US6072460A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Systems and methods for presenting a television program guide
Assignee: Adeia Guides Inc
•
Filing: 1999-01-07
•
Granted: 2000-06-06
•
Expires: 2019-01-07
Abstract
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. It receives and stores a scroll input picture image signal containing local program guide data and generates a scroll output picture image signal consisting of at least a portion of the scroll input picture image signal. The signal combiner combines the viewer usable signal from the tuner with the output picture image signal from the computer to provide a display signal for input to the viewer's display screen. The computer is responsive to variable control signals from the remote to advance, back up, and freeze the scroll output picture image signal. It is also responsive to directional control signals from the remote to reposition a "highlight" background to corresponding program data slots on the scroll grid and to display further program information corresponding to the program of the data slot shown in "highlight". In addition, it is responsive to further directional control signals to redraw the grid to display earlier or later time segment program data than is normally displayed on the viewer's screen.
Inventors
- 👤 Connie T. Marshall
- 👤 Thomas R. Lemmons
- 👤 Donald W. Allison
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 17:08
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4314; H04N21/47; H04N21/482; H04N21/4821; H04N21/41; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 38
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A system for simultaneously displaying a given television channel and program guide data for a television channel other than the given television channel on a viewer's display screen when a viewer activates a program guide, comprising: a tuner that receives a plurality of television channels; a computer that automatically tunes the tuner to the given television channel when the viewer activates the program guide; and a signal combiner that is coupled to the tuner and that causes at least a portion of the given television channel and the program guide data for the television channel other than the given television channel to be simultaneously displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
110 words
A system for simultaneously displaying a given television channel and program guide data for a television channel other than the given television channel on a viewer's display screen when a viewer activates a program guide, comprising: a tuner that receives a plurality of television channels; a computer that automatically tunes the tuner to the given television channel when the viewer activates the program guide; and a signal combiner that is coupled to the tuner and that causes at least a portion of the given television channel and the program guide data for the television channel other than the given television channel to be simultaneously displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the given television channel provides a continuous presentation of promotional videos for television programs and services.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the given television channel comprises programming data channel videos and programming data channel data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the given television channel comprises programming data channel videos.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The system defined in claim 4 wherein the computer also causes the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid of program guide data on one portion of the viewer's display screen and the programming data channel videos to be displayed on another portion of the viewer's display screen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system defined in claim 5 further comprising a remote control that enables the viewer to adjust how quickly the automatically scrolling grid is scrolled.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the given television channel comprises programming data channel data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system defined in claim 7 wherein the computer also causes the programming data channel data to be masked when the program guide data and the at least a portion of the given television channel are simultaneously displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer also causes the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid containing a plurality of time slots, and wherein the system further comprises a remote control that enables the viewer to advance the grid by at least one of the time slots.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer also causes the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid containing a plurality of time slots, and wherein the system further comprises a remote control that enables the viewer to move the grid backward by at least one of the time slots.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer also causes the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid, and wherein the system further comprises a remote control that enables the viewer to control in which direction the grid scrolls.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer also causes the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid, and wherein the system further comprises a remote control that enables the viewer to stop the grid from scrolling.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a remote control that enables the viewer to select an item of the program guide data, and wherein the computer also causes additional information on the selected item of the program guide data to be displayed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer also causes the program guide data to be displayed as a grid, and the system further comprises a remote control that enables a viewer to enter a highlight mode in which a portion of the grid corresponding to a selected television program is highlighted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system defined in claim 14 wherein the computer also causes information related to the selected television program to be displayed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system defined in claim 14 wherein the remote control also enables the viewer to move the highlighted portion of the grid.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system defined in claim 14 wherein the remote control also enables the viewer to exit the highlight mode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a remote control that enables the viewer to interactively control the program guide data displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for simultaneously displaying a given television channel and program guide data for a television channel other than the given television channel on a viewer's display screen when a viewer activates a program guide, comprising: receiving a plurality of television channels; automatically tuning to the given television channel when the viewer activates the program guide; and causing at least a portion of the given television channel and the program guide data for the television channel other than the given television channel to be simultaneously displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for simultaneously displaying a given television channel and program guide data for a television channel other than the given television channel on a viewer's display screen when a viewer activates a program guide, comprising: receiving a plurality of television channels; automatically tuning to the given television channel when the viewer activates the program guide; and causing at least a portion of the given television channel and the program guide data for the television channel other than the given television channel to be simultaneously displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method defined in claim 19 wherein the given television channel provides a continuous presentation of promotional videos for television programs and services.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method defined in claim 19 wherein the given television channel comprises programming data channel videos and programming data channel data.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method defined in claim 19 wherein the given television channel comprises programming data channel videos.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method defined in claim 22 further comprising causing the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid of program guide data on one portion of the viewer's display screen and the programming data channel videos to be displayed on another portion of the viewer's display screen.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method defined in claim 23 further comprising enabling the viewer to adjust how quickly the automatically scrolling grid is scrolled.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method defined in claim 19 wherein the given television channel comprises programming data channel data.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method defined in claim 25 further comprising causing the programming data channel data to be masked when the program guide data and the at least a portion of the given television channel are simultaneously displayed on the viewer's display screen.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising: causing the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid containing a plurality of time slots; and enabling the viewer to advance the grid by at least one of the time slots.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising: causing the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid containing a plurality of time slots; and enabling the viewer to move the grid backward by at least one of the time slots.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising: causing the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid; and enabling the viewer to control in which direction the grid scrolls.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising: causing the program guide data to be displayed as an automatically scrolling grid; and enabling the viewer to stop the grid from scrolling.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising: enabling the viewer to select an item of the program guide data; and causing additional information on the selected item of the program guide data to be displayed.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising: causing the program guide data to be displayed as a grid; and enabling a viewer to enter a highlight mode in which a portion of the grid corresponding to a selected television program is highlighted.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 32 further comprising causing information related to the selected television program to be displayed.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method defined in claim 32 further comprising enabling the viewer to move the highlighted portion of the grid.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method defined in claim 32 further comprising enabling the viewer to exit the highlight mode.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method defined in claim 19 further comprising enabling the viewer to interactively control the program guide data displayed on the viewer's display screen.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-06-06 | 2003-12-06 | 2004-06-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-06-06 | 2007-12-06 | 2008-06-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-06-06 | 2011-12-06 | 2012-06-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |