Patent · US Expired

Graphical user interface for interactive television with an animated agent

US5524195A · kind A · utility

706Cited by
14References
64Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 4, 1994
Grant dateJun 4, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 4, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/482
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A graphical user interface for displaying and selecting video programs, such as video on demand, includes a video on demand server coupled to a communication medium. A plurality of settop box receivers are coupled to the communication medium for receiving digitized programming in the form of movies and the like from the video on demand server. The settop box includes a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a memory and other electronic modules. The CPU generates and displays the graphical user interface on the subscriber's television. The graphical user interface is based upon a metaphor in which a world of spaces are organized as part of a studio back lot through which a user may navigate. The back lot includes a Poster wall which presents to the user a series of movie posters representing available selections. When a user touches a Poster on a touch sensitive screen of the television, the CPU generates an animation which displays the Poster coming off of the wall and appearing in the foreground of the screen. If a subscriber selects the Poster to view a feature presentation, the video on demand server downloads the selected video which is displayed on the television. The inter…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.