Process for selecting programes, especially television programes and device and graphical interface implementing this process

• US 6,023,267 A
• Filed: 07/15/1997
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing Dtv
• Original Assignee: Thomson Multimedia SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Gonzales, Nathalie, Chapuis, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/892,765
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 348/906, 348/569, 348/12, 348/13, 345/327, 345/563, 345/353
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A process for selecting events, especially television programs and device and graphical interface implementing this process, including a transmission of service information. According to this process, at least two one-dimensional parallel lists of items are displayed, the first list of items (3) containing events, the second one-dimensional list of items (2) containing at least one function for filtering events and/or at least one function capable of acting on said events. The process furthermore includes the step of picking out selected items, a single item being selected from each list, another item being selectable from a list simply by placing a single cursor over said other item, a selected item remaining selected when said cursor is moved off the list containing this selected item.

Claims

1. A process for selecting an event in a video system comprising the steps of:

displaying a first one-dimensional list of items representing events,

displaying a second one-dimensional list of items in parallel with the first list representing a plurality of functions capable of acting on said events,

selecting one of said plurality of functions by moving a cursor within the second list along the one dimension of said second list, and any one of said events by moving said cursor within said second list along the one dimension of said first list, wherein said selected function remains selected when said cursor is moved off the second list, and said selected event remains selected when said cursor is moved off the first list, and

applying the selected function to the selected event upon activation of said selected function.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of functions represent the most used functions.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein moving the cursor to a list brings about the positioning by default of this cursor over the most recently selected event from said list.

4. The process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a further list of functions for acting upon the selected event upon the activation of the selected event.

5. The process according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said functions capable of acting on the events comprise one or more from among the following functions:

Record, Display complementary information, Turn-on, Storage in a recall list.

6. The process according to claim 4 wherein the displayed label of a function of toggle type varies as a function of its state.

7. The process according to one of the claims 1-3, further comprising the step of storing the events with which a function of toggle type in the active state is associated in a third list.

12. The process according to claim 4, wherein said second list and said function list comprise common functions.

8. Device for reception in a video system including the transmission of service information, comprising:

means for receiving said service information from a data stream,

means for displaying a programme guide containing a first one-dimensional list of items containing events and a second one-dimensional list of items in parallel with the first list and containing a plurality of functions for acting on said events,

means for controlling a cursor for selecting items by placing said cursor over an item; and

means for displaying a signalling of the selected items, the selection of an item from a given list being maintained when said cursor is moved off this given list; and

means for applying the selected function to the selected event upon activation of said selected function and for displaying a further list of functions for acting upon the selected event upon activation of said selected event.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprises means for displaying a further list of functions for acting upon the selected event upon activation of said selected event.

9. Graphical interface for programme guide, said interface comprises a zone for displaying a first list of items containing events, a zone for displaying a second list of items and containing a plurality of functions capable of acting on said events, said interface furthermore comprising a cursor for selecting a function from said second list and an event on positioning said cursor thereat, the selection of an item from a given list being maintained when said cursor is moved off this given list, the activation of a selected function resulting in the application of the activated function to a selected event.

11. The graphical interface of claim 9 wherein the activation of a selected event results in the display of a further list of functions for acting upon the activated event.