Electronic program guide and method for programming and editing items therein

• US 7,076,733 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pace Micro Technology PLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Donn
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US10/194,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 715/719, 715/721, 715/725, 715/775, 715/765, 715/779, 715/770, 715/778, 715/716, 715/723, 715/728, 725/10, 725/25, 725/44, 725/40, 725/45, 725/50
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

While programming or editing an entry in an electronic program guide (EPG), the invention expands the dimensions of an EPG display field within the entry, enlarges the font size of the text in the display field, and displays more complete information than that displayed in a normal EPG display mode. EPG entries may include VCR timers, reminders, time blocks, channel preferences, viewing restrictions, and set-top box settings. Display fields may include channels, dates, and start and stop times.

Claims

1. A method for editing a field in an electronic program guide (EPG) entry, comprising:

increasing the height and width of the field;

increasing the font size of text displayed in the field;

increasing the information content displayed in the field; and

when finished editing the field, restoring the field height and width, text font size, and information content of the field to the levels used during normal display;

wherein increasing the height and width of the field comprises making the field large enough to accommodate enough information content for a user to make an informed selection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein increasing the text font size comprises increasing the font size to a level at least where the text is readable at a typical viewing distance.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising editing the field by scrolling up or down within the field to view adjacent field choices.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the text font size and information content of the adjacent field choices are the same as those of the field when editing began.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising further increasing the height of the field to enable multiple adjacent field choices to be displayed simultaneously.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising editing the field by scrolling up or down within the field to view more adjacent field choices.

7. A method for programming a field in an electronic program guide (EPG) entry, comprising:

increasing the height and width of the field;

inputting a field value into the field, the field value displayed in a readably large text font size and including complete information content; and

when finished programming the field,

restoring the field height and width to the pre-programming level;

reducing the text font size; and

reducing the information content of the field to contain only partial information;

wherein increasing the height and width of the field comprises making the field large enough to accommodate enough information content for a user to make an informed selection.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the text font size is at a level at least where the text is readable at a typical viewing distance.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein inputting a field value comprises receiving from a user a field value to be placed into the field.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein inputting a field value comprises placing a default field value into the field.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising programming the field by scrolling up or down within the field to view adjacent field choices.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the font size and information content of the adjacent field choice remain the same.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising further increasing the height of the field to enable multiple adjacent field choices to be displayed simultaneously.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising programming the field by scrolling up or down within the field to view more adjacent field choices.

15. An electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

programmable and editable fields designed to receive user input during programming and editing mode, the fields having height and width that can be increased in size when in editing and programming mode as compared to a normal display mode; and

field text having a small font size when in normal display mode and an increased font size during programming and editing modes, wherein the information content displayed while programming or editing EPG fields is more complete than that displayed during normal display mode;

wherein increasing the height and width of the field comprises making the field large enough to accommodate enough information content for a user to make an informed selection.

16. The EPG according to claim 15, wherein the height of the programmable and editable fields can be further increased to allow adjacent field choices to be viewed simultaneously.

17. The EPG according to claim 16, wherein the increased text font size is at a level at least where the text is readable at a typical viewing distance.