Patent ID: 9143837
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for providing an electronic program guide for use in a multimedia reproduction system, the method comprising: at the multimedia reproduction system: (a) grouping first electronic program list data according to at least two condition factors from a plurality of condition factors to generate at least a first set of two-dimensional program list data, wherein the at least two condition factors are not related to program broadcasting time; and (b) controlling a display unit of the multimedia reproduction system to present the at least the first set of two-dimensional program list data in a form of a virtual channel, wherein the virtual channel is with a virtual channel code and displayed on a screen of the multimedia reproduction system, wherein the screen displays a plurality of image blocks on a first plane, the image blocks on the first plane individually represent at least a portion of programs corresponding to the virtual channel and are arranged according to first and second coordinate axes corresponding to first and second condition factors of the at least two condition factors; wherein: in the step (a), the at least two condition factors further include a third condition factor not related to program broadcasting time, the step (a) further generates a second set of two-dimensional program list data; and in the step (b), the step (b) further displays the second set of two-dimensional program list data on the screen, wherein the screen further displays a plurality of image blocks on a second plane, the image blocks on the second plane individually represent at least a portion of programs corresponding to the second set of two-dimensional program list data and are arranged according to the first and second coordinate axes corresponding to the first and second condition factors; wherein when the system receives a selection indication, a program represented by one of the image blocks corresponding to the selection indication is played on the screen of the system, the screen further displays the first plane and the second plane arranged in a three-dimensional space simulated on the screen according to a third coordinate axis corresponding to the third condition factor, and the third coordinate axis is controllable by a user.