Display generating device

• US 20020109678A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hultcrantz, Johanna, Marmolin, Hans, Scott, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/180
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A set-top box runs web browser software and displays on a television set a web page comprising hypertext links. A spotlight is used as a focus to navigate the page.

Claims

1. A display generating device configured to generate signals for a graphical display device, comprising a processor for modifying an image by spotlighting a region of the image relative to its surroundings using a trackable spotlight.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spotlit region is brighter than its surroundings.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spotlit region is a different colour from its surroundings.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein a first object within said spotlit region has a relatively high contrast against said spotlit region and a second object within said surroundings has a relatively low contrast against said surroundings.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein a first object within said spotlit region is in sharper focus than a second object within said surroundings.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the spotlight is locatable so as to enclose partly or wholly a functional display region so as to permit selection thereof.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the spotlight has a diffuse boundary.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the spotlight is substantially circular.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spotlight is slideably moveable about said image.

10. A multimedia network terminal including a device according to claim 1.

11. A multimedia network terminal according to claim 10, which is an internet-enabled digital television set top box.

12. A method, in a display generating device configured to generate signals for a graphical display device, of operating the device, the method comprising modifying an image by spotlighting a region of the image relative to its surroundings using a trackable spotlight.

13. A computer program comprising computer code to make a computer configured to generate signals for a graphical display device execute procedure to modify an image by spotlighting a region of the image relative to its surroundings using a trackable spotlight.

14. A display generating device configured to generate signals for a graphical display device, comprising a processor configured to modify an image by spotlighting a region of the image relative to its surroundings using a trackable spotlight.