SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GRAPHICAL CONTROL OF USER INTERFACE FEATURES PROVIDED BY A TELEVISION RECEIVER

• US 20100083315A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: RUDOLPH, Daniel L., VANDUYN, Luke, WHITE, James Matthew, TAXIER, Karen Michelle
• Application Number:
  US12/241,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083315A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for changing the presentation of a current channel to another channel on a display in response to a viewer input received via a remote control. Viewer input from a remote control is received at a set-top box (STB) or similar television receiver. Imagery on the display initially corresponds to the current channel. At least a portion of the imagery is scrolled in response to the viewer input to thereby tune the other channel on the display.

Claims

1. A method for changing the presentation of a current channel to another channel on a display in response to a viewer input received via a remote control, the method comprising:

presenting imagery on the display;

receiving the viewer input from the remote control; and

scrolling at least a portion of the imagery in response to the viewer input to thereby tune the other channel on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewer input comprises a directional input.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the scrolling is in a direction corresponding to the directional input.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting a program guide window on the display, wherein the program guide window initially comprises program guide information corresponding to the current channel.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the scrolling comprises scrolling the program guide information in the program guide window in response to the viewer input from the information corresponding to the current channel to information about the other channel.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising tuning the other channel indicated by the displayed program guide information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the scrolling comprises a line-by-line progression of the program guide information.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the scrolling comprises a gradual progression of the program guide information while the viewer input continues.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising re-aligning the program guide information to the program guide window when the viewer input is discontinued.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising relating an amount of scrolling of the program guide information to an amount of viewer input.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the amount of scrolling increases in response to larger viewer inputs.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the other channel is tuned in response to a select instruction received from the remote control.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the program guide window comprises a scroll indicator that moves in a direction indicated by the viewer input.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the scrolling comprises a gradual progression.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning the current channel to obtain first channel imagery and also tuning a second channel adjacent to the current channel to obtain second channel imagery.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the scrolling comprises scrolling the second imagery over the first imagery.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising repeating the tuning and scrolling until the second imagery corresponds to the other channel.

18. 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; and

a processor configured to generate the imagery presented on the display, wherein the imagery comprises the extracted video signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to change a channel associated with the video signal to a desired channel in response to the viewer input signals by generating a program guide window on the display that initially comprises program guide information corresponding to a current channel, and wherein the program guide information scrolls in the program guide window in response to the viewer input to display other program guide information until the desired channel is indicated by the displayed subsequent program guide information.

19. The video receiver of claim 18 wherein the receiver interface comprises a satellite interface.

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

21. The video receiver of claim 18 wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the two-dimensional input signal from a wireless remote control comprising a two-dimensional input device.

22. The video receiver of claim 21 wherein the two-dimensional input device is one of the group consisting of:

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

23. The video receiver of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to gradually scroll the program guide information while the viewer input continues.

24. The video receiver of claim 23 wherein the processor is further configured to re-align the program guide information to the program guide window when the viewer input is discontinued.

25. The video receiver of claim 18 further comprising relating an amount of scrolling of the program guide information to an amount of viewer input such that the amount of scrolling increases in response to larger viewer inputs.

26. A system for presenting television content on a display, the system comprising:

a wireless remote control configured to provide an input signal in response to a user input; and

a video receiver comprising;

a receiver interface configured to receive an incoming modulated signal;

a decoder configured to decode the incoming modulated signal to extract a television content;

a wireless receiver configured to receive the two-dimensional input signal from the wireless remote control; and

a processor configured to generate imagery to be presented on the display, wherein the imagery comprises the extracted television content, and wherein the processor is further configured to allow the viewer to change a channel associated with the television content to a desired channel in response by generating a program guide window that initially comprises program guide information corresponding to a current channel, and wherein the program guide information gradually scrolls in the program guide window in response to the viewer input to display other program guide information until the desired channel is indicated by the displayed subsequent program guide information.