Video display controller, user interface and programming structure for such interface

• US 5,657,091 A
• Filed: 11/01/1995
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bertram, Randal Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Application Number:
  US08/551,620
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348/725, 348/601, 348/906, 348/473, 348/563-565, 348/589, 345/158, 345/167, 345/157, 345/161, 359/146
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

The use of video/audio signal streams such as in the past have been distributed by broadcast over radio frequency bands or by cable distribution, or made available from video recorder/player devices such as cassette recorders or video disc players, or made available from direct, live sources such as cameras, game systems or computers. In accordance with this invention, programs stored in memory devices associated with microcontrollers controlling the display to a user are constructed in a language which uses layered statements, each of which can have a description portion, an action portion, and a unique connecting character.

Claims

1. A display controller for coupling to a video display device and for delivering to a video display device image directing signals, the display controller comprising:

command receiver circuitry for receiving command signals from command transmitter circuitry and for deriving from received command signals image directing signals directing modification of visual images displayed to a human observer by the video display device;

a microcontroller coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to the video display device

(a) for receiving said image directing signals,

(b) for executing control sequences in response to said image directing signals, and

(c) for modifying the visual images as directed by manipulation of a remote control device by the human observer;

memory devices coupled to said microcontroller for receiving and storing and delivering digitally encoded data used by said microcontroller in executing control programs; and

digitally encoded control program data stored in said memory devices and effective on execution by said microcontroller for modifying said video signals in predetermined manners in response to predetermined image directing signals, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing a display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each of said menu and flow statements which has both description and action portions also having a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween.

5. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein said unique connector character is other than alphabetic.

6. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein said unique connector character is other than numeric.

7. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein said unique connector character is other than alphanumeric.

8. Apparatus according to one of claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 wherein said microcontroller is a microprocessor.

2. A combination comprising:

a remote control device usable at some distance of separation from a 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 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;

a microcontroller coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to the television receiver video display device

(a) for receiving said image directing signals,

(b) for executing control sequences in response to said image directing signals, and

(c) for modifying the visual images as directed by manipulation

of said remote control device by the human observer;

memory devices coupled to said microcontroller for receiving and storing and delivering digitally encoded data used by said microcontroller in executing control programs; and

digitally encoded control program data stored in said memory devices and effective on execution by said microcontroller for modifying said video signals in predetermined manners in response to predetermined image directing signals, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing a display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each of said menu and flow statements which has both description and action portions also having a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween.

3. A combination comprising:

a television receiver having;

a video display device 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;

a microcontroller coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to said video reception circuitry

(a) for receiving said image directing signals,

(b) for executing control sequences in response to said image directing signals, and

(c) for modifying said visual images as directed by manipulation

of said remote control device by the human observer;

memory devices coupled to said microcontroller for receiving and storing and delivering digitally encoded data used by said microcontroller in executing control programs; and

digitally encoded control program data stored in said memory devices and effective on execution by said microcontroller for modifying said video signals in predetermined manners in response to predetermined image directing signals, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing a display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each of said menu and flow statements which has both description and action portions also having a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween.

4. An intelligent television receiver comprising:

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 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

a microcontroller coupled to said command receiver circuitry and to said video reception circuitry

(a) for receiving said image directing signals,

(b) for executing control sequences in response to said image directing signals,

(c) for modifying said visual images as directed by manipulation of said remote control device by the human observer;

memory devices coupled to said microcontroller for receiving and storing and delivering digitally encoded data used by said microcontroller in executing control programs; and

digitally encoded control program data stored in said memory devices and effective on execution by said microcontroller for modifying said video signals in predetermined manners in response to predetermined image directing signals, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing a display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each of said menu and flow statements which has both description and action portions also having a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween.