Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with scan feature

Abstract

An electronic program schedule system which utilizes 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 transmit 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. The system includes a scan feature to permit the user to scan program schedule listings for multiple programs in any of the operational modes of the system with the issuance of a single user control command.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for displaying television program listings using an interactive television program guide, comprising: 
 receiving the television program listings;    receiving a plurality of television programs;    displaying a television program on a screen; and    displaying an automatically scanned sequence of the television program listings as an overlay on top of the television program, wherein the displayed television program listings are stationary.    
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein a user input generates a start scan command and wherein the automatically scanned sequence is displayed in response to the start scan command.  
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein a user input generates a stop scan command and wherein the displaying of the automatically scanned sequence is terminated in response to the stop scan command.  
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the displaying of the automatically scanned sequence is terminated after each television program listing in the sequence has been displayed once.  
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein each displayed television program listing is displayed for a period of time which is user definable.  
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the displayed television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear on a plurality of television channels.  
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein the displayed television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear during a common time period.  
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 7  wherein the common time period is user defined.  
     
     
         9 . The method defined in  claim 7  wherein the common time period is the current time period.  
     
     
         10 . The method defined in  claim 9  wherein each displayed television program listing contains information on only a single program and wherein the displayed television program is a given program, the method further comprising: 
 displaying the television program corresponding to the displayed television program listing on top of the given program.  
 
     
     
         11 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein the plurality of channels comprises a user-defined set of favorite channels.  
     
     
         12 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein each displayed television program listing contains a single program by itself.  
     
     
         13 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein the displayed television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear during a future time period.  
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 13  further comprising providing a user with an opportunity to set a reminder for one or more of the displayed television program listings.  
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 13  further comprising providing a user with an opportunity to set a VCR timer for one or more of the plurality of television programs.  
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 6  wherein the plurality of television channels comprises a sequence of consecutively numbered channels.  
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 6  further comprising providing a user with an opportunity to select a desired program in the displayed sequence of television program listings, wherein the desired television program is displayed in response to the user selection.  
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the overlay is displayed in a user-selectable position.  
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the displayed television program is on a given channel and wherein the sequence of displayed television program listings contains programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 19  wherein the sequence of displayed television program listings contains programs scheduled to appear in a window of time for the given channel.  
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 20  wherein the window of time is user definable.  
     
     
         22 . The method defined in  claim 19  further comprising providing a user with an opportunity to set a reminder for one or more of the programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 19  further comprising providing a user with an opportunity to set a VCR timer for one or more of the programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         24 . The method defined in  claim 19  wherein the sequence of displayed television program listings is determined by category of the program on the given channel.  
     
     
         25 . An interactive television program guide system implemented on user equipment, the user equipment comprising: 
 a receiver configured to receive television program listings;    a tuner configured to tune to a plurality of television programs;    a video display generator configured to display a television program on a screen; and    a processor configured to direct the video display generator to display an automatically scanned sequence of television program listings as an overlay on top of the television program, wherein the displayed television program listings are stationary.    
     
     
         26 . The system defined in  claim 25  further comprising: 
 a user input device configured to provide a user with an opportunity to input a start scan command, wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to display the automatically scanned sequence in response to the start scan command.  
 
     
     
         27 . The system defined in  claim 25  wherein the user equipment further comprises: 
 a user input device configured to provide a user with an opportunity to input a stop scan command, wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to terminate the display of the automatically scanned sequence in response to the stop scan command.  
 
     
     
         28 . The system defined in  claim 25  wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to terminate display of the automatically scanned sequence after each television program listing in the sequence has been displayed once.  
     
     
         29 . The system defined in  claim 25  wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to display each television program listing for a period of time which is user definable.  
     
     
         30 . The system defined in  claim 25  wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to display television program listings for programs scheduled to appear on a plurality of television channels.  
     
     
         31 . The system defined in  claim 30  wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to display the television program listings of programs scheduled to appear during a common time period.  
     
     
         32 . The system defined in  claim 31  wherein the common time period is user defined.  
     
     
         33 . The system defined in  claim 31  wherein the common time period is the current time period.  
     
     
         34 . The system defined in  claim 33  wherein: 
 the processor is further configured to direct video display generator to display each television program listing containing information on only a single television program and wherein the displayed television program is a given program; and  
 the processor is configured to direct the video display generator to display the television program corresponding to the displayed television program listing as an overlay to the given program.  
 
