Television schedule system with pop-up action menu and icons

• US 8,625,030 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Casement, Marcia A., Folker, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US11/717,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,492 Days
• Field of Search: 348/564, 348/563, 348/565, 348/569, 348/552, 348/460, 348/461, 348/734, 725/39, 725/38, 725/40, 725/43, 725/55, 725/58, 725/52, 715/716, 715/717, 715/718, 715/719, 715/808, 715/810, 345/902
• US Class Current: 348/564
• 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 21/4316 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention includes an interactive computer system which provides television schedule information and displays an action pop-up listing actions which can be scheduled. In the preferred embodiment, a memory stores a computer program, image data, and received data. This data includes the television schedule information. A processor uses the computer program to organize the television schedule information into a desired format, display an action pop-up for a chosen program, and schedule an action listed in the pop-up when selected by the user. Icons are listed in various displays indicating actions scheduled for associated programs.

Claims

1. A method for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of program listings;

selecting a program from the plurality of program listings;

generating a display of an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings in response to a first user selection on an input device, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

selecting one of the plurality of scheduling actions using a highlight region; and

scheduling the selected action in response to a second user selection on the input device, wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting the same key on the input device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a display of an icon next to at least one displayed scheduling action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a display of a schedule of selected actions;

generating a display of the duration of each scheduled action in the displayed schedule; and

generating a display of an icon next to each of the scheduled actions to indicate the type of action scheduled.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the scheduling actions is a favorite action.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the scheduling actions is an unlock action.

12. A system for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, the system comprising a processing system, the processing system configured to:

generate a display of a plurality of program listings;

receive a user selection of a program from the plurality of program listings;

generate a display of an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings in response to a first user selection on an input device, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

receive a user selection of one of the plurality of scheduling actions using a highlight region; and

schedule the selected action in response to a second user selection on the input device, wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting the same key on the input device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further configured to generate a display of an icon next to at least one displayed scheduling action.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

generate a display of a schedule of selected actions;

generate a display of the duration of each scheduled action in the displayed schedule; and

generate a display of an icon next to each of the scheduled actions to indicate the type of action scheduled.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to record the selected program.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to purchase the selected program.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the displayed icon is a symbol indicating that the scheduled action is to automatically tune at the appropriate time to the selected program.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein one of the scheduling actions is a favorite action.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein one of the scheduling actions is an unlock action.

23. A method for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of program listings;

receiving a first user selection of a program from the plurality of program listings;

generating a display of an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings in response to the first user selection received from an input interface, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

receiving a second user selection of one of the plurality of scheduling actions; and

scheduling the selected action in response to the second user selection received from the input interface, wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting a same area of the input interface.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the area of the input interface corresponds to a component of the user interface.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the area of the input interface corresponds to a key.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the area of the input interface corresponds to a button.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the second user selection is a different type of user interaction than the first user selection.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the second user selection lasts for a time period that is longer than the first user selection.

29. A system for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, the system comprising a processing system, the processing system configured to:

generate a display of a plurality of program listings;

receive a first user selection of a program from the plurality of program listings;

generate a display of an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings in response to the first user selection received from an input interface, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

receive a second user selection of one of the plurality of scheduling actions; and

schedule the selected action in response to the second user selection received from the input interface, wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting a same area of the input interface.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the area of the input interface corresponds to a component of the user interface.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the area of the input interface corresponds to a key.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the area of the input interface corresponds to a button.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the second user selection is a different type of user interaction than the first user selection.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the second user selection lasts for a longer time period than the first user selection.

35. A method for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of program listings;

receiving a first user selection of a program from the plurality of program listings;

generating a display of an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings in response to the first user selection received from an input interface, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

receiving a second user selection of one of the plurality of scheduling actions; and

scheduling the selected action in response to the second user selection received from the input interface, wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting a same component of the input interface.

36. A system for performing and scheduling actions related to viewing and recording programs, the system comprising a processing system, the processing system configured to:

generate a display of a plurality of program listings;

receive a first user selection of a program from the plurality of program listings;

generate a display of an action pop-up menu overlaid over the plurality of program listings in response to the first user selection received from an input interface, wherein the action pop-up menu comprises a listing of a plurality of selectable scheduling actions related to the selected program, the listing including at least one action unrelated to recording;

receive a second user selection of one of the plurality of scheduling actions; and

schedule the selected action in response to the second user selection received from the input interface, wherein the first and second user selections are made by selecting a same component of the input interface.