Video mix program guide

• US 6,020,929 A
• Filed: 11/20/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Lemmons, Thomas R., Allison, Donald W., Marshall, Connie T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,944
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 348/564, 348/569, 348/586, 348/906, 348/598, 348/565, 348/13, 348/12, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 345/327, 345/328
• US Class Current: 348/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection

Abstract

A system interactively controlled by a TV viewer remote superimposes portions of a scroll program guide over a basic programming signal for display on the viewer'"'"'s display screen. A tuner has an input for receiving TV signals in a plurality of cable channels and an output for passing a signal of any selected one of said channels. A computer has an input for receiving any of a plurality of control signals from the TV viewer remote and an output for controlling the tuner to pass the signal of the selected one of the channels in response to one of the plurality of control signals from the TV viewer remote. The computer receives and stores a scroll input picture image signal containing local program guide data and generates a scroll output picture image signal consisting of at least a portion of the scroll input picture image signal. A combiner superimposes output picture image signal over the passed signal to provide a display signal for input to the viewer'"'"'s display screen. The computer is responsive to control signals from the remote to cause the combiner to change the weight of the output picture image signal in relation to the passed signal.

Claims

1. A system for displaying interactive program guide data with television programming that is displayed on a viewer'"'"'s display screen, comprising:

a superimposing circuit for displaying the interactive program guide data in an interactive program guide data display wherein at least a portion of the interactive program guide data display has a perceived partial transparency so that the television programming can be at least partially perceived by a television viewer through the portion of the interactive program guide data display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the superimposing circuit causes the perceived partial transparency of the portion of the interactive program guide data display to vary as a function of a weight of perceived partial transparency.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the weight of perceived partial transparency can be controlled by the television viewer.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the weight of perceived partial transparency is indicated on the viewer'"'"'s display screen.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein an increase in the weight of perceived partial transparency causes the perceived partial transparency of the portion of the interactive program guide data display to decrease.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein a decrease in the weight of perceived partial transparency causes the perceived partial transparency of the portion of the interactive program guide data display to increase.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the weight of perceived partial transparency at an activation of a display of the interactive program guide data display is identical to the weight of perceived partial transparency at a deactivation of a previous display of the interactive program guide data display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide data displayed corresponds to a plurality of television channels.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide data displayed corresponds to a plurality of times.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide data displayed corresponds to a plurality of television channels and a plurality of times.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interactive program guide data is displayed in a grid format.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide data is displayed as a scrolling program guide.

13. A method for displaying interactive program guide data with television programming that is displayed on a viewer'"'"'s display screen, comprising:

displaying television programming; and

displaying the interactive program guide data in an interactive program guide data display wherein at least a portion of the interactive program guide data display has a perceived partial transparency so that the television programming can be at least partially perceived by a television viewer through the portion of the interactive program guide data display.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing the perceived partial transparency of the portion of the interactive program guide data display to vary as a function of a weight of perceived partial transparency.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling the weight of perceived partial transparency to be controlled by the television viewer.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising indicating the weight of perceived partial transparency on the viewer'"'"'s display screen.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising increasing the weight of perceived partial transparency so that the perceived partial transparency of the portion of the interactive program guide data display decreases.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising decreasing the weight of perceived partial transparency so that the perceived partial transparency of the portion of the interactive program guide data display increases.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising setting the weight of perceived partial transparency at an activation of a display of the interactive program guide data display identically to the weight of perceived partial transparency at a deactivation of a previous display of the interactive program guide data display.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the interactive program guide data displayed corresponds to a plurality of television channels.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the interactive program guide data displayed corresponds to a plurality of times.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the interactive program guide data displayed corresponds to a plurality of television channels and a plurality of times.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising displaying the interactive program guide data in a grid format.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the interactive program guide data as a scrolling program guide.