Television receiver with selective menu display

• US 5,212,553 A
• Filed: 08/13/1991
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maruoka, Kazuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US07/744,248
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 358/22, 358/183, 358/188
• US Class Current: 725/68
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/106 for selecting a programme, variable or parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36118 Adapt interactive dialog, help to experience, short cut menu
• 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

Abstract

A television receiver with a menu display function has a BS tuner for producing a video signal and a sound signal from a received television signal that is broadcast from a satellite. The television receiver has a microcomputer for adding a menu display signal to the video signal so that menu information can be displayed on a display unit. The menu display signal represents a plurality of menu items in each of selectable menu modes, and the menu items are selectively erasable from the display unit.

Claims

1. A television receiver comprising:

circuit means for receiving a television signal and producing a video signal and a sound signal from said received television signal;

display means for displaying an image based on said video signal; and

control means for controlling said circuit means, said control means comprising means for adding to said video signal a menu display signal representing a plurality of menu items and for selectively deleting said items under the direction of a user of the apparatus, whereby all or only selected ones of said menu items can be displayed on said displayed means.

2. A television receiver according to claim 1 wherein said menu items include menu items representing a television channel and a sound mode.

3. A television receiver according to claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes a BS receiver for receiving said television signal broadcast from satellite.

4. A television receiver according to claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a character generator for generating characters representing said menu items and said control means controls said character generator.