Electronic programming guide

• US 6,421,067 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: Isurftv
• Inventors: Kamen, Yakov, Shirman, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/488,361
• Time in Patent Office: 912 Days
• Field of Search: 345/716, 345/719, 345/720, 345/721, 345/717, 345/718, 345/419, 345/427, 345/976, 345/638, 345/582, 345/749, 345/744, 345/747, 345/835, 345/836, 345/839, 345/848, 345/849, 345/852, 709/217, 709/219, 725/38, 725/39, 725/43, 725/47, 725/61, 348/563, 348/552, 348/564, 348/569, 348/570
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic programming guide (“EPG”) in accordance with the invention provides pictograms and/or logos, to indicate to a television viewer the television programs being displayed on a television. The EPG information display format is thus easier to recognize than prior art EPG formats. In one embodiment, the EPG pictograms have 3D characteristics. The EPG information can be displayed in a window within a television screen while a program is being shown on the remainder of the screen. Thus, the viewer can know what is playing on the various channels while he or she is watching one of the channels. In one embodiment, the EPG is used in conjunction with a remote controller that includes a help button for facilitating operation of the EPG by the user. The EPG comprises a set of geometric surfaces located in virtual 3D space. The pictograms and/or logos, along with alpha-numeric text data and video clips are applied to the geometric surfaces using a 3D graphics pipeline. The video clips can comprise video programs, preview clips, or video data stored on a hard drive. The appearance of the pictograms, logos, alpha-numeric data and/or video clips can be modified in response to a user actuating a control element on a remote controller. Such modification can include changing the position of the geometric surface, or its lighting. All or some of the pictograms, logos, alpha-numeric data and video clips can be, changed over time based on broadcast data. In one embodiment, internet HTML pages are parsed and applied to geometric surfaces in 3D virtual space.

Claims

1. A method for displaying programming information comprising:

displaying a video program on a first portion of a video display device; and

simultaneously displaying on a second portion of said video display device a programming guide indicating what programs are playing on other channels, wherein said programming guide comprises information in the form of pictograms, at least some of said pictograms comprising color-coded information.

2. Method of claim 1 wherein said second portion of said video display device comprises a window region within said first portion of said video display device.

3. Method of claim 2 wherein said video display device comprises a video screen.

4. Method of claim 1 wherein said displaying of said programming guide comprises using a 3D graphics pipeline to generate images of pictograms.

5. Method of claim 4 further comprising generating said images from the perspective of a virtual viewer, said method further comprising manipulating the position of said virtual viewer with a controller.

6. Method of claim 5 further comprising selecting another program from said programming guide information and displaying said selected program on said first portion of said video display device.

7. Method of claim 1 wherein at least one item displayed within the programming guide appears to have a location that is non-coplanar with another item being displayed within said programming guide.

8. Method of claim 7 wherein said item comprises an image applied to a first computer model of a geometric surface such that said first geometric surface is not coplanar with at least some other portions of the electronic programming guide that are being displayed but is substantially parallel to said some other portions.

9. Method of claim 8 wherein said electronic programming guide comprises other items that are being displayed, said other items comprising images that are applied to one or more other computer models of a geometric surface, said method comprising moving said first geometric surface so that it is not coplanar with said one or more other computer models but is substantially parallel to said one or more other computer models.

10. Method for displaying television program information on a display device comprising displaying a grid containing one or more pictograms, said one or more pictograms corresponding to one or more television programs, said pictograms indicating to a viewer what programs are being shown on different television channels, wherein said pictograms contain color-coded information.

11. Method of claim 10 further comprising moving a cursor to one of said pictograms and clicking on said one of said pictograms to select a program corresponding to said one of said pictograms.

12. Method of claim 10 wherein said grid describes a channel indication, said method further comprising moving a cursor to said channel indication and clicking on said channel indication to select said channel.

13. Method of claim 10 further comprising selectively adjusting the size of at least one of said pictograms.

14. Method of claim 13 wherein the size of said pictogram is adjusted by rendering an image of said pictogram from the perspective of a virtual viewer and adjusting the position of said virtual viewer.

20. Method of claim 10 or 19 wherein a plurality of said pictograms is displayed within said grid.

23. Method of claims 10 or 19 wherein said grid is part of a program guide and at least one item displayed within the programing guide appears to have a location that is non-coplanar with other items being displayed within said programming guide.

24. Method of claim 23 wherein said at least one item comprises text, a pictogram or a video image.

15. Apparatus comprising:

a screen for displaying a video program; and

an electronic program guide for displaying television program information on a window within said screen while a video program is displayed on another portion of said screen outside of said window, said window being within the portion where the video program is displayed, wherein said video program is not substantially shrunk to fit into said portion where the video program is displayed.

16. Apparatus of claim 15 wherein said electronic program guide comprises an array indicating what programs are showing on a set of channels, said array comprising one or more pictograms identifying one or more of said programs.

17. Apparatus of claim 15 wherein said electronic programming guide comprises an array indicating what programs are showing on a set of channels, said array comprising one or more pictograms identifying one or more of said channels.

25. Apparatus of claim 15, 18, or 21 wherein at least one object displayed within the programming guide appears to have a location that is non-coplanar with other objects being displayed within said programming guide.

18. Apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying visual information;

a receiving circuit for receiving video programs and displaying said video programs on said display device; and

a circuit for providing an electronic programming guide on said display device, wherein when said electronic programming guide is displayed on said display device, said electronic programming guide has one or more windows for displaying a plurality of said video programs, wherein said circuit comprises a memory for storing a stream of pixel arrays, the stream of pixel arrays showing the video portion of said plurality of said video programs, and a pipeline for mapping said pixel arrays onto geometric surfaces to generate a stream of output pixel arrays, said stream of output pixel arrays being displayed on said display device as part of said electronic programming guide.

19. Method for displaying television program information on a display device comprising displaying a grid containing one or more pictograms, said one or more pictograms corresponding to one or more television programs, said one or more pictograms indicating to a viewer the genre of an associated program.

21. Apparatus comprising:

a screen for displaying video programs; and

a video control of circuit coupled to said screen, said video control circuit causing said screen to display an electronic programming guide, said electronic programming guide being in the form of an array, said array comprising one or more pictograms identifying the genre of an associated program.

22. Apparatus of claim 21 wherein a plurality of pictograms is displayed within said array.