Method and apparatus to search for program content via a remote control interface
First Claim
1. A method of searching a program guide, comprising the steps of:
- providing a program for display without program guide information;
while providing the program for display, accepting a first numerical character input from the user;
without accepting further user input, identifying program guide data responsive to the first numerical character input and a first alphabetic character associated with the first numerical character input, wherein the identified program data comprises program guide data for a single viewer channel exactly matching only the accepted first numerical channel selection and program guide alphabetic data associated with the first alphabetic character, andproviding the identified program guide data for the single viewer channel exactly matching only the accepted first numerical channel selection and program guide alphabetic data associated with the first alphabetic character for concurrent display;
wherein the identified program data is provided in an order matching a sort or filtered preferences selected by the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for searching available programs in a broadcast system. A system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises a transmitter, transmitting a plurality of video programs and a program guide, the program guide comprising information related to the plurality of video programs, a receiver for receiving the plurality of programs and the program guide from the transmitter, a monitor, coupled to the receiver, for displaying at least a selected one of the plurality of video programs and for selectively displaying the program guide, and a remote control, coupled to the receiver, wherein the receiver accepts at least one input from the remote control, compares the information in the program to the at least one input, and presents a search result of programs from the plurality of programs having a matching characteristic with the at least one input.
14 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of searching a program guide, comprising the steps of:
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providing a program for display without program guide information; while providing the program for display, accepting a first numerical character input from the user; without accepting further user input, identifying program guide data responsive to the first numerical character input and a first alphabetic character associated with the first numerical character input, wherein the identified program data comprises program guide data for a single viewer channel exactly matching only the accepted first numerical channel selection and program guide alphabetic data associated with the first alphabetic character, and providing the identified program guide data for the single viewer channel exactly matching only the accepted first numerical channel selection and program guide alphabetic data associated with the first alphabetic character for concurrent display; wherein the identified program data is provided in an order matching a sort or filtered preferences selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for searching a program guide, comprising:
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a receiver, configured to provide a program for display without program guide information and to accept a first numerical character input from the user while providing the program for display; and wherein the receiver is configured to identify program guide data responsive to the first numerical character input and a first alphabetic character associated with the first numerical character input without accepting further user input and to provide the identified program guide for concurrent display; wherein the identified program data comprises program guide data for the single viewer channel exactly matching only the accepted first numerical channel selection and program guide alphabetic data associated with the first alphabetic character, and wherein the identified program data is provided in an order matching a sort or filtered preferences selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of searching a program guide having program guide data, comprising the steps of:
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providing a program for display without the program guide data; while providing the program for display, accepting a first numerical character input from the user; without accepting further user input, providing a first portion of the program guide data for display concurrent with the program; wherein; the provided first portion of the program guide data includes program guide data for a viewer channel exactly matching the accepted first numerical character input and includes program guide data associated with one or more first alphabetic characters associated with the first numerical character input; and the provided first portion of the program guide data excludes program guide data for a viewer channel not exactly matching the accepted first numerical character input and excludes program data not associated with the one or more first alphabetic characters associated with the first numerical character input. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for searching a program guide having program guide data, comprising:
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a receiver, configured to provide a program for display without the program guide data and to accept a first numerical character input from the user while providing the program for display; and wherein the receiver is configured to provide, without accepting further user input a first portion of the program guide data for display concurrent with the program; wherein; the provided first portion of the program guide data includes program guide data for a viewer channel exactly matching the accepted first numerical character input and includes program guide data associated with one or more first alphabetic characters associated with the first numerical character input; and the provided first portion of the program guide data excludes program guide data for a viewer channel not exactly matching the accepted first numerical character input and excludes program data not associated with the one or more first alphabetic characters associated with the first numerical character input. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification