How Devices Organize TV Shows in Program Guides

This patent describes how a device can display a program guide that groups media content icons into sub-categories, and then dynamically reorganizes those icons when a group is selected to make browsing easier.

What it covers

A device shows a program guide with multiple icon groupings. Each grouping represents a sub-category of media content, like 'action movies' within the 'movies' category. Inside each grouping are icons for individual media items, such as a specific movie. When a user selects an icon grouping, the program guide updates. This update changes how the icons within that specific grouping are arranged. After this reorganization, the user can then select an individual icon to perform an operation, like playing the movie.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover program guides that display all content items without grouping them into sub-categories.
• —Does not cover interfaces where selecting a grouping does not change how its icons are organized.
• —Does not cover content selection that happens in a single input action, rather than a two-step process of grouping selection then item selection.
• —Does not cover content guides for non-media content, such as file browsers or app lists.
• —Does not cover program guides that only change the visual appearance of a grouping upon selection, without reorganizing its internal icons.

The clever bit

The novelty lies in the system's ability to dynamically reorganize the display of icons *within* a selected sub-category grouping, rather than just highlighting the group or moving to a new screen, making it easier to browse specific content.

Why it matters

This approach aims to make finding specific shows or movies simpler by first narrowing down choices into sub-categories and then presenting those choices in a more organized way. It helps users navigate large libraries of media content more efficiently. This can improve the user experience on devices like smart TVs and streaming boxes, where content discovery is key.

Real-world examples

• 1.Smart TV operating systems
• 2.Streaming device interfaces (e.g., Roku, Apple TV)
• 3.Cable television set-top box guides
• 4.Video-on-demand services