Patent Publication Number: US-2011078739-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for producing an epg

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing an EPG from program information in an EPG database for a plurality of channels. The EPG displays items relating to the programs available on a plurality of channels at a specified time. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Users may now access media provided through various distribution means, such as television and radio broadcasts or via the interne, and an increasing number of channels providing media are available on each of these distribution systems. Such channels may be available freely or may require a subscription or individual payments (“on-demand” services) to allow the user to access them. 
     Increasingly, media is distributed with additional information regarding the programming schedule of media that will be available via a particular channel at particular times. Such information usually comprises the start and end times of a particular program on a particular channel and the name of the program. However, further information, such as a brief synopsis of the program may also be included. It is also possible to transmit sample images or videos of the program with this scheduling data. 
     Users may access the various channels of media via different means, such as via a television or computer or mobile handset. Conventionally, such apparatuses have been developed to provide access to the scheduling data to the user via an Electronic Program Guide (EPG). Such EPGs conventionally display scheduling information over a fixed period of time for a selection of channels. The EPG can be manipulated to show information about programs available during that period of time and on those channels, or to allow a user to select a channel to view. 
     However, the growing number of sources of media channels and the growing number of channels available from the different sources has resulted in EPGs which are difficult to use and may be confusing to the user. As a result, it is often difficult to find relevant programming or to find and access programming that a user knows exists. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     There is a need for an improved apparatus for producing an EPG from program information in an EPG database for a plurality of channels. The present invention aims to at least partly address this need and the above-mentioned problems. 
     According to the invention, there is provided a method for producing an EPG from an EPG database for a plurality of channels, the method comprising the steps of: output display data for instructing a display unit to display program information items in an array, each program information item corresponding to a program available on a different one of the plurality of channels at a first time, in an array; accepting user input to select a second time; identifying program information, from the EPG database, for the programs available at the second time on the plurality of channels; judging whether a program available at the first time on a channel in the subset of channels is the same as the program available at the second time on the channel; and only updating data in the display data corresponding to a program information item for a channel for which the judging unit judges that the program available at the first time is not the same as the program available at the second time. 
     According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for producing an EPG from program information in an EPG database for a plurality of channels, the apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to output display data for instructing a display unit to display program information items, each program information item corresponding to a program available on a different one of the plurality of channels at a first time, in an array and the display data including program information data for respective program information items; a time selection unit comprising a user input interface to allow a user to specify a second time; a program information identification unit, configured to identify program information, from the EPG database, for the programs available at the second time on the plurality of channels; and a judging unit for judging whether a program available at the first time on a channel of the plurality of channels is the same as the program available at the second time on the channel; wherein the control unit further comprises a display information updating unit configured to update program information data only for a channel for which the judging unit judges that the program available at the first time is not the same as the program available at the second time. 
     According to this embodiment of the invention, an EPG may be provided which is intuitive for a user to understand. The user is presented with an array of program information items via the display unit. The program information items correspond to programs available on different channels at the first time. When the user selects a second time, the apparatus for producing the EPG identifies the channels for which a different program will be available at the second time, compared with the first time. The program information items in the EPG array corresponding to those channels are then updated. That is, only the program information items corresponding to the identified channels, for which a different program will be available at the second time, are updated. The user can therefore easily identify the channels on which the program available is different at the second time. This provides a better EPG experience to the user compared with prior art systems which simply reproduce scheduling data for a given time, updating all channels together whether they need to be or not. 
     The program information items may comprise a still image and/or a moving image and/or text. In preferred embodiments, images are used for the program information items, as this provides an intuitive interface for the user. 
     The array may be an array of visual tiles, each tile corresponding to a program information item for one of the plurality of channels. In preferred embodiments, the channels represented by each tile remains the same whilst the time selected is changed. This provides consistency in the EPG interface which makes the EPG easier to use for a user. 
     In preferred embodiments the control unit is further configured to output display data for instructing said display unit to highlight a program information item corresponding to said program information data for said channel which is updated by said display information updating unit. By highlighting program information items which have been updated, the channels on which programming has changed are emphasised to the user. The highlighting provides visual indicia to the user, to help them identify the channels on which a different program is available at the newly selected time. The user can therefore quickly assess the changes in programming. This assessment can be difficult in the absence of highlighting, especially in the case of moving images being used as program information items. This is because it can be difficult to identify when a program information item has changed, rather than there being a change in the moving image of the same program information item. The highlighting may take any suitable form, such as the provision of a border or some form of animation. 
