Patent US6498895B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6498895B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
User interface for television schedule system
Assignee: Adeia Guides Inc
•
Filing: 1999-03-26
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Granted: 2002-12-24
•
Expires: 2019-03-26
Abstract
Abstract Screen ( 10 ) for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array ( 24 ) of irregular cells ( 26 ), which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns ( 28 ) of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows ( 30 ) of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns ( 28 ) because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells ( 26 ), if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen ( 10 ) as the cursor moved from a cell ( 26 ) of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row. An effective way of taming the motion is to assume that behind every array ( 24 ) is an underlying array of regular cells. By restricting cursor movements to the regular cells, abrupt screen changes will be avoided. With the cursor ( 32 ), the entire cell ( 26 ) is 3-D highlighted, using a conventional offset shadow ( 34 ). The offset shadow ( 34 ) is a black bar that underlines the entire cell and wraps around the right edge of the cell. To tag the underlying position—which defines where the cursor ( 32 ) is and thus, where it will move next—portions ( 36 ) of the black bar outside the current underlying position are segmented, while the current position is painted solid.
Inventors
- 👤 Patrick Young
- 👤 John H. Roop
- 👤 Alan R. Ebright
- 👤 Michael W. Faber
- 👤 David Anderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:36
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/47; H04N21/485; H04N21/4858; B; B64; B64C; B64C30/00; G; G04; G04G; G04G15/00; G04G15/006; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F3/0482; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0489; G06F3/04892; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/02; G11B15/023; G11B27/00; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/107; G11B27/11; G11B27/19; G11B27/28; G11B27/30; G11B27/3027; G11B27/3036; G11B27/3054; G11B27/32; G11B27/322; G11B27/324; G11B27/327; G11B27/328; G11B27/34; G11B27/36; G11B33/00; G11B33/10; H04N21/41; H04N21/4104; H04N21/4126; H04N21/41265; H04N21/4135; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4314; H04N21/4316; H04N21/433; H04N21/4334; H04N21/436; H04N21/43622; H04N21/45; H04N21/458; H04N21/4583; H04N21/472; H04N21/47214; H04N21/482; H04N21/4821; H04N21/4828; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/84; H04N21/85; H04N21/858; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/765; H04N5/775; H04N5/78; H04N5/782; H04N7/00; H04N7/025; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088; H04N7/0884; H04N7/0887; H04N7/0888; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/163; H04N7/165; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/60; G11B2220/65; G11B2220/80; G11B2220/90; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N5/44; H04N5/445; H04N5/44504
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A method for accessing information about television programs, the method comprising the steps of: storing in electronic memory a plurality of television program listings, each listing including title, telecast time, and channel; storing in electronic memory program notes that correspond to the program listings; displaying on a monitor screen some of the program listings; moving a cursor on the screen to mark one of the displayed program listings; and displaying simultaneously with the program listings the program note corresponding to the marked program listing, such that the program note displayed on the screen changes as the cursor moves.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
98 words
A method for accessing information about television programs, the method comprising the steps of: storing in electronic memory a plurality of television program listings, each listing including title, telecast time, and channel; storing in electronic memory program notes that correspond to the program listings; displaying on a monitor screen some of the program listings; moving a cursor on the screen to mark one of the displayed program listings; and displaying simultaneously with the program listings the program note corresponding to the marked program listing, such that the program note displayed on the screen changes as the cursor moves.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 , in which the step of displaying the program not overlays the program note over a portion of the displayed program listings so the portion of the displayed program listings is not visible.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 2 , in which the step of displaying the program note overlays the program note on different areas of the screen depending on the position of the marked program listing such that the marked program listing remains tatally visible.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 2 , in which the screen has an upper half and a lower half, the cursor moving step marks a program listing located in one half of the screen, and the step of displaying the program note overlays the program note on the other half of the screen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 4 , in which the step of displaying the program note is initiated and terminated responsive to a user command.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , in which the step of displaying the program note is initiated and terminated responsive to a user command.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 , in which the step of displaying the program note displays a program description.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , in which the step of displaying some of the program listings displays program listings in a two dimensional channel and time grid guide format.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , in which the step of displaying some of the program listings displays program listings in a single channel format.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
86 words
An electronic program guide comrising: television program listings; program notes corresponding to at least some of the television program listings; a time and channel guide in which some of the television program listings are displayed; and a movable cursor that selectively highlights one of the television program listings displayed in the guide, wherein a program note corresponding to the highlighted program listing is displayed simultaneously with the television program listings in the electronic program guide, and wherein the program note displayed changes as the cursor moves.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
86 words
An electronic program guide comrising: television program listings; program notes corresponding to at least some of the television program listings; a time and channel guide in which some of the television program listings are displayed; and a movable cursor that selectively highlights one of the television program listings displayed in the guide, wherein a program note corresponding to the highlighted program listing is displayed simultaneously with the television program listings in the electronic program guide, and wherein the program note displayed changes as the cursor moves.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 10 wherein the time and channel guide comprises a grid guide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 10 wherein the program note is displayed overlying a portion of the displayed program listings so the portion of the displayed program listings is not visible.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 12 wherein the program note is displayed on different areas of the sreen depending on the position of the highlighted program listing such that the highlighted program listing remains totally visible.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 12 further comprising means for initiating and terminating the display of the program note responsive to a user command.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 10 further comprising means for initiating and terminating the display of the program note responsive to a user command.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 10 wherein the displayed program note comprises a program description.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electronic program guide according to claim 10 wherein the time and channel guid comprises a single channel format grid guide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
83 words
A microprocessor programmed to operate with a display monitor and a RAM so as to generate signals that display television program listings stored in the RAM on the display monitro in a time and channel guid format having a plurality of cells in which the television program listings are displayed, generate signals that highlight one of the cells, and generate signals that display, simultaneously with the television program listings, a program note corrsponding to the television program listing displayed in the highlighted cell.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
83 words
A microprocessor programmed to operate with a display monitor and a RAM so as to generate signals that display television program listings stored in the RAM on the display monitro in a time and channel guid format having a plurality of cells in which the television program listings are displayed, generate signals that highlight one of the cells, and generate signals that display, simultaneously with the television program listings, a program note corrsponding to the television program listing displayed in the highlighted cell.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
He microprocessor according to claim 18 additionally programmed to display the program note overlying a portion of the displayed program listings is not visible.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
The microprocessor according to claim 18 additionally programmed to display the progress not on different areas of the screen depending on the position of the highlighted cell such that the highlighted cell remains totally visible.
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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) | 2005-12-23 | 2006-06-24 | 2006-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-12-23 | 2010-06-24 | 2010-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-12-23 | 2014-06-24 | 2014-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |