Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Peter D Rosser

Mark D Schwesinger

Suzan Marashi

Kort Danner Sands

Jay P Kapur

William H Linzbach

C Wesley Wahlin

Timothy Zobel

Jennifer Roth

Jeff Fong

Providing previews of seek locations in digital media is disclosed. While playback of the media content is progressing as normal a snapshot such as a thumbnail is displayed to show the user a representation of the media content that is associated with a seek location. The functionality of a transport key may be temporarily modified. The temporary modification allows the user to seek to a desired location very accurately and may result in fewer input keys being selected. Moreover, because the modification is temporary a great deal of flexibility is provided.

Providing previews of seek locations in media content

The presentation of user interface content via a media player is disclosed. In one embodiment, a media player detects a triggering event, and, upon detecting the triggering event, requests and receives a user interface content slide deck comprising one or more user interface content slides. The media player then retrieves user interface content for a slide in the slide deck, and displays the user interface content for the slide in the slide deck to a user along with media content.

Presentation of user interface content via media player

A media state user interface (UI) indicates a section of past recorded content corresponding to content prior in time sequence to the current viewing position via a first visual element and a section of future recorded content corresponding to content post in time sequence to the current viewing position via a second visual element. The first and second visual elements are visually distinguishable, for example, through the presentation of each visual element in a contrasting color. Adjacent ends of the visual elements abut at an interface. The interface visually represents the current viewing position within the media content. A third visual element in the form of a position indicator tracks the current viewing position at the interface and provides additional information regarding playback and other manipulation of the media content.

Media state user interface

Growing community of inventors

Renton, WA, United States of America

Peter D Rosser