Interactive graphical user interface for television set-top box

• US 7,475,349 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wagner, Annette, Simister, J. Bret
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US11/043,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 715/717, 715/856, 715/854, 715/781, 715/763, 715/765, 715/700, 715/716, 725/34, 725/35
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) for a television set-top box which includes a web browser. The set-top box has an Internet data connection and is controlled from user inputs entered through a remote control device. The GUI generates menu screens that are superimposed over conventional television video images, so that the user can view browser graphics generated by the GUI while viewing television images in the background. The GUI further provides animated on-screen notifications of the presence of interactive content, such as hypertext links to World Wide Web pages, which may be associated with television content currently being received. The GUI can also provide animated on-screen notifications of other events, such as previously-specified dates and times or the end of a television commercial. A main menu screen includes function buttons which appear to slide back and forth. A two-state progress indicator indicates that a download is in progress and the degree of completeness of a download.

Claims

1. A method of generating a user interface in a processing system connectable to a display device, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying an input window on the display device, the input window including a plurality of icons located substantially adjacent to each other along a coordinate axis;

in response to a user input selecting one of the icons;

redisplaying the input window, such that at least one of the icons appears to be shifted in position along the coordinate axis; and

displaying information corresponding to the selected icon adjacent to the selected icon along the coordinate axis.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of icons remain visible during the step of displaying information corresponding to the selected icon.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining when the selected icon is no longer selected;

when the selected icon is no longer selected, ceasing to display the information corresponding to the icon in the space adjacent to the icon; and

redisplaying the input window, such that the plurality of icons are displayed substantially adjacent to each other.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying full-motion video images on the display device, wherein the step of displaying the input window comprises the step of displaying the input window over only a portion of the video images.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the video images include real-time television images.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of receiving hypertext data transmitted from a remote processing system.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a user input selecting one of the icons, the user input having been entered by a user from a remote input device.

8. A method of enabling a client processing system to generate a user interface, the method comprising the step of transmitting sequences of instructions from a host processing system to the client processing system, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed on the client processing system, cause the client processing system to perform the method recited in claim 1.

9. A method of generating a user interface in a processing system connectable to a television set, the processing system for enabling a user to access a wide area computer network using the television set as a display device, the television set having a display area, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying an input field in a first portion of the display area of the television set, the input field for allowing the user to enter characters to specify a function of the processing system which the user wishes to access; and

displaying a menu in a second portion of the display area while displaying the input field, the menu specifying functions of the processing system.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the input field is further for allowing a user to enter characters corresponding to an address on the wide area computer network, the address for causing the processing system to communication with a remote processing system corresponding to the address.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the input field is further for allowing a user to enter characters specifying a hypertext link.