Maintaining a graphical user interface state that is based on a selected piece of content

A method for a computing device to present information about television programs via a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

• receiving metadata information for multiple television programs;
• identifying a distinct group of the television programs for a graphical user interface such that received metadata information for those television programs will be included in the graphical user interface, the distinct group including multiple television programs that satisfy a search request of television programs and that are identified based at least in part on the television programs each having an associated genre or category that corresponds to an initially selected genre or category;
• displaying to a user of the computing device a graphical window that includes the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface having a state based at least in part on the identified distinct group, the displayed graphical user interface having:
• multiple distinct display areas including a first display area and a second display area, such that metadata information for the television programs in a first portion of the identified distinct group is displayed in the first display area and metadata information for a selected television program is displayable in the second display area, and
• a time scale displayed concurrently with the first display area, such that metadata information for a second portion of the identified distinct group is displayed on the time scale in the form of graphical indicators, wherein the graphical indicators represent future occurrences of television programs in the second portion of the identified distinct group,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the time scale in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated television program in the second portion of the identified distinct group, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable by the user to display metadata information for the associated television program in the first display area;
• receiving an indication from the user via the graphical user interface of a selection of a television program of the identified group;
• in response to the received indication of the selected television program, displaying metadata information for the selected television program in the second display area;
• receiving one or more indications from the user via the graphical user interface of a new genre or category, identifying a new distinct group of the television programs for the graphical user interface, the new distinct group including multiple television programs that are identified based at least in part on the television programs each having an associated genre or category that corresponds to the new genre or category, and updating the state of the displayed graphical user interface to reflect the new distinct group of television programs, the updating including displaying metadata information for the new distinct group of television programs in the first display area;
• automatically maintaining the state of the graphical user interface so as to reflect the new distinct group of television programs by, when the graphical user interface is to be updated such that at least some new metadata information is to be displayed in the graphical user interface, automatically performing the updating of the displayed graphical user interface in such a manner as to display the new metadata information in the first display area, to include one or more indications of a first portion of the new distinct group of television programs, and to maintain display of the metadata information for the selected television program in the second display area until a new television program is selected by the user;
• and
• when the graphical user interface is updated, automatically updating the time scale so as to display metadata information for a second portion of the new distinct group of television programs in the form of graphical indicators,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the time scale in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated television program in the second portion of new distinct group of television programs, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable by the user to display metadata information for the associated television program in the first display area,
• so that a state of the graphical user interface that is based at least in part on a selected group of television programs is maintained when information in the graphical user interface is updated.

A method for a computing device to present information about television programs via a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

• receiving metadata information for multiple television programs;
• identifying a group of the television programs for a graphical user interface such that received metadata information for those television programs will be included in the graphical user interface, the group including multiple television programs that satisfy a search request of television programs and that are identified based at least in part on the television programs each having an associated category that corresponds to an initially selected category and based at least in part on the television programs each having an associated time that corresponds to an initial currently selected time;
• displaying to a user of the computing device a graphical window that includes the graphical user interface, the displayed graphical user interface having a state based at least in part on the currently selected time and based at least in part on the identified group, the displayed graphical user interface having:
• multiple distinct display areas including a first display area and a second display area, the first display area displaying metadata information for the television programs in the identified group, and the second display area to display metadata information for a selected television program,
• a first timebar associated with the first display area, wherein the first timebar corresponds to the initial currently selected time, and
• a second timebar displayed simultaneously with the first display area that corresponds to a time period outside of the initial currently selected time, wherein the second timebar includes one or more graphical indicators representing future occurrences of television programs having an associated category that corresponds to the initially selected category and an associated time that corresponds to the time period outside of the initial currently selected time,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the timebar in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated television program, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable by the user to display metadata information for the associated television program in the first display area;
• receiving an indication of a selection by the user of a television program of the identified group;
• in response to the received indication of the selected television program, displaying metadata information for the selected television program in the second display area;
• receiving an indication of a selection by the user of a new currently selected time, and updating the state of the displayed graphical user interface to reflect the new currently selected time, the updating including displaying in the first display area metadata information for television programs that are identified based at least in part on the television programs each having an associated category that corresponds to the initially selected category and based at least in part on the television programs each having an associated time that corresponds to the new currently selected time;
• automatically maintaining the state of the graphical user interface so as to reflect the new currently selected time by, when the graphical user interface is to be updated such that at least some new metadata information is to be displayed in the graphical user interface, automatically performing the updating of the displayed graphical user interface in such a manner as to display the new metadata information in the first display area in a manner based at least in part on the new currently selected time and based at least in part on the initially selected category, while maintaining display of the metadata information for the selected television program in the second display area until a new television program is selected by the user;
• and
• when the graphical user interface is updated,
• automatically updating the first timebar to correspond to the new currently selected time, and
• automatically updating the second timebar so as to display one or more graphical indicators corresponding to television programs having an associated category that corresponds to the initially selected category and an associated time that corresponds to a time period outside of the new currently selected time,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the timebar in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated television program, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable by the user to display metadata information for the associated television program in the first display area,
• so that a state of the graphical user interface that is based at least in part on a currently selected time and based at least in part on an initially selected category is maintained when information in the graphical user interface is updated.