     
     
         35 . The system defined in  claim 30  wherein the plurality of channels comprises a user-defined set of favorite channels.  
     
     
         36 . The system defined in  claim 30  wherein each displayed television program listing contains a single program by itself.  
     
     
         37 . The system defined in  claim 30  wherein the displayed television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear during a future time period.  
     
     
         38 . The system defined in  claim 37  wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user with an opportunity to set a reminder for one or more of the displayed television program listings.  
     
     
         39 . The system defined in  claim 37  wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user with an opportunity to set a VCR timer for one or more of the plurality of television programs.  
     
     
         40 . The system defined in  claim 30  wherein the plurality of television channels comprises a sequence of consecutively numbered channels.  
     
     
         41 . The system defined in  claim 30  further comprising a user input device configured to provide a user with an opportunity to select a desired program in the displayed sequence of television program listings, wherein the processor is further configured to direct the video display generator to display the desired television program in response to the user selection.  
     
     
         42 . The system defined in  claim 25  wherein the overlay is displayed in a user-selectable position.  
     
     
         43 . The system defined in  claim 25  wherein the displayed television program is on a given channel and wherein the sequence of television program listings contains programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         44 . The system defined in  claim 43  wherein the sequence of television program listings contains programs scheduled to appear in a window of time for the given channel.  
     
     
         45 . The system defined in  claim 44  wherein the window of time is user definable.  
     
     
         46 . The system defined in  claim 43  wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user with an opportunity to set a reminder for one or more of the programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         47 . The system defined in  claim 43  wherein the processor is further configured to provide a user with an opportunity to set a VCR timer for one or more of the programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         48 . The system defined in  claim 43  wherein the sequence of television program listings is determined by category of the program on the given channel.  
     
     
         49 . A machine readable medium having machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 receiving television program listings;    receiving a plurality of television programs;    displaying a television program on a screen; and    displaying an automatically scanned sequence of television program listings as an overlay on top of the television program, wherein the displayed television program listings are stationary.    
     
     
         50 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 providing a user with an opportunity to generate a start scan command; and  
 displaying the automatically scanned sequence in response to the start scan command.  
 
     
     
         51 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 providing a user with an opportunity to generate a stop scan command; and  
 terminating the displaying of the automatically scanned sequence in response to the stop scan command.  
 
     
     
         52 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 terminating the displaying of the automatically scanned sequence after each television program listing in the sequence has been displayed once.  
 
     
     
         53 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for displaying each television program listing for a period of time which is user definable.  
     
     
         54 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  wherein the television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear on a plurality of television channels.  
     
     
         55 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 54  wherein the television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear during a common time period.  
     
     
         56 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 55  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for providing a user with an opportunity to define the common time period.  
     
     
         57 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 55  wherein the common time period is the current time period.  
     
     
         58 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 57  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 displaying each television program listing containing information on only a single program, wherein the displayed television program is a given program; and  
 displaying the television program corresponding to the displayed television program listing on top of the given program.  
 
     
     
         59 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 54  wherein the plurality of channels comprises the user-defined set of favorite channels.  
     
     
         60 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 54  wherein each displayed television program listing contains a single program by itself.  
     
     
         61 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 54  wherein the displayed television program listings are for programs scheduled to appear during a future time period.  
     
     
         62 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 61  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for allowing a user to set a reminder for one or more of the television program listings.  
     
     
         63 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 61  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for allowing a user to set a VCR timer for one or more of the plurality of television programs.  
     
     
         64 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 54  wherein the plurality of television channels comprises a sequence of consecutively numbered channels.  
     
     
         65 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 54  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for: 
 providing a user with an opportunity to select a desired program in the displayed sequence of television program listings; and  
 displaying the selected television program in response to the user selection.  
 
     
     
         66 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for displaying the overlay in a user-selectable position.  
     
     
         67 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 49  wherein the displayed television program is on a given channel, further comprising displaying the sequence of television program listings, wherein the sequence of television program listings contains programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         68 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 67  wherein the sequence of television program listings contains programs scheduled to appear in a window of time for the given channel.  
     
     
         69 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 68  wherein the window of time is user definable.  
     
     
         70 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 67  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for providing a user with an opportunity to set a reminder for one or more television programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         71 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 67  further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for providing a user with an opportunity to set a VCR timer for one or more television programs scheduled to appear on the given channel.  
     
     
         72 . The machine readable medium defined in  claim 67  wherein the sequence of television program listings is determined by category of the program on the given channel.