Systems and methods for presenting an interactive user interface

• US 8,739,210 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Marshall, Connie T., Lemmons, Thomas R., Allison, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/114,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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

A system interactively controlled by a TV viewer remote control transmitter displays portions of a scroll program guide on the viewer'"'"'s display screen. A tuner receives TV radio frequency or optical transmission signals in a plurality of cable channels and passes a viewer usable signal to a signal combiner. A computer receives control signals from the TV viewer remote control transmitter. It controls the tuner to pass the viewer usable signal in response to one of the control signals. Program information, such as TV program schedule information, may be displayed, and a user may select at least some of the displayed program information to be presented with additional program information related to the selected program information.

Claims

1. A method for invoking an interactive user interface, comprising:

receiving a user interface invocation command;

in response to receiving the user interface invocation command;

(1) transmitting an instruction for tuning from a first channel to a predetermined television channel, (2) generating for display at least a portion of the predetermined television channel, and (3) generating for display, simultaneously with the portion of the predetermined television channel, an interactive user interface comprising program information;

receiving a user selection of at least some of the program information; and

in response to receiving the user selection, generating for display replacement program information that replaces a portion of the selected program information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined television channel comprises programming data channel videos, the method further comprising:

generating for display the interactive user interface as an automatically scrolling grid on one portion of a display and the programming data channel videos on another portion of the display.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving user input to adjust how quickly the automatically scrolling grid is scrolling.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined television channel comprises programming data channel data, the method further comprising:

masking the programming data channel data when the interactive user interface is displayed.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving user input to move the grid backward.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving user input to move the grid forward.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving user input to control in which direction the grid scrolls.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving user input to stop the grid from scrolling.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the program information comprises program schedule information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the program schedule information comprises television program schedule information.

11. A system for invoking an interactive user interface, comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive, from a user input device, a user interface invocation command;

in response to receiving the user interface invocation command;

(1) transmit an instruction to tune from a first channel to a predetermined television channel, (2) generate for display at least a portion of the predetermined television channel, and (3) generate for display, simultaneously with the portion of the predetermined television channel, an interactive user interface comprising program information;

receive a user selection of at least some of the program information; and

in response to receiving the user selection, generate for display replacement program information that replaces a portion of the selected program information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined television channel comprises programming data channel videos, and the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate for display the interactive user interface as an automatically scrolling grid on one portion of a display and the programming data channel videos on another portion of the display.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive user input to adjust how quickly the automatically scrolling grid is scrolling.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined television channel comprises programming data channel data, and the control circuitry is further configured to:

mask the programming data channel data when the interactive user interface is displayed.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive user input to move the grid backward.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive user input to move the grid forward.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive user input to control in which direction the grid scrolls.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive user input to stop the grid from scrolling.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the program information comprises program schedule information.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the program schedule information comprises television program schedule information.