System and method for displaying multimedia events scheduling information

• US 8,544,040 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard Carl III, Bauer, Marisa, Blackburn, John Wayne, Brown, David A., Gupta, Neha, Heilman, Timothy Dharma, Patel, Manish Gordhan, Reiss, David Scott, Sahami, Mehran, Scott, Maricia, Taylor, Thomas H., Tull, Alice, Wagner, Mark, Zhang, Lucy Congyun, Zigmond, Daniel John
• Primary Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US11/618,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20080158229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/43, 725/53, 725/40, 725/45, 725/52, 725/37, 715/700
• US Class Current: 725/37
• 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 21/4438 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8453 by locking or enabling a set of features, e.g. optional functionalities in an executable program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system for displaying information may include memory, one or more processors, and one or more modules stored in memory. The one or more modules are configured for execution by the one or more processors and may include instructions for: presenting a subset of a collection of data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of data comprising data representing time-bounded events; presenting a second grid having, first and second axes corresponding to the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid corresponding to a larger portion of the collection of data than the subset presented on the first grid; and presenting a user moveable window for selecting a portion of the second grid, and selecting the subset presented on the first grid in accordance with a current position of the window.

Claims

1. A method of displaying program guide information, comprising:

at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

presenting a subset of a collection of program guide data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of program guide data comprising data representing time-bounded events;

concurrently, while presenting data in the first grid, displaying a second grid that partially overlaps the first grid, the second grid having first and second axes the same as the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid has a greater number of the time-bounded events in the collection of program guide data than the subset presented on the first grid and the second grid is concurrently displayed with the first grid on a screen; and

presenting a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second grid, and updating the subset of the collection of program guide data concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the portion of the second grid selected by a current position of the user moveable window the selected portion of the second grid within the user movable window are displayed in a larger view on the first grid;

wherein the second axis of the first and second grids corresponds to content genres.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-bounded events comprise scheduled presentations of multimedia content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of program guide data corresponds to television shows scheduled for broadcast in a predefined time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first grid occupies a display region larger than a display region of the second grid.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responding to a user action of repositioning the user moveable window by changing the subset concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the repositioned user moveable window; and

acquiring additional data from a server corresponding to the changed subset presented on the first grid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional data comprises additional information associated with the time-bounded events;

the method including responding to user selection of a respective time-bounded event by displaying information included in the additional information.

7. A method of displaying program guide information, comprising:

at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

presenting a subset of a collection of program guide data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of program guide data comprising data representing time-bounded events;

concurrently, while presenting data in the first grid, displaying a second grid that partially overlaps the first grid, the second grid having first and second axes the same as the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid has a greater number of the time-bounded events in the collection of program guide data than the subset presented on the first grid and the second grid is concurrently displayed with the first grid on a screen; and

presenting a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second grid, and updating the subset of the collection of program guide data concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the portion of the second grid selected by a current position of the user moveable window the selected portion of the second grid within the user movable window are displayed in a larger view on the first grid;

wherein the collection of program guide data comprises data resulting from a search of a database in accordance with a search query, the second grid presenting search results from the search and the first grid presenting a subset of the search results in the second grid in accordance with a position of the user moveable window.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the search query is a user specified search query.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the search query comprises a predefined search query.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first grid occupies a display region larger than a display region of the second grid.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

responding to a user action of repositioning the user moveable window by changing the subset concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the repositioned user moveable window; and

acquiring additional data from a server corresponding to the changed subset presented on the first grid.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the additional data comprises additional information associated with the time-bounded events;

the method including responding to user selection of a respective time-bounded event by displaying information included in the additional information.

