Program schedule user interface

Claim 2

An interactive television schedule system, comprising: a display for displaying at least one selected channel, a controller coupled to the display for displaying program schedule information in the form of a multiply configurable program screen guide and for configuring the multiply configurable program screen guide, said multiply configurable program screen guide comprising a channel bar for identifying a plurality of selectable program channels with an alphanumeric identification for each of said channels and for identifying a currently selected channel, and a user input coupled to the controller for providing user input control signals, said controller being responsive to a first user input control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to include only the channel bar, and being responsive to a second user input control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to include the channel bar in combination with a program information grid of two-dimensionally arranged information slots, each row of information slots corresponding to a channel identified in the channel bar and including an information slot for at least a current program.

Claim 3

The interactive television schedule system of claim 1 in which the user input comprises left and right movement control arrow keys and the controller is responsive to the movement control arrow keys to highlight an information slot in the program information grid, wherein the first user input control signal comprises an activation of the left movement control arrow key when an information slot for a current program is highlighted.

Claim 4

The interactive television schedule system of claim 2 wherein the second user input control signal comprises an activation of the right movement control arrow key when the multiply configurable program screen guide is configured to display only the channel bar.

Claim 5

The interactive television schedule system of claim 1 in which the controller is responsive to a third user input control signal to configure the channel bar to identify each of the plurality of selectable program channels by channel name and identify the currently selected channel by channel number, and is responsive to a fourth user input control signal to configure the channel bar to identify each of the plurality of selectable program channels by channel number and identify the currently selected channel by channel name.

Claim 6

The interactive television schedule system of claim 1 in which the controller is responsive to a page mode control signal from the user input to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to further include a page bar for identifying the presence of any program channel information that is not present on the currently displayed multiply configurable program screen guide.

Claim 7

A television screen display control device for displaying on a television screen at least one selected channel and for displaying program schedule information, said control device comprising: a display controller for displaying program schedule information in the form of a multiply configurable program screen guide and for configuring the multiply configurable program screen guide, said multiply configurable program screen guide comprising a program bar for identifying a plurality of selectable program channels with an alphanumeric identification for each of said channels, said display controller being responsive to a first user control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to include only the program bar so that substantially all of the television screen is available for viewing the selected channel on the television screen, and being responsive to a second user input control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to include the program bar in combination with a program information grid of two-dimensionally arranged information slots, each row of information slots corresponding to a channel identified in the program bar and including an information slot for at least a current program.

Claim 8

A television screen display control device for displaying on a television screen at least one selected channel and for displaying program schedule information, said control device comprising: a display controller for displaying program schedule information in the form of a multiply configurable program screen guide and for configuring the multiply configurable program screen guide, said multiply configurable program screen guide comprising a program bar for identifying a plurality of selectable program channels with an alphanumeric identification for each of said channels, said display controller being responsive to a first user control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to include only the program bar so that substantially all of the television screen is available for viewing the selected channel on the television screen, and being responsive to a second user input control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to include the program bar in combination with a program information grid of two-dimensionally arranged information slots, each row of information slots corresponding to a channel identified in the program bar and including an information slot for at least a current program.

Claim 9

The television screen display control device of claim 6 further comprising a user input coupled to the control device in which the user input comprises left and right movement control arrow keys and the control device is responsive to the movement control arrow keys to highlight an information slot in the program information grid, wherein the first user input control signal comprises an activation of the left movement control arrow key when an information slot for a current program is highlighted.

Claim 10

The television screen display control device of claim 7 wherein the second user input control signal comprises an activation of the right movement control arrow key when the multiply configurable program screen guide is configured to display only the program bar.

Claim 11

The television screen display control device of claim 6 in which the control device is responsive to a third user input control signal to configure the program bar to identify each of the plurality of selectable program channels by channel name and identify the currently selected channel by channel number, and is responsive to a fourth user input control signal to configure the program bar to identify each of the plurality of selectable program channels by channel number and identify the currently selected channel by channel name.

Claim 12

The television screen display control device of claim 6 in which the control device is responsive to a page mode control signal to configure the multiply configurable program screen guide to further include a page bar for identifying the presence of any selectable program channels that are not present on the currently displayed program bar.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of configuring the multiply configurable program schedule information screen guide to include a page bar for identifying the presence of any selectable program channels that are not present on the currently displayed channel bar.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 wherein the channel bar of the multiply configurable program schedule information screen guide is configured to identify each of the plurality of selectable program channels by channel name and identify the currently selected channel by channel number, said method further comprising the step of: reconfiguring the channel bar in response to a user input control signal to identify each of the plurality of selectable program channels by channel number and identify the currently selected channel by channel name.

Claim 17

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of displaying a single channel screen guide for the selected channel in response to a single channel guide input signal, said single channel screen guide comprising a listing of programs to be shown on the selected channel.

Claim 18

The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of selecting a first available channel from a range of channels in response to a channel range selection signal input which specifies the range of channels, said selecting step comprising identifying which channel in the range of channels is not available for broadcasting and displaying the next available channel in the range of channels.

Claim 19

An interactive television schedule system, comprising: a television display, a receiver coupled to the television display for displaying program schedule information in the form of a configurable program screen guide, and a user input coupled to the receiver for providing user input control signals and for identifying a selected channel, said receiver being responsive to a first user input control signal to configure the configurable program screen guide to comprise a channel bar for identifying a plurality of selectable program channels by channel name and identifying the currently selected channel by channel number, and being responsive to a second user input control signal to configure the channel bar to identify the plurality of selectable program channels by channel number and identify the currently selected channel by channel name.

Claim 20

An interactive television schedule system, comprising: a television display, a receiver coupled to the television display for displaying program schedule information in the form of a configurable program screen guide, and a user input coupled to the receiver for providing user input control signals and for identifying a selected channel, said receiver being responsive to a first user input control signal to configure the configurable program screen guide to comprise a channel bar for identifying a plurality of selectable program channels by channel name and identifying the currently selected channel by channel number, and being responsive to a second user input control signal to configure the channel bar to identify the plurality of selectable program channels by channel number and identify the currently selected channel by channel name.

Claim 21

The interactive television schedule system of claim 16 wherein: the receiver is responsive to a third user input control signal to configure the configurable program screen guide to include only the channel bar, and is responsive to a fourth user input control signal to configure the configurable program screen guide to include the channel bar in combination with a program information grid of two-dimensionally arranged information slots, each row of information slots corresponding to a channel identified in the channel bar and including an information slot for at least a current program; the user input comprises left and right movement control arrow keys; and the receiver is responsive to the movement control arrow keys to highlight an information slot in the program information grid, wherein the third user input control signal comprises an activation of the left movement control arrow key when an information slot for a current program is highlighted.

Claim 22

The interactive television schedule system of claim 17 wherein the fourth user input control signal comprises an activation of the right movement control arrow key when the configurable program screen guide is configured to display only the channel bar.

Claim 23

The interactive television schedule system of claim 16 in which the receiver is responsive to a fifth user input control signal to configure the configurable program screen guide to comprise a single channel screen guide comprising a listing of programs to be shown on the selected channel.

Claim 24

The interactive television schedule system of claim 16 in which the receiver is responsive to a page mode control signal from the user input to configure the configurable program screen guide to further include a page bar for identifying the presence of any selectable program channels that are not present on the currently displayed channel bar.