Method and apparatus for displaying television programs and related text

• US 20040073920A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Mankovitz, Roy J., Kwoh, Daniel S., Leung, Elsie, Yuen, Henry C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/41
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A television viewer uses a PIP format for display of program related information such as television program listings from a program schedule data base in the background and moving, real time or stored video clip images of a program selected from the displayed listings in the PIP window. All the text of the background information lies outside the PIP window. In one embodiment, as the viewer selects a particular program from the display of current television program listings by means of a cursor or a code number, the corresponding program automatically appears in the PIP window.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an electronic program guide in an interactive television system having a tuner and a screen, the method comprising:

simultaneously displaying a plurality of television program listings in a first area of the screen, a currently broadcast television program received by the tuner in a second, nonoverlapping area of the screen and a detailed program description of the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen in a third nonoverlapping area of the screen.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching the detailed program description displayed in the third area of the screen in response to a user input without changing the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a second currently broadcast television program in the second area of the screen in response to a user input and switching the display in the third area to a description of the second currently broadcast television program.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen and controlling the tuner to display in the second area of the screen simultaneously with the program listings the currently telecast video program corresponding to the selected program listing.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen without changing the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen and switching the display in the third area to a description of the program corresponding to the selected program listing

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising switching the display in the third area to a description of the program corresponding to the selected program listing

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

successively marking on the screen current program listings displayed in the first area;

successively retrieving from a memory channel identifications of the marked program listings;

using the retrieved channel identifications to set the tuner successively to receive the current telecast programs represented by the marked program listings to successively display such programs in the second area of the screen as program listings are marked in the first area.

9. An interactive entertainment system comprising:

a display having a screen;

a tuner coupled to the display; and

means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of television program listings in a first area of the screen, a currently broadcast television program received by the tuner in a second nonoverlapping area of the screen of the screen and a detailed program description of the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen in a third nonoverlapping area of the screen.

10. The interactive entertainment system of claim 9 further comprising means for switching the detailed program description displayed in the third area of the screen in response to a user input without changing the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

11. The interactive entertainment system of claim 9 further comprising means for displaying a second currently broadcast television program in the second area of the screen in response to a user input and switching the display in the third area to a description of the second currently broadcast television program.

12. The interactive entertainment system of claim 9 further comprising means for selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen and means for controlling the tuner to display in the second area of the screen simultaneously with the program listings the currently telecast video program corresponding to the selected program listing.

13. The interactive entertainment system of claim 9 further comprising means for selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen without changing the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

14. The interactive entertainment system of claim 9 further comprising means for selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen and means for switching the display in the third area to a description of the program corresponding to the selected program listing

15. The interactive entertainment system of claim 12 further comprising means for switching the display in the third area to a description of the program corresponding to the selected program listing

16. An entertainment system comprising:

a display having a screen;

a tuner;

means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of television program listings in a first area of the screen, a currently broadcast television program received by the tuner in a second area of the screen and a detailed program description of the currently broadcast television program at a first level of detail in a third area of the screen; and

means responsive to an input device for substituting a program description of the currently broadcast television program at a second level of detail for the detailed program description of the currently broadcast television program at a first level of detail in a third area of the screen.

17. A method for displaying an electronic program guide in an interactive television system having a tuner and a screen, the method comprising:

displaying in a first area of the screen a plurality of program listings;

simultaneously displaying in a second area of the screen substantially all of a currently broadcast television program;

simultaneously displaying in a third area of the screen a detailed program description of the current television program displayed in the second area of the screen; and

switching the detailed program description displayed in the third area of the screen in response to a user input without changing the current television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

successively marking on the screen current program listings displayed in the first area; and

successively displaying the current telecast program represented by the marked program listings in the second area of the screen as program listings are marked in the first area.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising responsive to a user command, maintaining the current telecast program displayed in the second area as program listings are successively marked in the first area.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising successively marking on the screen current program listings displayed in the first area wherein switching the detailed program description displayed in the third area of the screen in response to a user input comprises displaying in the third area of the screen the detailed program description represented by the marked program listings.

21. A method for displaying an electronic program guide in an interactive television system having a tuner and a screen, the method comprising:

displaying in a first area of the screen a plurality of program listings;

simultaneously displaying in a second area of the screen substantially all of a currently broadcast television program;

simultaneously displaying in a third area of the screen a detailed program description of the current television program displayed in the second area of the screen; and

switching the current television program displayed in the second area of the screen and the corresponding detailed program description displayed in the third area in response to a user input.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein switching the current television program displayed in the second area of the screen and the corresponding detailed program description displayed in the third area in response to a user input comprises successively marking on the screen current program listings displayed in the first area;

and successively displaying the current telecast program represented by the marked program listings in the second area of the screen and the corresponding detailed program description in the third area as program listings are marked in the first area.

23. A method for displaying an electronic program guide in an interactive television system having a tuner and a screen, the method comprising:

simultaneously displaying a plurality of television program listings in a first area of the screen, substantially all of a currently broadcast television program received by the tuner in a second area of the screen and a detailed program description of the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen in a third area of the screen.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising switching the detailed program description displayed in the third area of the screen in response to a user input without changing the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising displaying a second currently broadcast television program in the second area of the screen in response to a user input and switching the display in the third area to a description of the second currently broadcast television program.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen and controlling the tuner to display in the second area of the screen simultaneously with the program listings the currently telecast video program corresponding to the selected program listing.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen without changing the currently broadcast television program displayed in the second area of the screen.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of program listings displayed in the first area of the screen and switching the display in the third area to a description of the program corresponding to the selected program listing.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising switching the display in the third area to a description of the program corresponding to the selected program listing.

30. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

successively marking on the screen current program listings displayed in the first area;

successively retrieving from a memory channel identifications of the marked program listings;

using the retrieved channel identifications to set the tuner successively to receive the current telecast programs represented by the marked program listings to successively display such programs in the second area of the screen as program listings are marked in the first area.