WO2003098923A1

WO2003098923A1 - Electronic program guide system

Info

Publication number: WO2003098923A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/001729
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Heesemans; Ronaldus H. T. Oosterholt; Guy J. Roberts
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2002-05-21
Filing date: 2003-04-23
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Also published as: AU2003225486A1

Abstract

The invention relates to extending time/channel EPG presentation to archived programs. Assuming that the time axis is horizontal, scrolling to the right means moving into the future, while scrolling to the left means moving into the past, i.e. the archive (e.g. programs stored on a hard disk). The information about channel and broadcast time of the stored programs is preserved, and the archive screen is structured similar to the EPG: rows correspond to channels, and columns represent a chronological order, wherein the right column contains the most recent recording, and columns to the left represent older content.

Description

Electronic program guide system

The present invention relates to devices and methods of presenting information about programs by means of electronic program guides. Electronic program guides can be provided in items such as TVs, Set-Top boxes (STBs), NCRs and DVDs.

In the field of television, there are nowadays more and more channels, which a user can watch. It is therefore increasingly important to provide the user with information about what programs are transmitted on what television channels and when, so that he can easily determine what he wants to watch. The same need is also present for other areas such as radio, web radio, and STBs.

Television systems are available that include various types of on-screen guides to provide a viewer with information about available programs. For instance, there has been a development of Electronic Program Guides (EPGs), which show programs to be broadcast on different channels. An EPG includes program listings, which include time, channel, length and title information for a program and can also provide a brief description of the content of the program in a separate portion of the screen. Many EPG systems further have the capability to sort program listings by type, time, or viewer preferences.

Tape indexing systems for a video (NCR) allow a viewer to identify a recorded program stored in the viewer's library. Such systems also provide an on-screen directory of programs available on a loaded tape and can automatically scan through the videotape to the position of the desired program stored on the tape. This is described for instance in WO-A1-97/34413.

It is an object of the invention to provide integrated EPG displaying in chronological order independently of archived, current or future programs to be broadcast.

According to an aspect of the invention, extension of EPG presentation is provided to archived programs. According to another aspect of the invention, integration of archive and EPG is provided.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, archive contents organized according to channel is provided. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a device for presenting data about programs from a number of program sources is provided, the device comprising: a table generator unit for generating an electronic program guide (EPG) as a table comprising data about the current program and following programs for each program source, a control unit for controlling the table generator unit, wherein the table generator unit is further arranged to present data about programs from an archive unit as a logical extension of the EPG.

The table generator unit is preferably arranged to generate the table with rows sorted according to program source and columns sorted according to the next program of each source.

The table generator unit is preferably arranged to generate the table comprising data about each program such as program name, starting time or when the program ends.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a program presentation apparatus is provided for presenting programs from a number of program sources, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit for receiving at least one signal containing data relating to programs of the different program sources, a program handling unit, a table generator unit for generating an electronic program guide (EPG) as a table comprising data about the current program and following programs for each program source, an archive unit for storing programs, and a control unit for controlling the table generator unit, wherein the table generator unit is further arranged to present data about programs from an archive unit as a logical extension of the EPG.

The archive unit is preferably connected to a memory. The archive unit is preferably provided with a decoder for decoding information such as title, channel, date, time and length of programs and utilizes the information to provide a directory of programs stored in a memory.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a computer program element is provided comprising: computer program code means to make the computer execute: generation of an electronic program guide as a table comprising data about the current program, following programs and older programs of a number of program sources, presentation of the data about the programs using program source as a first parameter and order of programs as a second parameter.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a method of presenting data about programs from a number of program sources is provided, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at least one signal containing data relating to programs of the different program sources, generating an electronic program guide (EPG) as a table comprising data about current program and following programs for each program source, presenting the programs from an archive unit as a logical extension of the EPG. According to various aspects and advantages of the invention, integration of archive and EPG, consistent behavior of archive and EPG, and archive contents organized according to channel are provided.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the embodiments(s) described hereinafter.

