Television control interface with electronic guide
An on-screen menu method and system for controlling the functions of integrated electronic devices and a television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day and an interconnected series of menus to control the features of the integrated electronic devices. An input device allows the viewer to move a pointer over different interactive areas of the guide and the function performed when the area is activated is displayed in a contextual help window. Various control glyphs provide for recursive interaction with the guide.
1. A method for navigating media asset information, the method comprising:
receiving media asset identifier information via a communications interface;
storing the media asset identifier information in a database stored in a memory;
generating for display an interactive time bar comprising a first interactive time indicator icon and a second interactive time indicator icon of a series of interactive time indicator icons, wherein the first interactive time indicator icon is associated with a first time interval, and wherein the second interactive time indicator icon is associated with a second time interval that does not overlap the first time interval;
receiving, from a user input interface, a first user input comprising a selection of the first interactive time indicator icon associated with the first time interval;
based on receiving the first user input:
retrieving data representing the first time interval associated with the first interactive time indicator icon;
identifying, based on the retrieved data representing the first time interval, a first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory;
retrieving the identified first plurality of media asset identifiers from the database stored in the memory;
generating for display the retrieved first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval;
receiving, from the user input interface, a second user input comprising a selection of the second interactive time indicator icon associated with the second time interval;
based on receiving the second user input:
retrieving data representing the second time interval associated with the second interactive time indicator icon;
identifying, based on the retrieved data representing the second time interval, a second plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the second time interval from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory;
retrieving the identified second plurality of media asset identifiers from the database stored in the memory; and
generating for display the retrieved second plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the second time interval.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving the first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval, further comprises:
issuing a query to the database for media asset entries associated with the first time interval.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
identifying a common horizontal axis within the interactive time bar; and
generating for display the series of interactive time indicators along the identified common horizontal axis within the interactive time bar.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the media asset identifier information from the communications interface comprising at least one of a telephone interface, a satellite interface, and a cable interface.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the media asset identifier information further comprises:
decrypting information received via the communications interface.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the media asset identifier information as a series of schedule information packets.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving, based on receiving the first user input, the first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval associated with a current time from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory.
8. A system for navigating media asset information, the system comprising:
a memory configured to store a database of media asset identifier information;
a user input interface configured to receive inputs comprising selections of interactive time indicator icons; and
control circuitry configured to:
receive media asset identifier information via a communications interface;
store the media asset identifier information in the database stored in the memory;
generate for display an interactive time bar comprising a first interactive time indicator icon and a second interactive time indicator icon of a series of interactive time indicator icons, wherein the first interactive time indicator icon is associated with a first time interval, and wherein the second interactive time indicator icon is associated with a second time interval that does not overlap the first time interval;
receive, from the user input interface, a first user input comprising a selection of the first interactive time indicator icon associated with the first time interval;
based on receiving the first user input:
retrieve data representing the first time interval associated with the first interactive time indicator icon;
identify, based on the retrieved data representing the first time interval, a first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory;
retrieve the identified first plurality of media asset identifiers from the database stored in the memory;
generate for display the retrieved first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval;
receive, from the user input interface, a second user input comprising a selection of the second interactive time indicator icon associated with the second time interval;
based on receiving the second user input:
retrieving data representing the second time interval associated with the second interactive time indicator icon;
identifying, based on the retrieved data representing the second time interval, a second plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the second time interval from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory;
retrieve the identified second plurality of media asset identifiers from the database stored in the memory; and
generate for display the retrieved second plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the second time interval.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
retrieve the first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval by issuing a query to the database for media asset entries associated with the first time interval.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
identify a common horizontal axis within the interactive time bar; and
generate for display the series of interactive time indicators along the identified common horizontal axis within the interactive time bar.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive the media asset identifier information from the communications interface, comprising at least one of a telephone interface, a satellite interface, and a cable interface.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive the media asset identifier information by decrypting information received via the communications interface.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive the media asset identifier information as a series of schedule information packets.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
retrieve, based on receiving the first user input, the first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval associated with a current time from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory.
15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions recorded thereon comprising:
an instruction for receiving media asset identifier information via a communications interface;
an instruction for storing the media asset identifier information in a database stored in a memory;
an instruction for generating for display an interactive time bar comprising a first interactive time indicator icon and a second interactive time indicator icon of a series of interactive time indicator icons, wherein the first interactive time indicator icon is associated with a first time interval, and wherein the second interactive time indicator icon is associated with a second time interval that does not overlap the first time interval;
an instruction for receiving a first user input from a user input interface, comprising a selection of the first interactive time indicator icon associated with the first time interval;
an instruction for retrieving, based on receiving the first user input, data representing the first time interval associated with the first interactive time indicator icon;
an instruction for identifying, based on receiving the first user input and based on the retrieved data representing the second time interval, a first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory;
an instruction for retrieving, based on receiving the first user input, the identified first plurality of media asset identifiers from the database stored in the memory;
an instruction for generating for display, based on receiving the first user input, the retrieved first plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the first time interval;
an instruction for receiving from the user input interface, a second user input comprising a selection of the second interactive time indicator icon associated with the second time interval;
an instruction for retrieving, based on receiving the second user input, data representing the second time interval associated with the second interactive time indicator icon;
an instruction for identifying, based on the retrieved data representing the second time interval and based on receiving the second user input, a second plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the second time interval from the media asset identifier information stored in the database stored in the memory;
an instruction for retrieving, based on receiving the second user input, the identified second plurality of media asset identifiers from the memory; and
an instruction for generating for display, based on receiving the second user input, the retrieved second plurality of media asset identifiers associated with the second time interval.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
an instruction for issuing a query to the database for media asset entries associated with the first time interval.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
an instruction for identifying a common horizontal axis within the interactive time bar; and
an instruction for generating for display the series of interactive time indicators along the identified common horizontal axis within the interactive time bar.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
an instruction for receiving the media asset identifier information from the communications interface, comprising at least one of a telephone interface, a satellite interface, and a cable interface.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
an instruction for decrypting information received via the communications interface.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
an instruction for receiving the media asset identifier information as a series of schedule information packet.