Digital television (DTV) including a smart electronic program guide (EPG) and operating methods therefor

• US 6,640,337 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lu, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/431,799
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 725/53, 725/52, 725/44, 345/156, 348/157, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• 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

Abstract

A digital television (DTV) system includes a remote controller which generates X- and Y-axis position data; and an electronic pro gram guide (EPG) controller which receives position data responsive to the X- and Y-axis position data, which generates character data responsive to the position data, which searches EPG data for character strings approximating the character data to thereby generate search results, and which outputs the search results to the screen of the DTV. According to one aspect of the DTV system, the remote controller generates the X- and Y-axis position data responsive to movement of the remote controller. This movement can be determined by either accelerometers or a gyroscope included in the remote controller. According to another aspect of the invention, the X- and Y-axis position data can be generated by a pointing device, which can be either a touch panel or a trackball. A method for operating the DTV system responsive to changes in position data generated with respect to a remote controller is also described.

Claims

1. A digital television (DTV) system comprising:

a remote controller which generates X- and Y-axis position data; and

an electronic program guide (EPG) controller provided within said DTV device which receives and accumulates position data responsive to the X- and Y-axis position data to form data structures capable of forming characters, and recognizes character data responsive to the data structures, and which searches EPG data for character strings approximating the character data to thereby generate search results, and which outputs the search results to the screen of the DTV as on-screen display characters.

2. The DTV system as recited in claim 1, wherein the X- and Y-axis position data generated by the remote controller is generated in response to movement of the remote controller.

3. The DTV system as recited in claim 2, wherein the remote controller comprises a plurality of accelerometers generating raw data corresponding to the X- and Y-axis position data.

4. The DTV system as recited in claim 2, wherein the remote controller comprises a laser gyroscope generating raw data corresponding to the X- and Y-axis position data.

5. The DTV system as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote controller further comprises a pointing device which generates raw data corresponding to the X- and Y-axis position data.

6. The DTV system as recited in claim 5, wherein the pointing device comprises a touch panel.

7. The DTV system as recited in claim 5, wherein the pointing device comprises a track ball.

15. The DTV system as recited in claim 1, wherein the data structures comprise structures representing lines or strokes.

8. A digital television (DTV) system comprising:

a remote controller which generates a plurality of different electromagnetic signals occupying a predetermined beam pattern;

a sensor array which determines X- and Y-axis position data responsive to the relative position of the sensor array within the beam pattern; and

an electronic program guide (EPG) controller provided within said DTV device which receives and accumulates position data responsive to the X- and Y-axis position data to form data structures capable of forming characters, and recognizes character data responsive to the data structures, and searches EPG data for character strings approximating the character data to thereby generate search results, and which outputs the search results to the screen of the DTV as on-screen display characters, wherein the position data varies responsive to movement of the remote controller.

16. The DTV system as recited in claim 8, wherein the data structures comprise structures representing lines or strokes.

19. The DTV system as recited in claim 8, wherein the sensor array further determines Z-axis position data responsive to the beam pattern, said Z-axis position data to differentiate meaningful position data used to generate characters from non-meaningful remote controller movement.

9. A method for operating a digital television (DTV) system storing electronic program guide (EPG) data responsive to X- and Y-axis position data generated by a remote controller, comprising:

receiving X- and Y-axis position data at a DTV and accumulating position data corresponding to the X- and Y-axis position data to thereby form data structures capable of forming characters;

recognizing character data included in the data structures;

searching the stored EPG data for character strings approximating the character data to thereby generate search results; and

displaying the search results on the DTV as on-screen display characters.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

generating the X- and Y-axis position data by moving the remote controller.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

generating the X- and Y-axis position data by moving a predetermined portion of the remote controller.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

generating the X- and Y-axis position data by moving a pointer relative to a predetermined portion of the remote controller.

17. The DTV system as recited in claim 9, wherein the data structures comprise structures representing lines or strokes.

13. A method for operating a digital television (DTV) system storing electronic program guide (EPG) data responsive to X- and Y-axis position data generated by movement of a remote controller, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of electromagnetic signals from the remote controller;

sensing the beam pattern of the electromagnetic signals relative to a sensing array to thereby generate the X- and Y-axis position data;

converting the X- and Y-axis position data into position data;

accumulating position data corresponding to the X- and Y-axis position data to form data structures capable of forming characters;

recognizing character data included in the data structures;

searching the stored EPG data for character strings approximating the character data to thereby generate search results; and

displaying the search results on the DTV.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the X- and Y-axis position data varies responsive to movement of the remote controller.

18. The DTV system as recited in claim 13, wherein the data structures comprise structures representing lines or strokes.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the sensing step determines Z-axis position data used to differentiate meaningful position data used to generate characters from non-meaningful remote controller movement.