Bookmarking television program and channel selections

• US 5,805,235 A
• Filed: 04/03/1996
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MIH Technology Holdings BV
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Electronics America Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedard, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/630,428
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 348/563, 348/564, 348/569, 348/589, 348/600, 348/601, 348/906
• US Class Current: 725/38
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The present invention provides for a method and apparatus which is coupled to broadcast signals, such as television signals, and a television set for displaying broadcast programs and channels. The apparatus displays broadcast programs on selected channels to a viewer, marks one or more of the programs in response to a first signal from the viewer, marks one or more of the channels in response to a second signal from the viewer, stores signals corresponding to the marked programs and channels; and sequentially displays the marked programs and channels in response to a third signal from the viewer. To aid the viewer, the present invention also provides for a method and apparatus for displaying broadcast information, such as television signals, on a television. The apparatus displays a plurality of icons on the screen, sequentially moves an icon cursor from one icon to another icon in response to a first signal from a television viewer to point to one icon at a time, and displays text associated with the pointed icon only.

Claims

1. An apparatus coupled to broadcast signals and a television set for displaying broadcast programs and channels on a screen of said television set, said apparatus comprising

means for displaying broadcast programs on selected channels to a viewer;

means for marking one or more of said programs in response to a first signal from said viewer;

means for marking one or more of said channels in response to a second signal from said viewer;

means for storing signals corresponding to said marked programs and channels; and

means for sequentially displaying said marked programs and said channels in response to a third signal from said viewer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is further coupled to broadcast electronic program guide information signals and wherein said storing means removes the signals corresponding to a marked program responsive to said broadcast electronic program guide information signals indicative of a termination of said marked program.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for displaying an icon on said screen in response to said program marking means marking a program.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for displaying an icon on said screen in response to said channel marking means marking a channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for unmarking a marked program or a marked channel in response to a fourth signal from said viewer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a remote control unit associated with said viewer, said remote control unit having a first button and generating the first, second, or fourth signals as said first button is asserted sequentially.

7. A method for displaying broadcast programs and channels on a television screen, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying on said television screen broadcast programs on selected channels to a television viewer;

marking one or more of said programs in response to a first signal from said television viewer;

marking one or more of said channels in response to a second signal from said television viewer;

storing signals corresponding to said marked programs and channels; and

sequentially displaying said marked programs and channels on said television screen in response to a third signal from said television viewer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said storing step further comprises removing the signals corresponding to a marked program responsive to broadcast electronic program guide information signals indicative of a termination of said program.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said program marking step further comprises displaying an icon.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said channel marking step further comprises displaying an icon.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of unmarking a marked program or a marked channel in response to a fourth signal from said viewer.