Patent ID: 8024755

Claim:
A method of using an interactive program guide by at least one user on a given audio/visual device, comprising the steps of: displaying an interactive program guide comprising at least one characterizing descriptor corresponding to a first one of a plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs and at least another characterizing descriptor corresponding to a second one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs; detecting preliminary selection of the first one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs and moving an area of visual focus to the first one of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs; detecting that the first one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs is preliminarily selected for greater than a predetermined amount of time and adding information corresponding to the first one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs to a list of preferred items of audio/visual content in response to the detection; detecting a user selection of the first one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs and adding information corresponding to the first one of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs to the list of preferred items in response to the detection; detecting preliminary selection of the second one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs and moving the area of visual focus away from the first one of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs; detecting an action with respect to the first one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs, which action does not comprise either selecting the first one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs or preliminarily selecting the second one of the plurality of discrete selectable audio/visual programs and displaying the list of preferred items in response to the detection; and automatically purging the list of preferred items in response to a predetermined trigger, wherein the trigger is selected from a group of triggers comprising selection of the first one the plurality of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs for viewing, selection of the second one of the plurality of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs for viewing, the expiration of a predetermined period of time after selection of the first one of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs for viewing, and the expiration of a predetermined period of time after selection of the second one of the discrete selectable audio/visual programs for viewing, whereby a temporary tool for supporting a present browsing activity is provided, and whereby the viewer is relieved of memorization and corresponding cognitive loading.