# US 2014/0157323 A1 · Method and apparatus for auto-tuning program guides > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157323 A1 - Document ID: US20140157323A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/177,431 - Filed: 2014-02-11 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-28 - Assignees: Thomson Licensing - Applicants: Thomson Licensing - Inventors: Darrel W. RANDALL; Steven C. RHOADS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157323A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/4314: {for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid} - H04N 21/440263: {by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA} - H04N 21/47: End-user applications - H04N 21/4821: {using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time} - H04N 21/4823: {using a channel name} - H04N 21/4828: {for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739)} - H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A user interface for a content distribution system is disclosed which allows a manager of an environment of TV sets to view which content is playing on individual TV sets, and to change, track and otherwise adjust the content. The invention advantageously provides these features without interfering with other TV sets' programming when another TV set is being adjusted, changes or tracked by the manager. The invention provides auto-tuning of program guides. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of generating a user interface which is configured to display a program guide on a remote control used to control program changes on more than one device which is statically tuned to a channel, comprising: polling devices in a network which contains the devices, wherein each of the devices is configured to statically display programs to determine a list of programs available for display; searching the network to locate available channels available for display and to populate the program guide with available channels; refreshing the program guide so that the program guide can be displayed on the remote control and the program guide is configured to highlight a channel of interest, wherein when the channel of interest is highlighted by a user of the remote control the remote control is tuned to the channel of interest in order to acquire content associated with the channel of interest and to provide a preview of the channel of interest on the remote control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method recited in claim 1, further comprising populating the program guide with available channels after locating the available channels during searching. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method recited in claim 2 wherein the searching is based on criteria set by the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method recited in claim 3 wherein the criteria are chosen from among the set including channel name, channel number, text, category and events. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method recited in claim 4, further comprising providing a view to the program guide specified by the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method recited in claim 5, further comprising the step of generating a file of containing a list of channels determined during searching so that the program guide can be refreshed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method recited in claim 6 wherein the refresh includes deleting channels no longer found during searching. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method recited in claim 7, further comprising displaying the refreshed program guide to the user. ### Claim 9 A remote control which is configured to display a program guide and which can be used by a manager of an environment to statically tune more than one display in the environment to different channels centrally from the remote control, comprising: a display configured to display and operate the program guide; and a processor configured to refresh the program guide so that the program guide can be displayed control and the program guide can be configured to highlight a channel of interest, wherein when the channel of interest is highlighted by the manager the remote control is tuned to the channel of interest in order to acquire content associated with the channel of interest and to provide a preview of the channel of interest on the remote control. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The remote control recited in claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to populate the program guide with available channels after locating the available channels after refreshing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The remote control recited in claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to search the environment of displays to locate available channels available for display and to populate the program guide with available channels based on criteria set by the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The remote control recited in claim 11 wherein the criteria are chosen from among the set including channel name, channel number, text, category and events. ### Claim 13 A user interface for controlling a plurality of displays in an environment from a single remote control which will display the user interface, comprising: a program guide which can be generated by a processor in the remote control, the program guide being refreshable so that the program guide can be displayed on the remote control and the program guide is configured to highlight a channel of interest, wherein when the channel of interest is highlighted by a user of the remote control the remote control is tuned to the channel of interest in order to acquire content associated with the channel of interest and to provide a preview of the channel of interest on the remote control. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The user interface of claim 13, wherein the program is refreshed so that the program guide can be displayed on the remote control and the program guide is configured to highlight a channel of interest, wherein when the channel of interest is highlighted by a user of the remote control the remote control is tuned to the channel of interest in order to acquire content associated with the channel of interest and to provide a preview of the channel of interest on the remote control. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The user interface recited in claim 14 wherein the program guide is further populated with available channels after locating the available channels after refreshing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The user interface recited in claim 15 wherein the program guide is populated with the available based on criteria set by the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The user interface recited in claim 16 wherein the criteria are chosen from among the set including channel name, channel number, text, category and events. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The user interface recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface provides a view to the program guide specified by the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The user interface recited in claim 18 wherein refreshing includes deleting channels no longer available. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The user interface recited in claim 19, wherein the program guide is displayed after refreshing.