User interface for a video display device

• US 20050034154A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McDermott, Michael Donald, Yeh, Sabrina Tai-Chen
• Application Number:
  US10/727,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034154A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

An audiovisual device in communication with at least one recording device includes a user input device and a user interface displayed on the audiovisual device. The user interface includes a first window associated with a source of audiovisual programming and a second window associated with the recording device.

Claims

1. A user interface for a television set connected to at least one recording device and at least one source of audiovisual programming, said user interface comprising:

a first window associated with a source of audiovisual programming; and

a second window associated with a connected recording device;

wherein said first window displays said audiovisual programming from said source of audiovisual programming.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said recording device is also a second source of audiovisual programming and said audiovisual programming from said recording device is displayed in said second window.

3. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising controls for controlling said connected recording device.

4. The user interface of claim 3, further comprising a status identifier for identifying a current operation being performed by said connected recording device.

5. The user interface of claim 3, wherein, when said controls are used to send a record command to said connected recording device, said connected recording device automatically records said audiovisual programming being displayed in said first window.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein, while said connected recording device is recording, said audiovisual programming is also displayed in said second window.

7. The user interface of claim 3, wherein multiple recording device are connected, said controls further comprising controls for selecting a recording device to be associated with said second window and controlled through said user interface.

8. The user interface of claim 7, further comprising a device identifier for identifying which connected recording device is currently associated with said second window.

9. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising an identifier identifying said source of audiovisual programming, with multiple sources of audiovisual programming being available.

10. The user interface of claim 9, further comprising controls associated with said first window for selecting and controlling said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window.

11. The user interface of claim 10, further comprising a status identifier identifying a current operation being performed by said source of audiovisual programming.

12. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said at least one recording device is connected to said television set with an IEEE 1394 pathway.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said recording device is a memory card.

14. A user interface for a television set connected to at least one recording device and at least one source of audiovisual programming, said user interface comprising:

a first window associated with a source of audiovisual programming; and

a second window associated with a connected recording device;

wherein said first window displays an electronic program guide for said source of audiovisual programming, and said second window lists programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

15. The user interface of claim 14, wherein said connected recording device associated with said second window automatically records said programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

16. The user interface of claim 14, wherein multiple recording devices are connected and said user interface comprises controls for selecting which recording device is associated with said second window.

17. The user interface of claim 14, wherein multiple sources of audiovisual programming are connected and said user interface comprises controls for selecting which source of audiovisual programming is associated with said first window.

18. A video display device comprising:

a screen;

a user interface displayed on said screen; and

a connection to at least one recording device and at least one source of audiovisual programming;

wherein said user interface comprises a first window associated with a source of audiovisual programming, and a second window associated with a connected recording device.

19. The video display device of claim 18, wherein said first window displays said audiovisual programming from said source of audiovisual programming.

20. The video display device of claim 18, wherein said connected recording device is also a second source of audiovisual programming and said audiovisual programming from said recording device is displayed in said second window.

21. The video display device of claim 18, further comprising a remote control unit, wherein said user interface further comprises on-screen controls for controlling said connected recording device, said on-screen controls being operated with said remote control unit.

22. The video display device of claim 21, wherein said user interface further comprises a status identifier for identifying a current operation being performed by said connected recording device.

23. The video display device of claim 21, wherein, when said on-screen controls are used to send a record command to said connected recording device, said connected recording device automatically records said audiovisual programming being displayed in said first window.

24. The video display device of claim 23, wherein, while said connected recording device is recording, said audiovisual programming is also displayed in said second window.

25. The video display device of claim 21, wherein multiple recording device are connected, said on-screen controls further comprising controls for selecting a recording device to be associated with said second window and controlled through said user interface.

26. The video display device of claim 25, wherein said user interface further comprises a device identifier for identifying which connected recording device is currently associated with said second window.

27. The video display device of claim 18, wherein said user interface further comprises an identifier identifying said source of audiovisual programming, with multiple sources of audiovisual programming being available.

28. The video display device of claim 27, wherein said user interface further comprises controls associated with said first window for selecting and controlling said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window.

29. The video display device of claim 28, wherein said user interface further comprises a status identifier identifying a current operation being performed by said source of audiovisual programming.

30. The video display device of claim 18, wherein said connection to at least one recording device is an IEEE 1394 interface.

31. The video display device of claim 18, further comprising a memory card in said video display device, wherein said memory card is said recording device associated with said second window.

32. The video display device of claim 18, wherein said first window displays an electronic program guide for said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window, and said second window lists programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

33. The video display device of claim 32, wherein said connected recording device associated with said second window automatically records said programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

34. The video display device of claim 32, wherein multiple recording devices are connected and said user interface comprises controls for selecting which recording device is associated with said second window.

35. The video display device of claim 32, wherein multiple sources of audiovisual programming are connected and said user interface comprises controls for selecting which source of audiovisual programming is associated with said first window.

36. Processor-readable instructions stored on a processor-readable medium, said instructions, when executed, providing an on-screen user interface for a video display device, said user interface comprising:

a first window associated with a source of audiovisual programming connected to said video display device; and

a second window associated with a recording device connected to said video display device.

37. The processor-readable instructions of claim 36, wherein said first window displays said audiovisual programming from said source of audiovisual programming.

38. The processor-readable instructions of claim 36, wherein said connected recording device is also a second source of audiovisual programming and said audiovisual programming from said recording device is displayed in said second window.

39. The processor-readable instructions of claim 36, wherein said user interface further comprises on-screen controls for controlling said connected recording device.

40. The processor-readable instructions of claim 39, wherein said user interface further comprises a status identifier for identifying a current operation being performed by said connected recording device.

