Method and apparatus for displaying video data and corresponding entertainment data for multiple entertainment selection sources

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , further comprising; determining a user's preference of entertainment selection sources; obtaining video data corresponding to entertainment selections broadcasted on the entertainment selection sources; and obtaining entertainment system data corresponding to the entertainment selections.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 , wherein determining a user's preference of entertainment selection sources comprises referencing a list of entertainment selection sources stored in the channel scan control unit.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining the video data corresponding to the entertainment selections broadcasted on the entertainment sources comprises programming a video tuner to obtain the video data from the entertainment selection sources.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining the entertainment system data corresponding to the entertainment selections broadcasted on the entertainment sources comprises accessing a database of entertainment selections.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 , wherein the further entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection comprises a title of the first entertainment selection.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 , wherein the still further entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection comprises a description of the first entertainment selection.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 , wherein the still further entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection comprises a rating of the first entertainment selection.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 , wherein the still further entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection comprises a critique of the first entertainment selection.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a full-screen display of the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window upon selection by a user of the first and second windows.

Claim 12

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions, the sequence of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform: displaying video data of a first entertainment selection on a first window; displaying entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection in a location proximate to the first window; displaying further entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection in a second location proximate to the first window; displaying video data of a second entertainment selection from the second entertainment selection source on a second window; and displaying entertainment system data corresponding to the second entertainment selection in a location proximate to the second window; and displaying further entertainment system data corresponding to the second entertainment selection in a second location proximate to the second window; and displaying still further entertainment system data regarding the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window upon selection by a user of the first and second windows.

Claim 13

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions, the sequence of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform: displaying video data of a first entertainment selection on a first window; displaying entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection in a location proximate to the first window; displaying further entertainment system data corresponding to the first entertainment selection in a second location proximate to the first window; displaying video data of a second entertainment selection from the second entertainment selection source on a second window; and displaying entertainment system data corresponding to the second entertainment selection in a location proximate to the second window; and displaying further entertainment system data corresponding to the second entertainment selection in a second location proximate to the second window; and displaying still further entertainment system data regarding the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window upon selection by a user of the first and second windows.

Claim 14

The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform: determining a user's preference of entertainment selection sources; obtaining video data corresponding to entertainment selections broadcasted on the entertainment selection sources; and obtaining entertainment system data corresponding to the entertainment selections.

Claim 15

The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein obtaining the video data corresponding to the entertainment selections broadcasted on the entertainment selection sources comprises programming a video tuner to obtain the video data from the entertainment selection sources.

Claim 16

The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein obtaining the entertainment system data corresponding to the entertainment selections broadcasted on the entertainment selection sources comprises accessing a database of entertainment selections.

Claim 17

A graphical user interface (GUI), comprising: a first window that displays video data of a first entertainment selection; a first area, proximate to the first window, that displays entertainment system data that corresponds to the first entertainment selection; a second area, proximate to the first window, that displays further entertainment system data that corresponds to the first entertainment selection; a second window that displays video data of a second entertainment selection; a first area, proximate to the second window, that displays entertainment system data that corresponds to the second entertainment selection; and a second area, proximate to the second window, that displays further entertainment system data that corresponds to the second entertainment selection wherein the first and second windows comprise selectable multimedia identifiers that can be selected by a user to cause the display of still further entertainment system data regarding the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window.

Claim 18

A graphical user interface (GUI), comprising: a first window that displays video data of a first entertainment selection; a first area, proximate to the first window, that displays entertainment system data that corresponds to the first entertainment selection; a second area, proximate to the first window, that displays further entertainment system data that corresponds to the first entertainment selection; a second window that displays video data of a second entertainment selection; a first area, proximate to the second window, that displays entertainment system data that corresponds to the second entertainment selection; and a second area, proximate to the second window, that displays further entertainment system data that corresponds to the second entertainment selection wherein the first and second windows comprise selectable multimedia identifiers that can be selected by a user to cause the display of still further entertainment system data regarding the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window.

Claim 19

The GUI of claim 15 , further comprising a navigation tool that allows a user to view additional windows that display video data of additional entertainment selections not originally displayed on the GUI.

Claim 20

The GUI of claim 15 , wherein the further entertainment system data corresponding to the respective entertainment selection comprises a title of the respective entertainment selection.

Claim 21

The GUI of claim 15 , wherein the still further entertainment system data corresponding to the respective entertainment selection comprises a description of the respective entertainment selection.

Claim 22

The GUI of claim 15 , wherein the still further entertainment system data corresponding to the first program comprises a rating of the respective entertainment selection.

Claim 23

The GUI of claim 15 , wherein the still further entertainment system data corresponding to the first program comprises a critique of the respective entertainment selection.

Claim 24

The GUI of claim 15 , wherein the selectable multimedia identifiers can further be selected by a user to cause a full-screen display of the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window.

Claim 25

A channel scan unit, comprising: a channel scan control unit that stores a list of entertainment selection sources; a database interface, coupled to the channel scan control unit, that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains entertainment system data that corresponds to entertainment selections that are broadcasted on the listed entertainment selection sources; a tuner interface coupled to the channel scan control unit that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains video data from the listed entertainment selection sources; and a display interface coupled to the database interface and the tuner interface that receives the entertainment system data and the video data and venerates a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays the video data and the entertainment system data.