     Preferably, the display data comprises data for instructing said display unit to highlight said program information item by animating the program information item corresponding to the program available at the first time to move out of said array and animating the program information item corresponding to the program available at the second time to move into said array. Preferably, the program information item for the first time is moved forwards from the array to a vanishing point, whilst the program information item for the second time is moved forwards into the array, from a starting point behind the array. This form of animation is especially intuitive to a user because it gives the impression of navigating a ‘timeline’ comprising layers of program information items. 
     The time selection unit may comprises an automatic selection unit for selecting the second time according to a predefined heuristic. This feature may allow automatic navigation through the EPG—for example previewing programming available at the start of every hour. Alternatively, if the data displayed by the EPG becomes out of date, for example a program on a channel finishes whilst the EPG is being viewed for the present time, the EPG may be updated automatically to show the correct information for that channel. 
     The judging unit may be configured to judge that the program available at the first time is different to the program available at the second time for the channel if the program information for the first time is different to the program information for the second time for the channel. 
     The display information updating unit may be configured to replace program information data, which corresponds to the channel for which the judging unit judges that the program available at the first time is not the same as the program available at the second time, with program information data corresponding to the program available on the channel at the second time. Updating the EPG in this way is intuitive for a user to understand, especially when the previous and replacement program information items are positioned at the same point in the array. 
     The display information updating unit may be configured to replace program information data, which corresponds to the channel for which the judging unit judges that the program available at the first time is not the same as the program available at the second time because there is no program available at the second time, with program information data corresponding to a program available on another channel at the second time, wherein program information data for a program item available on the another channel was not previously present in the display data. This overcomes the problem of what to display in the EPG if a channel has no programming at a selected time. By replacing the program information item with a program information item for another channel, the user is provided with information about available programming at the selected time. 
     The display information updating unit may be configured to replace program information data, which corresponds to the channel for which the judging unit judges that the program available at the first time is not the same as the program available at the second time because there is no program available at the second time, with program information data indicating that no program is available on the channel at the second time. This is an alternative way to overcome the problem of what to display in the EPG if a channel has no programming at a selected time. By replacing the program information item with an item indicating the channel is not broadcasting, the user is made aware of when particular channels are available. 
     Preferably, the display data includes instruction data for the display unit to display the program information item, corresponding to the replacement program information data, in the same position in the array as the program information item being replaced. This avoids rearranging program information items which are not being updated, avoiding confusion on the part of the user. Further, this method of updating reinforces the impression of a particular position in the array corresponding to a particular channel, which is helpful to the user. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a preference determining unit, for determining channels for which data of program information items are included in the display data. This allows the apparatus to present a customised EPG, for example based on channels the user either wants to see in the EPG, through a pre-defined preference, or by providing an EPG based on frequently viewed channels. 
     The apparatus may be embodied within a television set, a computer display device, a mobile telephone or any other suitable device. 
     The method of the present invention may also be adapted to implement the optional features of the apparatus of the present invention, which are described above. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program capable of execution by an apparatus for producing an EPG from an EPG database for a plurality of channels, the computer program being arranged, on execution, to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to the method of the present invention described above. 
     A storage medium may store the computer program. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a system comprising an apparatus for producing an EPG according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of an EPG produced according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of an alternative EPG produced according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows representations of devices on which and EPG may be shown.  FIG. 4   a  shows a television set,  FIG. 4   b  shows a computer and  FIG. 4   c  shows a mobile telephone. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Entertainment systems, such as a television, conventionally allow access to an EPG via a display screen. A user may interact with the EPG, for example using remote control, to access scheduling and program information for media being provided on various channels accessible via the entertainment system. 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing an EPG for such an entertainment system. The following discussion of the invention makes particular references to an EPG provided on a television set. As shown in  FIG. 4   a , a television set  60  may show an EPG on a screen  61 . The television may be controlled via a remote control  62 . However, it will be understood that the invention can be implemented on any other suitable entertainment device, such as a computer or mobile phone or other portable entertainment device.  FIG. 4   b  shows a computer  70  which may display an EPG on a screen  71 .  FIG. 4   c  shows a mobile telephone  80  which may display an EPG on a screen  81 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a system  100 , which may be embodied as a television set. The system comprises an apparatus for producing an EPG  10 , an EPG database  20 , and a display device  30 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the apparatus for producing an EPG accepts program information from the EPG database as an input and provides display data as an output to the display unit, for instructing the display unit to display program information items in an EPG. 
