Program guide system with browsing display

• US 6,564,378 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Jennifer E., Lemmons, Thomas R., Perry, Brent E., Satterfield, Kevin D., Marshall, Connie T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/054,917
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/906, 348/12, 348/13, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/734, 345/327, 345/328, 725/37, 725/39, 725/40-43
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a user may direct the program guide to display a browsing display screen. The browsing display screen includes a list of current programs including a movable highlight region, a video window containing a television program to which the system is currently tuned, and a detailed description of the highlighted program listing. The user may position the highlight region using remote control cursor keys. The user may then synchronize the content of the video window with the highlighted program listing by pressing a select key or a channel up or down key. If the user changes channels repeatedly using the channel up and down keys, the contents of the video window and the highlighted program listings remain in synchronization.

Claims

1. An interactive television program guide system implemented on user television equipment, comprising:

means for simultaneously displaying (a) a program list that contains multiple program listings, that only contains program listings for programs that are currently being broadcast, and that has a highlight region for highlighting a given one of the program listings, (b) a video window that contains an unobstructed view of a television program, and (c) a detailed program description of the highlighted program listing;

means for allowing the user to position the highlight region only among the program listings for programs that are currently being broadcast;

means for allowing the user to position the highlight region in the program list with a first set of remote control keys, wherein when the first set of remote control keys is used to position the highlight region on a new program listing, the detailed program descriptions is updated to correspond with the highlighted program listing while the television program displayed in the video window remains unchanged; and

means for allowing the user to position the highlight region in the program list with a second set of remote control keys, wherein the second set of remote control keys are not the same as any of the first set of remote control keys and wherein when the second set of remote control keys is used to position the highlight region on a new program listing, both the detailed program description and the television program displayed in the video window are updated to correspond with the highlighted program listing.

2. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for synchronizing the television program in the video window and the highlighted program listing after the user has positioned the highlight region on a new program listing with the first set of remote control keys.

3. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 2 wherein the means for synchronizing further comprises means for providing the user with an opportunity to select the highlighted program listing.

4. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 3 wherein the means for providing the user with an opportunity to select the highlighted program listing further comprises means for allowing the user to select the highlighted program listing with a remote control select key.

5. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 wherein the second set of remote control keys are remote control channel up and down keys.

6. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for allowing the user to change the channel for the television program that is displayed in the video window to an adjacent channel with the second set of remote control keys.

7. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control cursor keys.

8. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control page up and down keys.

9. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control numeric keys.

10. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to display an information screen containing an additional description of the highlighted program listing.

11. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing the user with an opportunity to return to normal television viewing from the simultaneously displayed program list, video window, and detailed program description.

12. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for displaying the program list with the highlight region repositioned at the top of the list on top of a program listing for an adjacent channel whenever the program listing for the adjacent channel does not appear on the program list when the user presses one of the first or second set of keys to position the highlight region on the program listing for the adjacent channel.

13. A method for using an interactive television program guide system implemented on user television equipment, comprising:

simultaneously displaying (a) a program list that contains multiple program listings, that only contains program listings for programs that are currently being broadcast, and that has a highlight region for highlighting a given one of the program listings, (b) a video window that contains an unobstructed view of a television program, and (c) a detailed program description of the highlighted program listing;

allowing the user to position the highlight region only among the program listings for programs that are currently being broadcast;

allowing the user to position the highlight region in the program list with a first set of remote control keys, wherein when the first set of remote control keys is used to position the highlight region on a new program listing, the detailed program description is updated to correspond with the highlighted program listing while the television program displayed in the video window remains unchanged; and

allowing the user to position the highlight region in the program list with a second set of remote control keys, wherein the second set of remote control keys are not the same as any of the first set of remote control keys and wherein when the second set of remote control keys is used to position the highlight region on a new program listing, both the detailed program description and the television program displayed in the video window are updated to correspond with the highlighted program listing.

14. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising synchronizing the television program in the video window and the highlighted program listing after the user has positioned the highlight region on a new program listing with the first set of remote control keys.

15. The method defined in claim 14 wherein synchronizing the television program further comprises providing the user with an opportunity to select the highlighted program listing.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein providing the user with an opportunity to select the highlighted program listing further comprises allowing the user to select the highlighted program listing with a remote control select key.

17. The method defined in claim 13 wherein the second set of remote control keys are remote control channel up and down keys.

18. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising allowing the user to change the channel for the television program that is displayed in the video window to an adjacent channel with the second set of remote control keys.

19. The method defined in claim 13 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control cursor keys.

20. The method defined in claim 13 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control page up and down keys.

21. The method defined in claim 13 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control numeric keys.

22. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to display an information screen containing an additional description of the highlighted program listing.

23. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to return to normal television viewing from the simultaneously displayed program list, video window, and detailed program description.

24. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising:

displaying the program list with the highlight region repositioned at the top of the list on top of a program listing for an adjacent channel whenever the program listing for the adjacent channel does not appear on the program list when the user presses one of the first or second set of keys to position the highlight region on the program listing for the adjacent channel.

25. An interactive television program guide system comprising user television equipment configured to:

simultaneously display (a) a program list that contains multiple program listings, that only contains program listings for programs that are currently being broadcast, and that has a highlight region for highlighting a given one of the program listings, (b) a video window that contains an unobstructed view of a television program, and (c) a detailed program description of the highlighted program listing;

allow the user to position the highlight region only among the program listings for programs that are currently being broadcast;

allow the user to position the highlight region in the program list with a first set of remote control keys, wherein when the first set of remote control keys is used to position the highlight region on a new program listing, the detailed program description is updated to correspond with the highlighted program listing while the television program displayed in the video window remains unchanged; and

allow the user to position the highlight region in the program list with a second set of remote control keys, wherein the second set of remote control keys are not the same as any of the first set of remote control keys and wherein when the second set of remote control keys is used to position the highlight region on a new program listing, both the detailed program description and the television program displayed in the video window are updated to correspond with the highlighted program listing.

26. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is configured to synchronize the television program in the video window and the highlighted program listing after the user has positioned the highlight region on a new program listing with the first set of remote control keys.

27. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 26 wherein the user television equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to select the highlighted program listing.

28. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 27 wherein the user television equipment is configured to allow the user to select the highlighted program listing with a remote control select key.

29. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the second set of remote control keys are remote control channel up and down keys.

30. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is configured to allow the user to change the channel for the television program that is displayed in the video window to an adjacent channel with the second set of remote control keys.

31. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control cursor keys.

32. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control page up and down keys.

33. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the first set of remote control keys are remote control numeric keys.

34. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to display an information screen containing an additional description of the highlighted program listing.

35. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to return to normal television viewing from the simultaneously displayed program list, video window, and detailed program description.

36. The interactive television program guide system defined in claim 25 wherein the user television equipment is configured to display the program list with the highlight region repositioned at the top of the list on top of a program listing for an adjacent channel whenever the program listing for the adjacent channel does not appear on the program list when the user presses one of the first or the second set of keys to position the highlight region on the program listing for the adjacent channel.