Claims
- 1. An electronic program guide for providing information regarding broadcast media programs comprising:a listing of media program representations; a calendar image displayed separate from and with the list of media program representations, the calendar image including a plurality of dates and a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image, the selection indicator for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image and a time, the listing of media program representations representing media programs that are being broadcast on the selected date and time; and wherein the selection indicator is movable within dates on the calendar image to select a particular time.
- 2. The electronic program guide of claim 1, wherein the calendar image includes dates for an entire month.
- 3. The electronic program guide of claim 1, further comprising a time region separate from and adjacent to the calendar image, the time region including therein a representation of a time of day that changes as the selection indicator is moved upward and downward within a particular date on the calendar image.
- 4. The electronic program guide of claim 1, further comprising a date region separate from and adjacent to the calendar image, the date region including therein a representation of a calendar date that changes as the selection indicator is moved from date to date within the calendar image.
- 5. The electronic program guide of claim 1, further comprising a title region separate from and adjacent to the calendar image, the title region including therein a title or categorical description of the listing of media program representations, the title or categorical description changing when the selection indicator is moved from the current date and time within the calendar image.
- 6. The electronic program guide of claim 1, and further comprising a data range indicator that provides an indication on the calendar image of the dates for which program guide information is available.
- 7. The electronic program guide of claim 1, and further comprising a mask that is overlaid on certain dates within the calendar image, thereby highlighting other dates within the calendar image.
- 8. The electronic program guide of claim 1, wherein the calendar image is expandable by user command.
- 9. An electronic program guide for providing information regarding broadcast media programs comprising:a listing of media program representations that represent a first set of media programs; and a calendar image separate from and adjacent to the listing of media program representations, the calendar image including a plurality of dates and a plurality of program indicators, each program indicator being overlaid on one or more of the plurality of dates, thereby providing an indication of the dates on which the first set of media programs will be broadcast; wherein the calendar image includes a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image; wherein the selection indicator is movable upward and downward within dates on the calendar image to select a particular time.
- 10. An electronic program guide for providing information regarding broadcast media programs comprising:a listing of media program presentations that represent a first set of media programs; and a calendar image separate from and adjacent to the listing of media program representations, the calendar image including a plurality of dates and a plurality of program indicators, each program indicator being overlaid on one or more of the plurality of dates, thereby providing an indication of the dates on which the first set of media programs will be broadcast; wherein the calendar image includes a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image; wherein the electronic program guide further comprises a time region separate from and adjacent to the calendar image, the time region including therein a representation of a time of day that changes as the selection indicator is moved upward and downward within a particular date on the calendar image.
- 11. An electronic program guide receiving system that receives and generates a display of television content and program guide data, the system comprising:a receiver for receiving the program guide data and the television content; a memory for storing the received program guide data; and a display generator for generating a first display screen based on the received program guide data, the first display screen comprising a listing of media program representations and a calendar image separate from and adjacent to the listing of media program representations, the calendar image including a plurality of dates and a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image, the selection indicator for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image and a time, the listing of media program representations representing media programs that are being broadcast on the selected date and time; and wherein the selection indicator is movable within dates on the calendar image to select a particular time.
- 12. A method of receiving electronic program guide data and television content, the method comprising:receiving electronic program guide data; storing the received program guide data; and generating a first display screen based on the stored program guide data, the first display screen comprising a listing of media program representations and a calendar image separate from and adjacent the listing of media program representations, the calendar image including a plurality of dates and a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image, the selection indicator for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image and movable within dates on the calendar image to select a particular time, the listing of media program representations representing media programs that are being broadcast on the selected date and time.
- 13. A system for transmitting and receiving electronic program guide data and television audio and video signals, the system comprising:a combiner for combining the program guide data and the television audio and video signals into an output data stream; a transmitter for broadcasting the output data stream; a plurality of receivers, each receiver receiving the output data stream, identifying the program guide data from the output data stream, and storing the identified program guide data; and display means for generating a first display screen based on the stored program guide data, the first display screen comprising a listing of media program representations and a calendar image separate from and adjacent to the listing of media program representations, the calendar image including plurality of dates and a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image and movable within dates on the calendar image to select a particular time, the listing of media program representations presenting media programs that are being broadcast on the selected date and time.
- 14. A method of transmitting and receiving electronic program guide data and television audio and video signals, the method comprising:combining the program guide data and the television audio and video signals into an output data stream; broadcasting the output data stream; receiving the output data stream with each of a plurality of receivers; identifying the program guide data from the output data stream; storing the identified program guide data; and generating a first display screen based on the stored program guide data, the first display screen comprising a listing of media program representations and a calendar image separate from and adjacent to the listing of media program representations, the calendar image including a plurality of dates and a selection indicator, the selection indicator movable within the calendar image, the selection indicator for selecting one of the plurality of dates on the calendar image and movable within dates on the calendar image to select a particular time, the listing of media program representations representing media programs that are being broadcast on the selected date and time.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/126,696, entitled “ELECTRONIC TELEVISION PROGRAM GUIDE WITH CALENDAR TOOL” by Craig A. Finseth, Philip E. Hsiao, and Jeffrey A. Brown, filed Mar. 29, 1999.
This application is related to the following co-pending and commonly assigned patent application, which is incorporated by reference herein:
Application Ser. No. 09/535,235 entitled “CATEGORICAL ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE,” filed on same date herewith, by Philip E. Hsiao, Jeffrey A. Brown, and Craig A. Finseth.
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