Smart channel entry system
View Patent ↗An interactive system is provided in which information is displayed in response to the entry of the digits of a channel number. The interactive system may be implemented on a television, a computer, or a radio system. The displayed information may be program listings information such as the channel designator or the program currently airing on the channel. The displayed information may also be a list of channels. The list of channels may be associated with the entered digits, may be component channels, or channels of the same type and may be sorted by various techniques such as numerically, by favorite channels, by type, etc. The interactive system may allow a user to specify a source identifier to channels from different sources and display the channels with the source identifier when they are entered.
1. A method for facilitating selection of a desired channel in a system that has a video display device, comprising:
enabling, using control circuitry, a user to enter a first digit with a user input device; and
in response to receiving the first digit, generating for display a first list of program listings on the video display device, wherein each displayed program listing in the first list of program listings displayed on the video display device comprises a channel name, channel number, and a program title for the respective program listing and wherein the first list comprises:
a first displayed program listing in the first list is associated with a first main channel corresponding to the first digit;
a second displayed program listing in the first list is associated with a second main channel beginning with the first digit;
a third displayed program listing in the first list is associated with a third main channel, wherein the third main channel is related to the first main channel;
the first displayed program listing is displayed adjacent to the second displayed program listing in the first list; and
the first main channel and the second main channel are non-consecutive channels in a channel lineup;
enabling, using the control circuitry, the user to enter a second digit with the user input device; and
in response to receiving the second digit, generating for display a second list of program listings on the video display device in place of the first list of program listings, wherein the second list is formed by combining the first digit followed by the second digit, and wherein each displayed program listing in the second list of program listings comprises a channel name, channel number, and a program title for the respective program listing and wherein the
second list comprises a fourth displayed program listing associated with a fourth main channel corresponding to the combination of the first digit followed by the second digit and a fifth displayed program listing associated with a fifth main channel corresponding to the combination of the first digit followed by the second digit.
2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the program listings comprise channel designators.
3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising arranging the display of the program listings in the first list according to a favorite-channel designation or according to a frequency in which the channels corresponding to the program listings are viewed.
4. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:
generating for display a movable highlight region for selecting a desired one of the program listings in the first list; and
tuning to the channel corresponding to the selected program listing.
5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising generating for display the first list of program listings on the user input device.
6. The method defined in claim 5 further comprising tuning to a desired channel corresponding to one of the program listings displayed on the user input device by selecting the corresponding program listing.
7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising arranging the program listings in the first list according to numerical order.
8. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the displayed program listings in the first list comprise at least one of start times, end times, and durations.
9. A system for facilitating selection of a desired channel comprising control circuitry that:
enables a user to enter a first digit with a user input device; and in response to receiving the first digit, generates for display, on a video display device, a first list of program listings, wherein each displayed program listing in the first list of program listings generated for display on the video display device comprises a channel name, channel number, and a program title for the respective program listing and wherein the first list comprises:
a first displayed program listing in the first list is associated with a first main channel corresponding to the first digit;
a second displayed program listing in the first list is associated with a second main channel beginning with the first digit;
a third displayed program listing in the first list is associated with a third main channel, wherein the third main channel is related to the first main channel;
the first displayed program listing is displayed adjacent to the second displayed program listing in the first list; and
the first main channel and the second main channel are non-consecutive channels in a channel lineup;
enables the user to enter a second digit with the user input device; and
in response to receiving the second digit, generates for display a second list of program listings on the video display device in place of the first list of program listings, wherein the second list is formed by combining the first digit followed by the second digit, and wherein each displayed program listing in the second list of program listings comprises a channel name, channel number, and a program title for the respective program listing and wherein the second list comprises a fourth displayed program listing associated with a fourth main channel corresponding to the combination of the first digit followed by the second digit and a fifth displayed program listing associated with a fifth main channel corresponding to the combination of the first digit followed by the second digit.
10. The system defined in claim 9 comprises control circuitry that further:
arranges the program listings in the first list according to numerical order.
11. The system defined in claim 9 , wherein the program listings comprise channel designators.
12. The system defined in claim 9 comprises control circuitry that further arranges the display of the program listings in the first list according to a favorite-channel designation or according to a frequency in which the channels corresponding to the program listings are viewed.
13. The system defined in claim 9 comprises control circuitry that further:
generates for display a movable highlight region for selecting a desired one of the program listings in the first list; and
tunes to the channel corresponding to the selected program listing.
14. The system defined in claim 9 comprises control circuitry that further generates for display the first list on the user input device.
15. The system defined in claim 14 comprises control circuitry that further tunes to a desired channel corresponding to one of the program listings generated for display on the user input device by selecting the corresponding program listing.