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.

1 - 72 . (canceled) 
     
     
         73 . A method for generating for display program listings using an interactive program guide, comprising:
 receiving a first user selection;   in response to receiving the first user selection;
 determining a channel-wise scan mode and scan direction based on the first user selection; and 
 automatically scanning a sequence of the program listings; and 
   generating for display a first program listing simultaneously with a video for a first period of time, and generating for display a second program listing simultaneously with the video for a second period of time.   
     
     
         74 . The method defined in  claim 73 , wherein the first user selection generates a start scan command and wherein the automatically scanning the sequence is initiated in response to the start scan command. 
     
     
         75 . The method defined in  claim 73 , wherein a user input generates a stop scan command and wherein the automatically scanning the sequence is terminated in response to the stop scan command. 
     
     
         76 . The method defined in  claim 73 , wherein the first and second periods of time that the first and second program listings are generated for display are user definable. 
     
     
         77 . The method defined in  claim 73 , wherein the program listings generated for display are for programs scheduled to appear on a plurality of television channels. 
     
     
         78 . The method defined in  claim 77 , wherein the program listings generated for display are for programs scheduled to appear during a common time period. 
     
     
         79 . The method defined in  claim 77  wherein the plurality of television channels comprises a sequence of consecutively numbered channels. 
     
     
         80 . The method defined in  claim 73 , further comprising receiving a second user selection of a desired program in the sequence of program listings, wherein the desired program is generated for display in response to the second user selection. 
     
     
         81 . The method defined in  claim 73 , wherein the first user selection is received while generating for display a program on a given channel and wherein the sequence of program listings contains programs scheduled to appear on the given channel. 
     
     
         82 . The method defined in  claim 81 , wherein the sequence of program listings contains programs scheduled to appear in a window of time for the given channel. 
     
     
         83 . An interactive program guide system for generating for display program listings implemented on user equipment, the user equipment comprising:
 user input interface circuitry configured to receive a first user selection; and   control circuitry configured to, in response to receiving the first user selection:
 determine a channel-wise scan mode and scan direction based on the first user selection; 
 automatically scan a sequence of the program listings; 
 generate for display a first program listing simultaneously with a video for a first period of time; and 
 generate for display a second program listing simultaneously with the video for a second period of time. 
   
     
     
         84 . The system defined in  claim 83 , wherein the first user selection generates a start scan command, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to initiate the automatically scanning the sequence in response to the start scan command. 
     
     
         85 . The system defined in  claim 83 , wherein the user input interface circuitry is further configured to receive a user input of a stop scan command, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to terminate the automatically scanning the sequence in response to the stop scan command. 
     
     
         86 . The system defined in  claim 83 , wherein the first and second periods of time that the first and second program listings are generated for display are user definable. 
     
     
         87 . The system defined in  claim 83 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display program listings for programs scheduled to appear on a plurality of television channels. 
     
     
         88 . The system defined in  claim 87 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display program listings of programs scheduled to appear during a common time period. 
     
     
         89 . The system defined in  claim 87  wherein the plurality of television channels comprises a sequence of consecutively numbered channels. 
     
     
         90 . The system defined in  claim 83 , wherein the user input interface circuitry is further configured to receive a second user selection of a desired program in the sequence of program listings, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display the desired program in response to the second user selection. 
     
     
         91 . The system defined in  claim 83 , wherein the first user selection is received while generating for display a program on a given channel and wherein the sequence of program listings contains programs scheduled to appear on the given channel. 
     
     
         92 . The system defined in  claim 91 , wherein the sequence of program listings contains programs scheduled to appear in a window of time for the given channel.