Hierarchical Electronic Program Guide Interface for Channel Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic program guides (EPGs) face challenges in navigating vast amounts of programming information, overwhelming viewers with a large number of distinct events, necessitating an intuitive user interface for easy navigation.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating an EPG system that displays programming information in a hierarchical form, allowing users to select channels and view programming schedules, with graphical indicators and a user interface similar to computer file directories, enabling easy navigation and selection of programs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all programming information is displayed in the EPG, then the completeness of information is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to overwhelming volume of data
Solution Approach 1:
The EPG interface is segmented into multiple hierarchical levels: first level shows channel icons, second level shows program listings for selected channels, and third level shows detailed program information. This segmentation allows complete programming information to be organized in manageable sections, improving ease of operation while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat list of all programs to a multi-level hierarchical structure with visual indicators. By adding the dimension of hierarchical organization with expandable/collapsible sections, the system maintains complete information while making navigation intuitive and manageable.
2Loss of information
If detailed programming schedules are displayed for all channels, then the information completeness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The programming schedule information is segmented by channel and by time period, with each channel having its own organized listing. Detailed schedules are divided into manageable sections with visual indicators showing current, upcoming, and past programs, reducing interface complexity while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-organizes programming data into hierarchical structures with channels as parent elements and programs as child elements. This preliminary organization allows the interface to display only relevant information at each level, reducing perceived complexity while maintaining access to complete scheduling information.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of channels are displayed simultaneously, then the versatility is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Channels are segmented into visual icon representations on the first level of the hierarchy, allowing users to quickly scan and select from multiple channels. This segmentation maintains versatility by supporting many channels while improving ease of operation through intuitive visual selection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Channel icons serve as intermediary elements between the full channel list and detailed program information. These visual intermediaries provide an intuitive selection mechanism that handles large numbers of channels efficiently, improving ease of operation while maintaining access to all channels.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, the invention provides a method for operating an electronic program guide system. The method comprises displaying a first view wherein graphical indicators each of which corresponds to a broadcast channel are displayed on a display; detecting input selecting one of the graphical indicators; and displaying a second view in response to the detected input, wherein programming information relating to a channel corresponding to the selected graphical indicator is displayed on the display.