Background television schedule system

• US 5,808,608 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, Patrick, Faber, Michael W., Roop, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/627,804
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 348/460, 348/461, 348/468, 348/473, 348/478, 348/552, 348/563, 348/564, 348/569, 348/570, 348/906, 348/734, 348/6, 348/12, 348/13, 386/1, 386/46, 345/326, 345/327
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 15/006 for operating at a number of different times cigar or cigarette receptacles or boxes with means for limiting the frequency of smoking A24F15/005
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3054 Vertical Interval Time code [VITC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/324 Duty cycle modulation of control pulses, e.g. VHS-CTL-coding systems, RAPID-time code, VASS- or VISS-cue signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/328 on a tape [TTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4314 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• 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 21/482 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 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 : for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 : Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 : for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Screen (10) for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array (24) of irregular cells (26), which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns (28) of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows (30) of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns (28) because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells (26), if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen (10) as the cursor moved from a cell (26) of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row. An effective way of taming the motion is to assume that behind every array (24) is an underlying array of regular cells. By restricting cursor movements to the regular cells, abrupt screen changes will be avoided. With the cursor (32), the entire cell (26) is 3-D highlighted, using a conventional offset shadow (34). The offset shadow (34) is a black bar that underlines the entire cell and wraps around the right edge of the cell. To tag the underlying position--which defines where the cursor (32) is and thus, where it will move next--portions (36) of the black bar outside the current underlying position are segmented, while the current position is painted solid.

Claims

1. A television schedule system for displaying television schedule information, said television schedule information including listings, said television schedule system comprising:

an input device for inputting user selections, said user selections including limiting said listings and selecting a mode of operation, said listings including information on multiple available television programs, said mode of operation determining an order in which said listings are displayed on a screen;

a memory, coupled to said input device, for storing said user selections and for storing at least one of (1) a time period over which said listings are scrolled, (2) whether scrolling is manual or automatic, (3) a channel of a last viewed listing, (4) a sort by theme command, and (5) a sort by channel command;

a controller, coupled to said memory, for activating and suspending operation of said television schedule system; and

a display, coupled to said controller, for displaying schedule information on said screen in response to inputs from a user, wherein said user can cause said listings in said display to scroll automatically or manually.

2. A background television schedule system for displaying television schedule information on a television including a television screen on which is displayed a primary display, said television schedule information including listings, said background television schedule system comprising:

an input device for inputting user selections, said user selections including limiting said listings displayed on said television screen and selecting a mode of operation, said listings including information on multiple available television programs, said mode of operation determining an order in which said listings are displayed on said television screen;

a memory, coupled to said input device, for storing said user selections and for storing at least one of (1) a time period over which said listings are scrolled, (2) whether scrolling is manual or automatic, (3) a channel of a last viewed listing, (4) a sort by theme command, and (5) a sort by channel command;

a controller, coupled to said memory, for activating and suspending operation of said background television schedule system; and

a background display, coupled to said controller, for displaying background schedule information on said television screen in response to inputs from a user;

wherein said user can cause said listings in said background display to scroll automatically or manually.

3. The background television schedule system of claim 2, wherein said user can select and prioritize a plurality of favorite channels.

4. The background television schedule system of claim 2, wherein said mode of operation further includes at least one of (1) all selected channels scroll, (2) single channel scroll, (3) scroll according to the criteria set up for said background guide, and (4) grazing.

5. The background television schedule system of claim 4, wherein said grazing allows the user to display listings of a certain type, said certain type selected from the group consisting of (1) desired channels, (2) movies, (3) sports, (4) pay-per-view, and (5) desired theme.

6. The background television schedule system of claim 2, further comprising a tab, coupled to said controller, for pointing to a current listing within said background schedule information displayed on said background display, said tab capable of being advanced automatically and manually.