41. The processor-readable instructions of claim 39, wherein, when said on-screen controls are used to send a record command to said connected recording device, said user interface causes said connected recording device to record said audiovisual programming being displayed in said first window.

42. The processor-readable instructions of claim 41, wherein, while said connected recording device is recording, said audiovisual programming is also displayed in said second window.

43. The processor-readable instructions of claim 39, wherein when multiple recording device are connected to said video display device, said controls further comprise controls for selecting a recording device to be associated with said second window and controlled through said user interface.

44. The processor-readable instructions of claim 43, wherein said user interface further comprises a device identifier for identifying which connected recording device is currently associated with said second window.

45. The processor-readable instructions of claim 37, wherein when multiple source of audiovisual programming are connected to said video display device, said user interface further comprises an identifier identifying which source of audiovisual programming is associated with said first window.

46. The processor-readable instructions of claim 45, wherein said user interface further comprises controls associated with said first window for selecting and controlling said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window.

47. The processor-readable instructions of claim 46, wherein said user interface further comprises a status identifier identifying a current operation being performed by said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window.

48. The processor-readable instructions of claim 36, wherein said first window displays an electronic program guide for said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window, and said second window lists programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

49. The processor-readable instructions of claim 48, wherein said user interface causes said recording device associated with said second window to record said programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

50. The processor-readable instructions of claim 48, wherein, when multiple recording devices are available, said user interface comprises controls for selecting which recording device is associated with said second window.

51. The processor-readable instructions of claim 48, wherein, when multiple sources of audiovisual programming are available, said user interface comprises controls for selecting which source of audiovisual programming is associated with said first window.

52. A method of operating a user interface for a video display device comprising:

displaying said user interface on a screen of said video display device;

associating a first window of said user interface with a source of audiovisual programming; and

associating a second window with a connected recording device.

53. The method of claim 52, displaying said audiovisual programming from said source of audiovisual programming in said first window.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein said connected recording device is also a second source of audiovisual programming, and said method comprises displaying audiovisual programming from said recording device in said second window.

55. The method of claim 52, further comprising controlling said connected recording device with on-screen controls of said user interface.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising displaying a status identifier for identifying a current operation being performed by said connected recording device.

57. The method of claim 55, further comprising sending a record command to said connected recording device with said on-screen controls, wherein said connected recording device then automatically records said audiovisual programming being displayed in said first window.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising displaying said audiovisual programming in said second window while said connected recording device is recording that audiovisual programming.

59. The method of claim 55, further comprising, when multiple recording device are available, using said on-screen controls for selecting a recording device to be associated with said second window and controlled through said user interface.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising displaying a device identifier for identifying which connected recording device is currently associated with said second window.

61. The method of claim 52, further comprising displaying an identifier identifying said source of audiovisual programming, with multiple sources of audiovisual programming being available.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising selecting and controlling said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window with controls associated with said first window.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising displaying a status identifier identifying a current operation being performed by said source of audiovisual programming.

64. The method of claim 52, further comprising:

displaying in said first window an electronic program guide for said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window; and

displaying in said second window a list of programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising automatically recording said programs selected by a user from said electronic program guide with the connected recording device associated with said second window.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein multiple recording devices are available, said method further comprising selecting which recording device is associated with said second window using controls of said user interface.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein multiple sources of audiovisual programming are available, said method further comprising selecting which source of audiovisual programming is associated with said first window using controls of said user interface.

68. A user interface system for a video display device comprising:

means for displaying said user interface on a screen of said video display device;

means for associating a first window of said user interface with a source of audiovisual programming; and

means for associating a second window with a connected recording device.

69. The system of claim 68, further comprising means for displaying an electronic programming guide for said source of audiovisual programming in said first window.

70. An audiovisual device in communication with at least one recording device, said audiovisual device comprising:

a user input device; and

a user interface displayed on said audiovisual device;

wherein said user interface comprises a first window associated with a source of audiovisual programming, and a second window associated with said recording device.

71. The device of claim 70, wherein said first window displays said audiovisual programming from said source of audiovisual programming.

72. The device of claim 70, wherein said recording device is also a second source of audiovisual programming and audiovisual programming from said recording device is displayed in said second window.

73. The device of claim 70, wherein said user input device comprises a remote control unit.

74. The device of claim 70, wherein said user interface further comprises on-screen controls for controlling said recording device, said on-screen controls being operated with said user input device.

75. The device of claim 74, wherein said user interface further comprises a status identifier for identifying a current operation being performed by said recording device.

76. The device of claim 74, wherein, when said on-screen controls are used to send a record command to said recording device, said recording device automatically records audiovisual programming from said audiovisual source associated with said first window.

77. The device of claim 70, wherein said audiovisual device communicates with multiple recording devices and said user interface comprises controls for selecting a recording device to be associated with said second window and controlled through said user interface.

78. The device of claim 77, wherein said user interface further comprises a device identifier for identifying which recording device is currently associated with said second window.

79. The device of claim 70, wherein said user interface further comprises an identifier identifying said source of audiovisual programming, with multiple sources of audiovisual programming being available.

80. The device of claim 70, wherein said user interface further comprises controls associated with said first window for selecting and controlling said source of audiovisual programming associated with said first window.

81. The device of claim 70, wherein said audiovisual device communicates with said recording device through an IEEE 1394 interface.

82. The device of claim 70, wherein said audiovisual device is a computer.

83. The device of claim 70, wherein said audiovisual device is a television set.

84. The device of claim 70, further comprising a memory card accessible to said audiovisual device, wherein said memory card is said recording device associated with said second window.