Method and system for modification of EPG object attributes

• US 20020047849A1
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kamen, Yakov
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system for identifying prior selection of specific display information on an EPG. In one embodiment, a user selects an object on a screen, and upon selection of the object, an attribute of the object (e.g., color, transparency, etc.) is modified. The modified value is saved into memory so the user may later identify that the specific object was selected. Each subsequent selection will modify the attribute further, allowing the user to identity that the object was selected a number of times. In one embodiment, the attribute will continue to be modified until a specific expiration limit has been reached.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a selection of an object displayed in an EPG;

(b) modifying an attribute associated with the object by a predetermined increment each time the object is selected; and

(c) modifying the display of the object in accordance with the modified attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is a color to be darkened or lightened.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is a shape to be modified.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is a 3-D position to be modified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified attribute is overwritten with a default attribute when an expiration value limit is reached.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the expiration value limit is a time limit.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the expiration value limit is related to frequency of object selection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a channel selection field.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a programming time slot field.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a programming event information field.

11. A system comprising:

a first unit to receive a selection of an object displayed in an EPG;

a second unit to modify an attribute associated with an object by a predetermined increment each time the object is selected; and

a third unit to modify the display of the object in accordance with the modified attribute.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute is a color to be darkened or lightened.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute is a shape to be modified.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute is a 3-D position to be modified.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the modified attribute is overwritten with a default attribute when an expiration value limit is reached.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the expiration value limit is a time limit.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the expiration value limit is related to frequency of object selection.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the object is a channel selection field.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the object is a programming time slot field.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the object is a programming event information field.

21. A machine-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a sequence of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for modifying display information, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a selection of an object displayed in an EPG;

(b) modifying an attribute associated with the object by a predetermined increment each time the object is selected; and

(c) modifying the display of the object in accordance with the modified attribute.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the attribute is a color to be darkened or lightened.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the attribute is a shape to be modified.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the attribute is a 3-D position to be modified.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the modified attribute value is overwritten with a default attribute value when an expiration value limit is reached.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the expiration value limit is a time limit.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the expiration value limit is related to frequency of object selection.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the object is a channel selection field.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the object is a programming time slot field.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the object is a programming event information field.