REMOTE CONTROLLER DEVICE WITH ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING GUIDE AND VIDEO DISPLAY

• US 20120117600A1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Friedlander, Steven, Moguillansky, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,341,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/41
• 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 21/42204 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

A remote controller device, according to one embodiment, includes a display screen on which can be displayed a first item of video content as well as video content programming information. The first item of video content is displayed on the remote controller display screen and corresponds to the same video content that simultaneously is being displayed on a screen of a TV that can be controlled by the remote controller device. In response to a user command for selecting a program or video that currently is not being shown on the TV, a second item of video content is displayed on the remote controller display screen while the TV continues to show the first item of video content. In response to another user command, the remote controller device causes the TV to change channels (or otherwise change its reception to another content source) and display the second item of video content.

Claims

1. A remote controller device operable to control a television configured to play a first item of content, the remote controller device comprising:

a remote controller display screen; and

a processor in communication with the remote controller display screen and operable to;

display on the remote controller display screen information relating to content that can be played on the television,

receive a first user command for preliminarily selecting a second item of content that currently is not being played on the television,

play the second item of content on the remote controller device in response to the first user command while the television continues to play the first item of content,

receive a second user command for finally selecting the second item of content, and

transmit to the television a selection command that directs the television to play the second item of content on the television.

2. The remote controller device of claim 1 wherein the processor being operable to play the second item of content and to display on the remote controller display screen the information relating to the content that can be played on the television, includes being operable, while the television is displaying the first item of content, to simultaneously play the second item of content and display on the remote controller display screen the information relating to the content that can be played on the television.

3. The remote controller device of claim 2 wherein the remote controller display screen is a touch screen,

wherein the touch screen has a first area for the displaying of the information relating to content that can be played on the television,

wherein the first user command corresponds to a touching by the user of the first area, and

wherein the second user command corresponds to a second touching of the remote controller display screen by the user.

4. A remote controller device operable to control a television configured to display a first item of video content, the remote controller device comprising:

a remote controller display screen; and

a processor in communication with the remote controller display screen and operable to;

display content information relating to a plurality of content titles,

receive a first user command for a preliminary selection by a user of one of the plurality of content titles,

receive a second item of video content in response to the first user command, and

display the second item of video content on the remote controller display screen while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

5. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the processor is further operable to display both the first item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles simultaneously on the remote controller display screen while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

6. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the processor is further operable to display both the second item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles simultaneously on the remote controller display screen while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

7. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a second user command for a final selection by the user of the one of the plurality of content titles, and

transmit a selection command to the television that directs the television to play the second item of video content on the television.

8. The remote controller device of claim 7 wherein the remote controller display screen is a touch screen,

wherein the touch screen has a first area for the displaying of the second item of video content and a second area for the displaying of the content information relating to the plurality of content titles,

wherein the first user command corresponds to a touching by the user of the second area, and

wherein the second user command corresponds to a second touching of the remote controller display screen by the user.

9. The remote controller device of claim 8 wherein the second touching of the remote controller display screen by the user includes touching the first area of the remote controller display screen.

10. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the second item of video content is provided by one of an over-the-air broadcast system, a cable television distribution system, a satellite television distribution system, and a fiber optic television distribution system.

11. The remote controller device of claim 10 wherein the second item of video content is video-on-demand programming provided by the one of the over-the-air broadcast system, the cable television distribution system, the satellite television distribution system, and the fiber optic television distribution system is configured to provide video-on-demand programming.

12. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the television is in communication with a digital video recorder configured to store the second item of video content, the content information relating to the plurality of content titles and a plurality of other items of video content, and wherein processor being operable to receive the second item of video content includes being operable to receive the second item of video content from the digital video recorder.

13. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the television is in communication with a digital video disk (DVD) player configured to hold a DVD disk containing an item of DVD video content having a DVD content title, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the DVD content title and to display the DVD content title on the remote controller display screen,

receive a second user command for a selection by the user of the DVD content title,

receive the DVD video content from the DVD player in response to the second user command, and

display the DVD video content on the remote controller display screen while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

14. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the second item of video content is a portion of a larger item of video content, wherein the second item of video content has a duration of less than about 30 seconds, wherein the processor is further operable to store the second item of video content, and wherein the processor being operable to display the second item of video content includes being operable to display the second item of video content in a loop.

15. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the television includes a first tuner and a second tuner, and wherein the processor is operable to receive the first item of video content from the first tuner and the second item of video content from the second tuner.

16. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the processor is further operable to communicate with a network and to receive the first and second items of video content from the network.

17. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the television includes a tuner, and wherein the processor is further operable to communicate with a network and to receive the first item of video content from the tuner and to receive the second item of video content from the network.

18. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the processor is further operable to communicate with a network, wherein the second item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles are provided by an Internet on-demand video streaming service, and wherein the processor being operable to receive the second item of video content includes being operable to receive the second item of video content from the Internet on-demand video streaming service via the network.

19. The remote controller device of claim 4 wherein the processor is further operable to communicate with a network, wherein the second item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles are provided by a video sharing web site configured to permit users to upload, share and view videos, and wherein the processor being operable to receive the second item of video content includes being operable to receive the second item of video content from the video sharing web site via the network.

20. A remote controller device operable to control a television configured to display a first item of video content, the remote controller device comprising:

a remote controller display screen; and

a processor in communication with the remote controller display screen and operable to;

display content information relating to a plurality of content titles,

receive a first user command for a preliminary selection by a user of one of the plurality of content titles,

receive a video frame taken from a second item of video content in response to the first user command, and

display the video frame on the remote controller display screen while the television is displaying the first item of video content, wherein the video frame is displayed as stationary image.

21. The remote controller device of claim 20 wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive a second user command for a final selection by the user of the one of the plurality of content titles, and

transmit a selection command to the television that directs the television to play the second item of video content on the television.

22. The remote controller device of claim 21 wherein the remote controller display screen is a touch screen,

wherein the touch screen has a first area for the displaying of the video frame and a second area for the displaying of the content information relating to the plurality of content titles,

wherein the first user command corresponds to a touching by the user of the second area, and

wherein the second user command corresponds to a second touching of the remote controller display screen by the user.

23. A remote controller device operable to control a television configured to display a first item of video content, the remote controller device comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of content titles on a remote controller display screen while the television is displaying a first item of video content, wherein the plurality of content titles is associated with a plurality of items of video content;

means for receiving a first user command for a selection by a user of one of the plurality of content titles; and

means for displaying a second item of video content on the remote controller display screen in response to the first user command while the television is displaying the first item of video content, wherein in the second item of video content is one of the plurality of items of video content that is associated with the selected one of the plurality of content titles.

24. The remote controller device of claim 23 further comprising means for causing the television to display the second item of video content in response to a second user command.

25. A method of operating a remote controller device operable to control a television, the method comprising:

displaying content information relating to a plurality of content titles on a remote controller display screen;

entering a first user command for a preliminary selection by a user of one of the plurality of content titles; and

displaying a second item of video content on the remote controller display screen in response to the first user command and while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the displaying of the second item of video content further comprises displaying the second item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles simultaneously on the remote controller display screen while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising entering a second user command for a final selection by the user of the one of the plurality of content titles, and transmitting a selection command to the television that directs the television to play the second item of video content on the television.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the remote controller display screen is a touch screen, wherein the touch screen has a first area for the displaying of the second item of video content and a second area for the displaying of the content information relating to the plurality of content titles,

wherein the entering of the first user command includes touching the second area, and

wherein the entering of the second user command includes touching the remote controller display screen.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the second item of video content is provided by one of an over-the-air broadcast system, a cable television distribution system, a satellite television distribution system, and a fiber optic television distribution system.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the second item of video content is video-on-demand programming provided by the one of the over-the-air broadcast system, the cable television distribution system, the satellite television distribution system, and the fiber optic television distribution system.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the television is in communication with a digital video recorder configured to store the second item of video content, the content information relating to the plurality of content titles and a plurality of other items of video content, and wherein the displaying of the second item of video content includes displaying the second item of video content as received from the digital video recorder.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein the television is in communication with a digital video disk (DVD) player configured to hold a DVD disk containing an item of DVD video content having a DVD content title, the method further comprising:

displaying the DVD content title on the remote controller display screen;

receiving a second user command for a selection by the user of the DVD content title; and

displaying the DVD video content on the remote controller display screen in response to the second user command while the television is displaying the first item of video content.

33. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing the second item of video content in a memory of the remote controller device, wherein the second item of video content is a portion of a larger item of video content, wherein the second item of video content is of a duration of less than about 30 seconds, and wherein the displaying of the second item of video content on the remote controller display screen includes displaying the second item of video content in a loop.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein the first item of video content is received from a first tuner of the television and wherein the second item of video content is received from a second tuner of the television.

35. The method of claim 25 wherein the remote controller device is in communication with a network, wherein the first item of video content is received from a tuner of the television and wherein the second item of video content is received from the network.

36. The method of claim 25 wherein the second item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles are provided by an Internet on-demand video streaming service, and wherein the second item of video content is received as a video stream from the Internet on-demand video streaming service via a network.

37. The method of claim 25 wherein the second item of video content and the content information relating to the plurality of content titles are provided by a video sharing web site configured to permit users to upload, share and view videos, and wherein the second item of video content is received as a video stream from the video sharing web site via a network.