TELEVISION CONTROL INTERFACE WITH ELECTRONIC GUIDE

• US 20100186037A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Casement, Marcia A., Stein, William De, Alba, Theresa A., Hunwick, Keith W., Johnson, Kenneth D., Folker, David
• Application Number:
  US12/748,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20100186037A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/045 Self-contained testing apparatus
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/643 Hue control means, e.g. flesh tone control

Abstract

An on-screen menu method and system for controlling the functions of integrated electronic devices and a television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day and an interconnected series of menus to control the features of the integrated electronic devices. An input device allows the viewer to move a pointer over different interactive areas of the guide and the function performed when the area is activated is displayed in a contextual help window. Various control glyphs provide for recursive interaction with the guide.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A method for displaying interactive program data, the method comprising:

at a first instance of the current time, displaying a plurality of listings for programs currently in-progress on a display device, wherein each of the displayed listings comprises a time indicator having a leading edge aligned with a first position corresponding to the first instance of the current time; and

as time passes from the first instance of the current time to a second instance of the current time later than the first instance, and while the programs associated with the displayed listings are still currently in-progress, using the display device to graphically depict the passage of time and visually indicate the second instance of the current time by moving the leading edge of each of the time indicators towards alignment with a third position that corresponds to the second instance of the current time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the leading edge of each of the time indicators comprises displaying a shadow proceeding across the displayed listings.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing the background color of a portion of each of the displayed listings adjacent to the leading edge of each of the time indicator.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying a plurality of program listings further comprises displaying at least one listing for a future program.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein graphically depicting the passage of time further comprises changing the size of each of the time indicators.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the displayed listings includes a cell having an end segment corresponding to the end of program currently in-progress associated with the displayed listing, and wherein graphically depicting the passage of time further comprises moving the leading edge of each of the time indicators toward said end segment.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the leading edges of all of the time indicators are aligned with each other.

12. A system for displaying interactive program data, the system comprising a display controller and a processor, the processor configured to:

direct the display controller to display a plurality of listings for programs in-progress at a first instance of the current time, wherein each of the displayed listings comprises a time indicator having a leading edge aligned with a first position corresponding to the first instance of the current time; and

as time passes from the first instance of the current time to a second instance of the current time later than the first instance, and while programs associated with the displayed listings are still in-progress, direct the display controller to graphically depict the passage of time and visually indicate the second instance of the current time by moving the leading edge of each of the time indicators towards alignment with a third position that corresponds to the second instance of the current time.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein moving the leading edge of each of the time indicators comprises displaying a shadow proceeding across the displayed listings.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to direct the display controller to change the background color of a portion of each of the displayed listings adjacent to the leading edge of the time indicator.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to direct the display controller to display at least one listing for a future program.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein graphically depicting the passage of time further comprises changing the size of each of the time indicators.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the displayed listings includes a cell having an end segment corresponding to the end of a program currently in-progress associated with the displayed listing, and wherein graphically depicting the passage of time further comprises moving the leading edge of each of the time indicators toward said end segment.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the leading edges of all of the time indicators are aligned with each other.