Television control interface with electronic guide

• US 8,925,018 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• 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., Casement, Marcia A., De Stein, William, Folker, David, Hunwick, Keith W., Johnson, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US14/169,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/52, 709/229
• US Class Current: 725/52
• 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 comprising:

generating a display including a plurality of program listings located within a boundary;

determining whether a user-navigable cursor is moved to a location near an edge of the boundary in a currently visible region of the display of the plurality of program listings; and

generating information related to navigating the plurality of program listings, for display proximate to the cursor based on a location of the cursor, when the user-navigable cursor is moved to the location near the edge of the boundary in a currently visible region of the display of the plurality of program listings.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating for display the information related to navigating the program listings in a window proximate to the cursor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

removing the window from being displayed by fading the window.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a shape of the user-navigable cursor, when the user-navigable cursor is moved to the location near the edge of the boundary.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the shape of the user-navigable cursor is conditioned on the location of the user-navigable cursor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a display characteristic of the user-navigable cursor, when the user-navigable cursor is moved to the location near the edge of the boundary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to navigating the program listings is conditioned on the location of the user-navigable cursor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an item with the user-navigable cursor when the user-navigable cursor is located at the location near the edge of the boundary;

in response to the selecting, generating for display a different plurality of program listings located within the boundary when the location near the edge of the boundary is at a first position; and

in response to the selecting, generating for display information that replaces the plurality of program listings when the location near the edge of the boundary is at a second position.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating for display text within the user-navigable cursor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to navigating the program listings comprises text.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the information related to navigating the plurality of program listings, for display proximate to the cursor while each of the plurality of program listings remains displayed.

12. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a display including a plurality of program listings located within a boundary;

determine whether a user-navigable cursor is moved to a location near an edge of the boundary in a currently visible region of the display; and

generate information related to navigating the plurality of program listings, for display proximate to the cursor based on a location of the cursor, when the user-navigable cursor is moved to the location near the edge of the boundary in a currently visible region of the display of the plurality of program listings.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate for display the information related to navigating the program listings in a window proximate to the cursor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

remove the window from being displayed by fading the window.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

change a shape of the user-navigable cursor, when the user-navigable cursor is moved to the location near the edge of the boundary.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the shape of the user-navigable cursor is conditioned on the location of the user-navigable cursor.

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

change a display characteristic of the user-navigable cursor, when the user-navigable cursor is moved to the location near the edge of the boundary.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the information related to navigating the program listings is conditioned on the location of the user-navigable cursor.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select an item with the user-navigable cursor when the user-navigable cursor is located at the location near the edge of the boundary;

in response to the selection, generate for display a different plurality of program listings located within the boundary when the location near the edge of the boundary is at a first position; and

in response to the selection, generate for display information that replaces the plurality of program listings when the location near the edge of the boundary is at a second position.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate for display text within the user-navigable cursor.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the information related to navigating the program listings comprises text.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the information related to navigating the plurality of program listings, for display proximate to the cursor while each of the plurality of program listings remains displayed.