Categorical electronic program guide
First Claim
1. A device for generating a display of an electronic program guide on a screen, the device comprising:
- a receiver including a tuner for receiving an input stream, of television content and electronic program guide data, and separating the electronic program guide data from the input stream;
a memory coupled to the tuner for storing the electronic program guide data separated from the input stream;
display means for generating a display which combines a set of electronic program guide data including a plurality of program titles, and a plurality of organizational categories, each program tide belonging to at least one of the organizational categories, the program titles arranged in the display so that program titles which belong to the same organizational categories are spatially adjacent and program titles which are not members of the same organizational categories are spatially separated, the organizational categories providing a first-level organization which defines overall content of the display and a second-level organization which defines the spatial separation of the program titles, where the organizational categories are used at any organizational level.
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Abstract
The invention is a device for generating a display of an electronic program guide on a screen. Invention is comprised of a receiver which includes a tuner for receiving an input stream of television content and electronic program guide data. The receiver separates the electronic program guide data from the input stream. The invention also comprises a memory coupled to the receiver for storing the electronic program guide data that has been separated from the input stream. Additionally, a display means is included for generating a display which combines a set of electronic program guide data. The program guide data includes a plurality of program titles, and a plurality of organizational categories. Each program title belongs to at least one of the organizational categories. The program titles are arranged in the display so that the program titles which belong to the same organizational categories are spatially adjacent and program titles which are not members of the same organizational categories are spatially separated. The organizational categories provide a first-level organization which defines overall content of the display. It also defines a second-level organization which defines the spatial separation of the program titles. The organizational categories are time, channel, topic and actor based, and are used at any organizational level.
137 Citations
78 Claims
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1. A device for generating a display of an electronic program guide on a screen, the device comprising:
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a receiver including a tuner for receiving an input stream, of television content and electronic program guide data, and separating the electronic program guide data from the input stream;
a memory coupled to the tuner for storing the electronic program guide data separated from the input stream;
display means for generating a display which combines a set of electronic program guide data including a plurality of program titles, and a plurality of organizational categories, each program tide belonging to at least one of the organizational categories, the program titles arranged in the display so that program titles which belong to the same organizational categories are spatially adjacent and program titles which are not members of the same organizational categories are spatially separated, the organizational categories providing a first-level organization which defines overall content of the display and a second-level organization which defines the spatial separation of the program titles, where the organizational categories are used at any organizational level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of displaying an electronic program guide on a screen, the method comprising:
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receiving an input stream of television content and electronic program guide data;
separating the electronic program guide data from the input stream;
storing the electronic program guide data separated from the input stream;
generating a display from the electronic program guide data, wherein the display includes a plurality of program titles, and a plurality of organizational categories, each program title belonging to at least one of the organizational categories;
arranging the program titles in the display so that program titles which belong to the same organizational categories are spatially adjacent and program titles which are not members of the same organizational categories are spatially separated;
creating a first-level organization through the organizational categories;
defining overall content of the program guide through the first-level organization;
creating a second-level organization through the organizational categories;
defining the spatial separation of the program titles through the second-level organization; and
utilizing organizational categories at any organizational level. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An electronic program guide comprising:
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a set of electronic program guide data including a plurality of program titles and a plurality of organizational categories, where each program title belongs to at least one organizational category;
a spatial arrangement of program titles in an outline format, where a first-level organization of the electronic program guide utilizes one organizational category and defines the first-level of the outline format, and a second-level organization of the electronic program guide utilizes a different organizational category and defines the second-level of the outline format; and
wherein the first organizational category and the second organizational category can be used at either of the first level of the outline format and the second level of the outline format.
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26. An electronic program guide comprising:
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a set of electronic program guide data including a plurality of program titles and a plurality of organizational categories, where each program title belongs to at least one organizational category;
a first spatial arrangement of program titles in a three-dimensional format where one organization level of the electronic program guide spatially groups program titles which belong to the same organizational category in three-dimensional space; and
spatially separates program titles which do not belong to the same organizational category in three-dimensional space;
a second spatial arrangement of program titles in two-dimensional space, where a second organizational level of the electronic program guide spatially groups program titles which belong to the same organizational category in the same two dimensional plane, and spatially separates program titles which do not belong to the same organizational category in a different two-dimensional plane.
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27. A method of generating a program guide for display, comprising the steps of:
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retrieving program guide input data, the program guide input data including a plurality of organizational categories, a plurality of program titles, each associated with at least one organizational category; and
generating the program guide, wherein the program guide includes a hierarchical arrangement of at least a portion of the organizational categories, at least a subset of the program titles associated with the portion of the organizational categories; and
wherein the hierarchical arrangement includes a plurality of organizational levels and the at least a portion of the organizational categories are used at any of the organizational levels. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for providing a program guide to a display, comprising:
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a memory for storing program guide data including a plurality of organizational categories;
a plurality of program titles, each associated with at least one organizational category;
a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, for generating data describing the program guide, wherein the program guide includes a hierarchical arrangement of at least a portion of the organizational categories, the hierarchical arrangement including a plurality of organizational levels, wherein the at least a portion of the organizational categories are used at any of the organizational levels;
at least a subset of the program titles associated with the organizational category. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps of generating a program guide for display, the method steps comprising the steps of:
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retrieving program guide input data, the program guide input data including a plurality of organizational categories;
a plurality of program titles, each associated with at least one organizational category;
generating data describing a program guide, wherein the program guide includes a hierarchical arrangement of at least a portion of the organizational categories, the hierarchical arrangement including a plurality of organizational levels, wherein the at least a portion of the organizational categories are used at any of the organizational levels;
at least a subset of the program titles associated with the organizational category.
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55. A device for generating a display of an electronic program guide on a screen, the device comprising:
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a receiver including a tuner for receiving an input stream, of television content and electronic program guide data, and separating the electronic program guide data from the input stream;
a memory coupled to the tuner for storing the electronic program guide data separated from the input stream;
display means for generating a display which combines a set of electronic program guide data including a plurality of program titles, and a plurality of organizational categories, each program title belonging to at least one of the organizational categories, the program titles arranged in the display so that program titles which belong to the same organizational categories are spatially adjacent and program titles which are not members of the same organizational categories are spatially separated, the organizational categories providing a first-level organization which defines overall content of the display and a second-level organization which defines the spatial separation of the program titles, where the organizational categories are time, channel, and topic based, and are used at any organizational level. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method of displaying an electronic program guide on a screen, the method comprising:
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receiving an input stream of television content and electronic program guide data;
separating the electronic program guide data from the input stream;
storing the electronic program guide data separated from the input stream;
generating a display from the electronic program guide data, wherein the display includes a plurality of program titles, and a plurality of organizational categories, each program title belonging to at least one of the organizational categories;
arranging the program titles in the display so that program titles which belong to the same organizational categories are spatially adjacent and program titles which are not members of the same organizational categories are spatially separated;
creating a first-level organization through the organizational categories;
defining overall content of the program guide through the first-level organization;
creating a second-level organization through the organizational categories;
defining the spatial separation of the program titles through the second-level organization;
utilizing organizational categories which are time, channel, and topic based; and
utilizing organizational categories at any organizational level. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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Specification