Claim 26

A channel scan unit, comprising: a channel scan control unit that stores a list of entertainment selection sources; a database interface, coupled to the channel scan control unit, that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains entertainment system data that corresponds to entertainment selections that are broadcasted on the listed entertainment selection sources; a tuner interface coupled to the channel scan control unit that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains video data from the listed entertainment selection sources; and a display interface coupled to the database interface and the tuner interface that receives the entertainment system data and the video data and venerates a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays the video data and the entertainment system data.

Claim 27

The channel scan unit of claim 22 , wherein the channel scan control unit, the database interface, the tuner interface and the display interface comprise modules implemented in software resident on a memory of a computer system.

Claim 28

The channel scan unit of claim 22 , wherein the tuner interface obtains video data by programming a tuner to obtain video data.

Claim 29

A computer system, comprising: a bus; a processor coupled to the bus; a display device coupled to the bus; a channel scan control unit that stores a list of entertainment selection sources; a database interface, coupled to the channel scan control unit, that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains entertainment system data that corresponds to entertainment selections that are broadcasted on the listed entertainment selection sources; a tuner interface coupled to the channel scan control unit that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains video data from the listed entertainment selection sources; and a display interface coupled to the database interface and the tuner interface that receives the entertainment system data and the video data and generates a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays the video data and the entertainment system data.

Claim 30

A computer system, comprising: a bus; a processor coupled to the bus; a display device coupled to the bus; a channel scan control unit that stores a list of entertainment selection sources; a database interface, coupled to the channel scan control unit, that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains entertainment system data that corresponds to entertainment selections that are broadcasted on the listed entertainment selection sources; a tuner interface coupled to the channel scan control unit that receives the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtains video data from the listed entertainment selection sources; and a display interface coupled to the database interface and the tuner interface that receives the entertainment system data and the video data and generates a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays the video data and the entertainment system data.

Claim 31

The computer system of claim 25 , wherein the channel scan control unit, the database interface, the tuner interface and the display interface comprise modules implemented in software resident on a memory of the computer system.

Claim 32

The channel scan unit of claim 25 , wherein the tuner interface obtains video data by programming a tuner to obtain video data.

Claim 33

A graphical user interface (GUI), comprising: a first window that displays video data of a first entertainment selection; a first area, on a first side of the first window, that displays an identification of the source of the first entertainment selection; a second area, on a second side of the first window, that displays a title of the first entertainment selection; a second window that displays video data of a second entertainment selection; a first area, on a first side of the second window, that displays an identification of the source of the second entertainment selection; and a second area, on a second side of the second window, that displays a title of the second entertainment selection wherein the first and second windows comprise selectable multimedia identifiers that can be selected by a user to cause the display of descriptive information regarding the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window.

Claim 34

A graphical user interface (GUI), comprising: a first window that displays video data of a first entertainment selection; a first area, on a first side of the first window, that displays an identification of the source of the first entertainment selection; a second area, on a second side of the first window, that displays a title of the first entertainment selection; a second window that displays video data of a second entertainment selection; a first area, on a first side of the second window, that displays an identification of the source of the second entertainment selection; and a second area, on a second side of the second window, that displays a title of the second entertainment selection wherein the first and second windows comprise selectable multimedia identifiers that can be selected by a user to cause the display of descriptive information regarding the entertainment selection corresponding to the respective window.

Claim 35

The GUI of claim 28 , further comprising a navigation tool that allows a user to view additional windows that display video data of additional programs not originally displayed on the GUI.

Claim 36

The GUI of claim 28 , wherein the descriptive information comprises at least one of a rating and a critique of the corresponding entertainment selection.

Claim 37

A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations to provide a channel scan unit, the sequences comprising: a channel scan control unit that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to store a list of entertainment selection sources; a database interface, coupled to the channel scan control unit that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to receive the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtain entertainment system data that corresponds to entertainment selections that are broadcasted on the listed entertainment selection sources; a tuner interface coupled to the channel scan control unit that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to receive the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtain video data from the listed entertainment selection sources; and a display interface coupled to the database interface and the tuner interface that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to receive the entertainment system data and the video data and generate a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays the video data and the entertainment system data.

Claim 38

A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations to provide a channel scan unit, the sequences comprising: a channel scan control unit that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to store a list of entertainment selection sources; a database interface, coupled to the channel scan control unit that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to receive the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtain entertainment system data that corresponds to entertainment selections that are broadcasted on the listed entertainment selection sources; a tuner interface coupled to the channel scan control unit that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to receive the list of entertainment selection sources from the channel scan control unit and obtain video data from the listed entertainment selection sources; and a display interface coupled to the database interface and the tuner interface that when executed by the machine, causes the machine to receive the entertainment system data and the video data and generate a graphical user interface that simultaneously displays the video data and the entertainment system data.

Claim 39

The channel scan unit of claim 31 , wherein the tuner interface obtains video data by programming a tuner to obtain video data.