Station jump loop

• US 6,505,346 B2
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Peter, Nemoto, Satoru, Leahey, James K., White, Gail, Saib, Joseph I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/870,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348/731, 348/211, 348/114, 348/725, 348/733, 455/352, 455/186.1, 455/186.2, 455/150.1, 455/151.1, 455/151.2, 455/151.3, 455/184.1, 369/7, 381/86, 340/825.T, 725/37-61
• 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: 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 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42215 by measuring the time interval during which a key is pressed, e.g. for inputting sequences of digits when selecting a television channel
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

The present invention is implemented in one embodiment in a tuning decoder device, such as an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) of a digital satellite system. The IRD is coupled to a satellite system, the remote controller and a monitor, such as a TV set. The present invention allows a user to store up to five stations in a JUMP Loop sequence during a single viewing period by depressing a single key in a remote controller.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a tuning device to receive video signals and to tune to a station;

a remote controller coupled to the tuning device to command the tuning device to tune to a selected station, the remote controller having a “

JUMP”

key that allows a user to store a plurality of stations as a JUMP Loop in a volatile memory, wherein the user can press the JUMP key for no longer than a first period of time, the first period of time being shorter than a second period of time, to jump between said stations in the JUMP Loop, and wherein the user can press the JUMP key for at least the second period of time to remove a station already in the JUMP loop to which the tuning device is currently tuned from the JUMP loop; and

a monitor, coupled to the tuning device, to display a tuned station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor is a TV set.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the tuning device is an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD).

4. A method of using a JUMP Loop comprising:

tuning a tuner to a station to receive video signals;

determining whether a JUMP key on a remote controller for the tuner is depressed for a period of time longer than a second predetermined period of time, the second predetermined period of time being longer than a first predetermined period of time;

jumping from the station to which the tuner is tuned to the next station in a JUMP Loop if the JUMP key is depressed for at least the first predetermined period of time and less than the second predetermined period of time;

determining whether the station to which the tuner is tuned is part of the JUMP Loop if the JUMP key is depressed for more than the second predetermined period of time;

adding the station to which the tuner is tuned to the JUMP Loop if the JUMP key is depressed for more than the second predetermined period of time and if the station to which the tuner is tuned is not already part of the JUMP Loop; and

removing the station to which the tuner is tuned from the JUMP Loop if the JUMP key is depressed for more than the second predetermined period of time and if the station to which the tuner is tuned is already part of the JUMP Loop.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second predetermined period of time is about two seconds.

6. A method to toggle among a plurality of stations comprising:

tuning to a first station;

assigning the tuned first station to a JUMP Loop by pressing a JUMP key on a remote controller for at least a second period of time;

tuning to a second station;

assigning the second station to the JUMP Loop by pressing the JUMP key for at least the second period of time;

tuning to a station that is assigned to the JUMP loop;

removing the tuned assigned station from the JUMP Loop by pressing the JUMP key; and

toggling among the plurality of stations assigned to the JUMP loop by pressing the JUMP key for at least a first period of time, the first period of time being less than the second period of time, the plurality of stations including at least the first station and the second station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second predetermined period of time is about two seconds.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

tuning to a third station; and

assigning the third station to the JUMP Loop by pressing the JUMP key for at least the second period of time wherein the JUMP Loop is stored in memory and the JUMP Loop includes the first station, the second station and the third station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second station follows the first station, the third station follows the second station and the first station follows the third station in the JUMP loop.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

tuning to a fourth station;

assigning the fourth station to the JUMP Loop by pressing the first key for at least a second period of time;

tuning to a fifth station; and

assigning the fifth station to the JUMP Loop by pressing the first key for at least a second period of time, wherein the JUMP Loop is stored in volatile memory and the JUMP Loop includes the first station, the second station, the third station, the fourth station and the fifth station.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

tuning to a station that is assigned to the JUMP loop; and

removing the tuned assigned station from the JUMP Loop by pressing the JUMP key for at least the second period of time;

tuning to a fourth station; and

assigning the tuned station to the JUMP Loop by pressing the JUMP key for at least the second period of time.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein removing comprises pressing the JUMP key for at least the second period of time to remove the tuned station from the JUMP loop.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising tuning to a station in the JUMP Loop by pressing the key on the remote controller for at least a first predetermined period of time, the first predetermined period of time being shorter than the second predetermined period of time.

14. A remote control device comprising:

a transmitter to transmit signals from the remote control device to a tuner, the tuner to tune to a broadcast station in response to signals transmitted to the tuner by the remote control device; and

a plurality of keys accessible by a user on the remote control device, one key of the plurality of keys identified as a JUMP key, wherein if the JUMP key is selected on the remote controller for at least a first period of time and less than a second period of time, the first period of time being less than the second period of time, the tuner tunes to a station that is one of a plurality of stations of a JUMP Loop, and wherein if the JUMP key is selected on the remote controller for at least the second period of time and, if the currently tuned station is one of the plurality of stations of the JUMP Loop, then the currently tuned station is removed from the JUMP loop.

15. The remote control device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the JUMP loop is stored in memory on the remote control device.

16. The remote control device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the selection of the JUMP key causes the transmitter to transmit a JUMP signal to the tuner.

17. A system comprising a tuning device to receive signals from a remote controller, the tuning device further to tune to a any one of a plurality of stations in response to the received signals, at least a portion of the plurality of stations being in a JUMP Loop, wherein a user can press a JUMP key of the remote controller for at least a first period of time that is less than a second period of time to cause the tuning device to jump between the stations in the JUMP Loop and can press the JUMP key for at least the second period of time while the tuning device is tuned to a station to remove the station to which the tuning device is tuned from the JUMP Loop.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the tuning device is further configured to store a plurality of stations as the JUMP Loop in a volatile memory.