The present invention will also be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention read in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a program presentation apparatus for receiving programs and data about programs.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of different parts of the program presentation apparatus of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic program presenting apparatus. Fig. 4 is a view of data presented to a user of the electronic program presenting apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows a flow chart of a method of presenting data about programs according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a program presenting apparatus in the form of a television set 10 having a screen 14, an antenna 12 and a user input device 16 in the form of a remote control. The television set is only a non-limiting example of a program presenting apparatus. It may also be such things as a STB, a VCR or a radio receiver. The program presenting apparatus receives programs and data about programs via the antenna 12 from a number of program sources. In the case of television, the sources are television channels, but other types of sources are also feasible such as radio channels, video-on demand suppliers etc. Programs and data about programs do not have to be received via the antenna and radio waves, but many other ways are feasible, for instance cable, internet or intranet. The program information and the actual programs do not need to be received via the same medium, but the program information or data may be received for instance via Internet and the actual programs via an antenna. The remote control 16 is used by a user of the apparatus to select programs and program sources as well as to view data about program sources for selection of programs to view. Data about program sources can also be viewed on the screen 14. The input user device 16 does not have to be a remote control, but may be any suitable input means, for instance buttons on the television set.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of parts of the interior of a program presenting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Here, there is a receiving unit 20 connected to the antenna of Fig. 1 via a signal input 17 for receiving signals from different program sources. The receiving unit 20 is connected to a program-handling unit 22 and to a device 24 for presenting data about programs, also denoted electronic program guide presenter or electronic program presenting apparatus. The device 24 is of the type, which provides one or more screens of program listings. The device 24 may also comprise a picture in picture window generator for display of a currently telecast program. The viewer may change the program displayed in the PIP window by cursoring through listings of current telecast programs in one of the guides. Both units 22 and 24 are connected to the screen 14. An archive unit 25 containing data about older programs is further connected to the electronic program presenting apparatus 24. The archive unit 25 is typically connected to a decoder (or a memory comprising a decoder) decoding information such as title, channel, date, time and length of programs and utilizes the information to provide a directory of programs stored in the memory (not shown), such as a hard disk. It is also possible to provide the memory with the archive unit 25. In this case, the memory could be connected to the receiving unit, which may comprise some type of switching means to switch between at least two modes, one mode in which information such as data about programs, as well as programs are sent from the memory to the receiving unit, and one conventional mode in which the receiving unit works as will be described hereinafter.

The receiving unit 20 forwards the actual programs to the program-handling unit 22 for possible presentation in a known way to a user of the apparatus via the screen 14. The receiving unit 20 also receives data about the programs of the program sources and forwards this data to the electronic program guide presenter 24. The program guide presenter 24 is furthermore com ected to the user input device via a user input 18 for receiving control signals by a user and to the screen 14 for displaying data about different programs to a user. The way in which the archive unit 25 is provided with data about older programs will not be further described, because it is similar to the way used from the electronic program guide presenter 24, which has already been described.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic program presenting apparatus 24. It includes a table generator unit 28, connected to the receiving unit, via an input 26, for receiving data about programs for the different program sources. This input, as well as some other input, could be used for receiving data from the archive unit. The table generator unit 28 is connected to a control unit 30. The control unit 30 is also connected to the user input means via an input and the control unit 30 controls the table generator unit 28, such that data about programs is presented on the screen of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 shows a two-dimensional table of a combined electronic program guide and an archive. The table contains a number of rows 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 sorted according to program sources, where a first row 40 is intended for displaying data about programs of a first program source A, a second row 42 for displaying data about programs of a second program source B, a third row 44 for displaying data about programs of a third program source C, a fourth row 46 for displaying data about programs of a fourth program source D, a fifth row 48 for displaying data about programs of a fifth program source E, a sixth row 50 for displaying data about programs of a sixth program source F and a seventh row 52 for displaying data about programs of a seventh program source G. The table also includes a number of columns, where a first column 54 is intended for showing an archive program, a second column 56 for showing a first program, a third column 58 i for showing a first following program, a fourth column 60 for showing a second following program and a fifth column 62 for showing a third following program for each program source.

