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US 8,276,176 B2Granted
Method and system for providing an electronic programming guide
AssigneeComcast Cable Holdings, LLC
InventorTy O. Ahmad-Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for electronically providing a television listing guide. The listing guide includes a number of channels intersecting with a number of time-slots to display an array of cells which can be selected to view a program corresponding with the cell. The guide allows a viewer to easily associate a selected cell with its program information.
Claims44
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor configured to process program information and to cause display of an electronic program guide comprising:
- a celled grid having a first data set on a vertical axis and a second data set on a horizontal axis, wherein cells at an intersection of the first data set and the second data set display a title for an available program;
- and
- a window having a boundary line defining a perimeter of the window, where a portion of the perimeter is located outside of the grid and another portion of the perimeter extends to include a subset of the cells of the grid within the window, the subset comprising a highlighted cell, an associated element of the first data set, and an associated element of the second data set, wherein the window and the celled grid overlap such that the window displays a description of a program associated with the highlighted cell outside of the overlap, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
- process an instruction indicating a change in which cell to highlight;
- and
- cause presentation of an update to the electronic program guide including a newly highlighted cell within the window in response to processing of the instruction.
4 more elements
A method of presenting an electronic program guide comprising:
- causing, by a processing device, display of a celled grid having a first data set on a vertical axis and a second data set on a horizontal axis, wherein cells at an intersection of the first and second data sets display a program title for an available program;
- upon receiving input highlighting one of the cells, causing generation of a window having a boundary line defining a perimeter of the window, a portion of the perimeter being located outside of the grid and another portion of the perimeter extending to include a subset of the cells from the grid within the window, the subset comprising the highlighted one of the cells, one of a first data set element, and one of a second data set element, wherein the window and the celled grid overlap such that the window displays a description of a program associated with the highlighted cell outside of the overlap;
- processing an instruction indicating a change in which cell to highlight;
- and
- causing presentation of an update to the electronic program guide including a newly highlighted cell within the window in response to processing of the instruction.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor configured to process program information and to cause display of an electronic program guide comprising:
- a celled grid having a first data set on a vertical axis and a second data set on a horizontal axis, wherein cells at an intersection of the first data set and the second data set display an available program title;
- and
- a window displaying information concerning a program title of a highlighted cell, wherein the window is located such that there are no non-highlighted cells between the highlighted cell and the window, wherein the celled grid and the window overlap such that the highlighted cell of the celled grid is located within the window, wherein the window displays a description of a program associated with the highlighted cell outside of the overlap, and wherein the window and the highlighted cell have a consistent background that differs from a background of other cells in the celled grid, wherein the processor is further configured to:
- process an instruction indicating a change in which cell to highlight;
- and
- cause presentation of an update to the electronic program guide including a newly highlighted cell within the window in response to processing of the instruction.
4 more elements
A method of presenting an electronic program guide comprising:
- causing, by a processing device, display of a celled grid having a first data set on a vertical axis and a second data set on a horizontal axis, wherein a cell at an intersection of the first data set and the second data set displays a title for an available program;
- and
- causing display of scrolling of the grid cells vertically or horizontally such that titles associated with the first data set move into an adjacent row when scrolling vertically and titles associated with the second data set move into an adjacent column when scrolling horizontally, wherein a first program title occupies a window displaying program information about a first program, and when a second program title is caused to scroll into the window, at least a portion of the first program title and the second program title share the window until the first program title exits the window, wherein the window and the celled grid overlap such that the window displays a description of a program associated with the highlighted cell outside of the overlap.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor configured to process program information and to cause display of an electronic program guide comprising:
- a celled grid having a first data set on a vertical axis and a second data set on a horizontal axis, wherein grid cells at an intersection of the first data set and the second data set display an available program title;
- and
- the grid cells being capable of scrolling vertically and horizontally and wherein program titles associated with the first data set move into an adjacent row when the grid cells scroll vertically and program titles associated with the second data set move into an adjacent column when the grid cells scroll horizontally, wherein a first program title occupies a window displaying program information about a first program, and when a second program title is caused to scroll into the window, at least a portion of the first program title and the second program title share the window until the first program title exits the window, wherein the window and the celled grid overlap such that the window displays a description of a program associated with the highlighted cell outside of the overlap.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- causing, by a processing device, display of a celled grid having a first data set on a vertical axis and a second data set on a horizontal axis, wherein cells at an intersection of the first data set and the second data set display an available program title;
- causing display of a window displaying information concerning a program title of a highlighted cell, wherein the window is located such that there are no non-highlighted cells between the highlighted cell and the window, wherein the celled grid and the window overlap such that the highlighted cell of the celled grid is located within the window, wherein the window and the celled grid overlap such that the window displays a description of a program associated with the highlighted cell outside of the overlap, and wherein the window and the highlighted cell have a consistent background that differs from a background of other cells in the celled grid;
- processing an instruction indicating a change in which cell to highlight;
- and
- causing presentation of an update to an electronic program guide including a newly highlighted cell within the window in response to processing of the instruction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.