Electronic programming guide
View Patent ↗An electronic programming guide (“EPG”) provides pictograms and/or logos, to indicate to a television viewer the programs being displayed on a television. The EPG information display format is thus easier to recognize than prior EPG formats. The EPG pictograms may have 3D characteristics. The EPG information can be displayed in a window within a television screen while a program is being shown on the remainder of the screen. The EPG comprises a set of geometric surfaces located in virtual 3D space. The pictograms and/or logos, along with alpha-numeric text data and video clips are applied to the geometric surfaces using a 3D graphics pipeline. The appearance of the pictograms, logos, alpha-numeric data and/or video clips can be modified in response to a user actuating a control element on a remote controller. In one embodiment, internet HTML pages are parsed and applied to geometric surfaces in 3D virtual space.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, the memory including machine-executable instructions that when provided to the processor, cause the apparatus to:
display a programming guide indicating a plurality of broadcast programs being provided on a plurality of channels;
select a plurality of display elements for display in the programming guide, each selected display element corresponding to a broadcast program, wherein each display element of the plurality of display elements representing broadcast programs includes a combination of text block display elements, pictogram display elements and video clip display elements;
generate a 3D image by mapping a first video clip of the plurality of video clip display elements to a surface of a 3D shape, wherein the 3D shape is related to a category of the broadcast program corresponding to the first video clip, and wherein the first video clip comprises a video program, a commercial, or a preview clip;
receive rating information associated with one or more of the broadcast programs, the rating information being received from a rating service to which a viewer of the broadcast program subscribes;
scale a size of each of the plurality of display elements based on the received rating of the corresponding broadcast program, scaling the size of each of the plurality of display elements including scaling, in an x direction and a y direction, a size of at least a pictogram element of the display element; and
display the plurality of display elements on the programming guide in accordance with the scaled sizes of each of the display elements.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes further machine-executable instructions to cause the apparatus to:
utilize a 3D graphics pipeline to generate the 3D image.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes further machine-executable instructions to cause the apparatus to:
display the 3D image in a window region within the programming guide.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes further machine-executable instructions to cause the apparatus to:
alter one of the plurality of display elements displayed in the programming guide in response to a signal received from a remote controller.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes further machine-executable instructions to cause the apparatus to:
receive visual information from an internet, and applying the visual information as a texture to a surface of the 3D shape.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory including further machine-executable instructions that when provided to the processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine a color scheme for each of the plurality of display elements, based on a show category of the corresponding broadcast program; and
display each of the plurality of display elements in accordance with the determined color scheme.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes further machine-executable instructions to cause the apparatus to:
receive a signal from a remote controller corresponding to an instruction to magnify a first portion of the programming guide screen;
identify one or more of the plurality of display elements in the first portion of the programming guide screen;
rescale the one or more identified display elements in accordance with the instruction to magnify the first portion of the programming guide screen; and
update the programming guide screen to display the one or more identified display elements in accordance with the rescaled sizes.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein receiving the signal to magnify a first portion of the programming guide screen comprises:
receiving input controlling a position of a cursor displayed on the programming guide screen; and
receiving an instruction to magnify a portion of programming guide screen based on the position of the cursor.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scaling further includes scaling the size of each of the plurality of display elements based on a comparison of a user's viewing tastes to content of the corresponding broadcast program.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the programming guide is not displayed in a time slot and channel grid format.
11. A method comprising:
receiving information regarding a plurality of broadcast programs being provided on a plurality of channels;
selecting a plurality of display elements for display in a programming guide screen, each selected display element corresponding to a broadcast program, wherein each display element of the plurality of display elements representing broadcast programs includes a combination of text block display elements, pictogram display elements, and video clip display elements;
generating a 3D image by mapping a first video clip of the plurality of video clip display elements to a surface of a 3D shape, wherein the 3D shape is related to a category of the broadcast program corresponding to the first video clip, and wherein the first video clip comprises a video program, a commercial, or a preview clip;
receiving rating information associated with one or more of the broadcast programs, the rating information being received from a rating service to which a viewer of the broadcast program subscribes;
scaling a size of each of the plurality of display elements based on the received rating information associated with the corresponding broadcast program, scaling the size of each of the plurality of display elements including scaling, in an x direction and a y direction, a size of at least a pictogram element of the display element; and
displaying the plurality of display elements on the programming guide screen in accordance with the scaled sizes of each of the display elements.
12. The method of claim 11 , further including:
storing the first video clip in memory.
13. The method of claim 11 , further including utilizing a 3D graphics pipeline to generate the 3D image.
14. The method of claim 11 , further including altering one of the plurality of display elements displayed in the programming guide screen in response to a signal received from a remote controller.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a signal from a remote controller corresponding to an instruction to magnify a first portion of the programming guide screen;
identifying one or more of the plurality of display elements in the first portion of the programming guide screen;
rescaling the one or more identified display elements in accordance with the instruction to magnify the first portion of the programming guide screen; and
updating the programming guide screen to display the one or more identified display elements in accordance with the rescaled sizes.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving the signal to magnify a first portion of the programming guide screen comprises:
receiving input controlling a position of a cursor displayed on the programming guide screen; and
receiving an instruction to magnify a portion of programming guide screen based on the position of the cursor.