This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0055915, filed on Jun. 21, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to a user interface, and more particularly, to browsing a plurality of broadcast programs which can enable a user to browse a plurality of broadcast programs using electronic program guide (EPG) information and/or TV viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, thousands of broadcast programs are aired every day on hundreds of broadcast channels, including terrestrial, cable, satellite television (TV), and digital multimedia broadcast (DMB) channels. User interfaces for browsing broadcast programs may use a related art broadcast program browsing method that involves inputting a channel number or sequentially increasing or decreasing the channel number until a channel of interest is encountered.
However, the number of broadcast channels has increased to the extent that a user cannot memorize all of the broadcast channels provided. Accordingly, a user may not be able to learn such information as the channel on which a broadcast program of interest is to be aired, or what broadcast programs are currently being aired, by using the related art broadcast program browsing method of sequentially increasing or decreasing a channel number.
Even though the related art broadcast program browsing method of sequentially increasing or decreasing a channel number has the aforementioned drawbacks, this method has been widely used because of simplicity of manipulation. In other words, when broadcast programs are one-dimensionally arranged, a user can browse broadcast channels simply by sequentially increasing or decreasing the channel number.
Since channel numbers are rarely associated with the attributes of broadcast programs, the channel browsing efficiency of the related art broadcast program browsing method of sequentially increasing or decreasing a channel number is low. However, the related art broadcast program browsing method of sequentially increasing or decreasing a channel number has been one of the most-widely used broadcast program browsing methods due to simplicity and convenience of manipulation.
In the meantime, as EPG information becomes commonplace, information that can be used when browsing broadcast channels or broadcast programs has diversified, and an increasing number of browsing methods have been developed. Related art EPG-based user interfaces allow a user to learn information regarding broadcast programs currently being aired on TV or broadcast programs to be aired on TV within a predetermined period of time, and provide users with not only channel number information but also additional information provided by an EPG.
A variety of EPG-based user interfaces have been developed.
As a modification of the aforementioned related art user interfaces, a related art method of allowing a user to control the number of broadcast program titles that can be displayed on a screen by providing a user interface with a zoom-in function, as illustrated in
In short, related art user interfaces capable of browsing broadcast programs using EPG information accompany more complicated input sequences than the related art broadcast program browsing method of one-dimensionally increasing or decreasing a channel number. Also, related art EPG-based user interfaces classify broadcast programs only in consideration of the attributes of the broadcast programs, and thus fail to reflect user preferences regarding the broadcast programs.
The present invention provides a user interface which maintains a one-dimensional manipulation browsing method and enables a user to intuitively browse a plurality of broadcast programs using a variety of information provided by an EPG and/or TV viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a user interface for browsing a plurality of broadcast programs. The method includes classifying a plurality of broadcast programs into one or more broadcast program groups according to a rule, one-dimensionally arranging the broadcast programs so that the broadcast program groups are one-dimensionally arranged, and selecting, in response to a first input signal, a broadcast program that follows a current broadcast program currently being selected by a user, and selecting, in response to a second input signal, a first broadcast program of a broadcast program group that follows a current broadcast program group including the current broadcast program.
The method may also include displaying a graphic image representing the broadcast program groups on a screen, and displaying an indicator in the graphic image indicating the location of the current broadcast program on the screen.
The one-dimensionally arranging may include arranging broadcast programs that belong to the same broadcast program group and share the same attribute to be adjacent to one another according to a rule, and the displaying may include displaying a graphic image in which broadcast programs having different attributes can be visually differentiated from one another.
The rule for classifying the broadcast programs and/or the rule for arranging the broadcast programs may be changed according to user input.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for providing a user interface for browsing a plurality of broadcast programs. The apparatus includes a group determination unit which classifies a plurality of broadcast programs into one or more broadcast program groups according to a rule, an arrangement unit which one-dimensionally arranges the broadcast programs so that the broadcast program groups are one-dimensionally arranged, and a selection unit which selects, in response to a first input signal, a broadcast program that follows a current broadcast program currently being selected by a user, and selects, in response to a second input signal, a first broadcast program of a broadcast program group that follows a current broadcast program group including the current broadcast program.
The above and other aspects will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The terms used herein are defined based on the invention claimed in this disclosure.
According to the exemplary embodiment, broadcast reception apparatuses (hereinafter collectively referred to as TVs) display a graphic image (hereinafter referred to as a guidance graphic image) illustrated in
Referring to
A guidance graphic image does not display detailed information regarding each broadcast program, but displays a plurality of broadcast programs logically and one-dimensionally. In other words, a user can sequentially select the broadcast programs displayed in the guidance graphic image in a forward direction by pressing a right button of an input device such as a remote control so that an indicator can move to the right. Also, the user can sequentially select the broadcast programs displayed in the guidance graphic image in a backward direction by pressing a left button of the input device so that the indicator can move to the left.
