DIGITAL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20150229987A1
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Daegu, SHEN, Alan Thomas, KEMPE, David, VONSHAK, Itai, DAVIS, Molly, DAMIR, Liron, ZIMMERMAN, Danielle, WANG, Herbert Han-pu, BEHNKE, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,794,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A method of controlling a digital television, the method includes displaying content or application being executed on a display screen of the digital television, receiving a first signal requesting a menu to be displayed, and displaying the requested menu, overlaid on the display screen, wherein the menu includes a first part and a second part, wherein the first part displays at least one menu item corresponding to previously displayed content or previously executed application, and wherein the second part displays at least one menu item corresponding to content or an application executable in the digital television.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a digital television, the method comprising:

displaying content or application being executed on a display screen of the digital television;

receiving a first signal requesting a menu to be displayed; and

displaying the requested menu, overlaid on the display screen,

wherein the menu includes a first part and a second part,

wherein the first part displays at least one menu item corresponding to previously displayed content or previously executed application, and

wherein the second part displays at least one menu item corresponding to content or an application executable in the digital television.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises receiving a second signal for interchanging the displayed first part and the displayed second part.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises receiving a third signal for selecting a menu item included in the first or second part.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises arranging at least one menu item of the first part based on at least one of time of being displayed and a number of times the content or the executed application was displayed.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprises distinguishably displaying the item selected in response to the received third signal from unselected one or more items.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprises displaying one or more additional items in the first or second part in response to the received third signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an image in at least one item of the first or second part, and

wherein the image includes at least one of a thumbnail image, a moving picture and an icon image representing the displayed content or the executed application.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises receiving a fourth signal for deleting at least one menu item displayed in the first or second part.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one menu item displayed in the first or second part includes at least one of an icon image and information representing the corresponding menu item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a location of any menu item included in the first or second part is changeable in the first or second part, respectively.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprises displaying one or more additional menu items around the selected menu item in response to the received third signal, the displayed one or more additional menu item being related to the unselected menu item.

12. The method of claim 3 further comprises displaying one or menu icons around the selected menu item in response to the received third signal, the displayed one or more menu icons performing functions for the selected menu item.

13. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the selected menu item to be larger than unselected one or more menu items in response to the received third signal; and

displaying the selected menu item with information in response to the received third signal,

wherein the information includes at least one of additional data and a thumbnail image.

14. The method of claim 3 further comprises reproducing content corresponding to the selected menu item in response to the received third signal at a corresponding location in the first or second part.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one menu item displayed in the second part represents a basic application which is previously set by a user or the digital television, and wherein a location of the basic application is fixed in the second part.

16. A digital television comprising:

a first interface configured to receive content or application from a server;

a second interface configured to receive a first signal requesting a menu to be displayed;

a controller configured to control to display content being displayed or application being executed, and the requested menu on a display screen of the digital television; and

a display,

wherein the controller is further configured to control to display the requested menu overlaid on the displayed content or the executed application,

wherein the menu includes a first part and a second part,

wherein the first part displays at least one menu item corresponding to previously displayed content or previously executed application, and

wherein the second part displays at least one menu item corresponding to content or an application executable in the digital television.

18. The digital television of claim 16, wherein the second interface is further configured to receive a third signal for selecting a menu item included in the first or second part.

19. The digital television of claim 16, wherein the controller further controls at least one menu item of the first part to be arranged based on at least one of time of being displayed or executed, and a number of times the content or the executed application was displayed.

20. The digital television of claim 18, wherein the controller further controls to distinguishably display a menu item selected in response to the received third signal from unselected one or more menu items.

21. The digital television of claim 18, wherein the controller further controls to display one or more additional menu items in the first or second part in response to the third signal.

22. The digital television of claim 16, wherein the controller further controls to display an image in at least one menu item of the first or second part, the image includes at least one of a thumbnail image, a moving picture and an icon image representing the displayed content or the executed application.

23. The digital television of claim 16, wherein the second interface further receives a fourth signal for deleting at least one menu item displayed in the first or second part.

24. The digital television of claim 16, wherein at least one item displayed in the first or second part includes at least one of an icon image and information representing the corresponding menu item.

25. The digital television of claim 16, wherein the controller further controls a location of any menu item included in the first or second part to be changeable in the first or second part, respectively.

26. The digital television of claim 18, wherein the controller further controls to display one or more additional menu items around the selected menu item in response to the received third signal, the displayed one or more additional menu items being related to the selected menu item.

27. The digital television of claim 18, wherein the controller further controls to display one or more menu icons around the selected menu item in response to the received third signal, the displayed one or more menu icons performing functions for the selected menu item.

28. The digital television of claim 18, wherein the controller further controls to display the selected menu item to be larger than unselected one or more menu items in response to the received third signal and to display the selected menu item with information in response to the received third signal, and wherein the information includes at least one of additional data and a thumbnail image.

29. The digital television of claim 18, wherein the controller further controls to reproduce content corresponding to the selected menu item in response to the received third signal at a corresponding location in the first or second part.

30. The digital television of claim 16, wherein the at least one menu item displayed in the second part represents a basic application which is previously set by a user or the digital television, and wherein a location of the basic application is fixed in the second part.

17. The digital television of claim 17, wherein the second interface is further configured to receive a second signal for interchanging the displayed first part and the displayed second part.