Media program discovery assistance user interface systems and methods

Abstract

As exemplary media program discovery assistance user interface method includes a computing device 1) displaying, on a display screen, a graphical user interface that includes a media program browse panel configured to present browse content representing media programs and an adaptive media program discovery assistance panel presented together with the media program browse panel in the graphical user interface, 2) detecting a current browse state of the media program browse panel, 3) selecting, based on the detected current browse state of the media program browse panel, media program discovery assistance content for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel, and 4) populating the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel with the selected media program discovery assistance content. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 displaying, by a computing system on a display screen, a graphical user interface that includes
 a media program browse panel configured to present browse content representing media programs, and 
 an adaptive media program discovery assistance panel presented together with the media program browse panel in the graphical user interface; 
   detecting, by the computing system, a current browse state of the media program browse panel;   selecting, by the computing system based on the detected current browse state of the media program browse panel, media program discovery assistance content for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel; and   populating, by the computing system, the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel with the selected media program discovery assistance content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the current browse state of the media program browse panel indicates that no media program is selected in the media program browse panel; and   the media program discovery assistance content selected for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel comprises browse assistance content configured to assist a user with finding media programs in the media program browse panel.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the browse assistance content comprises at least one media program filter tool configured for use by the user to apply at least one filter to the media program browse panel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the current browse state of the media program browse panel further indicates a category of media programs represented in the media program browse panel; and   the at least one media program filter tool is selected for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel based on the category of media programs represented in the media program browse panel.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the at least one media program filter tool comprises a first set of media program filter tools when the category of media programs represented in the media program browse panel comprises media programs that are accessible by the user by way of at least one vending kiosk that vends physical copies of the media programs; and   the at least one media program filter tool comprises a second set of media program filter tools, different from the first set of media program filter tools, when the category of media programs represented in the media program browse panel comprises media programs that are accessible by a user computing device by way of data transfer over a wide area network.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the current browse state of the media program browse panel indicates that a media program is selected in the media program browse panel; and   the media program discovery assistance content selected for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel comprises media program scrutiny assistance content configured to assist a user with scrutinizing the media program selected in the media program browse panel.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the media program scrutiny assistance content comprises one of:
 a graphical representation of a map illustrating a geographic location of a vending kiosk that vends the selected media program when the selected media program is accessible by the user by way of at least one vending kiosk that vends a physical copy of the media program; and   a playable trailer or a cover art image for the media program when the selected media program is accessible by a user computing device by way of data transfer over a wide area network.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the media program scrutiny assistance content comprises at least one of:
 time information that is based on a comparison of a duration of the selected media program to durations of media programs associated with a media program consumption history of the user;   community rating information for the media program;   benefit information indicating a potential benefit to the user for consuming the selected media program;   consumption information indicating at least one other user who has consumed the selected media program; and   media program similarity information that indicates a comparison of the selected media program to a combination of at least two other media programs.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel comprises an expansion option configured to be selected by a user to initiate an expanding of the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel and a hiding of the media program browse panel in the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the computing system, a user selection of the expansion option; and   in response to the detecting of the user selection of the expansion option,
 expanding, by the computing system, the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel in the graphical user interface, 
 hiding, by the computing system, the media program browse panel from view in the graphical user interface, and 
 populating, by the computing system, the expanded adaptive media program discovery assistance panel with additional media program discovery assistance content. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the current browse state of the media program browse panel indicates that multiple media programs are currently selected in the media program browse panel; and   the media program discovery assistance content selected for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel comprises media program scrutiny assistance content configured to assist a user with comparing the multiple media programs selected in the media program browse panel.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the media program scrutiny assistance content compares the multiple media programs one to another. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the computing system, a change in the current browse state of the media program browse panel to a new browse state;   selecting, by the computing system based on the detected change in the current browse state of the media program browse panel to the new browse state, new media program discovery assistance content for inclusion in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel; and   populating, by the computing system, the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel with the selected new media program discovery assistance content.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the populating of the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel with the selected new media program discovery assistance content comprises replacing the selected media program discovery assistance content with the new media program discovery assistance content in the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 displaying, by a computing system on a display screen, a graphical user interface that includes
 a media program browse panel configured for use by a user to browse media programs represented in the media program browse panel, and 
 an adaptive media program discovery assistance panel presented together with the media program browse panel in the graphical user interface; 
   detecting, by the computing system, that no media program is selected in the media program browse panel;   dynamically populating, by the computing system in response to the detecting that no media program is selected in the media program browse panel, the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel with browse assistance content configured to assist the user in finding media programs in the media program browse panel;   detecting, by the computing system, a user selection of a media program in the media program browse panel; and   dynamically populating, by the computing system in response to detecting the user selection of the media program in the media program browse panel, the adaptive media program browse assistance panel with media program scrutiny assistance content configured to assist the user in scrutinizing the selected media program.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the computing system, a user selection of an additional media program in the media program browse panel such that both the media program and the additional media program are selected in the media program browse panel; and   dynamically populating, by the computing system in response to the detecting of the user selection of both the media program and the additional media program in the media program browse panel, the adaptive media program browse assistance panel with additional media program scrutiny assistance content configured to assist the user in scrutinizing both the media program and the additional media program.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the additional media program scrutiny assistance content compares the media program and the additional media program one to another. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 at least one physical computing device; and   a browse panel facility configured to direct the at least one computing device to provide a media program browse panel for display in a graphical user interface, the media program browse panel configured for use by a user to browse media programs; and   an adaptive discovery assistance panel facility configured to direct the at least one computing device to
 provide an adaptive media program discovery assistance panel for display together with the media program browse panel in the graphical user interface, 
 detect a current browse state of the media program browse panel, 
 operate the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel in a browse assistance mode when the current browse state of the media program browse panel indicates that no media program is selected in the media program browse panel, and 
 operate the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel in a media program scrutiny assistance mode when the current browse state of the media program browse panel indicates that a media program is selected in the media program browse panel. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the adaptive discovery assistance panel facility is further configured to direct the at least one computing device to operate the adaptive media program discovery assistance panel in a media program comparison assistance mode when the current browse state of the media program browse panel indicates that multiple media programs are selected in the media program browse panel.