Program guide for previous program broadcasts

• US 20040034865A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Barrett, Peter T., Baldwin, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/218,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2182 involving memory arrays, e.g. RAID disk arrays RAID arrays per se G06F3/0689; use of parity to protect data in RAID systems G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A program guide includes a program time display that corresponds to when a program will be broadcast for viewing, and includes a program channel display that corresponds to the program and to the program time display. The program time display and the program channel display are also viewable after the program has been broadcast for viewing. The program guide also includes a selectable control that initiates a request to receive the program for viewing after the program has been previously broadcast.

Claims

1. A program guide, comprising:

a program time display corresponding to when a program will be broadcast for viewing;

a program channel display corresponding to the program and to the program time display, wherein the program time display and the program channel display are viewable after the program has been broadcast for viewing; and

a selectable control configured to initiate a request to receive the program for viewing after the program has been previously broadcast.

2. A program guide as recited in claim 1, further comprising a current date display, wherein the program time display and the program channel display are viewable after the current date to indicate when and on which channel the program was broadcast for viewing.

3. A program guide as recited in claim 2, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the program from a program data store after the current date.

4. A program guide as recited in claim 1, further comprising a current time display, wherein the program time display and the program channel display are viewable after the current time to indicate when and on which channel the program was broadcast for viewing.

5. A program guide as recited in claim 4, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the program from a program data store after the current time.

6. A client device in a television-based system comprising the program guide as recited in claim 1.

7. A program guide, comprising:

a first section of a program grid configured to display schedule information to indicate when one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing;

a second section of the program grid configured to display past schedule information to indicate when one or more previously broadcast programs were broadcast for viewing; and

a selectable control configured to initiate a request to receive a previously broadcast program for viewing.

8. A program guide as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the first section of the program grid is further configured to display a time of day when a program will be broadcast for viewing; and

the second section of the program grid is further configured to display the time of day when the program has been broadcast for viewing.

9. A program guide as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the first section of the program grid is further configured to display a program channel over which a program will be broadcast for viewing; and

the second section of the program grid is further configured to display the program channel over which the program has been broadcast for viewing.

10. A program guide as recited in claim 7, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the previously broadcast program from a program data store.

11. A program guide as recited in claim 7, further comprising a current date display, wherein:

the first section of the program grid is further configured to display the schedule information before the current date to indicate when the one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing; and

the second section of the program grid is further configured to display the past schedule information after the current date to indicate when the one or more previously broadcast programs were broadcast for viewing.

12. A program guide as recited in claim 11, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the previously broadcast program from a program data store after the current date.

13. A program guide as recited in claim 7, further comprising a current time display, wherein:

the first section of the program grid is further configured to display the schedule information before the current time to indicate when the one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing; and

the second section of the program grid is further configured to display the past schedule information after the current time to indicate when the one or more previously broadcast programs were broadcast for viewing.

14. A program guide as recited in claim 13, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the previously broadcast program from a program data store after the current time.

15. A client device in a television-based system comprising the program guide as recited in claim 7.

16. A client device in a television-based system, comprising:

a program guide configured to display schedule information to indicate when one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing, the program guide further configured to display the schedule information after the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing;

a selectable control configured to initiate a request to receive a program for viewing after the program has been previously broadcast; and

one or more components configured to receive program data corresponding to the program, and further configured to process the program data to display the program.

17. A client device as recited in claim 16, wherein the program guide is further configured to:

display a time of day when the program will be broadcast for viewing; and

display the time of day after the program has been broadcast for viewing.

18. A client device as recited in claim 16, wherein the program guide is further configured to:

display a program channel over which the program will be broadcast for viewing; and

display the program channel after the program has been broadcast for viewing.

19. A client device as recited in claim 16, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the program from a program data store, and wherein the one or more components are further configured to receive the program data from the program data store.

20. A client device as recited in claim 16, wherein the program guide is further configured to:

display the schedule information before a current date to indicate when the one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing; and

display the schedule information after the current date to indicate when the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing.

21. A client device as recited in claim 20, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the program from a program data store after the current date.

22. A client device as recited in claim 16, wherein the program guide is further configured to:

display the schedule information before a current time to indicate when the one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing; and

display the schedule information after the current time to indicate when the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing.

23. A client device as recited in claim 22, wherein the selectable control is further configured to initiate the request to receive the program from a program data store after the current time.

24. A method, comprising:

displaying schedule information to indicate when one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing;

displaying the schedule information after the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing; and

communicating a request to receive a program for viewing after the program has been broadcast.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

receiving program data corresponding to the program from a program data store; and

processing the program data to display the program.

26. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein displaying the schedule information includes displaying a time of day when the program will be broadcast for viewing, and displaying the time of day after the program has been broadcast for viewing.

27. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein displaying the schedule information includes displaying a program channel over which the program will be broadcast for viewing, and displaying the program channel after the program has been broadcast for viewing.

28. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein displaying the schedule information includes:

displaying a time of day when the program will be broadcast for viewing;

displaying a program channel over which the program will be broadcast for viewing; and

displaying the time of day and the program channel after the program has been broadcast for viewing.

29. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein displaying the schedule information includes:

displaying the schedule information before a current date to indicate when the one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing; and

displaying the schedule information after the current date to indicate when the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein the request to receive the program is communicated to a program data store after the current date.

31. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein displaying the schedule information includes:

displaying the schedule information before a current time to indicate when the one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing; and

displaying the schedule information after the current time to indicate when the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein the request to receive the program is communicated to a program data store after the current time.

33. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a client device in a television-based system to perform the method of claim 24.

34. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a client device to:

display schedule information in a program grid, the schedule information indicating when one or more programs will be broadcast for viewing;

display the schedule information in the program grid after the one or more programs have been broadcast for viewing; and

request to receive a program previously broadcast for viewing, the request being communicated to a program data store in response to an input request to view the program.

35. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 34, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the client device to display the schedule information in a first section of the program grid before a current date, and direct the client device to display the schedule information in a second section of the program grid after the current date.

36. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 34, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the client device to display the schedule information in a first section of the program grid before a current time, and direct the client device to display the schedule information in a second section of the program grid after the current time.

37. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 34, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the client device to:

display a time of day in a first section of the program grid to indicate when a program will be broadcast for viewing;

display a program channel in the first section of the program grid to indicate over which channel the program will be broadcast for viewing; and

display the time of day and the program channel in a second section of the program grid after the program has been broadcast for viewing.