Collapsible Electronic Program Guide for Channel Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of television channels makes it difficult for users to navigate and find desired programming in electronic program guides (EPGs), as the length of listings grows with each additional channel, leading to cumbersome scrolling through numerous entries.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a collapsible and expandable EPG system where channels can be categorized and displayed as a single listing with an expansion icon, allowing users to collapse multiple channels into one entry and expand them individually for easier navigation, using a user interface with icons such as '+' and '-' symbols for user input to toggle between collapsed and expanded states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of channels is increased to provide more programming options, then the variety of programming is improved, but the length of EPG listings increases making navigation more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the EPG listings by grouping channels into categories (e.g., news channels, sports channels, entertainment channels) and displays them as consolidated category entries rather than individual channel listings. This segmentation reduces the visual complexity and number of individual entries users must scroll through, while still providing access to all channels within each category.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple channel listings into single category-based entries. Instead of displaying each channel separately, channels are combined into unified category groupings that can be expanded or collapsed. This merging reduces the total number of listings displayed at once, making the EPG more manageable and easier to navigate.
2Loss of information
If all channels are displayed as individual listings to provide complete information, then the completeness of program information is improved, but the number of entries increases making it cumbersome to scroll
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments channels into categorical groups and displays them as consolidated entries. Users can quickly scan category listings without viewing every individual channel, reducing the time needed to scroll through the EPG while still maintaining access to complete program information through category expansion when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic EPG listings that can be expanded or collapsed based on user interaction. Category entries can be dynamically expanded to show individual channel listings when a user is interested in a particular category, or collapsed to reduce the number of visible entries during general browsing, optimizing the balance between information completeness and scrolling efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A television receiving device includes a memory configured to store an electronic program guide. The electronic program guide is divided into channel listings including program information corresponding to television programs being broadcast currently and to television programs scheduled for future broadcast. The device further includes a user interface configured to receive a user input and a processor in communication with the memory and the user interface. The processor is configured to output the electronic program guide to be displayed with, alternatively: 1) at least one channel listing including an expansion icon, where upon the user input indicating a selection of the expansion icon, a single channel listing expands into a plurality of channel listings, or 2) at least one channel including a collapsing icon, where upon the user input indicating a selection of the collapsing icon, a plurality of channel listings collapse into a single channel listing.