     The apparatus for producing an EPG comprises a control unit  11 , which is configured to output display data for instructing the display device  30  to display program information items. For example,  FIG. 2  shows an example of an EPG that may be displayed on the display device  30 . The EPG comprises an array  40  of six program information items  41 , arranged in two rows and three columns. However, the number of rows or columns in the array  40  is not limited by the invention. The control unit  11  is configured to output display data instructing the display unit  30  to display the program information items  41 , which each correspond to a program available on a different one of the plurality of channels at a selected time. The program information items  41  are arranged in an array and may present program information data for the programs available on the channels at the selected time. The program information items  41  may not provide all the program information data available. For example, the program information items  41  may preferentially show a picture representing the program available, as shown in  FIG. 2 , whilst synoptic information or start and end times are not shown. Such information may be further accessed via further manipulation of the EPG. 
     The apparatus for producing an EPG  10  further comprises a time selection unit  12  that comprises a user input interface to allow a user to specify a time. The user input interface may be provided by any suitable means, for example accepting input provided via a remote control or via a touch screen interface. The time selection unit  12  may also be configured to automatically select a time. For example, when the EPG is first accessed, the time selection unit may be configured to select a time that corresponds to the present time (i.e. the time of access). Alternatively, the time selection unit may be configured to remember the last time selected when the EPG was previously accessed. Further, if the selected time becomes a time in the past (that is, the selected time passes whilst the EPG is being viewed), the time selection unit  12  may be configured to select a new time, for example the present time. 
     The apparatus for producing an EPG  10  further comprises a program information identification unit  13 . The program information identification unit  13  accepts the time selected by the time selection unit  12  as an input. The program information identification unit  13  also has access to the EPG database  20 . When the program information identification unit  13  receives a time from the time selection unit  12 , it identifies program information from the EPG database  20 , corresponding to programs available at the selected time from the information available in the EPG database  20 . 
     The EPG database  20  may be populated from data carried in Service Information in Digital Television transmissions. For DVB broadcasts such information may be in the Event Information Table (EIT). EIT may be carried some or all of the broadcast channels (services) on one or more channel (services) known as cross-carried EPG data. Present/Following EPG data may also be broadcast for now and next available programs (events). This can be more accurate as it is updated more frequently and may also be used in the EPG database  20  of the present invention. Alternatively the EPG database  20  may be populated by a service provider using an alternative network connection to the broadcast network (e.g. an internet connection). In some embodiments thumbnails moving video clips corresponding to scheduled programs may be provided via the alternative network connection and identified by event identifiers corresponding to those in broadcast EPG data in order to relate two or more sources of data to one another. Alternative identifiers are possible. Thumbnails and video clips may also be delivered via the broadcast network. 
     The program information identified by the program information identification unit  13  is provided to a judging unit  14 . Judging unit  14  is configured to judge whether programs available on the various channels at the time selected via the time selection unit  12  differ from the programs available on those channels at the previously selected time. The judging unit  14  may perform this comparison by comparing the program information for a channel at the selected time with the program information for the channel at the previously selected time. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the judging unit  14  performs this comparison by accepting an input from the control unit  11 , providing the program information for the channels at the previously selected time. However, the judging unit  14  may alternatively comprise a memory that retains the program information for the previously selected time. The information in that memory could be used to perform the comparison to establish whether the programs available on the various channels have changed. Once the judging operation has been performed, the memory may be updated to retain the program information for the most recently selected time. 
