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US 11,310,555 B2Granted
Apparatus, systems and methods for electronic program guide information presented on a display
AssigneeDISH Technologies L.L.C.
InventorsKaren Taxier, Morgan Kirby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are operable to present an enhanced electronic program guide (EPG). The enhanced EPG comprises a reduced size video, a mini guide, a single channel guide bar, and an optional preview guide bar.
Claims21
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a media device, a user request from a user to view presentation of an electronic program guide (EPG);
- accessing EPG information stored in an EPG information portion of a memory medium of the media device;
- generating an enhanced EPG, wherein the enhanced EPG includes a reduced size video, a mini guide, a single channel guide bar, and a preview guide bar, wherein the preview guide bar comprises supplemental information;
- and
- communicating the enhanced EPG to a display, wherein the enhanced EPG is presented to the user on the display;
- wherein the single channel guide bar comprises:
- a second channel information block identifying a user selected station that is broadcasting the program that is currently being presented at the media device;
- and
- a plurality of second program information blocks arranged in a row adjacent to and horizontally aligned with the second channel information block;
- and
- wherein the mini guide comprises:
- a plurality of first channel information blocks arranged in a first vertical column,
- wherein a width of each of the plurality of first channel information blocks is a predefined first width, and
- wherein each one of the plurality of first channel information blocks uniquely indicates one of the stations using at least one of its associated station channel number and station call letters;
- and
- a plurality of first program information blocks arranged in a second vertical column that is adjacent to the first vertical column,
- wherein each one of the plurality of first program information blocks is adjacent to and is horizontally aligned with one of the plurality of first channel information blocks,
- wherein a width of each of the plurality of first program information blocks of the mini guide are a second predefined width,
- wherein the second predefined width of each of the plurality of first program information blocks is the same, and
- wherein each of the first program information blocks present information that identifies a program that is currently being broadcast by the station identified in the horizontally aligned and adjacent first channel information block.
17 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a media device, a user request from a user to view presentation of an electronic program guide (EPG);
- accessing EPG information stored in an EPG information portion of a memory medium of the media device;
- generating an enhanced EPG, wherein the enhanced EPG includes a reduced size video, a mini guide, a single channel guide bar, and a preview guide bar, wherein the preview guide bar comprises supplemental information;
- and
- communicating the enhanced EPG to a display, wherein the enhanced EPG is presented to the user on the display;
- wherein the single channel guide bar comprises:
- a second channel information block identifying a user selected station that is broadcasting the program that is currently being presented at the media device;
- and
- a plurality of second program information blocks arranged in a row adjacent to and horizontally aligned with the second channel information block;
- and
- wherein the mini guide comprises:
- a plurality of first channel information blocks arranged in a first vertical column,
- wherein a width of each of the plurality of first channel information blocks is a predefined first width, and
- wherein each one of the plurality of first channel information blocks uniquely indicates one of the stations using at least one of its associated station channel number and station call letters;
- and
- the plurality of first program information blocks arranged in a second vertical column that is adjacent to the first vertical column,
- wherein each one of the plurality of first program information blocks is adjacent to and is horizontally aligned with one of the plurality of first channel information blocks, and
- wherein each of the first program information blocks present information that identifies a program that is currently being broadcast by the station identified in the horizontally aligned and adjacent first channel information block.
15 more elements
A media device comprising:
- a remote interface configured to receive user specifications from a user during presentation of a program;
- a media content stream interface configured to receive programs that are broadcast to a plurality of media devices via a broadcast system;
- a memory medium configured to store electronic program guide (EPG) information;
- and
- a processor system communicatively coupled to the remote interface, the media content stream interface, and the memory medium, wherein the processor system is configured to:
- receive a user request to view presentation of an electronic program guide (EPG);
- access the EPG information stored in the memory medium;
- generating an enhanced EPG, wherein the enhanced EPG includes a reduced size video, a mini guide, a single channel guide bar, and a preview guide bar;
- and
- communicating the enhanced EPG to a display, wherein the enhanced EPG is presented to the user on the display,
- wherein the mini guide comprises:
- at least one region that includes a plurality of first channel information blocks arranged in a first vertical column and a plurality of first program information blocks arranged in a second vertical column that is adjacent to the first vertical column,
- wherein a width of each of the plurality of first channel information blocks is a predefined first width, and
- wherein each one of the plurality of channel information blocks uniquely indicates one of the stations using at least one of the associated station channel number and station call letters;
- and
- wherein a width of each of the plurality of first program information blocks is a predefined second width that is the same for each of the plurality of first program information blocks,
- wherein each one of the plurality of first program information blocks is adjacent to and is horizontally aligned with one of the plurality of first channel information blocks, and
- wherein each of the first program information blocks present information that identifies a program that is currently being broadcast by the station identified in the horizontally aligned and adjacent first channel information block,
- wherein the single channel guide bar comprises:
- a second channel information block,
- wherein the second channel information block identifies a user selected station that is broadcasting the program that is currently being presented at the media device;
- and
- a plurality of second program information blocks arranged in a row,
- wherein the row of program information blocks is adjacent to and horizontally aligned with the second channel information block,
- wherein each of the plurality of second program information blocks identify programs scheduled for presentation by the selected station indicated in the second channel information block, and
- wherein the plurality of second program information blocks are arranged in a time ordered sequence of presentation.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.