Program guide on a remote control display

A remote control device comprising:

• a memory for storing data representative of an electronic programming guide, said electronic programming guide comprising a plurality of data fields for each of a plurality of program channels at each of a plurality of times,
• a display for depicting images representative of selected portions of said electronic program guide,
• a user input device for enabling entry of channel selection and program guide navigation instructions into said remote control device,
• a radio frequency receiver circuit for receiving signals comprising electronic programming guide data from a radio frequency source,
• an infrared transmitter circuit for transmitting channel selection control signals to a channel selection apparatus, and
• a microprocessor coupled to said memory, said display, said user input device, said radio frequency receiver circuit, and said infrared transmitter circuit,
• said microprocessor being configured to select portions of said electronic programming guide for depiction on said display in response to program navigation guide signals received from said user input device, to deliver signals representing channel selection macros to said infrared transmitter circuit in response to channel selection signals received from said user input device, and to cause channel selection history data to be stored within said memory at predetermined intervals.

An electronically addressable remote control with graphic display comprising:

• a real time clock for generating signals indicative of a current time,
• a memory for storing data descriptive of an electronic programming guide, advertising data and serial number identification data, said electronic programming guide comprising a plurality of data fields for each of a plurality of program channels at each of a plurality of times,
• a user input device for entering channel selection and program guide navigation instructions into said remote control,
• a display for generating images in representative of selected sections of said electronic programming guide and selected advertisements defined by said advertising data,
• a radio frequency receiver circuit for receiving signals comprising said electronic programming guide and advertising data and selectively enabling delivery of said electronic programming guide and advertising data to said memory,
• an infrared transmitter circuit for transmitting channel selection signals to a channel selection apparatus, and
• a microprocessor coupled to said real time clock, said memory, said user input device, said display, said radio frequency receiver circuit and said infrared transmitter circuit,
• said microprocessor being configured to control said delivery of said electronic programming guide and advertising data from said radio frequency receiver circuit to said memory based upon a correlation between address data included within a received signal and said serial number identification data, and
• said microprocessor being configured to select sections of said electronic programming guide for display in response to said signals generated by said real time clock and signals received from said user input device.

A remote control for operating a consumer electronic device, said remote control comprising:

• a housing mounting a visual display;
• a keyboard including a plurality of keys;
• electrical circuitry in said housing including a microprocessor, at least one of an IR or RF receiver coupled to said microprocessor for receiving program data, keyboard circuitry coupled between said microprocessor and said keyboard, memory means coupled to said microprocessor, and IR transmitting means coupled to said microprocessor;
• and program guide software stored in said memory means for displaying on said visual display, upon actuation of one or more of said keys, a one day program guide contained in the program data received by said receiver,
• wherein said program guide software includes means for querying a host device for date/time information.

A method for gathering data indicative of one or more television viewing habits of a plurality of television viewers, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing one or more viewers with remote control units capable of operating channel selection devices of the viewers,
• configuring said remote control units to force tune said channel selection devices as said one or more viewers use said remote control devices to select channels for viewing,
• enabling said remote control units to store in memory program selection history data for a predetermined period of time, and
• enabling said remote control units to download said program selection history data to a program history database at predetermined intervals.