Television signal reception apparatus and method, and broadcast reception apparatus and method

• US 7,124,430 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aratani, Shuntaro, Mori, Shigeki, Aoyama, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A.
• Application Number:
  US09/983,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34, 725/35, 725/32, 725/37, 725/132, 725/134, 725/140, 725/141, 725/133, 725/142, 725/152, 725/153
• US Class Current: 725/142
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• 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 21/426 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4622 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 5/76 : Television signal recording
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

It is the objective of the present invention to easily change between an image display application and the viewing of a program for a digital television, and to improve the usability of the television for operating an image display application. The display change list for a (channel) Up/Down key of a remote controller is dynamically altered so that, during the execution of an image display application, an application screen is displayed by using the Up/Down key. Further, when a memory card is loaded immediately after the television is powered on, a display application can be automatically activated. Furthermore, while a user is watching the television, the contents of a memory card is displayed on a small window in one part of the screen, and execution of the image application controlled by the user. In addition, no icons are displayed while an important program is on displaying. Moreover, since the same color and the same arrangement are used for the four function icons as are used for the four color keys on the remote controller, various processes can be performed for the image application.

Claims

1. A broadcast reception apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving programs that are broadcast;

application execution means for executing an application;

connection means for connecting an external storage medium;

detection means for detecting the connection and disconnection of said external storage medium relative to said external storage medium connection means;

display control means for displaying, on display means, an image related to a broadcast program received by said reception means and an image related to an application executed by said application execution means; and

control means for controlling said application execution means and said display control means so as to, when the connection of said storage medium is detected by said detection means while said image related to said broadcast program received by said reception means is being displayed, and when the elapsed time since said apparatus was powered on does not exceed a predetermined value, request said application execution means to execute a predetermined application, and cause said application execution means and said control means to display an image related to said predetermined application.

2. A broadcast reception apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving programs that are broadcast;

application execution means for executing an application;

connection means for connecting an external storage medium;

detection means for detecting the connection and disconnection of said external storage medium relative to said external storage medium connection means;

user input means, used by a user to input data; and

display control means for displaying a predetermined icon on a portion of a display screen when said detection means detects the connection of said external storage medium while an image related to a broadcast received by said reception means is being displayed,

wherein said display control means does not present the icon display when a currently displayed program is one that was registered in advance.

3. A broadcast reception method comprising:

a reception step of receiving programs that are broadcast;

an application execution step of executing an application;

a connection step of connecting an external storage medium;

a detection step of detecting the connection and disconnection of an external storage medium;

a display control step of displaying, on display means, an image related to a broadcast program received in said reception step and an image related to an application executed in said application execution step; and

a control step of controlling said application execution step and said display control step so as to, when the connection of said external storage medium is detected in said detection step while said image related to said broadcast program received in said reception step is being displayed, and when the elapsed time since an apparatus was powered on does not exceed a predetermined value, request execution of a predetermined application in said application execution step, and display an image related to said predetermined application in said application execution step and said display control step.

4. A broadcast reception method comprising:

a reception step of receiving programs that are broadcast;

an application execution step of executing an application;

a connection step of connecting an external storage medium;

a detection step of detecting the connection and disconnection of said external storage medium;

a user input step of inputting data by a user; and

a display control step of displaying a predetermined icon on a portion of a display screen when the connection of said external storage medium is detected in said detection step while an image related to a broadcast received in said reception step is being displayed,

wherein in said display control step, it does not present the icon display when a currently displayed program is one that was registered in advance.