On-screen electronic resources guide

• US 6,219,839 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sampsell, Jeffrey Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, NATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US09/263,911
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/13, 348/564, 348/906, 345/327, 345/353, 345/969, 345/340, 340/825.01
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/281 indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A system for providing an on-screen electronic resource guide (ERG) includes an audio/visual display device; plural peripheral devices, each having an active mode and an inactive mode; an interface located between said audio/visual device and said peripheral devices; and an ERG generator for providing an ERG display for displaying programming available to said audio/visual display device from said peripheral devices when such devices are in their active mode. A method for providing an on-screen electronic resource guide (ERG) in an audio/visual display device having plural peripheral devices connected thereto over an interface, wherein each peripheral device has an active mode and an inactive mode includes generating an ERG display for displaying programming available to the audio/visual display device from said peripheral devices when such devices are in their active mode, and controlling a peripheral device from the ERG display.

Claims

1. A system for providing an on-screen electronic resource guide (ERG), comprising:

an audio/visual display device;

plural peripheral devices, each having an active mode and an inactive mode, wherein at least one of said peripheral devices has an electronic programming guide (EPG) associated therewith;

an interface located between said audio/visual device and said peripheral devices;

an ERG generator for providing an ERG display for displaying information about available programs to said audio/visual display device from said peripheral devices when such devices are in their active mode; and

wherein any EPGs are incorporated into said ERG display, wherein said programs are taken from the group of programs consisting of broadcast television;

cable television;

direct satellite broadcast;

video cassette recorders;

digital video discs;

CD-ROMs and computer-based programs including internet transmissions multimedia programs, streaming video and audio programs; and

wherein an active peripheral is indicated by at least one presence row on said ERG display and wherein an ERG associated with said peripheral is displayed when said presence row for the peripheral is selected.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said information about available programs is displayed on said ERG display as a single entity, and wherein the content of a program will be displayed to a user when said entity is selected.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a program may have multiple rows associated therewith on said ERG display when the program is processed by multiple peripheral devices.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein a broadcast channel is represented by a row on said ERG, and wherein an associated data stream is represented by a linked row on said ERG.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said peripheral device may be controlled from said ERG, wherein said ERG includes a registry for mapping input/output with said peripheral devices on said interface and for mapping a set of standard commands from the EPG to the associated function of the peripheral device, and wherein said ERG includes a learning mechanism to facilitate mapping of non-standard commands between a peripheral device and said audio/visual device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said registry includes a device type registry and a control code registry to provide entry of appropriate control schemes for each peripheral device.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said device type registry includes a menu having multiple device types listed thereon.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said control code registry includes a menu having multiple control codes listed thereon.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein said interface includes plural input/output ports on said audio/visual device.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said ERG display is taken form the group of displays consisting of:

a full screen EPG display having associated services displayed thereon;

an EPG screen display having associated services overlaid thereon;

a full screen EPG display having non-associated services displayed thereon;

an EPG screen display having non-associated services overlaid thereon;

a screen display of EPG rows with peripheral device control rows displayed thereon; and

a screen display of EPG rows with output selection rows displayed thereon.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein an EPG is generated by said ERG generator for any peripheral device which does not have an EPG associated therewith when received by the system.

10. A method for providing an on-screen electronic resource guide (ERG) in an audio/visual display device having plural peripheral devices connected thereto over an interface, wherein each peripheral device has an active mode and an inactive mode, and wherein at least one of the peripheral devices has an electronic programming guide associated therewith;

comprising;

generating an ERG display for displaying information about available programs;

wherein the programs are taken from the group of programs consisting of broadcast television;

cable television;

direct satellite broadcast;

video cassette recorders;

digital video discs;

CD-ROMs and computer-based programs including internet transmissions multimedia programs streaming video and audio programs;

to the audio/visual display device from said peripheral devices when such devices are in their active mode, wherein any EPGs are incorporated into the EPG, and

controlling a peripheral device from the ERG display; and

indicating an active peripheral by displaying at least one presence row on the ERG display and displaying any EPG associated with the peripheral which is displayed when the presence row for the peripheral is selected.

11. The method of claim 10 which includes displaying information about available programs on the ERG display as a single entity and which includes displaying the content of a program when the entity is selected.

12. The method of claim 10 which includes processing a program by multiple peripheral devices and displaying multiple rows for a program so processed on the ERG display.

13. The method of claim 10 which includes representing a broadcast channel by a row on the ERG display, and representing an associated data stream for the broadcast channel by a linked row on said ERG display.

14. The method of claim 10 which includes dynamically updating the ERG display when a peripheral changes from one mode to another mode, and which includes registering a set of standard commands, between an audio/visual device having an electronic programming and a peripheral device, a map of input/output channels between the audio/visual device and the peripheral device, and includes training the ERG to facilitate mapping of non-standard commands between a peripheral device and the audio/visual device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said registering includes providing a device type registry for identifying a specific peripheral to the audio/visual device.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said registering includes providing a control code registry for identifying a specific peripheral control scheme to the audio/visual device.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein said generating an ERG display includes generating an ERG display taken from the group of ERG displays consisting of:

a full screen EPG display having associated services displayed thereon;

an EPG screen display having associated services overlaid thereon;

a full screen EPG display having non-associated services displayed thereon;

an EPG screen display having non-associated services overlaid thereon;

a screen display of EPG rows with peripheral device control rows displayed thereon; and

a screen display of EPG rows with output selection rows displayed thereon.

20. The method of claim 10 which includes generating an EPG is by an ERG generator for any peripheral device which does not have an EPG associated therewith.