Patent ID: 7203952
Filing Date: 2007-04-10
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for indicating a completion status of a media program, the method comprising: displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) having first and second axes and a plurality of elements, the first axis corresponding to a plurality of media providers, the second axis corresponding to a plurality of time slots, each element corresponding to a media program; displaying a line indicating a current time across at least a portion of the EPG, wherein the line is perpendicular to the second axis and bisects an element of the EPG into an elapsed portion and a remaining portion, the elapsed portion being proportional in size to an elapsed time of a media program corresponding to the element, and the remaining portion being proportional in size to a remaining time thereof; generating a separate graph of elapsed time versus running time for a first media program when a portion of the element corresponding to the first media program cannot be displayed within the plurality of time slots currently associated with the second axis, the graph indicating to a user the elapsed proportion of the first media program without requiring the user to refer to other portions of the EPG indicating a start time and an end time associated with the first media program; and positioning the separate graph upon the corresponding element in the EPG, the graph being automatically displayed without the necessity of user input.