the first plurality of representations; and

in response to receiving the second input, cease the displaying of the first content item and displaying a second content item that is playing and that corresponds to the respective representation.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein one or more respective representations of the first plurality of representations of live content items comprise one or more titles associated with the live content items.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein one or more respective representations of the first plurality of representations of live content items comprise one or more indications of sources of content associated with the live content items.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the content bar comprises live content items corresponding to content sources selected by a user of the electronic device.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the content bar comprises live content items corresponding to content sources selected by a user other than a user of the electronic device.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein:

the content bar is associated with an ordered sequence of a plurality of categories, including the first content category and the second content category; and

the first input comprises a request to traverse the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories in a first direction, wherein the second content category of content items is a next content category in the sequence of the plurality of categories, wherein the one or more instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:

while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar corresponding to the live content items of the first content category of content items, receive, via the one or more input devices, a second input comprising a request to traverse the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories in a second direction, different from the first direction; and

in response to receiving the second input, update the content bar to include live content items of a previous category of live content items in the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 32 , wherein the one or more instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:

while displaying the content bar associated with the first content category of content items, display, in association with the content bar, a first indication corresponding to the first content category; and

in response to receiving the second input, and while maintaining display of the first plurality of representations of live content items in the content bar, replace display of the first indication corresponding to the first content category with display of a second indication corresponding to the previous category of content items.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 33 , wherein the one or more instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:

in response to displaying the first plurality of representations of live content items in the content bar in association with the second indication corresponding to the previous category of content items for a predetermined amount of time, update the content bar to include a third plurality of representations of live content items corresponding to the previous category of content items.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 34 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is based upon activity of a user of the electronic device.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items correspond to live content obtained from a first plurality of content sources, and the second plurality of representations of live content items correspond to live content obtained from a second plurality of content sources.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the first input is received while the indication of focus corresponds to the first representation.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the one or more instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:

while not displaying the content bar:

display, via the display device, the first content item that is playing; and

present the respective audio that corresponds to the first content item;

while displaying the first content item that is playing and while presenting the respective audio that corresponds to the first content item, receive, via the one or more input devices, a second input corresponding to a request to display the content bar; and

in response to receiving the second input:

concurrently display, via the display device, the first content item that is playing, wherein the content bar that includes the first plurality of representations of live content items, including the first representation of the first live content item, and the indication of focus corresponding to the first representation of the first live content item; and

cease presenting of the respective audio and presenting the first audio that corresponds to the first live content item.

39. An electronic device in communication with a display device and one or more input devices, the electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

concurrently displaying, via the display device:

a first content item that is playing, wherein playing the first content item includes presenting respective audio associated with the first content item; and

a content bar that includes a first plurality of representations of live content items, including a first representation of a first live content item, wherein:

the first plurality of representations of live content items is overlaid on the first content item,

the first plurality of representations of live content items includes respective live media corresponding to respective live content, and

the live content items corresponding to the first plurality of representations are of a first content category of content items;

while presenting the respective audio, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a respective input moving an indication of focus to the first representation of the first live content item;

in response to receiving the respective input, moving the indication of focus to the first representation of the first live content item and ceasing presenting the respective audio associated with the first content item; and

while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar and while displaying the indication of focus corresponding to the first representation, presenting first audio, wherein the first audio corresponds to the first live content item; and

while presenting the first audio and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar:

receiving, via the one or more input devices, a first input; and

in response to receiving the first input, and in accordance with a determination that the first input includes directional input in a first direction, and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar, updating the content bar to include a second plurality of representations of live content items, wherein:

the second plurality of representations of live content items is overlaid on the first content item,

the second plurality of representations of live content items includes respective live media corresponding to respective live content, and

the respective live media corresponding to the second plurality of representations are of a second content category of content items; and

in response to receiving the first input, and in accordance with a determination that the first input includes directional input in a second direction, different from the first direction, and while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar:

updating a position of the indication of focus from the first representation of the first plurality of representations of live content items to a second representation of a second live content item that is included in the first plurality of representations of live content items;

ceasing presenting of the first audio corresponding to the first content item; and

presenting second audio, different from the first audio, wherein the second audio corresponds to the second live content item.

40. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein updating the content bar comprises displaying an animation of the content bar switching from including the first plurality of representations to including the second plurality of representations.

41. The electronic device of claim 40 , wherein the content bar is displayed at a respective location via the display device, and the animation comprises rotating the content bar while it remains displayed at the respective location via the display device.

42. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein updating the content bar includes ceasing display of the first plurality of representations of live content items.

43. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items corresponds to media from channels.

44. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while the focus corresponds to the first representation and the first audio is playing, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input associated with switching audio playback from the content bar to the first content item; and

in response to receiving the second input, ceasing the playing of the first audio and playing third audio associated with the first content item.

45. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items comprises a representation of the first content item.

46. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while the first content item is playing, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input selecting a respective representation of the first plurality of representations; and

in response to receiving the second input, ceasing the displaying of the first content item and displaying a second content item that is playing and that corresponds to the respective representation.

47. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein one or more respective representations of the first plurality of representations of live content items comprise one or more titles associated with the live content items.

48. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein one or more respective representations of the first plurality of representations of live content items comprise one or more indications of sources of content associated with the live content items.

49. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the content bar comprises live content items corresponding to content sources selected by a user of the electronic device.

50. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the content bar comprises live content items corresponding to content sources selected by a user other than a user of the electronic device.

51. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein:

the content bar is associated with an ordered sequence of a plurality of categories, including the first content category and the second content category; and

the first input comprises a request to traverse the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories in a first direction, wherein the second content category of content items is a next content category in the sequence of the plurality of categories, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while concurrently displaying the first content item that is playing and the content bar corresponding to the live content items of the first content category of content items, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input comprising a request to traverse the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories in a second direction, different from the first direction; and

in response to receiving the second input, updating the content bar to include live content items of a previous category of live content items in the ordered sequence of the plurality of categories.

52. The electronic device of claim 51 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while displaying the content bar associated with the first content category of content items, displaying, in association with the content bar, a first indication corresponding to the first content category; and

in response to receiving the second input, and while maintaining display of the first plurality of representations of live content items in the content bar, replacing display of the first indication corresponding to the first content category with display of a second indication corresponding to the previous category of content items.

53. The electronic device of claim 52 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in response to displaying the first plurality of representations of live content items in the content bar in association with the second indication corresponding to the previous category of content items for a predetermined amount of time, updating the content bar to include a third plurality of representations of live content items corresponding to the previous category of content items.

54. The electronic device of claim 53 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is based upon activity of a user of the electronic device.

55. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the first plurality of representations of live content items correspond to live content obtained from a first plurality of content sources, and the second plurality of representations of live content items correspond to live content obtained from a second plurality of content sources.

56. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the first input is received while the indication of focus corresponds to the first representation.

57. The electronic device of claim 39 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while not displaying the content bar:

displaying, via the display device, the first content item that is playing; and

presenting the respective audio that corresponds to the first content item;

while displaying the first content item that is playing and while presenting the respective audio that corresponds to the first content item, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input corresponding to a request to display the content bar; and

in response to receiving the second input:

concurrently displaying, via the display device, the first content item that is playing, the content bar that includes the first plurality of representations of live content items, including the first representation of the first live content item, and the indication of focus corresponding to the first representation of the first live content item; and

ceasing presenting the respective audio and presenting the first audio that corresponds to the first live content item.

Continuity (7)

References Cited (400)