SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GRAPHICAL CONTROL OF SYMBOL-BASED FEATURES IN A TELEVISION RECEIVER

• US 20100079681A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: RUDOLPH, Daniel L., VANDUYN, Luke, WHITE, James Matthew, TAXIER, Karen Michelle, COBURN, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42228 the reprogrammable keys being displayed on a display screen in order to reduce the number of keys on the remote control device itself
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for graphically controlling numeric, alphanumeric or other symbol-based features on a set top box (STB) or other television receiver. A keypad image is presented on the display that includes key images corresponding to the symbol-based features. A two-dimensional input is received from the remote control that indicates one of the key images, and imagery on the display is updated in response to the received two-dimensional input.

Claims

1. A method for graphically controlling symbol-based features in a television receiver configured to present imagery on a display in response to viewer instructions transmitted from a remote control, the method comprising:

presenting a keypad image on the display, wherein the keypad image comprises a plurality of key images each corresponding to one of the symbol-based features;

receiving a two-dimensional input from the remote control that indicates one of the key images; and

updating the imagery on the display in response to the received two-dimensional input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of key images corresponding to numeric values.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of key images correspond to alphanumeric values.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the updating comprises presenting an indicator of a television channel having a channel number that at least partially corresponds to the indicated key image.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving a second two-dimensional input corresponding to the indicator.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising tuning the television channel indicated by the indicator in response to the second two-dimensional input.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising associating the television channel indicated by the indicator with a quick reference feature visible on the imagery presented on the display.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving a third two-dimensional input corresponding to the quick reference feature, and tuning the television channel indicated by the quick reference feature in response to the third two-dimensional input.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing a list of channels for subsequent reference based upon the television channels associated with the quick reference feature.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the list of channels is accessible from an electronic program guide feature provided by the receiver.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the two-dimensional input corresponds to a position of a cursor image presented on the display.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the two-dimensional input corresponds to a report from a two-dimensional input device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the two-dimensional input device is one of the group consisting of:

a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a directional pad and a motion sensor.

14. A method for selecting a channel in a television receiver configured to present imagery on a display in response to viewer instructions transmitted from a remote control, the method comprising:

presenting a keypad image on the display, wherein the keypad image comprises a plurality of key images each corresponding to a numeral;

receiving a first two-dimensional input from the remote control that indicates at least one of the key images;

presenting an indicator of a television channel having a channel number that at least partially corresponds to the indicated key images in response to the first two-dimensional input, wherein the indicator comprises a remember feature;

in response to a second two-dimensional input corresponding to the indicator, tuning the receiver to the indicated television channel; and

in response to the second two-dimensional input corresponding to the remember feature, associating the television channel indicated by the indicator with a quick reference feature visible on the imagery presented on the display.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving a third two-dimensional input corresponding to the quick reference feature, and tuning the television channel indicated by the quick reference feature in response to the third two-dimensional input.

16. A video receiver for presenting imagery on a display in response to viewer input signals provided from a remote control, the receiver comprising:

a receiver interface configured to receive an incoming modulated signal;

a decoder configured to decode the incoming modulated signal to extract a video signal;

a wireless receiver configured to receive the viewer input signals from the remote control, wherein the viewer input is a two-dimensional input; and

a processor configured to receive the viewer input signals from the wireless receiver and to generate the imagery presented on the display, wherein the imagery comprises a keypad image comprising a plurality of key images each corresponding to a symbol, and wherein the processor is further configured to present an indicator of a television channel having a channel number that at least partially corresponds to the indicated key images in response to the viewer input signals, and, in response to further two-dimensional input corresponding to the indicator, to direct the decoder to decode at least a portion of the incoming modulated signal corresponding to the indicated television channel for presentation on the display.

17. The video receiver of claim 16 wherein the receiver interface comprises a satellite interface.

18. The video receiver of claim 16 wherein the receiver interface comprises a cable interface.

19. The video receiver of claim 16 wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the two-dimensional input signals from a wireless remote control comprising a two-dimensional input device.

20. The video receiver of claim 16 wherein the two-dimensional input device is one of the group consisting of:

a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a directional pad, and a motion sensor.

21. The video receiver of claim 16 wherein the indicator comprises a remember feature and wherein the processor is further configured, in response to the further viewer input signals corresponding to the remember feature, to associate the television channel indicated by the indicator with a quick reference feature visible on the imagery presented on the display.

22. The video receiver of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured to direct the decoder to decode at least the portion of the television channel indicated by the quick reference feature in response to a third viewer input signal.

23. The video receiver of claim 21 wherein the quick reference feature is visible within an electronic program guide feature provided by the video receiver.