User interface screen spotlight effect
AssigneeScientific-Atlanta, Inc.
InventorsChristian Chicles, Sankaranarayanan Balasubramanian, Kalyani Natarajan, Raja Rathinam M.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic program guide (EPG) having a spotlight effect to focus a user's attention upon a selectable item. The EPG includes a user interface screen for providing a plurality of television programs by time and channel in a grid format. Each television program becomes selectable from the EPG based upon user interaction. The spotlight effect is depicted in association with each television program when it becomes selectable as a result of user interaction. The spotlight effect is defined by non-uniform color which at least partially surrounds and extends from the selectable television program.
Claims22
An electronic program guide (EPG) comprising:
- a user interface screen comprising one or more images arranged to provide a background in association with drawn text, at least a portion of said one or more images corresponding with a portion of said drawn text to define a field;
- and
- a spotlight effect depicted in association with said field when being selectable by user interaction, said spotlight effect defined by non-uniform color within at least a portion of said image corresponding with said selectable field, wherein the user's attention is focused upon said selectable field by said spotlight effect.
A method for focusing a user's attention within an electronic program guide (EPG), said method comprising the following steps:
- said user navigating through a plurality of fields of a user interface screen;
- identifying one of said fields as being selectable based upon said user's interaction with said EPG;
- in response to one of said items being selectable, rendering a spotlight effect in association with said selectable field;
- and
- utilizing non-uniform color in association with said selectable field in order to render said spotlight effect.
An electronic program guide (EPG) comprising a user interface screen for providing a plurality of television programs by time and channel in a grid format, said grid format having fields for identifying said television programs, each said television program being selectable from said EPG based upon user interaction, and a spotlight effect depicted in association with each said television program field when said television program becomes selectable as a result of said user interaction, said spotlight effect defined by non-uniform color at least partially surrounding said field corresponding with said selectable television program, wherein the user's attention is focused upon said selectable television program by said spotlight effect.
An electronic program guide (EPG) comprising:
- a user interface screen comprising one or more images arranged to provide a background in association with drawn text, at portions of said one or more images corresponding with portions of said drawn text to define a plurality of fields;
- and
- a spotlight effect depicted on one of said fields wherein another of said fields is currently selectable by user interaction, said one field and said other field associated with one another, said spotlight effect defined by non-uniform color within at least a portion of said image corresponding with said one field, wherein the user's attention is focused upon said one field by said spotlight effect.
A graphical user interface screen comprising:
- one or more images arranged to provide a background in association with drawn text, at least a portion of said one or more images corresponding with a portion of said drawn text to define a field;
- and
- a spotlight effect depicted in association with said field when being selectable by user interaction, said spotlight effect defined by non-uniform color within at least a portion of said image corresponding with said selectable field, wherein the user's attention is focused upon said selectable field by said spotlight effect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.