Electronic Program Guide Bias Lines for Non-Uniform Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic program guides (EPGs) face difficulties in navigating and highlighting programs with non-uniform start and end times, as the highlight effect becomes uncertain when scrolling back through the grid, especially when program lengths are irregular, leading to potential selection of incorrect programs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of horizontal and vertical bias lines, calculated based on the center of the highlighted program, to direct and redirect the highlight effect, ensuring accurate selection when scrolling through a program guide with non-uniform program lengths, by extending these lines from the center of the highlighted program and recalculating their positions as the user navigates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional highlight navigation is used in program guides, then uniform program grids can be navigated easily, but non-uniform program lengths cause highlight uncertainty and incorrect program selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces bias lines (horizontal and vertical) as intermediary elements that mediate between the user's scrolling input and the highlight effect. These bias lines act as reference frameworks that remain stable regardless of non-uniform program lengths, ensuring the highlight consistently indicates the correct program boundary while maintaining easy navigation through the guide.
2Reliability
If the highlight effect follows program boundaries in non-uniform grids, then program selection accuracy improves, but navigation complexity increases due to irregular scrolling behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves navigation complexity by introducing bias lines that extend across the entire program grid, creating a dimensional reference framework. This allows the highlight to accurately follow program boundaries in non-uniform grids without increasing navigation complexity, as the bias lines provide a stable visual reference that simplifies user interaction.
3Measurement precision
If bias lines are recalculated for each scroll position, then highlight accuracy is maintained, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and establishing bias lines based on the initial program grid configuration. These bias lines are then maintained and adjusted incrementally during scrolling, rather than being completely recalculated for each scroll position. This reduces processing overhead while maintaining highlight precision throughout navigation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Navigation in program guides with non-uniform events. The program guide includes a user interface screen for providing a plurality of television programs by time and channel in a grid format. Each television program becomes selectable from the EPG based upon user interaction. Vertical and horizontal bias lines are calculated to determine which program to select when navigating in a program guide having programs with non-uniform run times.