Electronic program guide with multiple day planner

• US 6,018,372 A
• Filed: 09/04/1997
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Liberate Technologies
• Inventors: Etheredge, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/923,505
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 348/906, 348/569, 348/563, 348/564, 348/570
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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

A system and method for implementing an electronic programming guide that allows a television viewer to access and interact with television viewing information. The electronic programming guide provides the viewer with a grid which lists channels, titles and show times. One format for presenting the grid shows an entire week of programming. Each row contains a show that is to be broadcast one or more times during the week. The first column lists the name of the show and the second column indicates the length of the show. The next seven columns represent the days of the week. For each time that a show is to be broadcast, the show time and channel are displayed in the appropriate column. The grid can be sorted many ways including by title, category, actors or search terms.

Claims

1. A method for presenting multiple days of scheduling information for a plurality of programs, said plurality of programs includes a specific program on a specific day at a specific time, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a table on a display, said table includes a plurality of rows and columns, said table includes a separate row for each program, said table includes a separate column for each day, said table includes a plurality of subsections, each subsection is defined by an intersection of an intersecting row and an intersecting column and represents data for a program corresponding to said intersecting row on a day corresponding to said intersecting column, said rows include a specific row associated with said specific program, said columns including a specific column associated with said specific day; and

inserting program times into at least a subset of said subsections such that said specific time is added to a specific subsection, said specific subsection is defined by an intersection of said specific row and said specific column.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table includes at least a separate column for each of seven consecutive days.

3. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

inserting channel identifiers into said subset of subsections.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of inserting includes adding an additional data indicator to said specific subsections; and

said method further includes the step of displaying at least one additional show time in response to a user selecting said additional data indicator.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed alphabetically.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed by category.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed by agent.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed by actor names.

9. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

accessing seven days of data, said step of inserting program times uses said seven days of data.

10. A method according to claim 9, further including the step of:

filtering said seven days of data.

11. A method according to claim 10, further including the step of:

receiving filtering criteria.

12. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

zooming in on a column of said table.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table includes a column for displaying event duration.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said table includes a column for displaying whether a title is in possession.

15. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

updating said program times.

16. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

tuning a television to said specific program if a user selects said specific time from said table.

17. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

programming a video recorder to record said specific program if a user selects said specific time from said table.

18. A method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

accessing seven days of data;

filtering said seven days of data; and

updating said program times in said table;

said table includes at least a separate column for each of seven consecutive days.

19. A processor readable storage medium having processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for presenting multiple days of scheduling information for a plurality of programs, said plurality of programs includes a specific program on a specific day at a specific time the method comprising the steps of:

creating a table, said table includes a plurality of rows and columns, said table includes a separate row for each program, said table includes a separate column for each day said, table includes a plurality of subsections, each subsection is defined by an intersection of an intersecting row and an intersecting column and represents data for a program corresponding to said intersecting row on a day corresponding to said intersecting column, said rows include a specific row associated with said specific program, said columns including a specific column associated with said specific day; and

inserting program times into at least a subset of said subsections such that said specific time is added to a specific subsection, said specific subsection is defined by an intersection of said specific row and said specific column.

20. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

said table includes at least a separate column for each of seven consecutive days.

21. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, further including the step of:

inserting channel identifiers into said subset of subsections.

22. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

said step of inserting includes adding an additional data indicator to said specific subsection; and

said method further includes the step of displaying at least one additional show time in response to a user selecting said additional data indicator.

23. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed alphabetically.

24. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed by category.

25. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed by agent.

26. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

said table lists titles for said programs; and

said titles are listed by actor names.

27. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein said method further includes the step of:

accessing seven days of data, said step of inserting uses said seven days of data.

28. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein said method further includes the step of:

filtering said seven days of data.

29. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein said method further includes the step of:

receiving filtering criteria.

30. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein said method further includes the step of:

zooming in on a column of said table.

31. A processor readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein said method further includes the step of:

updating said table.

32. An apparatus for presenting television scheduling information, comprising:

means for displaying a table having a set of seven columns, each of said seven column corresponding to a day of a week, said table further including an eighth column for listing titles;

means for filtering seven days of data; and

means for inserting said filtered data into said table.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising:

means for accessing said seven days of data.

35. An apparatus for presenting television scheduling information, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with said processor, said memory storing program code for programming said apparatus to perform a method for presenting multiple days of scheduling information for a plurality of programs, said plurality of programs includes a specific program on a specific day at a specific time, the method comprising the steps of;

creating a table for display, said table includes a plurality of rows and columns, said table includes a separate row for each program, said table includes a separate column for each day, said table includes a plurality of subsections, each subsection is defined by an intersection of an intersecting row and an intersecting column and represents data for a program corresponding to said intersecting row on a day corresponding to said intersecting column, said rows include a specific row associated with said specific programs said columns including a specific column associated with said specific day; and

inserting show times into at least a subset of said subsections such that said specific time is added to a specific subsection said specific subsection is defined by an intersection of said specific row and said specific column.

34. An apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising:

means for sorting said data in said table by either category or title.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising:

a display in communication with said processor, said display is used to display said table.

37. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein:

said table includes at least a separate column for each of seven consecutive days.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

accessing seven days of data;

filtering said seven days of data; and

sorting said seven days of data.

39. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

inserting an additional information symbol into said table if a particular show corresponds to two or more show times during a single day; and

displaying said two or more show times if a user selects said additional information symbol.

40. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said method further includes the step of:

inserting channel identifiers into said subset of subsections.

41. A method for presenting multiple days of scheduling information for a plurality of video programs, said plurality of video programs includes a specific video program on a specific day at a specific time, the method comprising the steps of:

drawing a table, said table includes a plurality of rows and columns, said table includes a separate row for each video program, said table includes a separate column for each day, said table includes a plurality of subsections, each subsection is defined by an intersection of an intersecting row and an intersecting column and represents data for a video program corresponding to said intersecting row on a day corresponding to said intersecting column, said rows include a specific row associated with said specific video program, said columns including a specific column associated with said specific day; and

inserting show times into at least a subset of said subsections such that said specific time is added to a specific subsection, said specific subsection is defined by an intersection of said specific row and said specific column.