A user can move a highlight (or other suitable pointing device) across the program sources (going up or down), or assuming the time axis is horizontal, into the future (going right) or into the archive (going left), i. e. into the past to select a program. This can be illustrated by going left from the second column 56. Of course, other time axes are also possible such as an inverted, one having the past to the right without departing from the invention. When the user enters the past, he moves into the archive, which is a logical extension of the electronic program guide. Typically, a user is able to select between an electronic program guide mode and a normal television mode. As used herein, "television mode" refers to normal television wherein a currently telecast or recorded program is displayed full screen. "Guide mode" refers to displaying the guide screen according to the invention, which is embodied as an extended electronic program guide according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

A description of a first aspect of the present invention will now follow. Data about programs of different program sources are received by table generator unit 28 under the control of the control unit 30. The table generator unit 28 then forms a table of the now/next type, where a first parameter is the program source, which makes up the rows of the table and a second parameter is the order of programs, which are presented as columns in the table, thus a table format where the rows are the different program sources and the columns are made up of the order of programs. Thereafter, the cells of the table are filled with data about each program providing integrated EPG displaying in chronological order independently of archived, current or future programs to be broadcast. The data typically comprises the program name and starting time of the programs. A cell may also contain the time the program is ended or other suitable information

The device according to the invention is preferably implemented by a microprocessor with associated memory comprising a program code for performing the invention.

In one embodiment of the invention the program for performing the present invention is also provided on a computer-readable medium, such as a CD ROM disc or a diskette, for loading an electronic program guide presenter into a memory. A method according to the first aspect of the invention will now be described with reference to Fig. 5, which shows a flow chart of this method. First data about programs of a number of program sources are received, step 70. Thereafter an EPG is generated, step 72. Subsequently, programs are presented from the archive unit similar to the EPG, step 74. According to an aspect of the invention, extending time/channel EPG presentation to archived programs is provided. Assuming that the time axis is horizontal, scrolling to the right means moving into the future, while scrolling to the left means moving into the past, i. e. the archive (e. g. programs stored on a hard disk). The information about channel and broadcast time of the stored programs is preserved, and the archive screen is structured similarly to the EPG: rows correspond to channels, and columns represent a chronological order, wherein the right column contains the most recent recording, columns to the left represent older content.

Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of steps or elements other than those stated in the claim.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device for presenting data about programs from a number of program sources, the device comprising: a table generator unit for generating an electronic program guide (EPG) as a table comprising data about the current program and following programs for each program source, a control unit for controlling the table generator unit, wherein the table generator unit is further arranged to present data about programs from an archive unit as a logical extension of the EPG.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the table generator unit is arranged to generate the table with rows sorted according to program source and columns sorted according to the next program of each source.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the table generator is arranged to generate the table comprising data about each program such as program name, starting time or when the program ends.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further provided with input means for receiving data about programs for the different program sources and input means connected to user input means that controls the table generator unit.

5. A program presentation apparatus for presenting programs from a number of program sources, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit for receiving at least one signal containing data relating to programs of the different program sources, a program handling unit, a table generator unit for generating an electronic program guide (EPG) as a table comprising data about the current program and following programs for each program source, an archive unit for storing programs, and a control unit for controlling the table generator unit, wherein the table generator unit is further arranged to present data about programs from an archive unit as a logical extension of the EPG.

6. A program presentation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the archive unit is connected to a memory.

7. A program presentation apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the archive unit is provided with a decoder for decoding information such as title, channel, date, time and length of programs and utilizes the information to provide a directory of programs stored in a memory.

8. A computer program element comprising: computer program code means to make the computer execute: generation of an electronic program guide as a table comprising data about the current program, following programs and older programs of a number of program sources, presentation of the data about the programs using program source as a first parameter and order of programs as a second parameter.

9. A computer program element according to claim 8, embodied on a computer- readable medium.

10. A method of presenting data about programs from a number of program sources, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at least one signal containing data relating to programs of the different program sources, generating an electronic program guide (EPG) as a table comprising data about the current program and following programs for each program source, presenting the programs from an archive unit as a logical extension of the

EPG.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of generating comprises generating the table with rows sorted according to program source and columns sorted according to next program of each program source.