Method and apparatus for audio-visual interface for the selective display of listing information on a display

• US 5,583,560 A
• Filed: 06/22/1993
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Peter, West, Nick, Fritsche, Janey, Florin, Fabrice, Maresca, Peter, Buettner, Michael, Sharpe, Stuart, Purdy, Bill, Corey, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/082,081
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/734, 348/906, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/566, 348/567, 455/4.2
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive audio-visual (A/V) transceiver is advantageously coupled to a television and/or telephone (T/T) cable, a TV, a video recorder (VCR), and other A/V devices. The A/V transceiver switches data between a program/service provider and the connected A/V devices. In one embodiment, the transceiver includes three primary modules, a main module including a CPU, a system bus, system memory, an infra-red (IR) control unit, an audio-visual bus, an A/V decoder, an A/V processor, and an A/V encoder, an A/V connect module including a number of tuner/demodulators and a switch, and an optional CD ROM module. The A/V transceiver hardware is complemented with an operating system and software program which supports the functions provided in the A/V user interface. Additionally, a remote control device is provided to communicate with the A/V transceiver to interactively manage selection of program and service sources, selection program and service offerings from any selected source, viewing of selected program offerings, and interaction with selected service offerings. The remote control device is advantageously provided with a basic A/V control button group, an interactive control button group, an auxiliary control button group and a numeric key pad to facilitate control of the transceiver. The interactive control button group includes an info button, a list button, a categories button, a pix button, a mark button, a jump button, and a pointing device consisting of up, down, left, and right arrow buttons, and a center select button.

Claims

1. An audio-visual system comprising:

a transceiver coupled to an audio-visual (A/V) display for receiving audio-visual signals in an electronic signal spectrum from a signal source, said transceiver including an interface generator for displaying a listing interface on said A/V display, said interface generator including a list generator for selectively displaying listing information related to audio-visual programs which may be viewed on said A/V display;

a controller in communication with said transceiver for permitting a user viewing said A/V display to selectively display said listing information on said A/V display;

wherein said controller includes a control having an activator for activating said list generator in said transceiver, the activation of said list generator resulting in said listing interface being displayed on said A/V display; and

wherein said listing interface includes a picture in a picture (PIP) window in which an audio-visual program viewed by said user prior to said activation of said list generator is displayed in said PIP window.

2. The audio-visual system as defined by claim 1 wherein upon said activation of said list generator a listing for the audio-visual program displayed in said PIP window is displayed and highlighted.

3. The audio-visual system of claim 1 wherein said interface generator displays listings for time slots that are a first interval in the future if said user presses a predefined button on said controller, and wherein said interface generator displays listings for time slots that are a second interval in the future if said user depresses the predefined button on said controller longer than N seconds.

4. An audio-visual system comprising:

a transceiver coupled to an audio-visual (A/V) display for receiving audio-visual signals in an electronic signal spectrum from a signal source, said transceiver including an interface generator for displaying a listing interface on said AN display, said interface generator including a list generator for selectively displaying listing information related to audio-visual programs which may be viewed on said A/V display;

a controller in communication with said transceiver for permitting a user viewing said A/V display to selectively display said listing information on said A/V display;

wherein said controller includes a control having an activator for activating said list generator in said transceiver, the activation of said list generator resulting in said listing interface being displayed on said AN display;

wherein said interface generator includes a reminder mechanism for identifying audio-visual programs represented in said listing information which said user desires to be reminded of; and

wherein said reminder mechanism is activated by said user selecting a selected audio-visual program represented in said listing information using first or second buttons and then activating a mark button on said controller.

5. The audio-visual system as defined by claim 4 wherein upon said user activating said mark button, said list generator displays a reminder mark adjacent to the listing information corresponding to said selected audio-visual program.

6. The audio-visual system as defined by claim 4 wherein said list generator displays a reminder at a predefined location on said audio-visual display, on the date and at the time said selected audio-visual program is received by said transceiver.

7. The audio-visual system as defined by claim 6 wherein said reminder comprises a picture-in-a-picture window in which said selected audio-visual program said user desires to be reminded of is displayed.

8. A method for generating and displaying a listing interface on an audio-visual (A/V) system, comprising the steps of:

receiving audio-visual signals in an electronic signal spectrum using a transceiver coupled to an A/V display, said transceiver including an interface generator for displaying said listing interface on said A/V display, said interface generator including a list generator for selectively displaying listing information related to audio-visual programs which may be viewed on said A/V display; and

a user selectively displaying said listing information on said A/V display using a controller in communication with said transceiver;

activating said list generator in said transceiver, the activation of said list generator resulting in said listing interface being displayed on said A/V display; and

displaying in said listing interface a picture in a picture (PIP) window in which an audio-visual program viewed by said user prior to said activation of said list generator is displayed.

9. The method as defined by claim 8 wherein upon said activation of said list generator a listing in said listing information for the audio-visual program displayed in said PIP window is highlighted.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

wherein said interface generator displays listing information for future time slots that are a first interval in the future if said user presses a predefined button on said controller, and wherein said interface generator displays listing information for future time slots that are a second interval in the future if said user depresses the predefined button on said controller longer than N seconds.

11. A method for generating and displaying a listing interface on an auido-visual (A/V) system, comprising the steps of:

receiving audio-visual signals in an electronic signal spectrum using a transceiver coupled loan A/V display, said transceiver including an interface generator for displaying said listing interface on said A/V display, said interface generator including a list generator for selectively displaying listing information related to audio-visual programs which may be viewed on said A/V display;

a user selectively displaying said listing information on said A/V display using a controller in communication with said transceiver;

wherein said interface generator includes a reminder mechanism for identifying audio-visual programs represented in said listing information which said user desires to be reminded of; and

activating said reminder mechanism by said user selecting an audio-visual program represented in said listing information using said first or second buttons and then activating a mark button on said controller.

12. The method as defined by claim 11 wherein upon said user activating said mark button, said list generator displays a reminder mark adjacent to said listing information corresponding to said audio-visual program.

13. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said list generator displays a reminder at a predefined location on said A/V display, on the date and at the time said audio-visual program is received by said transceiver.

14. The method as defined by claim 13 wherein said reminder displays a picture-in-a-picture window in which said audio-visual program said user desires to be reminded of is displayed.

15. The method as defined by claim 11 wherein said list generator further includes a record mechanism for recording selected audio-visual programs on a storage device coupled to said transceiver.

16. The method as defined by claim 15 wherein said record mechanism is activated by said user selecting an audio-visual program represented in said listing information using said first or second buttons and then activating a record button on said controller.