Television control interface with electronic guide

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for navigating interactive program data, the method comprising:
 displaying in a first portion of a display screen a first plurality of program listings associated with a first time interval;   displaying in a second portion of the display screen an interactive time bar that includes a series of interactive time indicator icons, each interactive time indicator icon representing a different time interval;   receiving a selection of one of the displayed interactive time indicator icons; and   in response to receiving the selection of the one of the interactive time indicator icons, displaying in the first portion of the display screen a second plurality of program listings associated with a second time interval, wherein the second time interval corresponds to the time interval represented by the selected interactive time indicator icon.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first time interval includes a current time. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the time intervals represented by the time indicator icons include at least one of past and future time intervals. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the interactive time bar is displayed in response to receiving a selection of a time bar activation icon. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the interactive time bar is displayed when a cursor is positioned over the second portion of the display. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second plurality of program listings correspond to a same set of television channels. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising modifying the first portion of the display screen to display the second plurality of program listings in place of the first plurality of program listings. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the series of interactive time indicator icons represents a series of contiguous time intervals. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each interactive time indicator icon is a numerical glyph. 
     
     
         10 . A system for navigating interactive program data, the system comprising:
 a display screen for displaying in a first portion of the display screen a first plurality of program listings associated with a first time interval and displaying in a second portion of the display screen an interactive time bar that includes a series of interactive time indicator icons, each interactive time indicator icon representing a different time interval;   an input device for selecting one of the displayed interactive time indicator icons; and   a controller, coupled to the display screen and the input device, configured to, in response to receiving the selection of the one of the displayed interactive time indicator icon from the input device, display in the first portion of the display screen a second plurality of program listings associated with a second time interval, wherein the second time interval corresponds to the time interval represented by the selected interactive time indicator icon.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first time interval includes a current time. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the time intervals represented by the time indicator icons include at least one of past and future time intervals. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the controller is configured to display on the display screen the interactive time bar in response to receiving a selection of a time bar activation icon from the input device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10  wherein:
 the input device is used to position a cursor over the second portion of the display; and 
 the controller is configured to display on the display screen the interactive time bar when the cursor is positioned over the second portion of the display. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the first and the second plurality of program listings correspond to a same set of television channels. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the controller is configured to display on the display screen the second plurality of program listings in place of the first plurality of program listings in the first portion of the display. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the series of interactive time indicator icons represents a series of contiguous time intervals. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10  wherein each interactive time indicator icon is a numerical glyph.