Navigating through television programs

• US 6,405,371 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Lambourne, Robert A., Dobbelaar, Astrid, Oosterhout, Ronaldus H. T., Ten Kate, Warner R. T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/090,104
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 348/906, 348/564, 348/563, 348/584, 348/569, 348/565, 348/570, 348/734, 725/39, 725/41, 725/45-7, 725/53
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A method of navigating through television programs is disclosed. A television receiver displays a mosaic image with sub-images representing the available programs. The receiver further receives an electronic program guide with program descriptions. Upon activating a “theme” button (42), the viewer can enter a desired program type, e.g. “movie”. In response thereto, the brightness of the sub-images representing programs that are not desired is reduced. The user is thus assisted in navigating through programs he is interested in, while maintaining the mosaic structure he is familiar with, and without losing the association between channels and their positions on the mosaic screen.

Claims

1. A method of navigating through television program guide data comprising the steps of:

receiving electronic program guide data including a scheduled broadcast time and one or more descriptors defining respective properties of said television programs;

storing at least a portion of said data in memory;

receiving user commands containing selection criteria identifying a selected time and a selected descriptor value;

receiving a command to display images associated with television programs that meet said user specified criteria;

correlating said user-specified criteria with the television program data in memory to identify the programs that meet said selection criteria;

perceptibly marking the sub-images corresponding with television programs having the selected descriptor value at the selected time;

receiving a command indicating that one of said sub-images has been selected; and

reproducing the sound signal of the television program associated with a user-selected one of said sub-images;

further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying a selected row or column of said plurality of sub-images and a television program selected from said row or column.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of marking comprises establishing a refresh rate of the sub-images corresponding with television programs meeting said user-selection criteria that is higher than the refresh rate of sub-images corresponding with television programs not meeting said user-selection criteria.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of perceptibly marking comprises setting the size of said sub-images corresponding with television programs meeting said user-selection criteria that is larger than the size of said sub-images corresponding with television programs not meeting said user-selection criteria.