Patent US6985172B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6445398B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6445398B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for providing user interface for electronic program guide
Assignee: Contemporary Display LLC
•
Filing: 1998-06-24
•
Granted: 2002-09-03
•
Expires: 2018-06-24
Abstract
Abstract A method and system of providing a user interface for presenting television programming schedule data on a display. The schedule data is organized in a data plane comprising data cells identifying the items of schedule data, such as the titles of the television programs. The method involves presenting a highlight cell or cursor at a fixed position on the display such that a first data cell is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell, and allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction such that all or part of the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell. This fixed position highlight cell thus remains stationary while the data plane or electronic program guide scrid moves, making it easier for viewers to peruse the selections in the data plane without moving their eyes substantially. The highlight cell is preferably in a substantially central location on the display.
Inventors
- 👤 George Gerba
- 👤 Margeigh Joy
- 👤 Robert Lambert
- 👤 Michael Nichols
- 👤 Drew Takahashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:29
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F3/04815; H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4314; H04N21/47; H04N21/478; H04N21/482; H04N21/41; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/472; H04N21/47202; H04N21/4722; H04N21/4725
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for presenting television program schedule data on a television display, the schedule data being organized in a data plane comprising a plurality of data cells identifying the schedule data, the method comprising: presenting a highlight cell at a fixed coordinate position on the display such that all or part of at least a first data cell of the plurality of data cells is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell; and allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction such that all or part of the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for presenting television program schedule data on a television display, the schedule data being organized in a data plane comprising a plurality of data cells identifying the schedule data, the method comprising: presenting a highlight cell at a fixed coordinate position on the display such that all or part of at least a first data cell of the plurality of data cells is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell; and allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction such that all or part of the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of allowing the data plane to scroll comprises allowing the data plane to scroll such that a second at least partly displayed data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell allowing selection of a data cell at a concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , comprising allowing the data plane to scroll in a plurality of directions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the data plane comprises a matrix of data cells organized in rows and columns.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 4 , comprising allowing the data plane to scroll in a direction parallel to the rows or columns.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 5 , comprising allowing the data plane to scroll in directions parallel to the rows and columns.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , comprising presenting additional data upon selection of a data cell.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the data is television program schedule data and each data cell identifies a television program, and wherein the step of presenting additional data comprises presenting the television program identified in the selected data cell.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , comprising deleting one or more data cells from the display as the data plane scrolls.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 9 , comprising presenting additional data cells on the display as the data plane scrolls.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the data represents scheduled events, wherein each data cell contains an identifier of one of the events, and wherein the data cells are organized in scheduled time order.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 11 , wherein the size of each data cell represents a duration of the event identified in the data cell.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the durations of the events are whole number multiples of a base duration, wherein the highlight cell has a size substantially equivalent to the size of a data cell identifying an event having a base duration, and comprising allowing the data plane to scroll in units of the base duration.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein a given data cell identifies an event having a duration longer than the base duration, comprising presenting the event identifier for the given data cell in each part of the given data cell having a size equivalent to the base duration, such that when the event identifier is contained within the highlight cell whenever any part of the given data cell is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein a given data cell identifies an event having a duration longer than the base duration, comprising retaining the event identifier for the given data cell within the highlight cell as the data plane scrolls from a concurrent position with the highlight cell of one part of the given data cell to another part of the given data cell.