Method and apparatus for transmitting, storing and processing electronic program guide data for on-screen display

Abstract

A television viewer uses a PIP format for display of program related information such as television program listings from a program schedule data base in the background and moving, real time images of a program selected from the displayed listings in the PIP window. All the text of the background information lies outside the PIP window. In one embodiment, as the viewer selects a particular program from the display of current television program listings by means of a cursor or a code number, the corresponding program automatically appears in the PIP window.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . An electronic program guide comprising:
 a memory configured to store program guide data, the program guide data including a plurality of program listings;   a tuner configured to receive a transmission including a plurality of programs, the tuner coupled to a display, the tuner configured to display one of the plurality of programs in a PIP window of the display;   a microprocessor coupled to the memory, the microprocessor configured to access the program guide data, the microprocessor further coupled to the tuner;   a video processor coupled to the microprocessor, the video processor configured to display program listings for currently available programs and program listings for programs available in the future in a listings area of the display; and   an input device coupled to the microprocessor, the input device configured to highlight a listing in the listings area, wherein if the PIP window displays a first program and the highlight is moved from a first listing to a listing for a currently available program, the tuner continues to tune to the first program corresponding to the first listing.   
     
     
         32 . The electronic program guide of  claim 31 , wherein the video processor is further configured to display a description in a description area of the display, wherein when the listing for a currently available program is highlighted, the description corresponds to the highlighted listing, and when the listing for a program available in the future is highlighted, the description corresponds to the highlighted listing. 
     
     
         33 . The electronic program guide of  claim 31 , wherein when the listing for a program available in the future is highlighted, the video processor is further configured to display a title on the display, the title corresponding to the program displayed in the PIP window. 
     
     
         34 . The electronic program guide of  claim 31 , wherein the video processor is further configured to selectively display a plurality of titles from the program guide data, wherein when one of the plurality of titles is highlighted, the program displayed in the PIP window does not correspond to the highlighted title. 
     
     
         35 . The electronic program guide of  claim 34 , wherein the video processor is further configured to display a description in a description area of the display, wherein when one of the plurality of titles is highlighted, the description corresponds to the highlighted title. 
     
     
         36 . The electronic program guide of  claim 34 , wherein the plurality of titles includes titles for programs available for viewing at a specified time. 
     
     
         37 . The electronic program guide of  claim 36 , wherein the input device is further configured to selectively input the specified time. 
     
     
         38 . The electronic program guide of  claim 34 , wherein the video processor is further configured to display a title on the display, the title corresponding to the program displayed in the PIP window. 
     
     
         39 . The electronic program guide of  claim 31 , wherein the program guide data further includes category information, the video processor further configured to selectively display a list of categories, the input device further configured to highlight categories in the listings area of the display, wherein when the highlight is moved to one category of the list of categories, the program displayed in the PIP window does not correspond to the highlighted category. 
     
     
         40 . The electronic program guide of  claim 39 , wherein the video processor is further configured to display category information in a category area of the display, the category information corresponding to the highlighted category. 
     
     
         41 . The electronic program guide of  claim 39 , wherein the input device is further configured to select the highlighted category, the video processor further configured to display a plurality of subcategories in the listings area of the display, the plurality of subcategories corresponding to the selected category. 
     
     
         42 . The electronic program guide of  claim 34 , wherein the program guide data further includes category information, the video processor further configured to selectively display a list of categories, the input device further configured to highlight categories in the listings area of the display, wherein when one category of the list of categories is highlighted, the program displayed in the PIP window does not correspond to the highlighted category. 
     
     
         43 . The electronic program guide of  claim 42 , wherein the video processor is further configured to display category information in a category area of the display, the category information corresponding to the highlighted category. 
     
     
         44 . The electronic program guide of  claim 42 , wherein the input device is further configured to select the highlighted category, the video processor further configured to display a plurality of subcategories in the listings area of the display, the plurality of subcategories corresponding to the selected category. 
     
     
         45 . A method for processing program guide data comprising:
 receiving a transmission comprising a plurality of programs;   storing program guide data in a memory, the program guide data including a plurality of program listings;   retrieving the program guide data from memory;   displaying a first program from among the plurality of programs in a PIP window of a display;   displaying program listings for currently available programs and program listings for programs available in the future in a listings area of the display;   highlighting a first listing in the listings area, wherein the first listing corresponds to the first program displayed in the PIP window; wherein, if a second listing for a currently available program is highlighted, the first program corresponding to the first listing continues to be displayed in the PIP window.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising: displaying a description in a description area of the display, wherein the description corresponds to the highlighted listing in the listings area of the display. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising: displaying on the display, when a listing for a program available in the future is highlighted, a title corresponding to the displayed one of the plurality of programs. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising: selectively displaying a plurality of titles in the listings area of the display, wherein a highlighted title in the plurality of titles does not correspond to the program displayed in the PIP window. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising: displaying a description in a description area of the display, wherein the description corresponds to the highlighted title in the listings area of the display. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein displaying a plurality of titles in the listings area of the display includes displaying titles of programs available for viewing at a specified time. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising: selecting the specified time using an input device coupled to the microprocessor. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising: displaying on the display, when the listing for a program available in the future is highlighted, a title corresponding to the displayed one of the plurality of programs. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising: selectively displaying a list of categories in the listings area of the display, wherein a highlighted category in the list of categories does not correspond to the program displayed in the PIP window. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising: displaying category information in a category area of the display, the category information corresponding to the highlighted category. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising: selecting the highlighted category using an input device coupled to the microprocessor; and displaying a plurality of subcategories in the listings area of the display, the plurality of subcategories corresponding to the selected category. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising: selectively displaying a list of categories in the listings area of the display, wherein a highlighted category in the list of categories does not correspond to the program displayed in the PIP window. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising: displaying category information in a category area of the display, the category information corresponding to the highlighted category. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising: selecting the highlighted category using an input device coupled to the microprocessor; and displaying a plurality of subcategories in the listings area of the display, the plurality of subcategories corresponding to the selected category. 
     
     
         59 . An electronic program guide comprising:
 a memory configured to store program guide data, the program guide data including a plurality of program listings;   a tuner configured to receive a transmission including a plurality of programs, the tuner coupled to a display, the tuner configured to display one of the plurality of programs in a PIP window of the display;   a microprocessor coupled to the memory, the microprocessor configured to access the memory to recover the program guide data, the microprocessor further coupled to the tuner;   a video processor coupled to the microprocessor, the video processor configured to display program listings for currently available programs and program listings for programs available in the future in a listings area of the display;   an input module coupled to the microprocessor, the input module configured to receive input from a viewer input device including instructions to highlight a listing in the listings area and to move the highlight from program listing to program listing; and   wherein if the PIP window displays a first program and if the highlight is moved from a first program listing to the second program listing, the PIP window continues to display the first program corresponding to the first program listing.