Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Philips Electronics North America Corporation

Lira Nikolovska

Jacquelyn Annette Martino

Alison F Camplin

Nevenka Dimitrova

Kaushal Kurapati

Angel Janevski

Kwok Pun Lee

John Doyle Zimmerman

Dongge Li

Andreas Henricus Elisabeth Lamers

Anton Oguzhan Alford Andrews

Peter George Matthews

Johanna Maria Bont

Jacquelyn A Martino

A method for providing complementary informationfor a video program is provided that includes receiving complementary informationfor a video program. A query is received from a consumer. The query is related to a specified portion of the complementary information. A query response is provided to the consumer based on the specified portion of the complementary information

Method and system for providing complementary information for a video program

The invention relates to a system and information processing device for user selectably presenting information. It comprises a display screen () having various areas or zones for facilitating the exploration of the information. A flow zone () shows links or pointers () to various information units or content, which links continuously flow in a certain direction. The user is allowed to control the flow speed and flow direction and select any link so as to view a full presentation () of the related content in a presentation zone (). The flow zone may be controlled to include only links to selected content in dependence on a user selectable filter agent (). Personal links may be stored into and loaded from a physical token, using a token detector () and token area () displaying the personal links. The token can be used to carry personal links between information processing devices of the system according to the invention.

Information processing device

A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database allows explicit and implicit profiles to be stored and selectively, and independently, incorporated in a search. Implicit profiles are derived from the selections of resources by a user without requiring the user to specify any rules by which selections are made. A machine-learning algorithm is used to derive a model by which user-preferences can be predicted. Explicit profiles are rules entered by the user. For example, the user may select certain categories of resources that the user prefers to exclude from searches. Queries are defined by selecting predefined criteria, and one or both of the explicit and implicit profiles. In an embodiment, profiles are displayed and manipulated just as categories of other criteria to add and remove them from queries. The queries can be saved and edited.

Search user interface providing mechanism for manipulation of explicit and implicit criteria

A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. In one embodiment, the search criteria are displayed as strings of beads in a three-dimensional scene, each bead representing a criterion and each string representing a different category. For example the criteria, drama, action, suspense, and horror may be included in a category of genre. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string. In general, a three-dimensional scene is constructed in which objects may be manipulated to change their physical relationships to other objects in the scene. These changes may indicate changes in a current query being defined or edited, a current profile being defined or edited, a goodness of fit of results to a given search, etc. The three-dimensional nature of the scene is asymmetric to take advantage of the multiple dimensions for purposes of differentiating objects in the scene such that varying positions along one dimension indicate variation with respect to a characteristic corresponding to that dimension.

Search user interface with enhanced accessibility and ease-of-use features based on visual metaphors

A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. The criteria are represented in displays as symbols that can be included in a query. The display of the symbols are ranked in terms of their respective utility, where the utility is inferred from the commands received to generate the queries. In one embodiment, the ranking is based on frequency of use. The ranking may be indicated by various display effects. For example, in an embodiment, the search criteria are indicated as strings of beads in a three-dimensional scene, each bead representing a criterion and each string representing a different category. For example the criteria, drama, action, suspense, and horror may be included in a category of genre. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string which is then submitted to perform the search. Those beads that correspond to highly ranked criteria are shown in the foreground of the scene and those that correspond to lesser ranked criteria are shown in the background. The beads can be rotated from background to foreground with suitable commands.

User interface providing automatic organization and filtering of search criteria

A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. User profiles are presented and manipulated to operate with queries in the same way as other criteria. For example, in one embodiment, the search criteria are shown as the beads on respective strings, the strings representing categories of criteria. One of the strings is a set of user profiles that can be added to a query in the same manner as the addition of criteria. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string. User preference profiles can be constructed in the same manner. Profiles are saved and represented as bead strings that can be used in further interactions in the same manner as criteria beads, Profiles can also be the result of automatic machine-analysis of user interaction.

Data search user interface with ergonomic mechanism for user profile definition and manipulation

A user interface for accessing a database, organized into an information landscape, uses an architectural metaphor, namely, a stadium, to organize the information of the database for greater user accessibility. Spotlight and query tools are used to help the user access items within the database. A multi-user version includes a chat space feature.

Video browsing space

A user interface for querying and displaying records form a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. In one embodiment, the search criteria are shown as strings of beads in a three-dimensional scene, each bead representing a criterion and each string representing a different category. For example the criteria, drama, action, suspense, and horror may be included in a category of genre. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string. User preference profiles can be constructed in the same way. Profiles can be saved and represented as bead strings that can be used in further interactions in the same manner as criteria beads. Results are displayed in a three-dimensional scene also. The accuracy of the match between retrieved records and the query correspond to the placement of results, also represented as beads, along the Z-axis of the scene.

Method and apparatus for defining search queries and user profiles and viewing search results

A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. The search criteria are shown as strings of beads in a three-dimensional scene, each bead representing a criterion and each string representing a different category. For example the criteria, drama, action, suspense, and horror may be included in a category of genre. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string. User preference profiles can be constructed in the same way. To make the entry of key words possible in such an interface, key words are culled from search results based on frequency of appearance in returned records from a search or based on the frequency with which they are approved.

User interface providing automatic generation and ergonomic presentation of keyword search criteria

A three dimensional user interface allows browsing of a database displayed as a three dimensional information space. The data is organized along three axes. A current plane or layer of data is summarized on an information landscape, with different planes being selectable using a tower that is located at the intersection of the three axes. A control wall with incorporated tools is used to formulate database queries. A preview wall previews selected data. The preview wall also provides transition between previewing the searches in the 3D space and actual viewing of the programming in full screen 2D display. Application to TV programming data is shown.

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Lira Nikolovska