Patent ID: 6405371
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of navigating through television program guide data comprising the steps of:receiving electronic program guide data including a scheduled broadcast time and one or more descriptors defining respective properties of said television programs; storing at least a portion of said data in memory; receiving user commands containing selection criteria identifying a selected time and a selected descriptor value; receiving a command to display images associated with television programs that meet said user specified criteria; correlating said user-specified criteria with the television program data in memory to identify the programs that meet said selection criteria; perceptibly marking the sub-images corresponding with television programs having the selected descriptor value at the selected time; receiving a command indicating that one of said sub-images has been selected; and reproducing the sound signal of the television program associated with a user-selected one of said sub-images; further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying a selected row or column of said plurality of sub-images and a television program selected from said row or column.