PROGRAM GUIDE 3D ZOOM

• US 20080320393A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Relyea, Don, Roberts, Brian, Stallings, Heath
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/721
• 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 21/4438 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

Interactive program guide data is received and elements to be included in an interactive program guide are generated based at least in part on the interactive program guide data. Each of the elements is positioned in a graphical user interface with respect to each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving interactive program guide data;

generating elements to be included in an interactive program guide based at least in part on the interactive program guide data; and

positioning each of the elements in a graphical user interface with respect to each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the graphical user interface for display in a media player.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to scroll in the graphical user interface; and

identifying one of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis as an axis associated with the request to scroll.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to scroll in the graphical user interface;

identifying the z-axis as an axis associated with the request to scroll; and

performing one of a zoom in or a zoom out operation according to the request to scroll.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a level of detail of information included in at least one element is increased or decreased upon performance of the zoom in or zoom out operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing the elements into a set of columns; and

identifying a foreground column and a set of background columns, wherein all of the elements in the foreground column are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any elements in the background columns.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

organizing the elements into a set of rows; and

identifying a foreground row and a set of background rows, wherein all of the elements in the foreground row are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any elements in the background columns.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing markers that indicate an area of the graphical user interface with respect to which a zoom in or zoom out operation may be performed.

9. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable medium.

10. A system, comprising:

interactive program guide data;

a graphical user interface; and

a software application that selectively receives the interactive program guide data and selectively provides the graphical user interface based at least in part on the interactive program guide data, the software application being configured to generate elements based at least in part on the interactive program guide data and to position each of the elements in a graphical user interface with respect to each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the software application is further configured to provide the graphical user interface for display in a media player.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the software application is further configured to:

receive a request to scroll in the graphical user interface; and

identify one of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis as an axis associated with the request to scroll.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the software application is further configured to:

receive a request to scroll in the graphical user interface;

identify the z-axis as an axis associated with the request to scroll; and

perform one of a zoom in or a zoom out operation according to the request to scroll.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a level of detail of information included in at least one element is increased or decreased upon performance of the zoom in or zoom out operation.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the software application is further configured to:

organize the elements into a set of columns; and

identify a foreground column and a set of background columns, wherein all of the elements in the foreground column are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any elements in the background columns.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the software application is further configured to

organize the elements into a set of rows;

and

identify a foreground row and a set of background rows, wherein all of the elements in the foreground row are associated with a coordinate on the z-axis that is closer to a user than any z-axis coordinates of any elements in the background columns.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the software application is further configured to provide markers that indicate an area of the graphical user interface with respect to which a zoom in or zoom out operation may be performed.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving interactive program guide data;

generating elements to be included in an interactive program guide based at least in part on the interactive program guide data;

positioning each of the elements in a graphical user interface with respect to each of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis;

receiving a request to scroll in the graphical user interface;

identifying the z-axis as an axis associated with the request to scroll; and

performing one of a zoom in or a zoom out operation according to the request to scroll;

wherein a level of detail of information included in at least one element is increased or decreased upon performance of the zoom in or zoom out operation.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing markers that indicate an area of the graphical user interface with respect to which a zoom in or zoom out operation may be performed.

20. The method of claim 18, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable medium.