A computer-readable storage medium, wherein the medium is not a signal, whose contents enable a computing device to present information about television programming-related content via a user interface, by performing a method comprising:

• receiving information related to multiple pieces of television programming-related content;
• presenting a user interface that has multiple distinct display areas, wherein a first display area displays the received information for at least some of the pieces of television programming-related content that satisfy a search request of television programming-related content, wherein the received information is displayed in such a manner as to reflect at least one selected category, and
• wherein a time scale displayed simultaneously with the first display area displays graphical indicators corresponding to at least some of the pieces of television programming-related content, wherein the graphical indicators represent future occurrences of the at least some of the pieces of television programming-related content,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the time scale in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated piece of television programming-related content, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable to display the received information for the associated piece of television programming-related content in the first display area;
• receiving an indication of a selection of a piece of television programming-related content whose information is displayed in the first display area;
• in response to the received indication of the selected piece of television programming-related content, displaying at least some of the information related to the selected piece of television programming-related content in a second display area;
• receiving an indication of a selection of a new category;
• in response to the received indication of the new selected category, identifying a new distinct group of the television programming-related content based on the new selected category, wherein the new distinct group does not include the selected piece of television programming-related content;
• updating the information displayed in the first display area to reflect the new selected category and the identified new distinct group of television programming-related content;
• when information displayed in the first display area is updated to reflect the new selected category and the identified new distinct group of television programming-related content,
• maintaining a state of the user interface so as to reflect the selected piece of television programming-related content, such that the displayed information related to the selected piece of television programming-related content remains displayed in the second display area until a new piece of television programming-related content is selected, and
• automatically updating the time scale so as to display graphical indicators corresponding to at least some pieces of the identified new distinct group of television programming-related content,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the time scale in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated piece of television programming-related content, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable to display the received information for the associated piece of television programming-related content in the first display area.

A computing system configured to present information about pieces of television programming content via a graphical user interface, comprising:

• a display;
• and
• a content management system configured to:
• present on the display a graphical user interface whose information reflects a state that is based at least in part on one or more selected pieces of content;
• automatically maintain the state of the information of the graphical user interface as being based at least in part on those selected pieces of content when the graphical user interface is updated,
• such that when information in a first distinct display area of the graphical user interface is updated to reflect a search request of a new category of content that does not include the one or more selected pieces of content, information about the one or more selected pieces of content remains displayed in a second distinct display area of the graphical user interface;
• and
• automatically updating a timebar displayed concurrently with the first distinct display area so as to display information for the new category of content in the form of graphical indicators, wherein the graphical indicators represent future occurrences of pieces of content of the new category of content,
• wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the timebar in reference to a time-related characteristic of an associated piece of content of the new category of content, and
• wherein the graphical indicator is selectable by the user to display information for the associated piece of content in the first distinct display area.