Apparatus and method for channel scanning by theme

• US 5,673,089 A
• Filed: 07/11/1996
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C., Leung, Elsie Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murrell, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US08/679,652
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 348/586, 348/563, 348/569, 348/570, 348/906, 386/83
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/25 Remote control device with display
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for selecting channels on a television system by theme. A remote controller for the television system includes a plurality of theme keys, each theme key corresponding to one theme of a plurality of themes, apparatus for entering channel indicators corresponding to each theme, apparatus for storing the entered channel indicators corresponding to each theme, apparatus for accessing and transmitting to the television system each channel indicator corresponding to a first theme of the plurality of themes in sequence to control channel selection for the television system, if a first theme key corresponding to the first theme is pressed, apparatus for pausing a set period of time after accessing and transmitting a channel indicator before continuing to access and transmit channel indicators corresponding to the first theme in sequence, and apparatus for stopping the apparatus for accessing and transmitting from accessing and transmitting each channel indicator corresponding to a first theme of the plurality of themes in sequence, if the first theme key is pressed again.

Claims