US 2003/0142957 A1 · Television schedule system

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.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A background television schedule system for is playing television schedule information on a television including a television screen on which is displayed a primary display, said background television schedule system comprising:

means for inputting user selections of operating characteristics for a session of operating said background television schedule system;
a memory, coupled to said user selection input means, for storing said user selections;
means, coupled to said memory, for activating and suspending operation of said background television schedule system;
and
background display means, coupled to said television, to said activation means and to said memory, for displaying background schedule information over a portion of said television screen in response to a first activation of operation of said background television schedule system, said primary television display being displayed on said television screen in conjunction with said background schedule information, said displayed background schedule information being determined according to said operating characteristics, wherein said background display means is configured to terminate display of said background schedule information on said television screen upon suspension of said background television schedule system, said background television schedule system having a first status immediately prior to said suspension of said background television schedule system;
wherein said activation means is configured to re-activate said background television schedule system with a second status at least substantially the same as said first status, upon a second activation of said background television schedule system with a same session as said first activation of said background television schedule system.

3 more elements

In a video recorder including a future schedule memory adapted to store the channel and time of occurrence of programs desired to be recorded, the video recorder being adapted to receive television input signals from a multi-channel tuner/descrambler having a first remote control receiver for channel selection, the improvement comprising:

a first remote control transmitter forming a part of the video recorder and operative under control of signals stored in said future schedule memory of the video recorder, said first remote control transmitter being adapted to provide signals to said remote control receiver of the tuner/descrambler for channel selection at the time of occurrence of a program to be recorded to cause said tuner/descrambler to provide the video recorder with the appropriate television signal to be recorded, said first remote control transmitter controlling the channel selection and the energization of the tuner/descrambler;
a second remote control receiver forming part of the video recorder;
a second remote control transmitter for provision of signals to said second remote control receiver in order to allow remote control of the video recorder and of the multi-channel tuner/descrambler through signals provided by the second remote control transmitter to the video recorder and from the first remote control transmitter of the video recorder to the first remote control receiver, whereby a single remote control unit may be used to control both the video recorder and the multi-channel tuner/descrambler;
wherein said first remote control transmitter is connected to the video recorder via a flexible cable, said first remote control transmitter being positioned properly with respect to said first remote control receiver of the multi-channel tuner/descrambler for receipt of said signals generated by said first remote control transmitter by said first remote control receiver;
and
wherein the first remote control receiver and the first remote control transmitter communicate via infrared signals.

3 more elements

A video system comprising:

a multi-channel source of television signals;
a multi-channel tuner connected to said multi-channel source of television signals having a remote control receiver for channel selection based upon received remote control signals;
a video recorder connected to said multi-channel tuner having means operative to generate a signal specifying a channel selection;
and
a remote control transmitter operative to receive said signal specifying a channel selection generated by said video recorder and operative to generate remote control signals corresponding to said channel selection for receipt by said remote control receiver of said multi-channel tuner for channel selection.

2 more elements

A video recorder adapted to receive television input signals from a multi-channel tuner/descrambler which has a remote control receiver for channel selection, said video recorder comprising:

a future schedule memory adapted to store the channel and time of occurrence of future programs to be recorded;
a clock circuit for generating present time clock signals;
a tape drive unit adapted to record television signals on video tape and play back television signals previously recorded on video tape;
a remote control transmitter operative to generate remote control signals for receipt by the remote control receiver of the tuner/descrambler for channel selection;
a controller connected to said future schedule memory, said clock circuit, said tape drive unit and said remote control transmitter, said controller operative to
control said remote control transmitter to transmit remote control signals to the remote control receiver of the multi-channel tuner/descrambler for selection of the channel to be recorded stored in said future program memory when said present time clock signal coincides with the time of occurrence of a future program to be recorded, and
control said tape drive unit to record the television signal received from the multi-channel tuner/descrambler when said present time clock signal coincides with the time of occurrence of a future program to be recorded.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Television schedule system

Life of this patent

Television schedule system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30