On screen display for alpha-numeric input

• US 20070132887A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Boyden, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/563
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

An alpha wheel display, which is an image of a series of segmented concentric rings the segments of which indicate letters, is presented on a TV as a graphical user interface (GUI) that can be operated by a remote control point-and-click device for data input, e.g., to input a search term to an electronic program guide (EPG).

Claims

1. A TV system comprising:

at least one display;

at least one manipulable remote control device having at least point-and-click capability; and

logic presenting on the display an image of concentric rings, at least some of the rings being segmented, at least some segments representing symbols, the logic receiving signals from the remote control device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a ring is azimuthally segmented.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein relatively commonly used characters are closest to the center of the concentric rings than letters that are relatively less used.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein letters in frequently used letter sequences are assigned to adjacent segments.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control device includes a pointing element manipulable to position a screen cursor over a segment containing a desired character.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the remote control device includes a clicking element manipulable to enter a character as data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic presents on the display a grid representing numbers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein selection of at least one segment changes at least one symbol in at least one segment to a symbol of a next hierarchical level.

9. A method for entering data to a TV system, comprising:

presenting, on a display associated with the TV system, an image of concentric rings, at least some of the rings being segmented, at least some segments displaying respective letters;

receiving at least one pointing signal from a remote control device;

in response to the pointing signal, moving a cursor over one of the segments;

receiving at least one select signal from the remote control device; and

returning, as input data, the letter shown in the segment over which the cursor is positioned.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a ring is azimuthally segmented.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein relatively commonly used characters are closest to the center of the concentric rings than letters that are relatively less used.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein letters in frequently used letter sequences are assigned to adjacent segments.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising presenting on the display a grid representing numbers.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein selection of at least one segment changes at least one symbol in at least one segment to a symbol of a next hierarchical level.

15. A graphical user interface (GUI) comprising:

an alpha wheel, the alpha wheel being an image of a series of segmented concentric rings at least some segments of which indicate letters, the alpha wheel being presentable on a display; and

a remote control point-and-click device for operating the alpha wheel.

16. The GUI of claim 15, wherein a ring is azimuthally segmented.

17. The GUI of claim 15, wherein relatively commonly used characters are closest to the center of the concentric rings than letters that are relatively less used.

18. The GUI of claim 15, wherein letters in frequently used letter sequences are assigned to adjacent segments.

19. The GUI of claim 15, comprising a grid representing numbers.

20. The GUI of claim 15, wherein selection of at least one segment changes at least one symbol in at least one segment to a symbol of a next hierarchical level.