Novel method for making selections in search criteria in TV EPGs

• US 20030023976A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kohne, Brian, Kinkinis, Dan, Kamen, Yakov
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a television electronic programming guide that allows users to combine multiple search criteria within a single search. The electronic program guide receives a television program search criteria set containing a plurality of search criteria and provides a search result set containing television programs that meet the television program search criteria set. The search criteria in the television program search criteria set may be combined in various ways to form a complex search. For one embodiment the search criteria are combined in a Boolean AND combination. One embodiment of the present invention provides a television electronic programming guide that allows users to dynamically add or remove search criteria from a programming guide search without initiating a new programming guide search. The electronic program guide receives a revision to the television program search criteria set, and revises the search result based upon the revision.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, to an electronic program guide, a television program search criteria set containing a plurality of search criteria; and

providing a search result set containing television programs that meet the television program search criteria set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving to the electronic program guide, a revision to the television program search criteria set; and

revising the search result set corresponding to the revision to the television program search criteria set.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of search criteria is selected by pressing a corresponding button on a push-button control device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the revision to the television program search criteria set includes taking an action selected from the group consisting of selecting one or more additional search criteria, deselecting one or more search criteria, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the one or more search criteria is deselected by pressing the corresponding button on the push-button control device.

6. An onscreen television program guide comprising:

a search criteria window containing a plurality of search criteria, each criterion corresponding to a set of television programs, each criterion capable of being selected for a search such that two or more selected criteria form a search criteria set; and

a search result window to display a list of television programs corresponding to the search criteria set.

7. The onscreen television program guide of claim 6, wherein the search criteria set can be dynamically revised such that the search result window displays a revised list of television programs corresponding to the revised search criteria set.

8. The onscreen television program guide of claim 7, wherein revising the search criteria set includes selecting additional search criteria and deselecting previously selected search criteria.

9. A machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of search criteria;

comparing the search criteria to a list of available television programs; and

providing a search result set containing television programs that meet the plurality of search criteria.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of search criteria are combined such that a resultant search criterion is the Boolean AND combination of each of the plurality of search criteria.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a revision to the plurality of search criteria; and

revising the search result set corresponding to the revision.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of search criteria is selected by pressing a corresponding button on a push-button control device.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the revision to the plurality of search criteria includes taking an action selected from the group consisting of selecting one or more additional search criteria, deselecting one or more search criteria, and combinations thereof.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more search criteria is deselected by pressing the corresponding button on the push-button control device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor having a memory coupled thereto, the memory having stored thereon executable instructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive a plurality of search criteria, compare the search criteria to a list of available television programs, and provide a search result set containing a subset of the available television programs that meet the plurality of search criteria.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to receive a revision to the plurality of search criteria, and revise the search result set corresponding to the revision.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the revision to the plurality of search criteria includes taking an action selected from the group consisting of adding one or more search criteria to the plurality of search criteria, removing one or more search criteria form the plurality of search criteria, and combinations thereof.

18. A system comprising:

a television display screen;

an electronic program guide capable of being displayed on the television display screen, the electronic program guide having a search criteria window containing a plurality of search criteria;

A push-button control device to select search criteria such that two or more selected criteria form a search criteria set; and

and a search result window to display a list of television programs corresponding to the search criteria set.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the search criteria set can be dynamically revised such that the search result window displays a revised list of television programs corresponding to the revised search criteria set.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein revising the search criteria set includes selecting additional search criteria and deselecting previously selected search criteria.