The user can jump from one broadcast program group to another by pressing a fast forward (FF) button or a rewind (REW) button of the input device. For example, when the user presses the FF button when a broadcast program is selected, a first broadcast program of a broadcast program group that follows a broadcast program group (hereinafter referred to as the current broadcast program group) including the selected broadcast program is selected. On the other hand, when the user presses the REW button, a first broadcast program of a broadcast program group that precedes the current broadcast program group is selected. Alternatively, the user can jump to a first broadcast program of the current broadcast program group by pressing the REW button.
As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment, a user can learn from a guidance graphic image information regarding a broadcast program group and the location of a broadcast program currently being selected by the user by using such a simple method of increases/decreases a channel or a broadcast program group. Thus, it is possible to effectively browse broadcast programs. The length of each section in a guidance graphic image representing a broadcast program group may be proportional to the number of broadcast programs included in the broadcast program group and/or to the running times of the broadcast programs combined. Alternatively, all sections respectively representing broadcast program groups may be displayed in a guidance graphic image to have the substantially same length.
As described above with reference to
In addition to the aforementioned buttons, the user may use an up button and a down button to determine a rule for arranging a plurality of broadcast programs in a guidance graphic image, i.e., a rule for forming broadcast program groups. Examples of the rule for forming broadcast program groups may include the genres, titles, channel names, and casts of broadcast programs, and viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs. For example, broadcast programs may be classified into one or more broadcast program groups according to their genres or the first letters of their titles. Broadcast programs sharing the same channel name or the same casts may be classified as belonging to the same broadcast program group. Also, broadcast programs that have already been viewed by the user may be classified as belonging to the same group. For example, a broadcast program consisting of a plurality of episodes, like a drama, may be classified according to whether the user has viewed a previous episode of the broadcast program for longer than an amount of time. Broadcast programs may be classified in various manners other than those set forth herein. For example, broadcast programs may be classified according to the user's preferences, and this will be described later in further detail with reference to
A main broadcast program group may be classified into one or more smaller broadcast program groups (hereinafter referred to as lower broadcast program groups) according to a rule. Examples of the rule for forming lower broadcast program groups, like those of the rule for forming main broadcast program groups, may include the genres, titles, channel names, and casts of broadcast programs, and viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs. In other words, assuming that a plurality of broadcast programs are classified into three main broadcast program groups ‘Movies’, ‘Dramas’, and ‘Entertainment’, broadcast programs belonging to the main broadcast program group ‘Movies’ may be classified into lower broadcast program groups ‘Action’, ‘Science Fiction (SF)’, and ‘Comedies’. A plurality of broadcast programs belonging to a lower broadcast program group, like a plurality of broadcast programs belonging to a main broadcast program group, are one-dimensionally arranged adjacent to one another. A plurality of broadcast program groups sharing the same attributes may be integrated into a larger broadcast program group (hereinafter referred to as an upper broadcast program group). For simplicity, broadcast program groups will hereinafter be regarded as main broadcast program groups unless they are specifically mentioned as being upper or lower broadcast program groups.
Upper or lower broadcast program groups may be displayed in a guidance graphic image in such a manner that they can be visually perceived by the user, as described with reference to
A rule for forming upper or lower broadcast program groups may be different from a rule for forming main broadcast program groups. For example, assuming that three broadcast program groups ‘Movies’, ‘Dramas’, and ‘Comedies’ are provided according to the genres of broadcast programs, each of the broadcast program groups ‘Movies’, ‘Dramas’, and ‘Comedies’ may be divided into two lower broadcast program groups ‘Viewed’ and ‘Never Viewed’ according to whether the user has viewed each of a plurality of broadcast programs included in the corresponding broadcast program group.
For this, a TV may store in advance a plurality of setting values for various environments, thereby enabling the user to make a variety of settings using two directional buttons. Accordingly, a plurality of setting values displayed on a screen may be entitled, for example, “program genre-mode 1”, “program genre-mode 2”, and etc.
In operation 520, a plurality of broadcast programs belonging to each of the broadcast program groups formed in operation 510 are one-dimensionally and logically arranged so that the broadcast programs are adjacent to one another in an order. Likewise, upper and lower broadcast program groups are one-dimensionally arranged.
In operation 530, a guidance graphic image is created according to the results of the arrangement performed in operation 520, and the guidance graphic image is displayed on a screen. Main broadcast program groups, upper broadcast program groups, and lower broadcast program groups may be displayed in the guidance graphic image so that they can be visually differentiated from one another. For example, main broadcast program groups, upper broadcast program groups, and lower broadcast program groups may be represented in different colors in the guidance graphic image, and a plurality of lower groups belonging to the same main broadcast program group may also be represented in different colors in the guidance graphic image. As described above, not only the guidance graphic image but also a menu screen for changing the rule for forming broadcast program groups may be displayed on the screen.
