The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 20, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1996
Jack Chaney, Gilroy, CA (US);
Steve Blonstein, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael Deacon, Campbell, CA (US);
Dimitry Nasledov, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Samsung Electronics, Ltd., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A graphical user interface (GUI) for a TV receiver combines a graphical channel changer with an electronic program guide to enable a user to quickly and seamlessly go from a TV channel selection mode to a TV program selection mode. The graphical channel changer includes a vertical bar composed of channel boxes that contain number and logos of available TV channels. The user may tune the TV system to any one of the TV channels by directing a remote pointing device at the channel box that represents that TV channel. When the user switches to the program selection mode, the GUI transfers to the electronic program guide for displaying vertical program bars arranged in alignment with the channel boxes to show information on TV programs for the TV channels represented by the corresponding channel boxes. Thus, the arrangement of the electronic program guide enables the user to review TV programming information, and then, to select a TV channel that carries a desired TV program by directing the remote pointing device at the channel box for the selected TV channel.