METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRESENTING ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING GUIDES

• US 20090210903A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: WHITE, SCOTT
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to present a graphic user interface (GUI) for customizing an electronic programming guide (EPG), the GUI including a plurality of scrollable media channels, each media channel accompanied by an image, a description of the media channel, an option to select the media channel for inclusion in the EPG, a first button to customize the EPG according to one or more media channels selected, and a second button to request additional information about a media channel highlighted in the GUI. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) having a plurality of scrollable media channels, each media channel accompanied by a thumbnail, a description of the media channel, and an option to select the media channel for inclusion in an electronic programming guide (EPG);

presenting in the GUI a first button to accept inclusion in the EPG the one or more media channels selected, and a second button to request additional information about a media channel highlighted in the GUI; and

customizing the EPG according to one or more media channel selections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thumbnail comprises one among a still image, and a moving image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the still image comprises one among a logo of the media channel and a snapshot of an active media program in the media channel, and wherein the moving image corresponds to the active media program.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting a selection of the first button; and

customizing the EPG according to one or more media channel selections identified on or after the first button was selected.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting a selection of the second button while a select media channel is highlighted; and

presenting an additional GUI with at least one among a video stream, a programming guide for the select media channel, one or more promotions, a logo associated with the select media channel, and additional descriptive information about the select media channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the video stream corresponds to one among video describing the select media channel, video of an active media program in the select media channel, and video previewing future media programs in the select media channel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the programming guide comprises one or more media program descriptions with a viewable time scale, and wherein the media programming guide can be slideably controlled to view past, present or future media programs.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

detecting a selection of one of the one or more media program descriptions in the programming guide; and

adapting the video stream to present video associated with the selected media program description.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected media program description corresponds to one among a media program previously broadcasted, a media program actively broadcasted, and a media program not yet broadcasted, wherein the adapted video stream presents one among video of a recording of the previously broadcasted media program, video of the actively broadcasted media program, and video previewing the yet to be broadcasted video program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operates in a set top box, wherein the EPG is supplied by a media communication system, and wherein the media communication system corresponds to at least one among an Internet Protocol Television (TV) communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, and an IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems.

11. A media processor, comprising a controller to present a graphic user interface (GUI) for customizing an electronic programming guide (EPG), the GUI including a plurality of scrollable media channels, each media channel accompanied by an image, a description of the media channel, an option to select the media channel for inclusion in the EPG, a first button to customize the EPG according to one or more media channels selected, and a second button to request additional information about a media channel highlighted in the GUI.

12. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the media processor corresponds to a set top box.

13. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the image corresponds to a thumbnail, wherein the thumbnail comprises one among a still image, and a moving image, and wherein the still image comprises one among a logo of the media channel and a snapshot of an active media program in the media channel, and wherein the moving image corresponds to the active media program.

14. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a selection of the first button; and

customize the EPG according to one or more media channel selections identified on or after the first button was selected.

15. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a selection of the second button while a select media channel is highlighted; and

present an additional GUI with at least one among a video stream, a programming guide for the select media channel, one or more promotions, a logo associated with the select media channel, and additional descriptive information about the select media channel.

16. The media processor of claim 15, wherein the video stream corresponds to one among video describing the select media channel, video of an active media program in the select media channel, and video previewing future media programs in the select media channel.

17. The media processor of claim 15, wherein the programming guide comprises one or more media program descriptions with a viewable time scale, and wherein the media programming guide can be slideably controlled to view past, present or future media programs.

18. The media processor of claim 17, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect a selection of one of the one or more media program descriptions in the programming guide; and

adapt the video stream to present video associated with the selected media program description,

wherein the selected media program description corresponds to one among a media program previously broadcasted, a media program actively broadcasted, and a media program not yet broadcasted, wherein the adapted video stream presents one among video of a recording of the previously broadcasted media program, video of the actively broadcasted media program, and video previewing the yet to be broadcasted video program.

19. The media processor of claim 11, wherein the media processor operates in a media communication system, and wherein the media communication system corresponds to at least one among an Internet Protocol Television (TV) communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, and an IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for presenting a graphic user interface (GUI) for customizing an electronic programming guide (EPG), the GUI including a plurality of scrollable media channels each accompanied by a descriptive image and a button to request additional information about a media channel highlighted in the GUI.

21. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the descriptive image corresponds to a thumbnail, wherein the thumbnail comprises one among a still image, and a moving image.

22. The storage medium of claim 20, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting one or more media channel selections from the plurality of scrollable media channels; and

customizing the EPG according to the one or more media channel selections.

23. The storage medium of claim 20, comprising computer instructions for:

detecting a selection of the button while a select media channel is highlighted; and

presenting an additional GUI with at least one among a video stream, a programming guide for the select media channel, one or more promotions, a logo associated with the select media channel, and additional descriptive information about the select media channel.

24. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the programming guide comprises one or more media program descriptions with a viewable time scale, and wherein the media programming guide can be slideably controlled to view past, present or future media programs, and wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for:

detecting a selection of one of the one or more media program descriptions in the programming guide; and

adapting the video stream to present video associated with the selected media program description.

25. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable storage medium operates in a media processor of a media communication system, and wherein the media communication system corresponds to at least one among an Internet Protocol Television (TV) communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a Voice over IP (VoIP) communication system, and an IP Multimedia Subsystem combining the PSTN and VoIP communication systems.