Abstract:
An electronic program guide (EPG) having a spotlight effect to focus a user&#39;s attention upon a selectable item. The EPG includes a user interface screen for providing a plurality of television programs by time and channel in a grid format. Each television program becomes selectable from the EPG based upon user interaction. The spotlight effect is depicted in association with each television program when it becomes selectable as a result of user interaction. The spotlight effect is defined by non-uniform color which at least partially surrounds and extends from the selectable television program.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to rendering of user interface screens and, more particularly, relates to providing an electronic program guide for use in a subscription television system where a user is permitted to select programs from the electronic program guide.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Subscription television systems typically include an electronic program guide (EPG). With the development of interactive digital set-top boxes (STBs), a new type of advanced multimedia EPGs were developed which may be referred to sometimes as interactive program guides (IPGs). Today, the acronyms EPG and IPG may be used interchangeably.  
         [0003]     The EPG provides an onscreen display of a program grid menu that includes a program lineup and episode information for every channel for the next several days. The program grid menu may be arranged in various ways. The program grid menu itself is a user interface where the user may navigate the program grid menu using arrow keys on a remote. For example,  FIG. 1  illustrates a typical EPG having a program grid menu based on available channel and time. The user can navigate or scroll through the list of programs within the selected time slot until the desired program is highlighted. Typically, a field in the EPG is shown as being highlighted by using a different color background relative the backgrounds of any other field. Alternatively, a selectable field may be depicted as being enlarged or oversized. In such case, the selectable field may be referred to as a pill.  
         [0004]     Once the desired field is highlighted as a selectable item, the user may select the highlighted field using the select button on the remote. In  FIG. 1 , the user has highlighted the field corresponding with the program titled “Football” which, in turn, corresponds with SPORTS 1  channel  1937 . The surrounding boundary or edge of the field corresponding with “Football” has been bolded to depict being highlighted. The boundaries of other fields associated with the highlighted field may also be bolded such as the corresponding channel and time.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  also illustrates a menu of options in which the user may interface. The user may scroll through a list of preferences until the desired field is highlighted. The highlighted field becomes selectable and therefore may be referred to as active. The user may then select that option to change its current status. Bolding is used again in  FIG. 2  to depict the Pay-Per-View (PPV) Purchases option being highlighted. Although  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate two particular examples where a field is highlighted within the EPG, today&#39;s EPGs include hundreds or even thousands of possibilities which the user may scroll through, highlight and select.  
         [0006]     However, because of the increasing number of options within an EPG, as well as because of the difficulty some users have determining which item is selectable, there is a need to bring greater attention to an active list which a user may scroll through and/or a need to bring greater attention to the selectable item in the list.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a screen-shot of a prior art graphical user interface screen depicting a selectable item.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a screen-shot of another prior art graphical user interface screen depicting a selectable item.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a screen-shot of a graphical user interface screen having a spotlight effect according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a graphical image used to create a portion of the graphical user interface screen of  FIG. 3  having the spotlight effect.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a number of tiles used to create the image of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a screen-shot of another graphical user interface screen having a spotlight effect according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a screen-shot of the graphical user interface screen of  FIG. 6A  having an alternative spotlight effect according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  illustrates a screen-shot of the graphical user interface screen of  FIG. 6A  with the spotlight effect reoriented due to user interaction according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  illustrates a screen-shot of yet another graphical user interface screen having a spotlight effect according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention is described more fully hereinbelow.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates a screen-shot of a graphical user interface screen  10  having a spotlight effect  12  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The spotlight effect  12  is preferably utilized as part of interactive television such as with an EPG/IPG as shown in  FIG. 3 . However, the spotlight effect  12  may be utilized elsewhere as part of any graphical user interface that may be implemented as part of, for example, video games, interactive course ware, PDA&#39;s, cell phones, etc.  
         [0018]     The user interface screen  10  of  FIG. 3  includes a grid menu of television programs identified by time and channel. As explained above, the television programs may be arranged in any other manner. Preferable, the user interface screen  10  is created by utilizing images which may be tiled or stretched as background for drawn text. These background images may be tiled in either horizontal or vertical directions. Those skilled in the art appreciate that any tilable image carries with it information so that the image can morph itself when the image is displayed. For example, in  FIG. 3 , the user interface screen  10  includes a background image  14  which corresponds with the list of channels and another background image  16  which corresponds with the program grid of television programs. Images  14  and  16  are depicted by broken lines. Other background images may be utilized elsewhere in the user interface screen  10 .  
         [0019]     The television program titled “Football” which corresponds with SPORTS 1  channel  1937  is identified by reference number  20 . As in prior art  FIG. 1 , the edge of the field having the text for identifying the football television program  20  and the edge of the field having the text of the corresponding channel is bolded to depict being highlighted as a result of user interaction such as scrolling through the program grid. However,  FIG. 3  is distinguishable from  FIG. 1  because of the spotlight effect  12  depicted in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0020]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the spotlight effect  12  is depicted by vertically-oriented shading lines  22   a - h  which surround the drawn text in the field of the active channel which corresponds with the football television program  20  currently identified as being selectable by the user. However, the spotlight effect  12  in another embodiment may instead be depicted directly over the selectable field such as football TV program  20 . In order to depict one embodiment of the spotlight effect  12  of the present invention, the vertically-oriented shading lines  22   a - h  gradually decrease in spacing relative one another outwards toward the edge of the image  14 . This variation in spacing between the vertically-oriented shading lines  22   a - h  symbolizes the use of non-uniform color in order to depict the spotlight effect  12 . It is preferable that the color of the image  14  appear brightest at the center of the spotlight effect  12 , such as at the selectable field and in its immediate proximity, while then darkening as distance increases from the center of the spotlight effect towards the outer confines of the spotlight effect  12 . For example, the non-uniform color usage utilized to depict the spotlight effect  12  in  FIG. 3  is brightest at the field with the text for indicating the channel corresponding with the currently selectable field for the football television program  20 . Then the color in image  14  darkens upon approaching the leftmost and rightmost edges or periphery of image  14 . However, other methods such as variations in shading utilizing lines or stippling may be used in order to depict the spotlight effect  12 .  
         [0021]     The confines of the spotlight effect  12  are generally depicted by the configuration and orientation of the vertically-oriented shading lines utilized in  FIG. 3 . The leftmost and rightmost vertically-oriented shading lines  22   a ,  22   h  correspond substantially with the leftmost and rightmost edge, respectively, of the image  14 . Moreover, the innermost vertically-oriented shading lines  22   d ,  22   e  substantially correspond with the leftmost and rightmost edges of the drawn text utilized in each of the fields within the active list of channel options the user is currently scrolling through, which includes the channel corresponding with the currently selectable field  20 . The length of each of the vertically-oriented shading lines in  FIG. 3  corresponds substantially with the height of the image  14 . However, the spotlight effect  12  depicted in  FIG. 3  preferably appears uniform in color above and below the active channel which corresponds with the selectable field of the football television program  20 . Therefore, this particular configuration of vertically-oriented shading lines may be referred to as a columnar spotlight because the spotlight effect  12  is generally column-shaped due to shading on the left and right edges of the spotlight effect which extends outward from the highlighted field and also upward and downward over other unhighlighted or currently unselectable fields. In some embodiments, however, the spotlight effect may extend outward from the highlighted field and over other unhighlighted or currently unselectable fields whether or not the spotlight effect may be referred to as columnar. Also, the color may instead also appear non-uniform above and below the selectable field or the field having the channel corresponding with the selectable field.  
         [0022]     However, the shape of the spotlight effect  12  may be varied. For example, the overall lengths of the vertically-oriented shading lines may vary, relative the underlying image or relative one another, to define the exterior confines of the spotlight effect  12 . Also, intermediate portions may be removed from one or more of the innermost shading lines on the left and right of the highlighted field, thereby segmenting the shading lines, in order to define the interior confines of the spotlight effect. For example, the interior confines of a spotlight effect may be circular, oval, elliptical or even rectangular. The present invention is not limited to the particular shapes of any spotlight effect specifically indicated in the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 4 and 5  depict one embodiment of the graphical image  14  used to create a portion of the background for the user interface screen  10  shown in  FIG. 3 . The drawn text which overlays the image  14  in FIGS.  3  is removed. However, the highlighted field that would have the channel number information which corresponds with the football television program  20  is depicted along with the vertically-oriented shading lines  22   a - h.  In order to render an image such as the image  14 , it is preferred that at least a portion of the image is rendered utilizing horizontal and/or vertical tiling.  
