Television schedule system with pop-up action menu and icons

• US 20070162937A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Folker, David, Casement, Marcia
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• 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 21/4438 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 21/47214 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 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention includes an interactive computer system which provides television schedule information and displays an action pop-up listing actions which can be scheduled. In the preferred embodiment, a memory stores a computer program, image data, and received data. This data includes the television schedule information. A processor uses the computer program to organize the television schedule information into a desired format, display an action pop-up for a chosen program, and schedule an action listed in the pop-up when selected by the user. Icons are listed in various displays indicating actions scheduled for associated programs.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, comprising:

displaying a plurality of program listings;

selecting a program from the plurality of program listings;

displaying an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

selecting one of the plurality of scheduling actions using a highlight region; and

scheduling the selected action.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying an icon next to at least one displayed scheduling action.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

displaying a schedule of selected actions;

displaying the duration of each scheduled action in the displayed schedule; and

displaying an icon next to each of the scheduled actions to indicate the type of action scheduled.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein:

displaying an action pop-up menu overlaid further comprises displaying an action pop-up menu in response to a first user selection on an input device;

scheduling the selected action further comprises scheduling the selected action in response to a second user selection on the input device; and

the first and second user selections are made by selecting the same key on the input device.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein one of the scheduling actions is a favorite action.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein one of the scheduling actions is a unlock action.

41. A system for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, the system comprising a screen and processing system, the processing system configured to:

direct the screen to display a plurality of program listings;

receive a user selection of a program from the plurality of program listings;

direct the screen to display an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

receive a user selection of one of the plurality of scheduling actions using a highlight region; and

schedule the selected action.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the processing system is further configured to direct the screen to display an icon next to at least one displayed scheduling action.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

direct the screen to display a schedule of selected actions;

direct the screen to display the duration of each scheduled action in the displayed schedule; and

direct the screen to display an icon next to each of the scheduled actions to indicate the type of action scheduled.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

50. The system of claim 41, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

direct the screen to display an action pop-up menu in response to a first user selection on an input device;

schedule the selected action in response to a second user selection on the input device;

wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting the same key on the input device.

51. The system of claim 41, wherein one of the scheduling actions is a favorite action.

52. The system of claim 41, wherein one of the scheduling actions is an unlock action.