In operation 540, the broadcast programs or the broadcast program groups that are one-dimensionally arranged are sequentially selected in response to an input signal. More specifically, the user may select a broadcast program included in a broadcast program group that follows a current broadcast program group or select a broadcast program included in a broadcast program that precedes the current broadcast program group by pressing an REW button or an FF button of an input device.
In operation 550, an indicator displayed in the guidance graphic image is moved according to the result of the selection performed in operation 540. If the user changes the rule for forming broadcast program groups, then not only the guidance graphic image but also menus displayed in the guidance graphic image may be changed accordingly.
The group determination unit 620 classifies a plurality of broadcast programs, including broadcast programs currently being aired and broadcast programs to be aired within a period, into one or more broadcast program groups according to a rule by referencing the EPG database 610. Examples of the rule may include the genres, titles, and channel names of the broadcast programs, and viewing records of a user regarding the broadcast programs. In other words, examples of the rule may be classified into program attributes and user preferences. If the broadcast programs are classified according to their attributes, then the group determination unit 620 may reference the EPG database 610. On the other hand, if the broadcast programs are classified according to the user's preferences, then the group determination unit 620 may receive user preference information regarding the broadcast programs from the user preference analysis unit 615, and reference the user preference information.
The user preference analysis unit 615 analyzes viewing records of the viewer regarding the broadcast programs by referencing a user viewing record database (not shown), and provides the results of the analysis, i.e., the user preference information, to the group determination unit 620 and the arrangement unit 660. Here, the viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs include information indicating whether the user has viewed the broadcast programs and how long the user has viewed the broadcast programs, and are stored in the user viewing record database. The user preference information may be used to determine preferences among the broadcast programs. Also, the viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs may also include information obtained when the user records broadcast programs and reproduce the recorded broadcast programs as well as information obtained when the user switches channels and watch broadcast programs. Accordingly, the user preference analysis unit 615 may calculate the user preference information based on the aforementioned information of the viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs. For example, the user preference analysis unit 615 may determine that a broadcast program already viewed by the user is more preferred than a broadcast program never viewed by the user, that a broadcast program recorded and reproduced by the user is more preferred than a broadcast program never recorded and reproduced, and that a broadcast program viewed by the user for about forty minutes is more preferred than a broadcast program viewed by the user for about twenty minutes.
The arrangement unit 660 one-dimensionally arranges all the broadcast programs according to the results of the classification performed by the group determination unit 620, and determines upper and/or lower broadcast program groups. The upper and/lower broadcast program groups may be formed using the same rule used to forming main broadcast program groups, i.e., the genres, titles, or channel names of the broadcast programs, or viewing records of the user regarding the broadcast programs. Once the upper and/or lower broadcast program groups are determined, the arrangement unit 660 arranges a plurality of main broadcast program groups belonging to the same upper broadcast program group to be adjacent to one another, and arranges a plurality of broadcast programs belonging to the same lower broadcast program group to be adjacent to one another.
The input signal processing unit 200 receives a signal input by the user with the aid of an input device. When the user presses an up button or a down button of the input device, the rule change unit 640 changes the rule for forming broadcast program groups accordingly so that the broadcast programs are rearranged.
The selection unit 650 sequentially selects the broadcast programs or the broadcast program groups obtained by the group determination unit 620 according to user input. A broadcast program selected by the selection unit 650 is received by the tuner 670, and is displayed by the display unit 680.
The graphic processing unit 690 uses the display unit 680 to visually provide the user with a guidance graphic image representing the broadcast program groups and an indicator indicating the location of program currently being selected.
Broadcast programs belonging to the same main broadcast program group are one-dimensionally arranged to be adjacent to one another. Of broadcast programs belonging to the same main broadcast program group, the broadcast programs belonging to the same lower broadcast program group are arranged to be adjacent to one another.
According to the aforementioned settings, a guidance graphic image illustrated at the bottom of
Referring to a guidance graphic image illustrated at the bottom of
Then, the user can browse broadcast programs simply using a right button or a left button of an input device, and skip broadcast program groups that do not interest the user by using an FF button or a REW button of the input device. When the user presses an up button or a down button of the input device when the screen is as illustrated in
The present invention can be realized as computer-readable code written on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be any type of recording device in which data is stored in a computer-readable manner. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, and an optical data storage. The computer-readable recording medium can be distributed over a plurality of computer systems connected to a network so that computer-readable code is written thereto and executed therefrom in a decentralized manner. Functional programs, code, and code segments needed for realizing the present invention can be easily construed by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Additionally, the “units” discussed above with respect to the foregoing exemplary embodiments may be implemented as hardware including but not limited to circuits, software including the above-described computer-readable code, or a combination thereof, as would be understood by one skilled in the art.
According to the present invention, it may be possible for a user to browse broadcast programs by using a simple one-dimensional input method and intuitively utilizing EPG information.
Also, according to the present invention, it may be possible to customize a user interface for each user by reflecting not only attribute information of broadcast programs that can be obtained from an EPG but also viewing records of each user regarding the broadcast programs.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
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