Category-Based Channel Lists for Electronic Program Guide Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty in efficiently accessing desired programming due to the increasing number of channels and variety of programming, making it hard to navigate and find specific types of content within electronic program guides.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a set-top box with an electronic program guide manager that receives and presents category-based channel lists, allowing users to easily access channels with specific types of programming by generating and transmitting lists associated with programming categories, such as sports, news, or comedy, and enabling interactive navigation within an electronic program guide.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If channels are organized by category in predefined lists, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large set of available channels into multiple category-based lists (e.g., sports, news, entertainment, children's programming). Each list contains a manageable subset of channels relevant to a specific category, making navigation easier for users while distributing the organizational complexity across multiple structured groups rather than requiring one monolithic system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary organization of channels into category-based lists before user interaction. The set-top box pre-processes channel information, assigns channels to appropriate categories, and structures the electronic program guide in advance, so that when users access the guide, the organizational work is already completed, reducing the complexity of real-time processing.
2Loss of information
If category-based channel lists are implemented, then information organization is improved, but loss of information increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each channel can belong to multiple category-based lists simultaneously. For example, a channel carrying both sports and news programming can be included in both the sports list and the news list. This multi-functionality ensures that comprehensive channel information is preserved across different categories without requiring a single complex master list, as each category list serves its specific informational purpose independently.
3Ease of operation
If manual assembly of favorite channels is required, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs the channel organization and list creation functions that would otherwise require manual user assembly. The set-top box autonomously categorizes channels based on their programming content and generates the category-based lists, providing self-service organization that eliminates manual effort while maintaining adaptability through the structured categorical framework.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments facilitate generation, distribution, and presentation of category-based predefined channel lists. In one embodiment, an electronic program guide (“EPG”) manager is provided for execution on a receiving device, such as a set-top box. The EPG manager receives from a program distributor a predefined channel list that includes multiple channels that carry related programming. The channel list includes an associated category and indicators of the multiple channels, the multiple channels each carrying at least some programming in the associated category. The EPG manager presents to a user at least some of the multiple channels in an electronic program guide. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.