CA2662685A1 - Improved electronic television program schedule guide system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic program schedule system which includes a receiver for receiving broadcast, satellite or cablecast television programs for a plurality of television channels and a tuner for tuning a television receiver to a selected one of the plurality of channels.
A data processor receives and stores in a memory television program schedule information for a plurality of television programs to appear on the plurality of television channels. A user control apparatus such as a remote controller, is utilized by a viewer to choose user control commands and transit signals in response to the data processor which receives the signals in response to user control commands. A television receiver is used to display the television programs and television program schedule information. A
video display generator receives video control commands from the data processor and program schedule information from the memory and displays a portion of the program schedule information in overlaying relationship with a television program appearing on a television channel in at least one mode of operation of the television programming guide.
The data processor controls the video display generator with video control commands, issued in response to the user control commands, to display program schedule information for any chosen one of the plurality of television programs in overlaying relationship with at least one television program then appearing on any chosen one of the plurality of channels on the television receiver.

Claims (12)

1. A method for use in an electronic program schedule system, the method comprising:
receiving program schedule information including a plurality of air times for at least one program;
providing a user with an opportunity to select the at least one program;
in response to a user selection of the at least one program, simultaneously displaying the plurality of air times for the selected at least one program; and providing the user with an opportunity to select one of the plurality of air times for the selected program.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one program is at least one pay-per-view program.

3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising, in response to receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of air times for the selected program, performing a function associated with the selected air time.

4. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the performing the function comprises setting a reminder message to be displayed prior to the selected air time.

5. The method defined in claim 3, wherein:
the selected program is a pay-per-view program; and the performing the function comprises ordering the pay-per-view program associated with the selected air time.

6. The method defined in claim 5 further comprising:
receiving a user indication to cancel the ordered pay per-view-program; and canceling the ordered pay-per-view program in response to receiving a user indication to cancel the ordered pay-per-view program.

7. An electronic program schedule system comprising:
means for receiving program schedule information including a plurality of air times for at least one program;
means for providing a user with an opportunity to select the at least one program;
means for in response to a user selection of the at least one program, simultaneously displaying the plurality of air times for the selected at least one program; and means for providing the user with an opportunity to select one of the plurality of air times for the selected program.

8. The system defined in claim 7, wherein the at least one program is at least one pay-per-view program.

9. The system defined in claim 7 further comprising, in response to receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of air times for the selected program, means for performing a function associated with the selected air time.

10. The system defined in claim 9, wherein the means for performing the function comprises means for setting a reminder message to be displayed prior to the selected air time.

11. The system defined in claim 9, wherein:
the selected program is a pay-per-view program; and the means for performing the function comprises means for ordering the pay-per-view program associated with the selected air time.

12. The system defined in claim 11 further comprising:

means for receiving a user indication to cancel the ordered pay per-view-program; and means for canceling the ordered pay-per-view program in response to receiving a user indication to cancel the ordered pay-per-view program.