Method and system for displaying other information in a TV program guide

• US 5,940,073 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven, Klosterman, Brian Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/846,801
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 348/906, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/569, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 455/6.1
• US Class Current: 715/721
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/0882 : for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.

Claims

1. A method of arranging and managing information for an on-screen electronic program guide having a display screen comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of TV program listings in a first area of the screen;

selectively marking the program listings in the first area with a cursor to schedule the programs corresponding to the respective marked listings for recording or viewing;

recording or viewing the scheduled programs at the scheduled time;

simultaneous with the program listings, displaying promotional information about a current or future-scheduled TV program in a second area of the screen, wherein the promotional information does not change when a different program listing is selected and the second area of the screen is responsive to inputs from the viewer; and

activating the second area to initiate a first function related to the information about a current or future-scheduled TV program displayed in the second area.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the TV program listings indicate program title, time, and channel.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the step of selectively marking the program listings comprises of moving an on-screen cursor to highlight a program listing.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the information about a current or future-scheduled TV program displayed in the second area changes as the cursor is moved about the program listings displayed in the first area.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the first function is displaying detailed information about the current or future-scheduled TV program.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the first function is storing the time and channel of the future-scheduled TV program and record or tune to the future-scheduled TV program at the scheduled time.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the first function is establishing a link to an Internet website and launching an application for displaying more information related to the current or future-scheduled TV program displayed in the second area.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the first function is identifying and displaying a plurality of links to different Internet websites having information related to the current or future-scheduled TV program displayed in the second area.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

simultaneously displaying promotional information about a product in a third area of the screen, wherein the third area of the screen is responsive to inputs from the viewer; and

activating the third area to initiate a second function related to the information about a product displayed in the third area.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the information about a product displayed in the third area changes as the cursor is moved about the program listings displayed in the first area.

11. The method of claim 9, in which the second function is establishing a link to an Internet website and launching an application for displaying more information related to the product.

12. The method of claim 9, in which the second function is identifying and displaying a plurality of links to different Internet websites having information related to the product.

13. The method of claim 9, in which the second function is providing information for transmission to a supplier for purchasing the product.

14. The method of claim 1, in which the information about a current or future-scheduled TV program is text, still images, or video.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the second area of the screen is positioned amongst the list of TV program schedules in the first area.

16. The method of claim 1, in which the second area of the screen is positioned relative to the top of the first area of the screen.

17. The method of claim 1, in which the second area of the screen is positioned relative to a specific TV program schedule.

18. The method of claim 1, in which the second area of the screen is in a fixed position on the screen.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of icons representing different subject matters in a third area of the screen selectable by the on-screen cursor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting an icon to display information about a subject matter represented by the selected icon.

21. The method of claim 1, in which the current or future-scheduled TV program is a pay-per-view program and the first function is authorizing payment for the pay-per-view program.

22. An electronic program guide system comprising:

a display screen;

a microprocessor;

a storage medium;

means for displaying a plurality of TV program listings in a first area of the screen;

means for selectively marking the program listings in the first area with a cursor to schedule the programs corresponding to the respective marked listings for recording or viewing;

means for recording or viewing the scheduled programs at the scheduled time;

means for simultaneous with the program listings, displaying promotional information about a current or future-scheduled TV program in a second area of the screen, wherein the promotional information does not change when a different program listing is selected and the second area of the screen is responsive to inputs from the viewer; and

means for activating the second area to initiate a first function related to the information about a current or future-scheduled TV program displayed in the second area.

23. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for arranging and managing information for an on-screen electronic program guide having a display screen, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of TV program listings in a first area of the screen;

selectively marking the program listings in the first area with a cursor to schedule the programs corresponding to the respective marked listings for recording or viewing;

recording or viewing the scheduled programs at the scheduled time;

simultaneous with the program listings, displaying promotional information about a current or future-scheduled TV program in a second area of the screen, wherein the promotional information does not change when a different program listing is selected and the second area of the screen is responsive to inputs from the viewer; and

activating the second area to initiate a first function related to the information about a current or future-scheduled TV program displayed in the second area.