System and method for displaying multimedia events scheduling information

• US 9,237,380 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• 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., Wagner, Mark, Zhang, Lucy Congyun, Zigmond, Daniel John, Tull, Alice
• Primary Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US14/017,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20140007164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/39, 725/44, 725/45, 725/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Systems and methods for displaying program guide information are disclosed. In some implementations, a method includes, at a computing device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, responsive to a user-supplied search query, formatting for display program guide data on a first grid. The first grid includes (i) a first axis representing units of time and (ii) a second axis. The program guide data comprises information representing a first set of time-bounded events. The method also includes formatting a second grid for concurrent display with the first grid. The second grid includes information identifying a second set of time-bounded events. The first set of time-bounded events is a subset of the second set of time-bounded events.

Claims

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

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

responsive to a user-supplied search term in a search field on a display, wherein

a first grid and a second grid are concurrently displayed on the same display, and

the search field is external to the first grid and the second grid and is concurrently displayed on the same display as the first grid and the second grid;

(A) formatting, for display, program guide data on the first grid, the first grid including (i) a first axis representing units of time and (ii) a second axis, the program guide data comprising information representing a first set of multimedia events wherein a first subset of the first set of multimedia events is related to the search term and wherein the first subset of multimedia events are highlighted relative to multimedia events in the first grid that are not in the first subset of multimedia events; and

(B) formatting the second grid, wherein

the second grid includes information identifying a second set of multimedia events, and

the first set of multimedia events is a subset of the second set of multimedia events.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(C) formatting for display a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second set of multimedia events displayed in the second grid, wherein user movement of the user moveable window changes an identity of the multimedia events in the a portion of the second set of multimedia events, and

(D) updating the program guide data displayed in the first grid in accordance with a user-specified location of the user moveable window within the second grid so that the first grid displays the identity of the multimedia events in the portion of the second set of multimedia events encompassed by the user moveable window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a multimedia event in the first set of multimedia events is a broadcasting event having a predetermined start time and start date and a predetermined end time and end date.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

formatting a set of search results corresponding to the first set of multimedia events for concurrent display with the first grid and the second grid.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a second subset of the second set of multimedia events is related to the search term and wherein the second subset of multimedia events are highlighted relative to multimedia events in the second grid that are not in the second subset of events.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising displaying a list of multimedia events in the second set of multimedia events that are related to the search term, wherein the list includes, for each respective multimedia event in the list of multimedia events, (i) a corresponding title of the respective multimedia event and (ii) a television channel that hosts the respective multimedia event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second grid includes a first axis that represents days of the week and a second axis that represents time of day.

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

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more programs stored in memory which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the method of;

responsive to a user-supplied search term in a search field on a display, wherein

a first grid and a second grid are concurrently displayed on the same display, and

the search field is external to the first grid and the second grid and is concurrently displayed on the same display as the first grid and the second grid;

(A) formatting for display program guide data on the first grid, the first grid including (i) a first axis representing units of time and (ii) a second axis, the program guide data comprising information representing a first set of multimedia events wherein a first subset of the first set of multimedia events is related to the search term and wherein the first subset of multimedia events are highlighted relative to multimedia events in the first grid that are not in the first subset of multimedia events; and

(B) formatting the second grid, wherein

the second grid includes information identifying a second set of multimedia events, and

the first set of multimedia events is a subset of the second set of multimedia events.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

(C) formatting for display a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second set of multimedia events displayed in the second grid, wherein user movement of the user moveable window changes an identity of the multimedia events in the a portion of the second set of multimedia events, and

(D) updating the program guide data displayed in the first grid in accordance with a user-specified location of the user moveable window within the second grid so that the first grid displays the identity of the multimedia events in the portion of the second set of multimedia events encompassed by the user moveable window.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a multimedia event in the first set of multimedia events is a broadcasting event having a predetermined start time and start date and a predetermined end time and end date.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more program further comprise instructions for:

formatting a set of search results corresponding to the first set of multimedia events for concurrent display with the first grid and the second grid.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein a second subset of the second set of multimedia events is related to the search term and wherein the second subset of multimedia events are highlighted relative to multimedia events in the second grid that are not in the second subset of multimedia events.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for displaying a list of multimedia events in the second set of multimedia events that are related to the search term, wherein the list includes, for each respective multimedia event in the list of multimedia events, (i) a corresponding title of the respective multimedia event and (ii) a television channel that hosts the respective multimedia event.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the second grid includes a first axis that represents days of the week and a second axis that represents time of day.

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

responsive to a user-supplied search term in a search field on a display, wherein

a first grid and a second grid are concurrently displayed on the same display, and

the search field is external to the first grid and the second grid and is concurrently displayed on the same display as the first grid and the second grid;

(A) formatting, for display program guide data on the first grid, the first grid including (i) a first axis representing units of time and (ii) a second axis, the program guide data comprising information representing a first set of multimedia events; and

(B) formatting the second grid, wherein

the second grid includes information identifying a second set of multimedia events wherein a first subset of the first set of multimedia events is related to the search term and wherein the first subset of multimedia events are highlighted relative to multimedia events in the first grid that are not in the first subset of multimedia events, and

the second set of multimedia events is a subset of the first set of multimedia events.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

(C) formatting for display a user moveable window within the second grid for selecting a portion of the second set of multimedia events displayed in the second grid, wherein user movement of the user moveable window changes an identity of the multimedia events in the a portion of the second set of multimedia events, and

(D) updating the program guide data displayed in the first grid in accordance with a user-specified location of the user moveable window within the second grid so that the first grid displays the identity of the multimedia events in the portion of the second set of multimedia events encompassed by the user moveable window.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a multimedia event in the first set of multimedia events is a broadcasting event having a predetermined start time and start date and a predetermined end time and end date.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a second subset of the second set of multimedia events is related to the search term and wherein the second subset of multimedia events are highlighted relative to multimedia events in the second grid that are not in the second subset of multimedia events.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer program mechanism further comprises instructions for displaying a list of multimedia events in the second set of multimedia events that are related to the search term, wherein the list includes, for each respective multimedia event in the list of multimedia events, (i) a corresponding title of the respective multimedia event and (ii) a television channel that hosts the respective multimedia event.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second grid includes a first axis that represents days of the week and a second axis that represents time of day.