Electronic programming guide with selectable categories

• US 20040034867A1
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ben S. Wymore, Oleg B. Rashkovskiy
• Inventors: Rashkovskiy, Oleg B., Wymore, Ben S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

An electronic content guide may organize content such as television programs into categories and subcategories. The categories and subcategories may be topical as well as time-based. As a result, the user can select a given time-based criteria and within that time-based criteria select topical subcategories. As a result, the number of programs that may be displayed in any given graphical user interface may be reduced to a manageable level. This may be done without requiring a great deal of scrolling to view selected categories, subcategories and particular programs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an electronic programming guide; and

providing a graphical display that graphically indicates how much of a particular program has already been broadcast at the current time.

2. The method of claim 1 including providing an indicator associated with each program entry indicating the progress of the program relative to the current time.

3. The method of claim 1 including providing a bar graph display that graphically indicates how much of the program has already been broadcast at the current time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing electronic programming guide includes providing a first graphical user interface including a first icon to enable selection of a programming guide for a selectable category of currently available programs and providing a second icon to enable selection of a programming guide for a selectable category of programs available in the future.