     The results of the comparison made by the judging unit  14 , are provided to control unit  11 . The control unit  11  comprises an information updating unit  15 . The information updating unit  15  updates the display data being output to the display  30 , based on the output of the judging unit. When the program available on a particular channel is judged by the judging unit  14  to have changed at the newly selected time, the display information updating unit  15  updates the display data output to the display  30 . That is, only the display data related to the channel for which the program available has changed, is updated 
     The display data may be updated to contain information about the program available on the channel at the newly selected time. Preferably, program information items  41  corresponding to programs available on the same channel (but at different times) are displayed on the display device  30  at the same position in the array  40 . However, there may be certain circumstances in which there is no program available at the second time on a particular channel. In those circumstances, the display data may be updated so that the display device  30  shows a program information item  41  indicating that no program is available, or alternatively to show a program information item  41  for a different channel. 
     The control unit  11  further comprises a preference determining unit  16 , for determining channels for which data of program information items  41  are included in the display data. Usually, the display data provided to the display device  30  by the control unit  11 , instructs the display device  30  to display program information items for a sub-set of all the channels for which program information is available in the EPG database  20 . Although many channels of media are available to users, users access certain channels much more frequently, according to their preferences. As such, a user can find it unhelpful and unwieldy for an EPG to provide information about channels that the user does not have any interest in. 
     Therefore, the control unit  11  may be configured to output display data instructing the display device  30  to display program information items  41  for only a subset of all the channels available. The subset of channels is determined by the preference determining unit  16 . The preference determining unit  16  may be periodically updated with the user&#39;s preferred channels. For example, the user&#39;s preferred channels may be determined according to the user&#39;s viewing habits (i.e. based on the frequency of viewing particular channels), or a predefined preference list provided by the user or any other heuristic. The user&#39;s preferences may also be determined for a particular category, such as sport or news, and this information may also be used by the apparatus for producing the EPG  10 . For instance, apparatus  10  may produce an EPG capable offering the option to view program information items  41  for channels in a particular category, and those program information items  41  may be arranged according to the user&#39;s preferences within that category. 
     In the case where the display device  30  does not display program information items  41  for all available channels, and there is no program available on a particular channel at a newly selected time, the control unit  11  may be configured to provide display data instructing the display device  30  to display a program information item  41  for a program available on a channel which was not previously represented in the array  40 . 
     Apparatus may be configured to detect absence of information for a particular channel at a particular time to determine that no program is available. Pre-stored text such as “closedown” may be compared with information in the EPG database to determine that no program is available. Other metadata may be signalled in TV transmissions and used to detect that that no program is available. For example, a “running status” may be broadcast in Service Information which indicates that a channel (Service) is (or is not) currently on air. 
     During operation, when a user accesses the EPG via display unit  30 , they are presented with an array  40  of program information items  41  corresponding to a first time. As previously discussed, the first time may correspond to the present time or the last time selected when the EPG was last accessed. Preferably, the program information items  41  are presented as visual tiles in the array  40 . Each tile may contain text or a still or moving image representative of the program available on a channel at the selected time. 
     The user may then select a second time, which is the time of interest. The second time may be input to the entertainment system  100  via any suitable means, such as a remote control, keypad or touch screen. The time may be input in any manner, for example by directly entering the time using numbers on a remote control, or by a further interaction with the EPG. 
     The second time input by the user is received by the time selection unit  12  of the apparatus for producing the EPG  10 . As described above, the apparatus for producing an EPG  10  proceeds to retrieve program information data and update the data being sent to the display device  30  to produce the EPG for the second time. 
     For programs that are available at both the first and second times on a channel (i.e. a program which hasn&#39;t changed between the first and second time), the program data is preferably not changed and the user will preferably see the same program information items  41  provided at the same position in the array  40  of the EPG. 
     If the program available on a particular channel is different at the second time compared to the first time, the user will see the program information item  41  updated. That is, only the program information items  41  corresponding to channels for which a different program is available at the second time, compared to the first time, are updated. However, it can be difficult to identify program information items that have been updated, especially in the case of a program information item  41  being a moving image. This is because it can be difficult to distinguish between a moving image which has changed itself, compared to a moving image which has been replaced by a different moving image. Therefore, preferably the control unit  11  of the apparatus for producing an EPG  10  is configured to include data in the display data to instruct the display device  30  to highlight program information items  41  which have been updated. The particular form of highlighting may vary. 
     For example, in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , a program information item  41 , in array  40 , is highlighted by the provision of a border  42  to the program information item  41 . The provision of the border  42  highlights a program information item  41  that has been updated. The border  42  may persist until a new time is selected, or may fade or disappear after a predetermined length of time. The border  42  itself may be any suitable shape or pattern, or have any suitable decoration. If program information items  41  for several channels are changed, then each program information item  41  that changes is provided with a border  42 . 
