Electronic program guide with interactive areas

• US 6,412,110 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunwick, Keith, Folker, David M., Leftwich, Jim, Schein, Steven Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/441,645
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 348/906, 348/563, 348/564, 348/569, 348/570, 345/327, 345/339, 345/349, 345/351, 345/353, 345/354, 345/352, 345/145, 345/157, 345/158, 345/338, 725/39, 725/40, 725/49
• US Class Current: 725/40
• 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 21/4782 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 21/84 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 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day. An input device allows the viewer to move a pointer over different interactive areas of the guide and the function performed when the area is activated is displayed in a contextual help window. Various control glyphs provide for recursive interaction with the guide. Additionally, a video window is interactive and provides tuning functions.

Claims

1. An interactive EPG comprising:

a display screen including interactive areas, a contextual help widow continuously displayed within the EPG and a pointer on the screen configured to invoke EPG functions;

a display controller for processing display data for displaying on the display screen;

a memory for storing EPG data including contextual help information about what action needs to be done;

an input device for receiving commands; and

a processor, coupled to the memory and the input device for displaying contextual help information about what action needs to be done in the continuously displayed contextual help window responsive to movement of the pointer over the interactive areas.

2. The EPG of claim 1, wherein the display data includes data for causing the display controller to display data including interactive areas in the forms of glyphs and where the stored data includes data for causing the display controller to recursively vary the configuration of the display when a viewer activates the glyphs.

3. The EPG of claim 1, wherein the stored data includes data for causing the display controller to display data including an interactive title mode area and wherein the stored data includes data for causing selectable display controlling icons to be displayed in the interactive title mode display area when the pointer is positioned over the interactive title mode area.

4. The EPG of claim 3, wherein a first display controlling icon is a program guide icon that, when selected, causes the display controller to display a program guide display.

5. The EPG of claim 3, wherein a second display controlling icon is a news services icon which, when selected, causes the display controller to display a list of new services.

29. The EPG of claim 2, wherein a first glyph is a find other glyph for automatically searching for and displaying a listing of other airings of a currently selected program.

6. An interactive electronic program guide (IPG) with contextual help capability displayed on a screen for facilitating interaction with the IPG comprising:

a plurality of interactive areas within the IPG configured to invoke IPG actions;

a contextual help window continuously displayed within the IPG for displaying contextual help information about what action needs to be done;

a memory for storing IPG data including contextual help data;

a display processor coupled to the memory for displaying the IPG data including the interactive areas and displaying the contextual help information about what action needs to be done on the continuously displayed contextual help window; and

an on-screen cursor responsive to user commands for moving within the IPG for displaying a respective contextual data in the continuously displayed contextual help window.

7. The IPG of claim 6 wherein the contextual help data is text data informing a user of actions that can or need to be done.

8. The IPG of claim 6 wherein one of the plurality of interactive areas is a video window for displaying a currently-tuned television program.

9. The IPG of claim 6 wherein the input device is one or more of a keyboard, a remote controller, a pointer device, or a voice activated device.

10. The IPG of claim 6 wherein the plurality of interactive areas include means for recording a program or tuning to a television channel.

11. The IPG of claim 6 wherein the plurality of interactive areas include one or more of means for accessing a related Internet site, means for purchasing a pay-per-view channel, or means for purchasing merchandise.

12. A method for displaying on a screen an interactive electronic program guide (IPG) including a contextual help window and a plurality of interactive areas, the method comprising the steps of:

storing IPG data including contextual help information about what action needs to be done associated with a respective interactive area;

displaying the IPG on the screen in a guide format;

continuously displaying the contextual help window within the IPG;

responsive to a user command, moving a cursor to an interactive area; and

displaying contextual help information about what action needs to be done associated with the interactive area in the continuously displayed contextual help window.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of displaying contextual help data comprises displaying text data for informing a user of actions that can or need to be done.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of displaying the IPG comprises displaying a video window for a currently-tuned television program.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting a television program from the IPG and recording the selected program when it is telecast.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting a television program from the IPG and tuning to the selected program when it is telecast.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising accessing a related Internet site by activating an area in the IPG.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising purchasing a pay-per-view channel.

27. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying a confirmation of an action performed by a user in a text window.

28. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of automatically searching for other airings of a currently selected program and displaying a listing of the other airings of a currently selected program.

19. A method for displaying on a screen an interactive electronic program guide (IPG) including a contextual help window and a plurality of interactive areas, the method comprising the steps of:

storing IPG data including contextual help information about what action needs to be done;

displaying the IPG on the screen;

continuously displaying the contextual help window within the IPG; and

responsive to a user command, displaying contextual help information about what action needs to be done in the continuously displayed contextual help window.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of displaying contextual help data comprises displaying text data for informing a user of actions that can or need to be done.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of displaying the IPG comprises displaying a video window for a currently-tuned television program.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting a television program from the IPG and recording the selected program when it is telecast.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising selecting a television program from the IPG and tuning to the selected program when it is telecast.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising accessing a related Internet site by activating an area in the IPG.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a confirmation of an action performed by a user in a text window.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of automatically searching for other airings of a currently selected program and displaying a listing of the other airings of a currently selected program.