Television control interface with electronic guide

• US 8,578,414 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Alba, Theresa A., Folker, David, Hunwick, Keith W., Johnson, Kenneth D., Casement, Marcy A., DeStein, William
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US13/027,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 709217-231
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/045 Self-contained testing apparatus
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/643 Hue control means, e.g. flesh tone control

Abstract

An on-screen menu method and system for controlling the functions of integrated electronic devices and a television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day and an interconnected series of menus to control the features of the integrated electronic devices. An input device allows the viewer to move a pointer over different interactive areas of the guide and the function performed when the area is activated is displayed in a contextual help window. Various control glyphs provide for recursive interaction with the guide.

Claims

1. A method for navigating interactive program data, the method comprising:

generating a display of a first plurality of program listings associated with a first time interval;

generating a display of an interactive time bar that simultaneously presents first and second interactive time indicator icons of a series of interactive time indicator icons, wherein the first interactive time indicator icon represents the first time interval, wherein the second interactive time indicator icon represents a second time interval that is associated with none of the program listings being displayed;

receiving user input selecting the second interactive time indicator icon; and

in response to receiving the user input selecting the second interactive time indicator icon, generating a display of a second plurality of program listings associated with the second time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time interval includes a current time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second time intervals represented by the first and second time indicator icons include at least one of past and future time intervals.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive time bar is displayed in response to receiving a selection of a time bar activation icon.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interactive time bar is displayed when a cursor is positioned over a portion of the display corresponding to the interactive time bar.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second plurality of program listings correspond to a same set of television channels.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the display to display the second plurality of program listings in place of the first plurality of program listings.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the series of interactive time indicator icons represents a series of contiguous time intervals.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each interactive time indicator icon is a numerical glyph.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input comprises positioning a highlight region over the second interactive time indicator icon to visually distinguish the second interactive time indicator icon from the first interactive time indicator icon.

11. A system for navigating interactive program data, the system comprising:

a controller configured to;

generate a display of a first plurality of program listings associated with a first time interval and an interactive time bar that simultaneously presents first and second interactive time indicator icons of a series of interactive time indicator icons, wherein the first interactive time indicator icon represents the first time interval, wherein the second interactive time indicator icon represents a second time interval that is associated with none of the program listings being displayed;

receive user input selecting the second interactive time indicator icon; and

in response to receiving the user input selecting the second interactive time indicator icon, generate a display of a second plurality of program listings associated with a second time interval.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first time interval includes a current time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the time intervals represented by the time indicator icons include at least one of past and future time intervals.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the controller is configured to display on the display the interactive time bar in response to receiving a selection of a time bar activation icon from the input device.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the input device is used to position a cursor over a portion of the display corresponding to the interactive time bar; and

the controller is configured to display on the display the interactive time bar when the cursor is positioned over the portion of the display.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the first and the second plurality of program listings correspond to a same set of television channels.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the controller is configured to display on the display the second plurality of program listings in place of the first plurality of program listings.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the series of interactive time indicator icons represents a series of contiguous time intervals.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein each interactive time indicator icon is a numerical glyph.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to position a highlight region over the second interactive time indicator icon to visually distinguish the second interactive time indicator icon from the first interactive time indicator icon.