       FIG. 3   a  shows an example of an alternative EPG produced according to the present invention. The array  40  of program information items  41  is provided in a perspective view. Further, the EPG has a second array  43 , also displayed in perspective view, behind the first array  40 . It will be appreciated that providing a perspective view for the arrays in this embodiment is optional. The second array  43  has the same form as the first array  40 , but may contain items or tiles that are not program information items. Alternatively, the second array  43  may contain program information items  41  corresponding to subsequent programs available on the channels represented at the same position as in the first array  40 . That is, the first array  40  may show program information items corresponding to programs available at a selected time on a series of channels, whilst the second array  43  represents program information items corresponding to programs that are next available after the selected time on the same series of channels. 
     The items of the second array  43  may not be fully visible, as they may be obscured by the first array  40 . 
     When a second time is selected, and the program available on a particular channel differs at the second time from the program available at the first time, the change of program is highlighted by animating the arrays  40  and  43 .  FIG. 3   b  shows the animation of the EPG of  FIG. 3   a  in progress. A program information item  41   a  corresponding to a program available at the first time, but not at the second time, is animated to move forwards from the first array  40  and to subsequently vanish. Alternatively, the program information item  41   a  may be animated to move off the screen.  FIG. 3   b  shows the program information item  41  a displaced away from its original position in the array, before it has vanished. Also, the item  41   b  in the second array  43  for the same channel at the same relative position is animated to move forward into the first array  40 .  FIG. 3   b  shows item  41   b  as it is moved from the second array  43  to the first array  40 . A new item is displayed at the position vacated in the second array  43  by item  41   b , this is not shown in  FIG. 3   b . In contrast, no such animation occurs for program items corresponding to channels for which the program does not change between the first and second times. 
     If the item  41   b  starting in the second array  43  was previously not a program information item  41 , it is updated to be a program information item  41 , corresponding to the program available on the channel at the second time, during the animation. 
     If the item  41   b  starting in the second array  43  originally shows a program information item  41  for the subsequent program on the channel after the first time, it may be that the second time does not correspond to a time at which the subsequent program is available. That is, there may be a large difference between the first and second times, but the programs available on the channel may be relatively short. In that case, during the animation, the program information item  41   b  starting in the second array  43  may be updated to show the program information item  41  corresponding the program available at the second time. 
     In either case, as a result, program information items corresponding to the newly selected time are shown in the first array. 
     In the case of the item  41   b  starting in the second array  43  originally showing the program information item  41  for the subsequent program on the channel after the first time, the animation may be further extended. In particular, the animation may be further extended in the case when the second time does not correspond to a time at which the subsequent program is available. The animation may show program information items  41  for all the intermediate programs, available between the first time and the second time, as appearing in the second array  43  and moving forwards, through the position of the first array  40 , before moving to the vanishing point or off the screen. 
     In this case, instead of updating the program information item  41   b  starting in the second array  43  to be the program information item corresponding to the program available on the channel at the second time, the animation may show sequentially the program information items  41  for each program between the first and second times appearing in the second array  43 , moving from the second array  43  to the first array  40  and then to the vanishing point. This allows the user to be provided with an indication of the programs that are available between the first and second times. 
     In this embodiment, the program information identification unit  13  is configured to identify program information for all the programs available between the first and second times. This program information is provided to the control unit  11  for incorporation into the output display data for instructing the display device  30  to produce the EPG. That is, the control unit  11  may be further configured to output display data for instructing the display device  30  to highlight program information items  41  which are updated by displaying program information items for programs available on the channel at intermediate times, between the first and second times, whilst updating the program information item  41  in the first array. 
     In some embodiments the EPG may be produced on the display of a remote control device for operating a television receiver. The remote control device may be connected to a television device wirelessly for example by Bluetooth or wireless Ethernet protocols. Some or all of the EPG database may be communicated to a memory and processor of the remote control device and the remote control device may be configured to produce the EPG on its display. In alternative embodiments, the remote control device may run software on its processor which is comparable of receiving instructions or raw data in a structured form such as XML from the television receiver device or other source and to produce the EPG on its display.