Electronic program guide with interactive areas

• US 6,151,059 A
• Filed: 08/05/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hunwick, Keith, Folker, David M., Leftwich, Jim, Schein, Steven Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Application Number:
  US08/906,073
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 348/13, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/569, 348/906, 455/2, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/6.1, 455/5.1, 455/4.2, 345/327
• US Class Current: 725/37
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

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. 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. Additionally, a video window is interactive and provides tuning functions.

Claims

1. A system for directly invoking actions from interactive areas of an EPG displayed on a screen comprising:

an EPG display controller that processes display data to display an EPG display, and including interactive areas and a contextual help window in a fixed location within the EPG, and displaying a pointer/cursor on the screen, with the interactive areas configured to invoke EPG actions, associated with interactive areas, when the interactive areas are selected by a viewer;

a memory for storing an EPG database containing display data, where said display data includes contextual help text associated with each interactive area, and program data;

an input module that receives user pointer/cursor movement commands;

a processor, coupled to the memory, the input module, and the EPG display controller, with processor configured to process;

database engine program data to execute a database engine that generates EPG screen data, access contextual help text, performs searches of said database to generate same program and same channel show lists;

user interface program data to execute a user interface that user pointer/cursor movement commands, and generates response screens, with the user interface responsive to movement of the pointer/cursor over an interactive area to display contextual help text in the contextual help window explaining the action to be invoked by selecting the interactive area.

2. The system of claim 1 where said display data includes data for causing said EPG display controller to display an EPG display including interactive areas in the forms of glyphs and where said program data includes data for causing said user interface to recursively vary the configuration of the EPG display when the viewer activates the glyphs.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a first glyph is a find glyph which splits into find-others and display-guide glyphs when activated, with said user interface for generating display data listing all programs for a selected channel when said find-others glyph is activated and for generating a grid of channels and programs when said display-guide glyph is activated.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein a second glyph is a find-others-airings glyph which splits into currently-selected and find-others glyphs when selected, with said user interface for generating display data listing all other airings for a selected program when said find-others glyph is activated and for generating a grid of channels and programs when said currently-selected glyph is activated.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein a third glyph is a flip glyph which splits into horizontal and vertical glyphs when selected, with said user interface for generating display data vertically listing all programs for a selected channel when said vertical glyph is activated and for horizontally listing all programs for a selected channel when horizontal glyph is activated.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein a first glyph is a zoom glyph which splits into zoom-out and zoom-in glyphs when activated, with said user interface for generating display data showing detailed program information for a selected channel when said zoom-in glyph is activated and for generating a grid of channels and programs when said zoom-out glyph is activated.

7. The system of claim 1 with said EPG display controller for displaying a selected video signal in an interactive video window on said screen which splits into select currently-tuned and select currently-selected channel video interactive areas when said pointer/cursor is positioned over said interactive video window;

with said program data including video signal selection program data;

with said processor configured to process said video selection data to display a currently-tuned channel in said interactive video window when said currently-tuned interactive area is selected or to display a currently-selected channel in said video window when said currently-selected active area is selected.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said program data includes data for causing said EPG display controller to display an EPG display including an interactive title mode area and where said program data includes data for causing selectable display controlling icons to be displayed in said interactive title mode display area when said pointer/cursor is positioned over said interactive title mode area.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a first display controlling icon is a program guide icon that, when selected, causes the user interface to display a program guide display.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein a second display controlling icon is a news services icon which, when selected, causes the user interface to display a list of new services.

11. An interactive electronic program guide (IPG) with contextual help capability displayed on a screen for facilitating interaction with the IPG comprising:

a plurality of interactive areas within the IPG configured to invoke IPG actions;

a contextual help window in a fixed location within the IPG for displaying contextual help data;

a memory for storing IPG data including contextual help data associated with each interactive area;

a display processor coupled to the memory for displaying the IPG data including the interactive areas and the contextual help data on the screen;

an input device for receiving user commands; and

an on-screen cursor responsive to the user commands for moving within the IPG and activating the interactive areas wherein, as the cursor moves to an interactive area the respective associated contextual data is displayed in the contextual help window.

12. The interactive electronic program guide of claim 11 wherein the contextual help data is text data informing a user of actions that can or need to be done.

13. The interactive electronic program guide of claim 11 wherein one of the plurality of interactive areas is a video window for displaying a currently-tuned television program.

14. The interactive electronic program guide of claim 11 wherein the input device is one or more of a keyboard, a remote controller, a pointer device, or a voice activated device.

15. The interactive electronic program guide (IPG) of claim 11 wherein the plurality of interactive areas include means for recording a program or tuning to a television channel.

16. The interactive electronic program guide (IPG) of claim 11 wherein the plurality of interactive areas include one or more of means for accessing a related Internet site, means for purchasing a pay-per-view channel, or means for purchasing merchandise.

17. A method for displaying on a screen an interactive electronic program guide (IPG) including a contextual help window and a plurality of interactive areas for facilitating interaction with the IPG, the method comprising the steps of:

storing IPG data including contextual help data associated with each interactive area;

displaying the IPG on the screen in a guide format;

responsive to a user command, moving a cursor to a preferred interactive area;

displaying contextual help data associated with the preferred interactive area in the contextual help window as the cursor moves to the preferred interactive area wherein the contextual help window is in a fixed location.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of displaying contextual help data comprises of displaying text data for informing a user of actions that can or need to be done.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of displaying the IPG comprises displaying a video window for a currently-tuned television program.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising selecting a television program from the IPG and recording the selected program when it is telecast.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising selecting a television program from the IPG and tuning to the selected program when it is telecast.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising accessing a related Internet site.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising purchasing a pay-per-view channel.

24. A method for displaying on a screen an interactive electronic program guide (IPG) including a contextual help window and a plurality of interactive areas for facilitating interaction with the IPG, the method comprising the steps of:

storing IPG data including television program schedule information and contextual help data associated with each interactive area;

displaying the IPG on the screen in a guide format;

responsive to a user command, moving a cursor to a selected interactive area;

displaying contextual help data associated with the selected interactive area in the contextual help window wherein, the contextual help window is in a fixed location.