An Apple patent (number 7,75,968) for content abstraction presentation along a multidimensional path has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. It involves the Apple TV interface -- or at least a future version of it.

The invention is related to media processing systems and methods. The inventors are Rainer Brodersen, Rachel Clare Goldeen, Jeffrey Ma, Mihnea Calin Pacurariu, Thomas Michael Madden, Eric Taylor Seymour and Steve Jobs.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the patent: "Media devices, such as digital video and audio players, can include multiple functions and capabilities, such as playing stored content, browsing and selecting from recorded content, storing and/or receiving content selected by a user, and the like. These various functions can often be grouped according to content types, e.g., movies, music, television programs, photos, etc.

"The functions can then be accessed through various user interfaces that are typically arranged in a hierarchal manner, having a 'root' or 'home' user interface at the top of the hierarchy, from which the various context-dependent user interfaces are accessible. The user interfaces can include both graphical and textual features. It is desirable that the user interface conveys information to the user in an intuitive manner, and readily provides access to various functions.

"Disclosed herein are systems and methods for presenting content abstractions in a user interface. In one example implementation, content menu items related to content are generated, and one of the content menu items is highlighted. A set of content abstractions for the content related to the highlighted content menu item is generated. A multidimensional path is defined, and overlapping depth transitions of the content abstractions are generated. The content abstractions, for example, can be digital representations of movie posters for movie content, or digital representations of cover art for music content, and the like.

"In another implementation, content abstractions for a plurality of content items are generated, and a multidimensional path having an ingress terminus and an egress terminus is defined. The content abstractions emerge into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus and are eliminated from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus. Depth transitions of the content abstractions through the multidimensional path from the ingress terminus to the egress terminus are also generated. Eliminated content abstractions reemerge into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus.

"In another implementation, a computer readable medium stores instructions that upon execution by a processing device causes the processing device to generate content menu items related to content items and highlight one of the content menu items. A set of content abstractions for the content related to the highlighted content menu item is generated, and a multidimensional path having an ingress terminus and an egress terminus is defined. The content abstractions emerge into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus and are eliminated from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus. Depth transitions of the content abstractions through the multidimensional path from the ingress terminus to the egress terminus are generated. Eliminated content abstractions reemerge into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus.

Also, Apple was granted patent D618,204 for the design of the iPhone 2G. The inventors are Bartley Andre, Daniel Coster, Daniele De Iuliis, Evans Hankey, Richard Howarth, Jonathan Ive, Steve Jobs, Duncan Kerr, Shin Nishibori, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Peter Russell-Clarke, Douglas Satzger, Calvin Seid, Christopher Stringer, Eugene Whang and Rico Zorkendorfer.