Program Guide Interface Systems and Methods

• US 20120284753A1
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H., Stallings, Heath
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• 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 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

Exemplary program guide interface systems and methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes a mobile device presenting a program guide interface by way of a touch screen, detecting a pinch gesture provided in relation to the program guide interface, and presenting, in response to the pinch gesture, a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of media programming channel groups. Corresponding methods, systems, and devices are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, by a mobile device by way of a touch screen, a program guide interface comprising a listing of media programming channels and program guide information associated with each of the media programming channels;

detecting, by the mobile device, a pinch gesture provided by a user by way of the touch screen; and

presenting, by the mobile device in response to the pinch gesture, a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of media programming channel groups.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, a reverse pinch gesture provided by the user by way of the touch screen in relation to a particular graphical object within the plurality of graphical objects, the particular graphical object representing a particular media programming channel group within the plurality of media programming channel groups; and

presenting, by the mobile device within the program guide interface and in response to the reverse pinch gesture, a listing of media programming channels from the particular media programming channel group and program guide information associated with the media programming channels from the particular media programming channel group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of media programming channels is organized into a vertical column and the program guide information is organized into a plurality of rows, wherein each row within the plurality of rows is associated with a media programming channel within the listing of media programming channels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pinch gesture is provided in relation to the listing of media programming channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting the plurality of graphical objects comprises presenting the graphical objects within the program guide interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the presenting the graphical objects within the program guide interface comprises replacing the listing of media programming channels with the plurality of graphical objects.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting the plurality of graphical objects comprises presenting the graphical objects within a window overlaid onto at least a portion of the program guide interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a mobile phone device and a tablet computer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of media programming channel groups is associated with at least one of a particular series of channel numbers, a particular genre of media content, a particular person, a particular topic, a particular type of media content, and a particular keyword.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of media programming channel groups is customized in accordance with one or more user-configurable parameters provided by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of media programming channel groups is automatically generated in accordance with user profile information associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one media programming channel group within the plurality of media programming channel groups is configured to dynamically change in accordance with one or more media programming schedules associated with the at least one media programming channel group.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, a reverse pinch gesture provided by the user by way of the touch screen in relation to the listing of media programming channels; and

expanding, by the mobile device in response to the reverse pinch gesture, a level of detail associated with the program guide information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the expanding the level of detail does not include zooming in on a view of the program guide interface.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, an additional pinch gesture provided in relation to the program guide interface while the program guide interface includes the expanded level of detail associated with the program guide information; and

contracting, by the mobile device in response to the additional pinch gesture, the level of detail associated with the program guide information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate as a companion device to a media content access device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is configured to control one or more operations of the media content access device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the program guide information associated with each media programming channel comprises information associated with a media programming schedule comprising one or more scheduled media programs.

19. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

20. A method comprising:

presenting, by a mobile device by way of a touch screen, a program guide interface comprising a listing of media programming channels organized into a vertical column and program guide information associated with the media programming channels organized into a plurality of rows, wherein each row within the plurality of rows contains program guide information associated with a media programming channel included in the listing of media programming channels;

detecting, by the mobile device, a vertical pinch gesture provided by a user by way of the touch screen in relation to the vertical column; and

replacing, by the mobile device in response to the vertical pinch gesture, the listing of media programming channels with a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of media programming channel groups.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, a reverse pinch gesture provided in relation to a particular graphical object within the plurality of graphical objects and representative of a particular media programming channel group within the plurality of media programming channel groups; and

presenting, by the mobile device within the program guide interface and in response to the reverse pinch gesture, a listing of media programming channels from the particular media programming channel group within the vertical column and program guide information associated with the media programming channels from the particular media programming channel group within the plurality of rows.

22. The method of claim 20, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

23. A system comprising:

a user input facility configured to detect a pinch gesture provided by a user by way of the touch screen in relation to a program guide interface displayed on the touch screen, the program guide interface comprising a listing of media programming channels and program guide information associated with the media programming channels; and

a program guide facility communicatively coupled to the user input facility and configured to present, by way of the touch screen and in response to the pinch gesture, a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of media programming channel groups.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the user input facility is further configured to detect a reverse pinch gesture provided in relation to a particular graphical object within the plurality of graphical objects and representative of a particular media programming channel group within the plurality of media programming channel groups; and

the program guide facility is further configured to present, by way of the touch screen and in response to the reverse pinch gesture, a listing of media programming channels from the particular media programming channel group and program guide information associated with the media programming channels from the particular media programming channel group.