EPG display apparatus, EPG display method, medium, and program

• US 7,590,995 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Masakazu, Yasuno, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): VAN HANDEL, MICHAEL P
• Application Number:
  US10/275,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,752 Days
• Field of Search: 725/44, 725/45, 725/47, 725/52, 725/53, 725/61, 725/46, 345/419, 345/420, 715848-852
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

In the case when EPG data of multiple channels is displayed on a display, if the data is attempted to be downsized uniformly and displayed, information of each displayed program is displayed smaller. Hence, such information becomes very difficult for humans to see.

The present invention provides an EPG display apparatus comprising second storage means of storing three-dimensional EPG data obtained by mapping all or part of two-dimensional EPG data on the side face of a cylinder in a three-dimensional space, and control means of displaying all or part of the three-dimensional EPG data stored in the second storage means on a display having a two-dimensional screen.

Claims

1. An EPG display apparatus comprising:

storage means of storing three-dimensional EPG data obtained by mapping all or part of two-dimensional EPG data on a surface of a cylinder-like shape in a virtual three-dimensional space, and

control means of displaying all or part of said three-dimensional EPG data stored in said storage means on a display screen, wherein

when said control means displays said three-dimensional EPG data on said display screen, said control means (i) reverses three-dimensional EPG data which are mapped on a rear face of said cylinder-like shape and (ii) disposes at least a portion of said three-dimensional EPG data on at least one of a right-hand side and a left-hand side of said cylinder-like shape, except that for the three-dimensional EPG data of each channel data disposed on the right-hand side and left-hand side of said cylinder-like shape, a part of said EPG data of said each channel data is displayed at a position corresponding to a front face of said cylinder-like shape and a rest of said EPG data of said each channel data is displayed at a position corresponding to said rear face.

2. An EPG display apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said EPG data includes a plurality of columns of data, each column corresponding to a respective channel, and

clearance regions provided between immediately adjacent columns of the plurality of columns of data are included beforehand in said EPG data to be displayed at least at the position corresponding to said front face so that at least part of said EPG data to be displayed at a position corresponding to said rear face is visually recognizable.

3. An EPG display apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising:

replacement display instruction accepting means of accepting an instruction for replacing a display position of said EPG data to be displayed on the front face of said object with a display position of said EPG data to be displayed on the rear face of said object and displaying said data, wherein

said control means replaces the display position of said EPG data to be displayed on the front face of said object with the display position of said EPG data to be displayed on the rear face of said object and displays said data on the basis of said instruction accepted by said replacement display instruction accepting means.

4. An EPG display apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising:

specific channel registration means of accepting registration for displaying the EPG data of only specific channels, and

specific channel display instruction accepting means of accepting an instruction for displaying the EPG data of only said specific channels registered in said specific channel registration means, wherein

the EPG data of only said specific channels corresponds to part of said two-dimensional EPG data.

5. An EPG display apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein

said control means displays a second cylinder-like shape at a position which is an upper part or a lower part of said cylinder-like shape so that front surfaces of said cylinder-like shape and said second cylinder-like shape are not overlapping each other, and

all or part of the EPG data of only said specific channels is disposed by mapping on said surface of said second cylinder-like shape and then displayed by said control means.

6. An EPG display apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising:

acquisition means of acquiring information on recorded programs, information on programs scheduled to be recorded or information on programs scheduled to be watched, wherein

when said control means displays said three-dimensional EPG data on said display screen, said control means displays only the EPG data of programs regarding said information acquired by said acquisition means.

8. A tangible computer readable recording medium holding a program of causing a computer to function said storage means and said control means of said EPG display apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 1 and 2.

7. An EPG display method comprising:

a storage step of storing three-dimensional EPG data obtained by mapping all or part of two-dimensional EPG data on a surface of a cylinder-like shape in a virtual three-dimensional space,

a control step of displaying all or part of said three-dimensional EPG data stored at said storage step on a display screen, and

a step of disposing at least a portion of said three-dimensional EPG data on at least one of a right-hand side and a left-hand side of said cylinder-like shape, wherein

when said three-dimensional EPG data is displayed on said display screen in said control step, three-dimensional EPG data which are mapped on a rear face of said cylinder-like shape is reversed except that the three-dimensional EPG data of each channel data disposed on the right-hand side and the left-hand side of said cylinder-like shape so that a part of said EPG data of said each channel data is displayed at a position corresponding to a front face of said cylinder-like shape and a rest of said EPG data of said each channel data is displayed at a position corresponding to said rear face.

9. A tangible computer readable recording medium holding a program of causing a computer to carry out said storage step and said control step of said EPG display method in accordance with claim 7.