US6344880B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Information display method
Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1998-05-14
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Granted: 2002-02-05
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Expires: 2018-05-14
Abstract
Abstract An information display method comprises a first display step of displaying information icons EY for guiding respective information on a part of a display screen as the base units of an information guide; a second display step of displaying the summaries of information corresponding to the information icons EY in the forms of titles TY at display positions corresponding to the information icons EY; and a third display step of displaying the explanation of the contents of the information which corresponds to the information icons EY at positions respectively corresponding to the information icons EY and the displays of the titles TY. The respective display steps can be switched or changed by a viewer or a user, so that desired information can be more readily and understandably retrieved.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasushi Takahashi
- 👤 Yoshihito Fujiwara
- 👤 Kimiyoshi Yoshida
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 10:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4314; H04N21/47; H04N21/482; H04N21/4821; H04N21/426; H04N21/4316
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A method of displaying an electronic program guide on a display screen, comprising the steps of: setting said display screen to an information guide mode for displaying said electronic program guide; displaying an icon table comprised of a plurality of channel icons arranged in rows and columns on said display screen; each channel icon corresponding to a programming channel for display on said display screen; selecting one of said plurality of channel icons displayed on said display screen; displaying a title bar corresponding to the selected channel icon horizontally across the row of said icon table containing the selected channel icon; said title bar comprising said channel icon, a title part, and a return icon; said title part comprising a program title and a program summary sentence for a program broadcast by said programming channel corresponding to said channel icon; selecting said title bar; and displaying an explanation part by shifting the selected title bar and displaying said explanation part over said icon table; said explanation part containing explanatory information about the program indicated by said title bar.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
178 words
A method of displaying an electronic program guide on a display screen, comprising the steps of: setting said display screen to an information guide mode for displaying said electronic program guide; displaying an icon table comprised of a plurality of channel icons arranged in rows and columns on said display screen; each channel icon corresponding to a programming channel for display on said display screen; selecting one of said plurality of channel icons displayed on said display screen; displaying a title bar corresponding to the selected channel icon horizontally across the row of said icon table containing the selected channel icon; said title bar comprising said channel icon, a title part, and a return icon; said title part comprising a program title and a program summary sentence for a program broadcast by said programming channel corresponding to said channel icon; selecting said title bar; and displaying an explanation part by shifting the selected title bar and displaying said explanation part over said icon table; said explanation part containing explanatory information about the program indicated by said title bar.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said information guide mode is set by operation of a guide button on a remote commander.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein the selected channel icon is selected by positioning a cursor over a desired channel icon using a cursor control and selecting the desired channel icon using an explanation button; said cursor control and said explanation button being located on a remote commander.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 3 , wherein said title bar is selected using said explanation button.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of selecting said return icon and returning to the icon table display step.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said icon table display step further displays a scrolling indicator for scrolling said icon table when the icon table is larger than said display screen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said icon table display step divides said icon table into pages and displays the icon table one page at a time when the icon table is larger than said display screen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein each channel icon indicates the genre of the corresponding programming channel.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
221 words
A method of displaying an electronic program guide on a display screen, comprising the steps of: setting said display screen to an information guide mode for displaying said electronic program guide; displaying an icon table comprised of a plurality of channel icons arranged in rows and columns on said display screen; each channel icon corresponding to a programming channel for display on said display screen; said plurality of channel icons being grouped into columns corresponding to programming channels of the same genre; displaying a plurality of genre retrieving icons; each genre retrieving icon corresponding to a column of genre grouped channel icons; selecting one of said plurality of genre retrieving icons; displaying a title bar for each channel icon in the column corresponding to the selected genre retrieving icon horizontally across the row of said icon table containing the respective channel icon; each said title bar comprising said channel icon, a title part, and a return icon; said title part comprising a program title and a program summary for a program broadcast by said programing channel corresponding to said channel icon; selecting one of said title bars; and displaying an explanation part by shifting the selected title bar and displaying said explanation part over said icon table; said explanation part containing explanatory information about the program indicated by said title bar.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
221 words
A method of displaying an electronic program guide on a display screen, comprising the steps of: setting said display screen to an information guide mode for displaying said electronic program guide; displaying an icon table comprised of a plurality of channel icons arranged in rows and columns on said display screen; each channel icon corresponding to a programming channel for display on said display screen; said plurality of channel icons being grouped into columns corresponding to programming channels of the same genre; displaying a plurality of genre retrieving icons; each genre retrieving icon corresponding to a column of genre grouped channel icons; selecting one of said plurality of genre retrieving icons; displaying a title bar for each channel icon in the column corresponding to the selected genre retrieving icon horizontally across the row of said icon table containing the respective channel icon; each said title bar comprising said channel icon, a title part, and a return icon; said title part comprising a program title and a program summary for a program broadcast by said programing channel corresponding to said channel icon; selecting one of said title bars; and displaying an explanation part by shifting the selected title bar and displaying said explanation part over said icon table; said explanation part containing explanatory information about the program indicated by said title bar.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 9 , wherein each of said plurality of channel icons indicates the genre of the corresponding programming channel.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
199 words
An apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide on a display screen, comprising: setting means for setting said display screen to an information guide mode for displaying said electronic program guide; icon table display means for displaying an icon table comprised of a plurality of channel icons arranged in rows and columns on said display screen; each channel icon corresponding to a programming channel for display on said display screen; selecting means for selecting one of said plurality of channel icons displayed on said display screen; title bar display means for displaying a title bar corresponding to the selected channel icon horizontally across the row of said icon table containing the selected channel icon; said title bar comprising said channel icon, a title part, and a return icon; said title part comprising a program title and a program summary sentence for a program broadcast by said programming channel corresponding to said channel icon; said selecting means further selecting said title bar; and explanation display means for displaying an explanation part by shifting the selected title bar and displaying said explanation part over said icon table; said explanation part containing explanatory information about the program indicated by said title bar.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
199 words
An apparatus for displaying an electronic program guide on a display screen, comprising: setting means for setting said display screen to an information guide mode for displaying said electronic program guide; icon table display means for displaying an icon table comprised of a plurality of channel icons arranged in rows and columns on said display screen; each channel icon corresponding to a programming channel for display on said display screen; selecting means for selecting one of said plurality of channel icons displayed on said display screen; title bar display means for displaying a title bar corresponding to the selected channel icon horizontally across the row of said icon table containing the selected channel icon; said title bar comprising said channel icon, a title part, and a return icon; said title part comprising a program title and a program summary sentence for a program broadcast by said programming channel corresponding to said channel icon; said selecting means further selecting said title bar; and explanation display means for displaying an explanation part by shifting the selected title bar and displaying said explanation part over said icon table; said explanation part containing explanatory information about the program indicated by said title bar.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said setting means for said information guide mode is a guide button on a remote commander.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said selecting means selects the selected channel icon by positioning a cursor over a desired channel icon using a cursor control and selects the desired channel icon using an explanation button; said cursor control and said explanation button being located on a remote commander.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said title bar is selected using said explanation button.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said return icon is selected by said selecting means and said icon table display means again displays said icon table.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said icon table display means further displays a scrolling indicator for scrolling said icon table when the icon table is larger than said display screen.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said icon table display means divides said icon table into pages and displays the icon table one page at a time when the icon table is larger than said display screen.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein each channel icon indicates the genre of the corresponding programming channel.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-02-04 | 2005-08-06 | 2006-02-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-02-04 | 2009-08-06 | 2010-02-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-02-04 | 2013-08-06 | 2014-02-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |