Method and system for modification of EPG object attributes
View Patent ↗A system for identifying prior selection of specific display information on an EPG. In one embodiment, a user selects an object on a screen, and upon selection of the object, an attribute of the object (e.g., color, transparency, etc.) is modified. The modified value is saved into memory so the user may later identify that the specific object was selected. Each subsequent selection will modify the attribute further, allowing the user to identity that the object was selected a number of times. In one embodiment, the attribute will continue to be modified until a specific expiration limit has been reached.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
(a) receiving, at a computing device, a selection of an object displayed in an electronic programming guide (EPG);
(b) modifying a non-textual attribute associated with the object by an incremental amount for each of at least two times that the object is selected, wherein the non-textual attribute after each modification visually indicates a number of times the object has been selected, wherein each modification of the attribute includes changing a visible characteristic of the object and wherein each modification results in a different appearance of the object, the different appearance being different from other modified appearances of the object unless an expiration value limit is reached; and
(c) modifying the display of the object in accordance with the modified non-textual attribute.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-textual attribute is a color that is progressively darkened or lightened upon each selection of the object.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-textual attribute is a shape whose configuration is progressively changed upon each selection of the object.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the non-textual attribute is a 3-D position whose depth is progressively changed upon each selection of the object.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the modified non-textual attribute is overwritten with a default non-textual attribute when the expiration value limit is reached.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the expiration value limit is a time limit.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the expiration value limit is related to frequency of object selection.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive a selection of an object displayed in an electronic programming guide (EPG);
modify a non-textual attribute associated with the object by an incremental amount for each of at least two times that the object is selected, wherein the non-textual attribute after each modification visually indicates a number of times the object has been selected, wherein each modification of the attribute includes changing a visible characteristic of the object and wherein each modification results in a different appearance of the object, the different appearance being different from other modified appearances of the object unless an expiration value limit is reached; and
modify the display of the object in accordance with the modified non-textual attribute.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the attribute is a color that is progressively darkened or lightened upon each selection of the object.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the attribute is a shape whose configuration is progressively changed upon each selection of the object.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the attribute is a 3-D position whose depth is progressively changed upon each selection of the object.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the modified non-textual attribute is overwritten with a default non-textual attribute when the expiration value limit is reached.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the expiration value limit is a time limit.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the expiration value limit is related to frequency of object selection.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:
(a) receive a selection of an object displayed in an EPG;
(b) progressively modify a non-textual attribute associated with the object by an incremental amount for each of at least more than two times that the object is selected, wherein the non-textual attribute after each modification visually indicates a number of times the object has been selected, wherein each modification of the attribute includes changing a visible characteristic of the object and wherein each modification results in a different appearance of the object, the different appearance being different from other modified appearances of the object unless an expiration value limit is reached; and
(c) modify the display of the object in accordance with the modified non-textual attribute.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the attribute is a color progressively darkened or lightened upon each selection of the object.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the attribute is a shape whose configuration is progressively changed upon each selection of the object.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the attribute is a 3-D position whose depth is progressively changed upon each selection of the object.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the modified attribute value is overwritten with a default attribute value when the expiration value limit is reached.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the expiration value limit is a time limit.
21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the expiration value limit is related to frequency of object selection.