Narrative electronic program guide with hyper-links

• US 6,665,870 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Jeffrey A., Finseth, Craig A., Hsiao, Philip E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELIVEAU, SCOTT E
• Application Number:
  US09/536,097
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/52, 725/39, 725/40, 345/710
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A device for generating a display of an electronic program guide on a screen includes a receiver having a tuner which receives an input stream of television content and electronic program guide data, and which separates the electronic program guide data from the input stream. A memory is coupled to the tuner to store the electronic program guide data separated from the input stream. A display generator creates a display which combines a set of electronic program guide data. The display includes a narrative text written in a story-like manner. The narrative text resembles a magazine article and includes a hyper-link that provides a link to a television program. The display includes a program title, a program subject matter description, and a time of transmission. A controller which is coupled to the tuner, the memory, and the display generator receives a user tuning request generated by selecting the hyper-link from the narrative text, and signals the display generator to create a display of the television program.

Claims

1. A device for displaying program information in an on-screen video display comprising:

a tuner adapted to receive electronic program guide data;

a memory operatively coupled to the tuner and adapted to store the electronic program guide data;

a converter operatively coupled to the memory and the tuner, the converter being adapted to convert the electronic program guide data into an on screen video display arranged into organizational categories, wherein the on-screen video display comprises narrative text written in a story-like format, wherein the narrative text comprises paragraphs and wherein the organizational categories provide a first-level organization that defines overall content of the on-screen video display and a second-level organization that defines the content of the paragraphs of the narrative text;

a user interface receiver adapted to receive a user command; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the user interface receiver, the converter and the tuner, the controller being adapted to receive the user command and to control the converter and the tuner.

2. A device for displaying program information in an on-screen video display comprising:

a tuner adapted to receive electronic program guide data;

a memory operatively coupled to the tuner and adapted to store the electronic program guide data;

a converter operatively coupled to the memory and the tuner, the converter being adapted to convert the electronic program guide data into an on-screen video display arranged into organizational categories, wherein the on-screen video display comprises a hyper-link associated with information for display and wherein the on-screen video display is narrative text written in a story-like format, wherein the narrative text comprises paragraphs and wherein the organizational categories provide a first-level organization that defines overall content of the on-screen video display and a second-level organization that defines the content of the paragraphs of the narrative text;

a user interface receiver adapted to receive a user command to select the hyper-link; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the user interface receiver, the converter and the tuner, the controller being adapted to receive the user command and to control the converter and the tuner to display the information associated with the hyper-link.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the organizational categories provide additional levels of organization to the on-screen video display.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the organizational categories comprise colors and the colors distinguish the organizational categories.

5. A method of displaying program information in an on-screen video display comprising:

receiving electronic program guide data;

storing the electronic program guide data;

converting the electronic program guide data into an on-screen video display, wherein the on-screen video display comprises a hyper-link associated with information for display and wherein the on-screen video display comprises the step of displaying the on-screen video is displayed as narrative text written a story-like format, wherein converting the electronic program guide data into an on-screen video display comprises providing narrative text comprising paragraphs and organizational categories that provide a first-level organization that defines over content of the on-screen video display and a second-level organization that defines the content of the paragraphs of the narrative text;

receiving a user command to select the hyper-link; and

displaying the information associated with the hyper-link.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the organizational categories provide additional levels of organization to the on-screen video display.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the organizational categories comprise colors and the colors distinguish the organizational categories.

8. A system for distributing and processing data representative of an electronic program guide, the system comprising:

a program guide data transmitting system adapted to receive and process schedule feeds to produce program guide data and to broadcast the program guide data wherein the schedule feeds include information representative of;

a plurality of program titles, each title representing a television program;

a subject matter description for each television program;

a time of transmission for each television program;

a guide title giving a topical organization for the program guide; and

a hyper-link associated with information for display;

a receiver station adapted to receive the broadcast of the program guide data from the program guide data transmitting system, wherein the receiver station comprises;

a tuner adapted to receive the program guide data;

a memory operatively coupled to the tuner and adapted to store the program guide data;

a converter operatively coupled to the tuner and adapted to store the program guide data;

a converter operatively coupled to the memory and the tuner, the converter being adapted to convert the program guide data into an on-screen video display, wherein the on-screen video display comprises a hyper-link associated with information from display and wherein the narrative text comprises text in which the plurality of titles, the subject matter description and time of transmission are written in a story-like manner;

a user interface receiver adapted to receive a user command to select the hyper-link; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the user interface receiver and the tuner, the controller being adapted to receive the user command and the control the tuner to display the information associated with the hyper-link.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the on-screen video display further comprises organizational categories that are used as topics and themes to organize the program guide.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the organizational categories are distinguished through the application of color.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the narrative text is at least partially comprised of a plurality of pictorial presentations.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the narrative text is organized at least in part based on the organizational categories.

12. The system of clam 11, wherein some of the narrative text is distinguished from the remaining narrative text through application of color.