Future program action indication display

• US 20020021309A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Yuko, Golden, Dayan, Burnhouse, Tara
• Application Number:
  US09/812,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Method for displaying future program information in a broadcasting system that includes a future program action indicator. According to one embodiment, future program information is provided for a plurality of future programs. The user selects one or more future programs for which action is desired. A future program actions menu is also provided from which a user selects future actions to be taken in regard to the future programs selected. An indicator is then included in the future program information display that indicates the action that will be taken in regard to the future program. In one embodiment the indicator is an action-descriptive icon.

Claims

1. A method for indicating future program action on a future program information display comprising:

providing future program information for a plurality of future programs, at least one future program being selected by a user;

providing, on a future program actions menu, a plurality of future program actions for the selected future program, at least one future program action being selected by the user;

receiving the selected at least one future program and the selected at least one future program action from the user; and

displaying the future program information of the selected at least one future program with an indicator such that the indicator indicates the selected at least one future program action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is an action-descriptive icon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the future program actions menu comprises features selected from the group consisting of a return feature, allowing user to navigate back to preference menu, and a help feature, allowing user to navigate to several dependent help categories, the features being able to be selected by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one future program is indicated by highlighting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the future program actions menu is displayed in a popup window on the monitor display screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one future program action includes actions selected from the group consisting of recording the selected at least one future program, notifying the user of the display schedule of the selected at least one future program, and preventing the display of the selected at least one future program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program action does not match the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the future program actions menu includes a source option such the selected future program action will affect all future programs from a user-specified source.

9. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

providing future program information for a plurality of future programs, at least one future program being selected by a user;

providing, on a future program actions menu, a plurality of future program actions for the selected future program, at least one future program action being selected by the user;

receiving the selected at least one future program and the selected at least one future program action from the user; and

displaying the future program information of the selected at least one future program with an indicator such that the indicator indicates the selected at least one future program action.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the indicator is an action-descriptive icon.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the future program actions menu comprises features selected from the group consisting of a return feature, allowing user to navigate back to preference menu, and a help feature, allowing user to navigate to several dependent help categories, the features being able to be selected by a user.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the selected at least one future program is indicated by highlighting.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the future program actions menu is displayed in a popup window on the monitor display screen.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the selected at least one future program action includes actions selected from the group consisting of recording the selected at least one future program, notifying the user of the display schedule of the selected at least one future program, and preventing the display of the selected at least one future program.

15. The machine-readable medium of claims 14, wherein the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program action does not match the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the future program actions menu includes a source option such the selected future program action will affect all future programs from a user-specified source.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the indicator is an action-descriptive icon.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the future program actions menu comprises features selected from the group consisting of a return feature, allowing user to navigate back to preference menu, and a help feature, allowing user to navigate to several dependent help categories, the features being able to be selected by a user.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected at least one future program action includes actions selected from the group consisting of recording the selected at least one future program, notifying the user of the display schedule of the selected at least one future program, and preventing the display of the selected at least one future program.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program action does not match the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the future program actions menu includes a source option such the selected future program action will affect all future programs from a user-specified source.

24. The display of claim 23, wherein the indicator is an action-descriptive icon.

25. The display of claim 23, wherein the future program actions menu comprises features selected from the group consisting of a return feature, allowing user to navigate back to preference menu, and a help feature, allowing user to navigate to several dependent help categories, the features being able to be selected by a user.

26. The display of claim 23, wherein the selected at least one future program action includes actions selected from the group consisting of recording the selected at least one future program, notifying the user of the display schedule of the selected at least one future program, and preventing the display of the selected at least one future program.

27. The display of claims 26, wherein the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program action does not match the start and/or stop times of the selected at least one future program.

28. The display of claim 23, wherein the future program actions menu includes a source option such the selected future program action will affect all future programs from a user-specified source.

17. A system for indicating future program action comprising:

an input to receive user input; and

a display to display programs and a processor coupled to the input and the display, the processor configured to provide future program information for a plurality of future programs, at least one future program being selected by a user, provide, on a future program actions menu, a plurality of future program actions for the selected future program, at least one future program action being selected by the user, receive the selected at least one future program and the selected at least one future program action from the user, and display the future program information of the selected at least one future program with an indicator such that the indicator indicates the selected at least one future program action.

23. A display for indicating future program action comprising:

a first image to provide future program information for a plurality of future programs, at least one future program selected by the user;

a second image comprising a future program actions menu including a plurality of future program actions for the selected at least one future program; and

at least one third image comprising the future program information having a future program action indicated.