Control apparatus and control method for displaying electronic program guide

• US 6,147,714 A
• Filed: 07/19/1996
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shiga, Tomohisa, Terasawa, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/690,153
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 348/906, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/567, 348/568, 348/584, 348/588, 348/13, 348/468, 348/731, 348/725
• US Class Current: 348/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A desired program is selected speedily and reliably from a plurality of programs. Reduced-sized still pictures of typical frames of programs to be broadcast on the respective channels are divided by program category and displayed as an electronic program guide. A cursor is shifted in the left and right directions to select a desired category. When an instruction is given to shift the cursor in the upward and downward directions, the still pictures of the selected category are scrolled. When the picture is determined by a selecting operation, its program is received.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for categorizing a plurality of still pictures into a first plurality of categories and for displaying one still picture from each of a second plurality of said categories in one of a single row and a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means.

5. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide according to claim 1, wherein each of said still pictures displayed in said row or column includes a category icon representing a category of a program.

2. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for categorizing a plurality of said still pictures and displaying them in one of a single row or a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means,

wherein said still-picture display means scrolls said categorized still pictures designated by said cursor when an instruction is given to shift said cursor in the direction perpendicular to the row or column arrangement of said pictures.

3. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for categorizing a plurality of said still pictures and displaying them in one of a single row or a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means,

wherein said still-picture display means scrolls said still pictures to display a still picture other than said categorized still pictures when an instruction is given to further outwardly shift said cursor which is positioned at an edge of the row or column arrangement of said pictures.

4. A control method for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said method comprising the steps of:

categorizing a plurality of still pictures into a first plurality of categories;

displaying one still picture from each of a second plurality of said categories in one of a single row and a single column;

designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selecting the designated still picture.

6. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for categorizing a plurality of said still pictures and displaying them in one of a single row or a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means,

wherein said still-picture display means displays a title bar with said still pictures.

7. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for categorizing a plurality of said still pictures and displaying them in one of a single row or a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means,

wherein each of said still pictures displayed in said row or column includes a category icon representing a category of a program,

wherein said category icon is deleted when said cursor is moved on one of said still pictures.

8. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for categorizing a plurality of said still pictures and displaying them in one of a single row or a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means,

wherein said still-picture display means displays a title bar with said still pictures, and

wherein said title bar includes a category icon, a station logo and a title of a program.

9. A control apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said control apparatus comprising:

still-picture display means for classifying by channel a plurality of still pictures representative of currently available and future programs and for displaying one classified still picture for each of a plurality of channels in one of a single row or a single column;

designating means for designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selection means for selecting said still picture designated by said designating means.

10. A control method for displaying an electronic program guide that is used for selecting a program and includes a reduced-sized still picture of a typical frame of said program, said method comprising the steps of:

classifying by channel a plurality of still pictures representative of currently available and future programs;

displaying one classified still picture for each of a plurality of channels in one of a single row and a single column;

designating with a cursor a predetermined still picture selected from said plurality of still pictures; and

selecting the designated still picture.