Video receiver display of video overlaying menu
First Claim
1. A combination comprising:
- a television receiver having;
a video display device having a predetermined screen area for displaying visual images to a human observer; and
video reception circuitry coupled to said video display device for receiving signals transmitted at frequencies which are outside direct sensing by the human observer and for delivering to said video display device video signals which drive said video display device to display said visual images;
a remote control device usable at some distance of separation from said television receiver and having;
a housing sized to be held in the hand of the human observer;
a manually engageable input device mounted in said housing for manipulation by the human observer; and
control transmitter circuitry mounted in said housing and coupled to said input device for transmitting at a frequency which is outside direct sensing by the human observer command signals coordinated in a predetermined manner to manipulation of said input device by the human observer; and
a display controller having;
command receiver circuitry for receiving said command signals from said command transmitter circuitry and for deriving from said received command signals image directing signals directing modification of said visual images; and
command processor circuitry coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to said video reception circuitry(a) for receiving said image directing signals,(b) for generating a cursor image signal for overlay of a cursor image onto said visual images, and(c) for modifying said visual images as directed by manipulation of said remote control device by the human observer,said display controller cooperating with the television video display device for displaying full motion video visual images occupying a minor portion of said screen area and a menu display occupying a major portion of the screen area, said menu display having a plurality of displayed elements,said display controller and said remote control device cooperating for moving said cursor image across the area of said visual images and said menu display to position the cursor image onto a displayed element and for directing modification of said visual images in response to selection of a displayed element overlain by the cursor image.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A video display, which may be a television receiver with associated set top device, an intelligent television receiver, or a personal computer system enabled for television display, has associated therewith a remote control which controls modification of the visual images displayed. By use of the remote control, a human observer may cause a processor controlling the video display to execute a control program formulated in a particularly concise language and controlling the display of menus and the like. Menus are displayed as overlays onto a live motion video image. A display controller and video reception circuitry cooperating for displaying full motion video visual images occupying a minor portion of a viewable screen area and a menu display occupying a major portion of the screen area.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A combination comprising:
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a television receiver having; a video display device having a predetermined screen area for displaying visual images to a human observer; and video reception circuitry coupled to said video display device for receiving signals transmitted at frequencies which are outside direct sensing by the human observer and for delivering to said video display device video signals which drive said video display device to display said visual images; a remote control device usable at some distance of separation from said television receiver and having; a housing sized to be held in the hand of the human observer; a manually engageable input device mounted in said housing for manipulation by the human observer; and control transmitter circuitry mounted in said housing and coupled to said input device for transmitting at a frequency which is outside direct sensing by the human observer command signals coordinated in a predetermined manner to manipulation of said input device by the human observer; and a display controller having; command receiver circuitry for receiving said command signals from said command transmitter circuitry and for deriving from said received command signals image directing signals directing modification of said visual images; and command processor circuitry coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to said video reception circuitry (a) for receiving said image directing signals, (b) for generating a cursor image signal for overlay of a cursor image onto said visual images, and (c) for modifying said visual images as directed by manipulation of said remote control device by the human observer, said display controller cooperating with the television video display device for displaying full motion video visual images occupying a minor portion of said screen area and a menu display occupying a major portion of the screen area, said menu display having a plurality of displayed elements, said display controller and said remote control device cooperating for moving said cursor image across the area of said visual images and said menu display to position the cursor image onto a displayed element and for directing modification of said visual images in response to selection of a displayed element overlain by the cursor image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A combination comprising:
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a remote control device usable at some distance of separation from a television receiver which has a video display device having a predetermined screen area, the remote control device having; a housing sized to be held in the hand of the human observer; a manually engageable input device mounted in said housing for manipulation by the human observer; and control transmitter circuitry mounted in said housing and coupled to said input device for transmitting at a frequency which is outside direct sensing by the human observer command signals coordinated in a predetermined manner to manipulation of said input device by the human observer; and a display controller for coupling to a television receiver video display device and for delivering to a coupled television receiver video display device image directing signals, said display controller having; command receiver circuitry for receiving said command signals from said command transmitter circuitry and for deriving from said received command signals image directing signals directing modification of visual images displayed to a human observer by the television receiver video display device; and command processor circuitry coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to the television receiver video display device (a) for receiving said image directing signals, (b) for generating a cursor image signal for overlay of a cursor image onto said visual images, and (c) for modifying said visual images as directed by manipulation of said remote control device by the human observer, said display controller cooperating with the television video display device for displaying full motion video visual images occupying a minor portion of said screen area and a menu display occupying a major portion of the screen area, said menu display having a plurality of displayed elements, said display controller and said remote control device cooperating for moving said cursor image across the area of said visual images and said menu display to position the cursor image onto a displayed element and for directing modification of said visual images in response to selection of a displayed element overlain by the cursor image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An intelligent television receiver comprising:
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a remote control device usable at some distance of separation from said television receiver and having; a housing sized to be held in the hand of the human observer; a manually engageable input device mounted in said housing for manipulation by the human observer; and control transmitter circuitry mounted in said housing and coupled to said input device for transmitting at a frequency which is outside direct sensing by the human observer command signals coordinated in a predetermined manner to manipulation of said input device by the human observer; a video display device having a predetermined screen area for displaying visual images to a human observer; video reception circuitry coupled to said video display device for receiving signals transmitted at frequencies which are outside direct sensing by the human observer and for delivering to said video display device video signals which drive said video display device to display said visual images; command receiver circuitry for receiving said command signals from said command transmitter circuitry and for deriving from said received command signals image directing signals directing modification of said visual images; and command processor circuitry coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to said video reception circuitry (a) for receiving said image directing signals, (b) for generating a cursor image signal for overlay of a cursor image onto said visual images, and (c) for modifying said visual images as directed by manipulation of said remote control device by the human observer, said command processor circuitry and said video reception circuitry cooperating for displaying full motion video visual images occupying a minor portion of said screen area and a menu display occupying a major portion of said screen area, said menu display having a plurality of displayed elements, said command processor circuitry and said remote control device cooperating for moving said cursor image across the area of said visual images and said menu display to position the cursor image onto a displayed element and for directing modification of said visual images in response to selection of a displayed element overlain by the cursor image. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of displaying visual images to a human observer using a television video display device having a predetermined screen area for displaying visual images to a human observor comprising the steps of:
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receiving signals transmitted at frequencies which are outside direct sensing by the human observer; delivering, to said television video display device, video signals which drive the television video display device to display visual images; generating, with a manually engageable input device remote from the television video display device and manipulable by the human observer, command signals indicative of desired modifications of the displayed visual images and delivering generated signals to a command transmitter; transmitting, from the command transmitter and at a frequency which is outside direct sensing by the human observer, command signals coordinated in a predetermined manner to manipulation of the input device by the human observer; receiving the command signals from the command transmitter and deriving from the received command signals image directing signals directing modification of the visual images; generating a cursor image signal for overlay of a cursor image onto displayed visual images; and (a) receiving the image directing signals and cursor image signal and; (b) modifying the visual images as directed by manipulation of the remote control device by the human observer to overlay the cursor image onto selected portions of displayed visual images and facilitate modification of the visual images by the human observer through selection of commands while (c) displaying full motion video visual images occupying a minor portion of said screen area and a menu display occupying the major portion of said screen area and having a plurality of menu elements representing a plurality of available visual image modifications. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification