Abstract:
An electronic content guide may organize content such as television programs into categories and subcategories. The categories and subcategories may be topical as well as time-based. As a result, the user can select a given time-based criteria and within that time-based criteria select topical subcategories. As a result, the number of programs that may be displayed in any given graphical user interface may be reduced to a manageable level. This may be done without requiring a great deal of scrolling to view selected categories, subcategories and particular programs.

Description:
[0001]    This is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 09/599,242 filed Jun. 22, 2000 entitled “Electronic Programming Guide with Selectable Categories”. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to electronic programming guides (also known as electronic content guides) for facilitating the selection of programming for viewing.  
           [0003]    Conventionally, electronic programming guides provide a graphical display of programs that are available for viewing on a given channel at given times. Conventional electronic programming guides include a grid display with times across the horizontal axis and channels across the vertical axis. Each program associated with a given channel at a given time may be selected by mouse clicking on the program description. Upon selection, the program is automatically tuned for viewing.  
           [0004]    While such content guides provide many advantages, there are many who would prefer to find programming content using topical or category style listings. Thus, some electronic content guides provide listings for particular categories of content such as movies or sports. However, these content guides generally dispense with any type of time and channel organization and simply list all of the content available within a given category.  
           [0005]    Because the number of available programs at any instance in time is increasing rapidly, there is a continuing need for better ways to organize and implement electronic programming guides. Moreover, existing grid based displays require extensive scrolling to view the full extent of available program listings in some cable and satellite systems, it is sometimes difficult to quickly realize all of the available program options.  
           [0006]    Thus, there is a need for an electronic content guide that better organizes the available content for easier selection and viewing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a view of a graphical user interface in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a view of a graphical user interface of FIG. 1 after a particular program has been selected for more information;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is another version of a graphical user interface for an electronic content guide in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a variation of the graphical user interface shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a flow chart for software in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a flow chart for software in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is a block diagram for hardware in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring to FIG. 1, a graphical user interface  10  for implementing an electronic content guide includes a plurality of selectable category icons  12  represented as “virtual” file folders. Each category icon  12  may be predefined or may be user definable. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, category icon  12   a  is provided for favorite programs,  12   b  for movies,  12   c  for currently available programs,  12   d  for programs available in the next hour,  12   e  for sports programs,  12   f  for news and  12   g  for animal related content. Of course, the categorization of content is infinitely variable and a variety of different embodiments may be provided.  
         [0015]    However, in some embodiments of the present invention, it is advantageous to organize the programming into both topical categories and time-based categories. Thus, the categories  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   e ,  12   f  and  12   g  are topical categories in that they relate to some characteristic of the program other than time. In contrast, the icons  12   c  and  12   d  select time-based categories, namely programs available now and programs available in an hour. Additional time-based categories may be provided to cover time periods further into the future.  
         [0016]    In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the category icon  12   c  has been selected as indicated by the highlighting  26 . A plurality of subcategory icons  14  are then displayed, for example as “virtual” file folders. Conventionally, each of the subcategory icons  14  may be displayed in association with a particular one of the category icons  12  such as the current icon  12   c.    
         [0017]    Thus, when the user selects currently available programs through the icon  12   c , the user may thereafter select currently available news programs through the icon  14   a , currently available sports through the icon  14   b , currently available movies through the icon  14   c , currently available drama series through the icon  14   d , currently available animal programs through the icon  14   e , currently available favorite programs through the icon  14   f  and currently available series through the icon  14   g  in one embodiment. Of course the variety of categorization within the icons  14  is highly variable.  
         [0018]    One purpose of the category icons  14  may be to refine the amount of information that is displayed on a given graphical user interface. Another purpose may be to reduce the amount of information to an extent that the information is easily discernable in a single screen without excessive scrolling.  
         [0019]    An icon  16  gives the current time. Thus, the current icon  12   c  selects content currently available at the time indicated by the icon  16 .  
         [0020]    In the illustration shown in FIG. 1, the user has selected the current icon  12   c  and the favorites subcategory icon  14   f , both of which are highlighted. Thus, the user has selected favorite programs that are currently available in the illustrated example. The basis for defining favorites may be extremely varied. The user may simply enter what the user decides at any given instance of time, such as any given day of the week, are his or her favorite programs. As another example, the system can automatically discern what are the favorite programs based on how frequently the user views a given program over varying time periods.  
         [0021]    In the illustration shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of programs  22  are listed as entries in two columns  20   a  and  20   b . These programs  22  are either currently in progress or just beginning, in keeping with the selection of currently available programs, through the icon  12   c , and favorites among currently available programs through the selection of the icon  14   f.    
         [0022]    Thus, the X-Files program  22 , runs from 7:00 to 9:00 as indicated by the indicia  18  and  19 . The bar indicia  19  graphically indicates how much of the program has already been displayed or broadcast in the past using differently color indicia  18  and  19 . Since the X-Files started at 7:00 and the current time is 8:00, the bar indicia  19  indicates that the program is half completed. Through the juxtaposition of the start time, indicated as 7:00, and the end time, indicated as 9:00, and the bar indicia  19 , the user can determine the program timing and can determine how much of the program is left to view as indicated by the differently colored indicia  18 .  
         [0023]    Similarly, other programs include a bar type indicia  19  of the available time left in a given program and conversely the amount of the program that has already been missed. In the case of programs that are just starting at the current time (8:00) such as ER, no such graphical bar is provided since no portion of the program has been missed. To select a given program for viewing, the user simply clicks on the program listing  22  and the program is automatically displayed for viewing.  
         [0024]    A plurality of additional icons may be provided such as a search icon  34 , a record icon  36  and a chat icon  38 . The search icon  34  brings up a graphical user interface that facilitates a keyword search through all the programs available through the graphical user interface  10 . The keyword search may search through descriptive textual material stored in association with one or more programs.  
         [0025]    The record icon  36  facilitates the recording of any program on the graphical user interface  10 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the user can simply click on a given program and drag and drop it into to the record icon  36 , to automatically cause a given program to automatically be recorded. The chat icon  38  may be selected after selecting a given program to automatically enter a chat room associated with a given program.  
         [0026]    Turning next to FIG. 2, the user has mouse selected a program  22  as indicated by the positioning of the mouse cursor  32  over the entry  22 . In response to selection of the entry  22 , an expanded graphical user interface  21  is produced which overlays the column  20   b  (FIG. 1). The interface  21  provides additional information about the selected program entry  22 . In this case, additional material  40  is given about the program in general. For example, the title of the program, the stars, and a description of the particular episode may be provided in the material  40 . In addition, information may be provided about the current stage of the program. This information may include a video thumbnail  44  depiction of the current frame being displayed plus a description  42  of the particular stage of the program. For example, the description  42  may be provided for a particular chapter or other subdivision within the program  22 . However, the description  42  may be even more timely, indicating what is currently going on at that instance in the given ongoing program.  
         [0027]    In addition, the type of content associated with the program, such as science fiction, is indicated at  48 . A star system  41  may also be provided to indicate the degree to which the program is one of the user&#39;s favorites. For example, based on the number of times that the user watches the series, a program in the series may be given a star rating  41  from one to four stars in one embodiment. This information may be helpful to the user in determining that in fact this program is the one that the user wishes to watch.  
         [0028]    In some embodiments, the entries  22  may be ordered from top to bottom in each column  20  based on the frequency with which the user views the series that includes program represented by an entry  22 . For example, the programs with the highest star rating  41  may be listed prominently at the top of the columns  20 .  
         [0029]    Turning next to FIG. 3, a graphical user interface  10   a  displays entries  22  that satisfy the currently available category icon  12   c  and favorites subcategory  12   f , where the number of these entries  22  exceeds the capacity of the two column display shown in FIG. 1. In this case, a three column display is automatically constructed including columns  20   a ,  20   b  and  20   c.    
         [0030]    While the size of the text associated with each column  20  in FIG. 3 may be unchanged from that shown in FIG. 1, the amount of information, shown in each column  20  may be decreased in one embodiment. For example, the time information may be cut off in the graphical user interface  10   a  shown in FIG. 3 to provide enough room to display, on a single display screen, all of the appropriate programs. In some embodiments, additional scrolling may be necessary to see all the available programs.  
         [0031]    If the user wants additional information about a program, the user may select a particular program as indicated by the cursor  32  (on the program Animal Adventures) to cause additional information such as the time information to scroll into view as indicated at  24  in FIG. 4. Thus, additional information may be made available by scrolling the display for each entry  22 .  
         [0032]    The user can also click on the displayed entry  22  to receive the additional information, as shown in FIG. 2, through the interface  21 . Thus, if the user right clicks on an entry  22 , the user may get the interface  21  and if the user left mouse clicks the user gets the scrolling shown in FIG. 4, as one example. To actually select an entry  22  for viewing, the user may double click on the entry  22 , in one embodiment.  
         [0033]    The software  50  for implementing the graphical user interface  10 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, begins by determining whether a category icon  12  has been selected as indicated in diamond  52 . If so, the associated subcategory icons  14  are displayed as indicated in block  54 . Thus, in some cases, particular subcategory icons  14  may be associated with a given category icon  12 . A check at diamond  56  determines whether one of the subcategory icons  14  has been selected. If so, associated programs  22  are displayed as indicated in block  58 . A check at diamond  60  determines whether the user has double clicked on an entry  22 . If so, the software  50  automatically tunes the program for viewing as indicated in block  62 .  
         [0034]    Otherwise, a check at diamond  64  determines whether a single click has occurred. If so, additional information may be displayed through the interface  21  shown in FIG. 2, for example, as indicated in block  66 .  
         [0035]    A check at diamond  68  determines whether the user has dragged and dropped a program into the record icon  36 . If so, the program is automatically scheduled for recording as indicated in block  70 .  
         [0036]    The set-up software  80 , shown in FIG. 6, for setting up the electronic content guide  10  shown in FIG. 1 begins by receiving user category input listings to complete the category icons  12  as indicated in block  82 . Next, the software  80  receives input data in the form of user subcategory icon entries  14  as indicated in the block  84 . Thereafter, the software  80  may receive the actual entries for a given subcategory in the form of program entries  22  in one embodiment of the present invention, illustrated by the block  86 .  
         [0037]    The information received in blocks  82 ,  84  and  86  may then be assembled into a graphical user interface (block  88 ). For example, depending on the number of programs that fit within a given category and subcategory, a two column graphical user interface  10  may be assembled as indicated in FIG. 1 or a three or more column interface  10   a  may be assembled as indicated in FIG. 4. In addition, the icons  12  and  14  are generated in the file folder format shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0038]    The number of columns  20  is determined based on the number of programs that satisfy a given category and subcategory as indicated in block  90 . If the number of columns is greater than a predetermined number as determined in diamond  92 , the scroll feature may be provided. In such case, the amount of information displayed may be reduced from that shown in FIG. 1, for example, to the format shown in FIG. 3 where scrolling is utilized to obtain the time information. In other embodiments of the present invention, depending on the number of program entries to be displayed the size of the individual entries  22  may be reduced by making the font smaller or changing the number of entries per column.  
         [0039]    Turning finally to FIG. 7, a processor-based system  100  for implementing one embodiment of the present invention includes a processor  102  coupled to a north bridge  104 . The system  100 , for example, may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a processor-based appliance or a set-top box as illustrated in FIG. 7.  
         [0040]    The north bridge  104  couples a system memory  106  and a decoder  110  (via the link  114 ). The decoder is coupled to a demodulator/tuner  108  and may be coupled to a source of television programming such as a cable connection, the Internet or a satellite receiver. The decoder  110  is also coupled to a television receiver  112 . The decoder  110  separates audio and video demodulated content and provides the video information to the north bridge  104  and the audio information to the south bridge  116  by the bus  124  in one embodiment.  
         [0041]    The south bridge  116  communicates with the coder/decoder (codec)  120  that provides an audio output through amplifiers and speakers  122 . A hard disk drive  118  is coupled to the south bridge  116  to store software programs  50  and  80 . A firmware hub  132  may store basic information for operation of the system  100 . The firmware hub  132  may be flash memory or other non-volatile memory in one embodiment of the present invention. The hub  132  may also store information about particular television programs which is desirable to maintain in a non-volatile memory.  
         [0042]    A serial input/output (SIO) device  126  is coupled to an interface  128  which, in one embodiment of the present invention, is a wireless interface such as a radio or infrared interface. The interface  128  communicates with a remote control unit  130  that operates through a compatible interface.  
         [0043]    While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.