Program Listing Display Control Apparatus for Multi-Day EPG
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing program listing display methods for TV broadcasting, such as those using time group tabs and channel group tabs, fail to provide an efficient bird's-eye-view of program information over several days, requiring users to scroll through screens and lacking in reducing the workload or time spent searching for desired programs.
Innovation Solution
A program listing display control apparatus and method that stores program information in two-dimensional coordinates defined by broadcast dates, allowing users to view program time slots on a single screen with additional information added to identified programs, enabling easy retrieval of desired information while maintaining a bird's-eye-view of program listings over extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a two-dimensional table format EPG is used to display program listings, then program information can be organized by broadcast time and channel, but users must scroll through multiple screens to find programs several days ahead, increasing search time and workload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional two-dimensional table format (time x channel) into a three-dimensional display by adding a depth dimension that represents multiple days of program listings. This allows users to view program information for several days ahead on a single screen without scrolling, effectively resolving the contradiction between information completeness and search efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If time group tabs and channel group tabs are used to display multiple two-dimensional maps, then scrolling is eliminated, but users still cannot obtain a bird's-eye-view of entire program information over several days and must use prior knowledge of channel and time to find programs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple two-dimensional program maps (each representing a different time period) into a single integrated three-dimensional display. This consolidation allows users to view program information across several days simultaneously on one screen, providing both ease of navigation and a comprehensive bird's-eye-view without requiring multiple tab switches.
Solution Approach 2:
By adding the depth dimension to represent multiple days, the patent enables users to see the entire program schedule overview while maintaining simple navigation through the integrated display, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and information completeness.
3Loss of information
If additional information is added to all program time slots in a program listing picture, then comprehensive program details are provided, but the display becomes cluttered and harder to navigate, increasing user workload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively displaying additional program information only in specific regions or time slots of the program listing picture, rather than uniformly across all slots. This allows comprehensive program details to be available where needed while maintaining a clean, navigable display overall, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and navigation ease.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a program listing display control apparatus including: a program listing picture storage block configured to store a program listing picture in which are disposed program time slots to which a plurality of broadcast programs are allocated; a display control block configured to control a display apparatus to display the program listing picture; a control information input block configured to input control information for controlling the acquisition of additional information to be added to the program listing picture; and an information acquisition block configured to acquire program identification information for identifying the programs to which the additional information is added and the additional information regarding the programs identified by the program identification information, on the basis of the control information input through the control information input block.