METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SWITCHING TELEVISION CHANNELS

• US 20140130100A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,212,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/52
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for switching television channels, adapted to an electronic apparatus having a touch screen for controlling a television system to switch the television channels, are provided. A control panel including a first and a second switching region is displayed on the touch screen. The first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by the television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list which includes a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels. Next, a touch operation performed on the control panel is detected by using the touch screen. When the touch operation is within the first switching region, the first television channels are switched according to the touch operation. When the touch operation is within the second switching region, the second television channels are switched according to the touch operation.

Claims

1. A method for switching television channels, adapted to a mobile apparatus having a touch screen for controlling a television system to switch television channels displayed thereby, the method comprising:

displaying a control panel comprising a first switching region and a second switching region on the touch screen, wherein the first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by the television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list, the channel list comprises a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels;

detecting a touch operation performed on the control panel by using the touch screen;

controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the touch operation when the touch operation is within the first switching region; and

controlling the television system to switch the second television channels according to the touch operation when the touch operation is within the second switching region.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first switching region comprises a first key and a second key, and wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the touch operation comprises:

controlling the television system to switch to a previous first television channel when the touch operation is performed on the first key; and

controlling the television system to switch to a next first television channel when the touch operation is performed on the second key.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second switching region comprises a third key and a fourth key, and wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch the second television channels according to the touch operation comprises:

controlling the television system to switch to a previous second television channel when the touch operation is performed on the third key; and

controlling the television system to switch to a next second television channel when the touch operation is performed on the fourth key.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the touch operation comprises:

controlling the television system to switch to a previous or a next first television channel according to a sliding direction of the touch operation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch the second television channels according to the touch operation comprises:

controlling the television system to switch to a previous or a next second television channel according to a sliding direction of the touch operation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the control panel comprising the first switching region and the second switching region on the touch screen comprises:

displaying the channel list in the second switching region, wherein the channel list comprises a plurality of options corresponding to the second television channels, and each of the options comprises one or a combination of a name, an icon, program information and a program snapshot of the corresponding second television channel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the step of controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the touch operation, the method further comprises:

accumulating a staying time of the television system at one of the first television channels after the television system switches to the corresponding first television channel, and determining whether the staying time exceeds a time threshold; and

adding the corresponding first television channel to the channel list when the staying time exceeds the time threshold.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein when it is determined that the staying time exceeds the time threshold, the method further comprises:

accumulating a valid viewing frequency that the television system switches to the first television channel within a time unit given that the staying time at the first television channel exceeds the time threshold, and determining whether the valid viewing frequency exceeds a frequency threshold; and

adding the first television channel to the channel list when the valid viewing frequency exceeds the frequency threshold.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein after the step of adding the first television channel to the channel list, the method further comprises:

obtaining related information of a first television program broadcast on the first television channel at the moment when the first television channel is added to the channel list; and

removing the added first television channel and the added first television program from the channel list when the first television program ends according to the related information.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first switching region and the second switching region are the same, and wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch the first television channels and the second television channels according to the touch operation comprises:

when the touch operation is a single-finger gesture operation, controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the single-finger gesture operation; and

when the touch operation is a two-finger gesture operation, controlling the television system to switch the second television channels according to the two-finger gesture operation.

11. An apparatus for switching television channels, comprising:

a touch screen;

a storage unit, recording a plurality of modules; and

one or a plurality of processing units, coupled to the touch screen and the storage unit, and accessing and executing the modules stored in the storage unit, wherein the modules comprise;

a display module, displaying a control panel comprising a first switching region and a second switching region on the touch screen, wherein the first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by the television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list, and the channel list comprises a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels;

a detecting module, detecting a touch operation performed on the control panel by using the touch screen; and

a switching module, controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the touch operation when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is within the first switching region, and controlling the television system to switch the second television channels according to the touch operation when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is within the second switching region.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first switching region comprises a first key and a second key, wherein when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is performed on the first key, the switching module controls the television system to switch to a previous first television channel, and wherein when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is performed on the second key, the switching module controls the television system to switch to a next first television channel.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second switching region comprises a third key and a fourth key, wherein when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is performed on the third key, the switching module controls the television system to switch to a previous second television channel, and wherein when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is performed on the fourth key, the switching module controls the television system to switch to a next second television channel.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the switching module controls the television system to switch to a previous or a next first television channel according to a sliding direction of the touch operation detected by the detecting module.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the switching module controls the television system to switch to a previous or a next second television channel according to a sliding direction of the touch operation detected by the detecting module.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display module displays the channel list in the second switching region, wherein the channel list comprises a plurality of options corresponding to the second television channels, and each of the options comprises one or a combination of a name, an icon, program information and a program snapshot of the corresponding second television channel.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further comprising:

a management module, accumulating a staying time of the television system at one of the first television channels after the television system switches to the corresponding first television channel, and determining whether the staying time exceeds a time threshold, wherein when the staying time exceeds the time threshold, the management module adds the corresponding first television channel to the channel list.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the management module accumulates a valid viewing frequency that the television system switches to the first television channel within a time unit given that the staying time at the first television channel exceeds the time threshold, and determines whether the valid viewing frequency exceeds a frequency threshold, and wherein when the valid viewing frequency exceeds the frequency threshold, the management module adds the first television channel to the channel list.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

an information module, obtaining related information of a first television program broadcast on the first television channel at the moment when the first television channel is added to the channel list, wherein the management module removes the added first television channel and the added first television program from the channel list when the first television program ends according to the related information.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first switching region and the second switching region are the same, wherein when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is a single-finger gesture operation, the switching module controls the television system to switch the first television channels according to the single-finger gesture operation, and wherein when the detecting module detects that the touch operation is a two-finger gesture operation, the switching module controls the television system to switch the second television channels according to the two-finger gesture operation.

21. A computer program product, loaded to an electronic apparatus to execute the following steps:

displaying a control panel comprising a first switching region and a second switching region on a touch screen, wherein the first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by a television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list, and the channel list comprises a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels;

detecting a touch operation performed on the control panel by using the touch screen;

controlling the television system to switch the first television channels according to the touch operation when the touch operation is within the first switching region; and

controlling the television system to switch the second television channels according to the touch operation when the touch operation is within the second switching region.