         [0024]     For example, the image  14  could include tiled portions  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Boundary lines  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66  have been added in  FIG. 5  in between the tiled portions  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  to highlight one embodiment of the horizontal tiling effect and the placement of non-uniform color. Tiled portion  50  includes shading lines  22   a - d  and tiled portion  58  includes shading lines  22   e - h.  Therefore, in one embodiment, the non-uniform color would be utilized in tiled portions  50  and  58  to create the spotlight effect  12 . Tiled portions  52 ,  54  and  56  are copies of one another in order to obtain the desired width of the image  14 . For example, tiled portions  52  and  56  are repeats of the center tiled portion  54 . Therefore, drawn text or portions thereof of the tiled portions  52 ,  54  and  56  would be spotlighted by the spotlight effect  12  which is defined by the shading lines  22   a - h  of tiled portions  50  and  58 . Preferably, the drawn text would be drawn over tiled portions  52 ,  54  and  56 . However, tiled portions other than the endmost tiled portions such as tiled portions  50  and  58  may also include non-uniform color, but should then appear to correspond with the use of non-uniform color in adjacent tiled portions in order to define the spotlight effect throughout the desired portion of the image. Alternatively, the spotlight effect  12  could be created by rendering an image such as a transparent image over the highlighted or selectable field so long as the drawn text could be ascertained by the user.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate different embodiments of the spotlight effect of the present invention on the same user interface screen  60 . In  FIG. 6A , the columnar spotlight effect  62  depicted is similar to columnar spotlight effect  12  depicted in  FIG. 3  because of the use of the vertically-oriented shading lines  62   a - j  to symbolize the use of non-uniform color to the left and right of the selectable field while uniform color continues to be used above and below the selectable field. The closer the vertically-oriented shading lines  62   a - j  are spaced relative to one another, the darker that portion of the spotlight effect  62  is supposed to be. The spotlight effect  62  substantially corresponds with the confines of image  64  which may be tiled as explained above in regard to image  14  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0026]     In  FIG. 6B , on the other hand, the spotlight effect  66  is substantially rectangular in shape. The spotlight effect  66  is defined by wavy lines  66   a - d  that surround the selectable field. The wavy lines  66   a - d  are spaced closer relative one another as distance increases from the center of the spotlight effect  66  focused on the selectable field. The closer the wavy lines  66   a - d  are spaced relative to one another, the darker that portion of the spotlight effect  66  is supposed to be. However, because the spotlight effect  66  is substantially rectangular, the spotlight effect  66  includes the use of non-uniform color above and below the selectable field. The spotlight effect  66  substantially corresponds with the outer confines or periphery of image  68  which may be tiled as explained above in regard to image  14  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0027]     In  FIG. 7 , the user has selected the Random/Shuffle option on user interface screen  60  which provided the chapter/track as the current selectable field. The spotlight effect  72  is directed on the user interface to focus the user&#39;s attention onto the current selectable field. The spotlight effect  72  is depicted in  FIG. 7  by vertically-oriented shading lines  72   a - j  which correspond substantially with the left and right edges of image  74  which may be tiled. The closer the vertically-oriented shading lines  72   a - j  are spaced relative to one another, the darker that portion of the spotlight effect  72  is supposed to be. In spotlight effect  72  as depicted in  FIG. 7 , non-uniform color is not utilized above and below the selectable field.  
         [0028]     In  FIG. 8 , a spotlight effect  82  is substantially rectangular in shape. The spotlight effect  82  is defined by wavy lines  82   a - d  that surround the selectable field. The wavy lines  82   a - d  are spaced closer relative one another as distance increases from the center of the spotlight effect  82  focused on the selectable field. The closer the wavy lines  82   a - d  are spaced relative to one another, the darker that portion of the spotlight effect  82  is supposed to be. However, because the spotlight effect  82  is substantially rectangular, the spotlight effect  82  includes the use of non-uniform color above and below the selectable field. The spotlight effect  82  substantially corresponds with the outer confines or periphery of image  84  which may be tiled.  
         [0029]     The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.