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 11 , wherein the data represents scheduled television programs broadcast on a plurality of different channels over a period of time, and wherein the data plane is organized to present program information as channels versus time.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16 , comprising providing an indication in a given data cell that a television program identified in the given data cell is tagged for later viewing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 16 , comprising providing an indication that a television program identified in a given data cell is blocked from viewing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16 , comprising presenting a description of a television program identified in a given data cell which is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the highlight cell is capable of having at least two different sizes, comprising varying the size of the highlight cell between a first size and a second size.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 20 , comprising presenting a second data plane on the display, and wherein the step of varying the highlight cell size comprises varying the highlight cell size to the second size when the second data plane is presented.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the second data plane contains schedule data for a selected category.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the highlight cell has the first size when all or part of the first data cell is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell, and wherein the step of varying comprises varying the highlight cell size to the second size when the second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 23 , wherein the first highlight cell size corresponds to the first data cell size and the second highlight cell size corresponds to the second data cell size.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of presenting the highlight cell comprises presenting the highlight cell at a substantial central location on the display.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for presenting television program schedule data on a television display, the schedule data being organized in a data plane comprising a plurality of data cells identifying the schedule data, the system comprising: means for presenting a highlight cell at a fixed coordinate position on the display such that all or part of at least a first data cell of the plurality of data cells is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell; and means for allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction, such that the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell means for allowing selection of a data cell at a concurrent position with the highlight cell.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for presenting television program schedule data on a television display, the schedule data being organized in a data plane comprising a plurality of data cells identifying the schedule data, the system comprising: means for presenting a highlight cell at a fixed coordinate position on the display such that all or part of at least a first data cell of the plurality of data cells is at a concurrent position with the highlight cell; and means for allowing the data plane to scroll on the display in at least one direction, such that the first data cell moves out of concurrent position with the highlight cell and a second data cell or part thereof moves into concurrent position with the highlight cell means for allowing selection of a data cell at a concurrent position with the highlight cell.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4004085A
Cited
US3956579A
Cited
US4199781A
Cited
US4203130A
Cited
US4203130B1
Cited
US5692214A
Cited
US4691351A
Cited
US5191410A
Cited
US4991012A
Cited
US5809204A
Cited
US5027400A
Cited
US5323234A
Cited
US5253066C1
Cited
US5253066A
Cited
US5038211A
Cited
US5353121A
Cited
US5727060A
Cited
US4991208A
Cited
US5046092A
Cited
US5434625A
Cited
US5161019A
Cited
US5808608A
Cited
US5949954A
Cited
US5412720A
Cited
US5583937A
Cited
US5583937B1
Cited
US5168353A
Cited
US5416508A
Cited
US5477262A
Cited
US5988078A
Cited
US5223924A
Cited
US5805204A
Cited
US5592551A
Cited
US5594509A
Cited
US5949471A
Cited
US5589892A
Cited
US5585866A
Cited
US5822123A
Cited
US6014184A
Cited
US5781246A
Cited
US5479202A
Cited
US5517254A
Cited
US5650826A
Cited
US5892498A
Cited
US5541738A
Cited
US5539822A
Cited
US5828420A
Cited
US5502504A
Cited
US5731844A
Cited
US5710601A
Cited
US5635978A
Cited
US5559548A
Cited
US5523796A
Cited
US5528304A
Cited
US5619249A
Cited
US5614940A
Cited
US5629733A
Cited
US5623613A
Cited
US5625406A
Cited
US5596373A
Cited
US5559550A
Cited
US5808694A
Cited
US5648958A
Cited
US5550576A
Cited
US5923362A
Cited
US5828945A
Cited
US6072983A
Cited
US5684525A
Cited
US5818438A
Cited
US5666645A
Cited
US5699107A
Cited
US5630119A
Cited
US5760821A
Cited
US5548338A
Cited
US5751282A
Cited
US6147714A
Cited
US5844620A
Cited
US5815145A
Cited
US6075575A
Cited
US6002394A
Cited
US5635989A
Cited
US5898919A
Cited
US5657072A
Cited
US20010035915A1
Cited
US5801787A
Cited
US6151059A
Cited
US6191781B1
Cited
US5850218A
Cited
US6262722B1
Cited
US20010010095A1
Cited
WO1999025119A1
Cited
WO1999035849A1
Cited
WO1999038321A1
Cited
WO1999043159A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-02 | 2006-03-04 | 2006-09-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-02 | 2010-03-04 | 2010-09-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-02 | 2014-03-04 | 2014-09-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |