Network-connected television devices with knowledge-based media content recommendations and unified user interfaces

Abstract

This application is directed to presenting a unified user interface on a network-connected television device. The unified user interface displays media content recommendations selected and organized based on knowledge of a user (e.g., search queries, search results, watch history, purchase history, physical activities). The unified user interface also includes a focus area for displaying a series of media content items (e.g., an advertisement) sequentially according to a temporal order for the purposes of promoting a media content item, product, event or service. In some implementations, playback of a media content item presented on the unified user interface relies on a collaborative implementation of a corresponding media player application and a media content casting application, particularly when the play involves a restricted mode. The content casting application is enabled to play the media content item at the restrict mode when the media player application does not operate in the restricted mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A content-based program presentation method, comprising:
 at a network-connected media device having one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the network-connected media device is linked to a user account in a virtual user domain hosted by a server system:
 executing a unified media application to display a unified user interface; and 
 in response to a user selection of a selectable information item, displaying information of a media content item including a first affordance corresponding to a first content provider and a second affordance corresponding to a second content provider that provide the media content item in a list of content providers, wherein the user account associated with the unified media application has subscribed to at least the first content provider in the list of content providers, wherein selection of the first affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a media player application associated with the first content provider and initiate playback of the media content item, wherein selection of the second affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a content casting application to playback the media content item, and wherein the first affordance corresponding to the first content provider has priority over the second affordance corresponding to the second content provider as the media player application has priority over the content casting application. 
   
     
     
         2 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises obtaining a media recommendation stream including an ordered sequence of selectable information items that corresponds to an ordered set of unique media content items, wherein, for each selectable information item, the media recommendation stream includes a respective command to be executed in response to the user selection of the respective selectable information item at the network-connected media device. 
     
     
         3 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises displaying a focus area having one or more focus items that are presented sequentially in a temporal order while concurrently displaying a non-focus area having a plurality of clusters on the unified user interface, wherein each cluster in the plurality of clusters includes a subset of the ordered sequence of selectable information items, wherein a first cluster in the plurality of clusters includes a first selectable information item and a second selectable information item, and wherein the first selectable information item and the second selectable information item of the first cluster are concurrently displayed in the unified user interface. 
     
     
         4 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a second user selection of the second selectable information; and   in response to the second user selection of the second selectable information item, displaying information of a second media content item including a third affordance corresponding to a third content provider that provides the second media content item in a second list of content providers that provide the second media content item, the second content provider being distinct from the first content provider, wherein the user account associated with the unified media application has subscribed to at least the second content provider in the second list of content providers, wherein selection of the third affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a second media player application associated with the third content provider and initiate playback of the second media content item.   
     
     
         5 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 3 , wherein, for each cluster in the plurality of clusters, the respective subset of the ordered sequence of selectable information items is physically arranged and configured to move along a first axis of the unified user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more focus items include a plurality of selectable focus items and wherein the plurality of selectable focus item are displayed in the focus area according to a temporal sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the plurality of clusters are distributed along a second axis of the unified user interface;   the plurality of clusters includes a first subset of clusters and a second subset of clusters; and   displaying the plurality of clusters on the unified user interface further includes displaying the first subset of clusters on the unified user interface and moving the first subset of clusters out of the unified user interface and moving the second subset of clusters into the unified user interface along the second axis.   
     
     
         8 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of clusters are physically arranged according to a predefined cluster order, and for each cluster in the plurality of clusters, the respective subset of the ordered sequence of selectable information items are physically arranged according to a predefined information item order that is determined based on a multi-dimensional unified user activity characteristic of the user account. 
     
     
         9 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user account is associated with the unified media application;   the unified media application is associated with the network-connected media device and is configured to enable display of media content on the network-connected media device; and   each of the first and second content providers is selected from a broadcasting television service, a broadcasting satellite service, a cable service, a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) content provider, a transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) content provider, an ad-based video-on-demand (AVOD) service, an Internet-based live streaming service, and a replay and time-shifted content playback source.   
     
     
         10 . The content-based program presentation method of  claim 1 , wherein the first content provider is listed at a top of the list of content providers for being associated with a highest priority. 
     
     
         11 . A network-connected media device, wherein the network-connected media device is linked to a user account in a virtual user domain hosted by a server system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory having instructions stored thereon, the one or more programs including instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to implement operations for:
 executing a unified media application to display a unified user interface; and 
 in response to a user selection of a selectable information item, displaying information of a media content item including a first affordance corresponding to a first content provider and a second affordance corresponding to a second content provider that provide the media content item in a list of content providers, wherein the user account associated with the unified media application has subscribed to at least the first content provider in the list of content providers, wherein selection of the first affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a media player application associated with the first content provider and initiate playback of the media content item, wherein selection of the second affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a content casting application to playback the media content item, and wherein the first affordance corresponding to the first content provider has priority over the second affordance corresponding to the second content provider as the media player application has priority over the content casting application. 
   
     
     
         12 . The network-connected media device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more programs further comprising instructions for obtaining a media recommendation stream including an ordered sequence of selectable information items that corresponds to an ordered set of unique media content items, wherein, for each selectable information item, the media recommendation stream includes a respective command to be executed in response to the user selection of the respective selectable information item at the network-connected media device. 
     
     
         13 . The network-connected media device of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more programs further comprising instructions for displaying a focus area having one or more focus items that are presented sequentially in a temporal order while concurrently displaying a non-focus area having a plurality of clusters on the unified user interface, wherein each cluster in the plurality of clusters includes a subset of the ordered sequence of selectable information items, wherein a first cluster in the plurality of clusters includes a first selectable information item and a second selectable information item, and wherein the first selectable information item and the second selectable information item of the first cluster are concurrently displayed in the unified user interface. 
     
     
         14 . The network-connected media device of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further comprising instructions for:
 receiving a second user selection of the second selectable information; and   in response to the second user selection of the second selectable information item, displaying information of a second media content item including a third affordance corresponding to a third content provider that provides the second media content item in a second list of content providers that provide the second media content item, the second content provider being distinct from the first content provider, wherein the user account associated with the unified media application has subscribed to at least the second content provider in the second list of content providers, wherein selection of the third affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a second media player application associated with the third content provider and initiate playback of the second media content item.   
     
     
         15 . The network-connected media device of  claim 13 , wherein, for each cluster in the plurality of clusters, the respective subset of the ordered sequence of selectable information items is physically arranged and configured to move along a first axis of the unified user interface. 
     
     
         16 . The network-connected media device of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more focus items include a plurality of selectable focus items and wherein the plurality of selectable focus item are displayed in the focus area according to a temporal sequence. 
     
     
         17 . The network-connected media device of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the plurality of clusters are distributed along a second axis of the unified user interface;   the plurality of clusters includes a first subset of clusters and a second subset of clusters; and   displaying the plurality of clusters on the unified user interface further includes displaying the first subset of clusters on the unified user interface and moving the first subset of clusters out of the unified user interface and moving the second subset of clusters into the unified user interface along the second axis.   
     
     
         18 . The network-connected media device of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of clusters are physically arranged according to a predefined cluster order, and for each cluster in the plurality of clusters, the respective subset of the ordered sequence of selectable information items are physically arranged according to a predefined information item order that is determined based on a multi-dimensional unified user activity characteristic of the user account. 
     
     
         19 . The network-connected media device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the user account is associated with the unified media application;   the unified media application is associated with the network-connected media device and is configured to enable display of media content on the network-connected media device; and   each of the first and second content providers is selected from a broadcasting television service, a broadcasting satellite service, a cable service, a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) content provider, a transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) content provider, an ad-based video-on-demand (AVOD) service, an Internet-based live streaming service, and a replay and time-shifted content playback source.   
     
     
         20 . The network-connected media device of  claim 11 , wherein the first content provider is listed at a top of the list of content providers for being associated with a highest priority. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having one or more programs stored thereon, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which when executed by one or more processors of a network-connected media device cause the one or more processors to implement operations for:
 executing a unified media application to display a unified user interface; and   in response to a user selection of a selectable information item, displaying information of a media content item including a first affordance corresponding to a first content provider and a second affordance corresponding to a second content provider that provide the media content item in a list of content providers, wherein the user account associated with the unified media application has subscribed to at least the first content provider in the list of content providers, wherein selection of the first affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a media player application associated with the first content provider and initiate playback of the media content item, wherein selection of the second affordance causes the network-connected media device to execute a content casting application to playback the media content item, and wherein the first affordance corresponding to the first content provider has priority over the second affordance corresponding to the second content provider as the media player application has priority over the content casting application.