Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with display and search of program listings by title

In an electronic television programming guide for use in connection with a television receiver for displaying a plurality of television programs from a plurality of program sources on a plurality of user-selectable television channels comprising, a method for selecting a program for display on said receiver by searching a database of program schedule information alphabetically by title, said method comprising:

• generating user control commands with a user control means;
• selecting and displaying the first n characters of a program title with said user control means, where n is greater than one, wherein each said character is selected from a plurality of alphanumeric characters by cycling forward and/or backward through said alphanumeric characters and assigning one of said alphanumeric characters to each of said n characters;
• receiving said user control commands and searching a database of program schedule information in response to said n characters;
• and
• generating and displaying a visual display of television program titles displayed alphabetically by title in response to said searching of said database.

In an electronic television programming guide for use in connection with a television receiver, a method for selecting program schedule information for display on said receiver by selecting a plurality of characters in a desired title for one of said programs, the method comprising:

• a) providing a user control means including up/down arrow keys;
• b) displaying a plurality of n character display cells on said television receiver, where n is greater than 1;
• c) displaying an alphanumeric character in the first said display cell in response to a first user control command generated by said user control means;
• d) changing said displayed alphanumeric character in response to depression of one of said up/down arrow keys on said user control means if said displayed alphanumeric character is not the correct first character for said desired title;
• e) selecting said displayed alphanumeric character as said first character of said desired title in response to a second user control command;
• f) displaying a plurality of program titles alphabetically in response to said first selected alphanumeric character;
• g) repeating steps c), d), and e) for the second character of said desired title and displaying a plurality of program titles alphabetically in response to said first and second selected alphanumeric characters of said desired title;
• and
• h) repeating steps c), d), and e) for the third character of said desired title and displaying a plurality of program titles alphabetically in response to said first, second and third selected alphanumeric characters of said desired title if said desired title is not displayed following step g).