Television graphical user interface that combines electronic program guide with graphical channel changer

摘要

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.