On-screen user interface device

• US 20040070628A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Eric J., Black, Brian, Iten, Tommi J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A navigation device that allows a user to quickly navigate a television environment that provides multiple services, features and options. The navigation device of the present invention is a graphical user interface and minimum of commands from a remote control to navigate through the services provided. The present invention is made up of three basic parts; an anchor, menus, and control bars. An anchor is the base or foundation of the device and includes branding, a progress bar for indicating the number of available menus, and other services such as the current date and time. Other device elements extend from the anchor.

Claims

1. An on-screen navigation device for a media system having a plurality of media environments with multiple services, the media system having a display medium, a remote control, and an integrated receiver/decoder, the device comprising:

an anchor displayed on and removed from the display medium upon demand through the remote control;

a plurality of menus extending from said anchor and being singularly displayed as each menu is selected through the remote control, each of said menus containing subject matter corresponding to media of a predetermined media environment; and

a plurality of control bars for selecting from a plurality of options available within and for controlling functions of the corresponding media through the remote control.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the anchor device further comprises an advertisement banner displayed upon activation of the anchor device.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for scrolling through available menus and means for scrolling through available options using the remote control.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of menus contain subject matter corresponding to live television broadcast, Internet services, informational services, digitally recorded video, and a program guide.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of menus further comprises a personalized menu having selections selected and set by a user through selections made from a master menu.

6. An on-screen device for navigating a plurality of television environments in a direct broadcast satellite system having an integrated receiver/decoder, a television, and a remote control for communicating with the integrated receiver/decoder and manipulating the television environments displayed on the television'"'"'s screen, the device comprising:

an anchor displayed on and removed from the television screen upon demand through the remote control;

a plurality of menus extending from said anchor and being singularly displayed as each menu is selected through the remote control, each of said menus containing subject matter related to media of a predetermined television environment corresponding to each menu; and

a plurality of control bars for selecting from a plurality of options available within and for controlling functions of the media through the remote control.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the anchor device further comprises an advertisement banner displayed upon activation of the anchor device.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6 further comprising means for scrolling through available menus and means for scrolling through available options using the remote control.

9. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plurality of menus contain subject matter corresponding to a live television broadcast television environment, an Internet services television environment, at least one informational services television environment, a digitally recorded video television environment, and a program guide television environment.

10. The device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plurality of menus further comprises a personalized menu having selections selected and set by a user through selections made from a master menu.

11. A method for navigating through and manipulating media in multiple television environments, the method comprising the steps of:

activating an anchor device that consecutively displays a menu from a plurality of menus on a television screen, each menu in the plurality of menus is related to a predetermined television environment;

selecting a menu to visually extend from the anchor, the selected menu being from the plurality of menus;

selecting an option from a plurality of options visually extending from the menu, the selected option for manipulating media available in the television environment corresponding to the selected menu; and

deactivating the anchor device such that the device is no longer displayed on the television screen.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the steps of activating and deactivating the anchor device, selecting a menu, and selecting an option are accomplished by pressing a predetermined button on a remote control.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said step of activating an anchor device that consecutively displays a menu further comprises the step of:

displaying a menu related to an existing television environment.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a menu to visually extend from the anchor, the selected menu being related to a television environment that is different from the existing television environment.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

maintaining the existing television environment;

reactivating the anchor device;

displaying the menu last displayed before reactivating the anchor device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a settings menu from the anchor;

selecting desired options from the settings menu;

storing the selected options in a personalized menu; and

displaying the personalized menu upon activation of the device

17. A pop-up menu system comprising:

an anchor having a plurality of available menus associated therewith;

a selected menu visually extending from the anchor;

a plurality of functional options being displayed in the selected menu.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the anchor device further comprises an advertisement banner displayed upon activation of the anchor device.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17 further comprising means for scrolling through available menus and means for scrolling through functional options using the remote control.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the plurality of available menus contain subject matter corresponding to a live television broadcast television environment, an Internet services television environment, at least one informational services television environment, a digitally recorded video television environment, and a program guide television environment.

21. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the plurality of available menus further comprises a personalized menu having stored selections set by a user through selections made from a master menu.