Systems and methods for graphical adjustment of an electronic program guide

• US 8,473,979 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: White, James Matthew, Coburn, Matthew, Vanduyn, Luke, Taxier, Karen Michelle, Rudolph, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huerta, Alexander Q
• Application Number:
  US12/241,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) on a display generated by a set top box (STB) or other television receiver. The electronic program guide is presented in at least a portion of the display. A resize indicator is also provided on the display so that viewer inputs corresponding to the resize indicator can be received. The size of the electronic program guide presented on the display can be adjusted in response to the viewer input corresponding to the resize indicator.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electronic program guide for presentation on a display, the method comprising:

providing an output in a default configuration that presents the electronic program guide in a program guide portion of the display and video programming in a video portion of the display, wherein the electronic program guide comprises information regarding a plurality of television programs on a plurality of television channels that are currently being broadcast, and wherein the video programming comprises one of the plurality of television programs for which information is available from the electronic program guide;

providing an output that presents at least two resize indicators associated with the electronic program guide, wherein a first of the at least two resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to a full-screen guide configuration, wherein the full-screen guide configuration presents a program guide that occupies the entire display area, and wherein a second of the at least two resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to a single-channel guide configuration, wherein the single-channel guide configuration presents a program guide consisting of a single television program on a single channel;

receiving a viewer input corresponding to a selection of one of the at least two resize indicators that is graphically presented on the display; and

in response to the viewer input corresponding to the resize indicator;

if the first of the at least two resize indicators is selected;

adjusting the relative sizes of the program guide portion of the display and the video portion of the display presenting the one of the plurality of television programs so that the program guide portion occupies a larger portion of the display and the video portion occupies a smaller portion of the display, and

providing an output that presents at least two modified resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two modified resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to the default configuration and wherein a second of the at least two modified resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to the single-channel guide configuration;

if the second of the at least two resize indicators is selected;

adjusting the relative sizes of the program guide portion of the display and the video portion of the display presenting the one of the plurality of television programs so that the video portion occupies a larger portion of the display and the program guide portion occupies a smaller portion of the display, and

providing an output that presents at least two further modified resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two further modified resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to the default configuration and wherein a second of the at least two further modified resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to the full-screen guide configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting comprises presenting the program guide portion of the display in a first size, a second size or a third size in response to the viewer input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first size occupies less of the display than the second or the third size.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the third size is a full-screen view.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the video portion continues to present a television program that was presented prior to activation of the electronic program guide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewer input is a directional input received from a two-dimensional input device, and wherein the method further comprises directing a cursor on the display in response to the directional input.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the adjusting takes place in response to a select instruction received from a remote control when the cursor is positioned over one of the at least two resize indicators on the display.

8. A video receiver for presenting imagery on a display in response to viewer input signals provided from a remote control, the receiver comprising:

a receiver interface configured to receive an incoming modulated signal;

a decoder configured to decode the incoming modulated signal to extract a video signal comprising television programming;

a wireless receiver configured to receive the viewer input signals from the remote control; and

a processor configured to generate the imagery presented on the display, wherein;

the imagery comprises the television programming from the extracted video signal in a video portion of the display and an electronic program guide in a program guide portion of the display in a default configuration,

the electronic program guide comprises information regarding a plurality of television programs that are currently being broadcast on a plurality of television channels,

the television programming from the extracted video signal comprises one of the plurality of television programs for which information is available from the electronic program guide,

the imagery further comprises at least two resize indicators,

the processor is further configured to process the viewer input signals indicating a selection of one of the at least two resize indicators and to adjust the relative sizes of the program guide portion and the video portion of the display presenting the television programming in response to the viewer input signals corresponding to the selected one of the at least two resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to a full-screen guide configuration, wherein the full-screen guide configuration presents a program guide that occupies the entire display area, and wherein a second of the at least two resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to a single-channel guide configuration, wherein the single-channel guide configuration presents a program guide consisting of a single television program on a single television channel;

in response to the viewer input corresponding to the resize indicator;

if a first of the at least two resize indicators is selected;

the processor is further configured to adjust the relative sizes of the program guide portion of the display and the video portion of the display presenting the one of the plurality of television programs so that the program guide portion occupies a larger portion of the display and the video portion occupies a smaller portion of the display; and

the processor is further configured to provide an output that presents at least two modified resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two modified resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to the default configuration and wherein a second of the at least two modified resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to the single-channel guide configuration;

if a second of the at least two resize indicators is selected;

the processor is further configured to adjust the relative sizes of the program guide portion of the display and the video portion of the display presenting the one of the plurality of television programs so that the video portion occupies a larger portion of the display and the program guide portion occupies a smaller portion of the display, and

the processor is further configured to provide an output that presents at least two further modified resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two further modified resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to the default configuration and wherein a second of the at least two further modified resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to the full-screen guide configuration.

9. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the receiver interface comprises a satellite interface.

10. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the receiver interface comprises a cable interface.

11. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the two-dimensional input signals from a wireless remote control comprising a two-dimensional input device.

12. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to display the program guide portion in any of three modes responsive to viewer input signals received with respect to the resize indicators, and wherein the program guide portion occupies only a first portion of the display during the first mode, wherein the program guide portion occupies only a second portion of the display that is larger than the first portion during the second mode, and wherein the program guide portion occupies the entire display in the third mode.

13. The video receiver of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to display television programming from the extracted video signal in at least some of the display outside of the first portion of the display during the first mode and outside of the second portion of the display during the second mode.

14. The video receiver of claim 8 wherein the viewer input is a directional input received from a two-dimensional input device.

15. The video receiver of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to direct a cursor on the display in response to the directional input and to adjust the size of the program guide portion in response to a select instruction received from the remote control when the cursor is positioned over one of the at least two resize indicators on the display.

16. A method for providing an electronic program guide for presentation on a display, the method comprising:

providing an output in a default configuration that presents the electronic program guide in a program guide portion of the display and video programming in a video portion of the display, wherein the electronic program guide comprises information regarding a plurality of television programs on a plurality of television channels that are currently being broadcast, and wherein the video programming comprises one of the plurality of television programs for which information is available from the electronic program guide;

providing an output that presents at least two resize indicators associated with the electronic program guide, wherein a first of the at least two resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to a full-screen guide configuration, wherein the full-screen guide configuration presents a program guide that occupies the entire display area, and wherein a second of the at least two resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to a single-channel guide configuration, wherein the single-channel guide configuration presents a program guide consisting of a single television program on a single television channel;

receiving a viewer input corresponding to a selection of one of the at least two resize indicators that is graphically presented on the display; and

in response to the viewer input corresponding to the resize indicator;

if the first of the at least two resize indicators is selected;

adjusting the relative sizes of the program guide portion of the display and the video portion of the display presenting the one of the plurality of television programs so that the program guide portion occupies a larger portion of the display and the video portion occupies a smaller portion of the display, and

providing an output that presents at least two modified resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two modified resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to the default configuration and wherein a second of the at least two modified resize indicators corresponds to a decrease in size of the electronic program guide to the single-channel guide configuration;

if the second of the at least two resize indicators is selected;

adjusting the relative sizes of the program guide portion of the display and the video portion of the display presenting the one of the plurality of television programs so that the video portion occupies a larger portion of the display and the program guide portion occupies a smaller portion of the display, and

providing an output that presents at least two further modified resize indicators, wherein a first of the at least two further modified resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to the default configuration and wherein a second of the at least two further modified resize indicators corresponds to an increase in size of the electronic program guide to the full-screen guide configuration.