13. A system for displaying program guide information, comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

present a subset of a collection of program guide data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of program guide data comprising data representing time-bounded events;

concurrently display, while presenting data in the first grid, a second grid that partially overlaps the first grid, the second grid having, first and second axes the same as the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid has a greater number of the time-bounded events in the collection of program guide data than the subset presented on the first grid and the second grid is concurrently displayed with the first grid on a screen; and

present a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second grid, and updating the subset of the collection of program guide data concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the portion of the second grid selected by a current position of the user moveable window the selected portion of the second grid within the user movable window are displayed in a larger view on the first grid;

wherein the collection of program guide data comprises data resulting from a search of a database in accordance with a search query, the second grid presenting search results from the search and the first grid presenting a subset of the search results in the second grid in accordance with a position of the user moveable window.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the time-bounded events comprise scheduled presentations of multimedia content.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the search query is a user specified search query.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the search query comprises a predefined search query.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the modules, when executed, further cause the system to:

respond to a user action of repositioning the user moveable window by changing the subset concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the repositioned user moveable window; and

acquire additional data from a server corresponding to the changed subset presented on the first grid.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the additional information includes information to be displayed when the user selects a respective time-bounded event of the first grid.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the first grid occupies a display region larger than a display region of the second grid.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program mechanism for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

presenting a subset of a collection of program guide data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of program guide data comprising data representing time-bounded events;

concurrently, while presenting data in the first grid, displaying a second grid that partially overlaps the first grid, the second grid having first and second axes the same as the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid has a greater number of the time-bounded events in the collection of program guide data than the subset presented on the first grid and the second grid is concurrently displayed with the first grid on a screen; and

presenting a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second grid, and updating the subset of the collection of program guide data concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the portion of the second grid selected by a current position of the user moveable window the selected portion of the second grid within the user movable window are displayed in a larger view on the first grid;

wherein the collection of program guide data comprises data resulting from a search of a database in accordance with a search query, the second grid presenting search results from the search and the first grid presenting a subset of the search results in the second grid in accordance with a position of the user moveable window.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the time-bounded events comprise scheduled presentations of multimedia content.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the search query is a user specified search query.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the search query comprises a predefined search query.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the computer program mechanism further comprises instructions for:

responding to a user action of repositioning the user moveable window by changing the subset concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the repositioned user moveable window; and

acquiring additional data from a server corresponding to the changed subset presented on the first grid.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the additional information includes information to be displayed when the user selects a respective time-bounded event of the first grid.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the first grid occupies a display region larger than a display region of the second grid.

27. A system for displaying program guide information, comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more modules stored in memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

present a subset of a collection of program guide data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of program guide data comprising data representing time-bounded events;

concurrently display, while presenting data in the first grid, a second grid that partially overlaps the first grid, the second grid having, first and second axes the same as the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid has a greater number of the time-bounded events in the collection of program guide data than the subset presented on the first grid and the second grid is concurrently displayed with the first grid on a screen; and

present a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second grid, and updating the subset of the collection of program guide data concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the portion of the second grid selected by a current position of the user moveable window the selected portion of the second grid within the user movable window are displayed in a larger view on the first grid;

wherein the second axis of the first and second grids corresponds to content genres.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first grid occupies a display region larger than a display region of the second grid.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the modules, when executed further cause the system to:

respond to a user action of repositioning the user moveable window by changing the subset concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the repositioned user moveable window; and

acquire additional data from a server corresponding to the changed subset presented on the first grid.

30. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program mechanism for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for:

presenting a subset of a collection of program guide data on a first grid having a first axis corresponding to units of time and a second axis, the collection of program guide data comprising data representing time-bounded events;

concurrently, while presenting data in the first grid, displaying a second grid that partially overlaps the first grid, the second grid having first and second axes the same as the first and second axes of the first grid, the second grid has a greater number of the time-bounded events in the collection of program guide data than the subset presented on the first grid and the second grid is concurrently displayed with the first grid on a screen; and

presenting a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second grid, and updating the subset of the collection of program guide data concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the portion of the second grid selected by a current position of the user moveable window the selected portion of the second grid within the user movable window are displayed in a larger view on the first grid;

wherein the second axis of the first and second grids corresponds to content genres.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the first grid occupies a display region larger than a display region of the second grid.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the computer program mechanism further comprises instructions for:

responding to a user action of repositioning the user moveable window by changing the subset concurrently presented on the first grid in accordance with the repositioned user moveable window; and

acquiring additional data from a server corresponding to the changed subset presented on the first grid.