USER INTERFACE OF INTERACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090064226A1
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hsu, Ching Kwei, Chou, Chun Sung, Lin, Chi Chia
• Application Number:
  US11/847,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20090064226A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A user interface of an interactive program guide includes a two-dimensional EPG area and a selected program area. The two-dimensional EPG area includes a list of channels, programs corresponding to the channels and an indicator pointing to a selected program. The selected program area includes an analog clock indicating the current time and display period of the selected program and a status area with text indicating the status of the selected program.

Claims

1. A user interface of an interactive program guide, comprising:

a two-dimensional electronic program guide (EPG) area having;

a list of channels;

programs corresponding to the channels; and

an indicator pointing to a selected program; and

a selected program area having;

an analog clock indicating the current time and display period of the selected program; and

a status area with text indicating the status of the selected program.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein each program occupies a single box of the two-dimensional EPG area.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the selected program area further comprises a synopsis area which has a brief description of the selected program.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the display period of the selected program in the analog clock is shown with a color or texture.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the status area describes in text the name and the display time of the selected program.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the display time frame of the EPG is fixed.

7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a preview area which indicates a representative picture or a piece of preview video of the selected program.

8. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a bold square which encloses programs of a channel on which the selected program is presented.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the indicator is triangle-shaped and maintained in a fixed size.

10. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising two scrolling bars on the right side and bottom of the two-dimensional EPG area.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the box of a program in the two-dimensional EPG area contains a specific symbol if the program has a starting time earlier or an ending time later than the selected program.

12. A user interface of an interactive program guide, comprising:

a two-dimensional EPG area having a list of channels, programs corresponding to the channels and an indicator pointing to a selected program; and

a separate selected program area having;

means for indicating the current time and display period of the selected program; and

means for displaying text indicating the status of the selected program.

13. The user interface of claim 12, wherein the display period of the selected program is shown with a color or texture.

14. The user interface of claim 12, wherein the status of the selected program includes the name and the display time of the selected program.

15. A method for using a user interface of an interactive program guide, comprising the steps of:

displaying a two-dimensional EPG, wherein the EPG has a list of channels and programs corresponding to the channels;

displaying an analog clock which indicates the current time and display period of the selected program pointed by an indicator; and

displaying text indicating the status of the selected program.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of enclosing programs of a channel on which the selected program is shown with a bold square and filling the selected program with a color or texture.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of adjusting the starting time of the two-dimensional EPG if the starting time of a newly selected program is earlier than a previously selected program.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of leaving the starting time of the two-dimensional EPG unchanged if the starting time of a newly selected program is later than a previously selected program.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying a piece of preview video or a representative picture of the selected program.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying a synopsis of the selected program.