Apparatus and method for using keyboard macros to control viewing channel

• US 7,565,673 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brusky, Kevin J., Sturgeon, Derrill L., Brusky, Kerry L., Ellis, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/941,174
• Time in Patent Office: 4,312 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/10, 348/564, 348/569, 348/731, 348/732, 348/734, 455/186.1, 455/6.3, 706/4.A, 706/8, 345168-169, 345/172, 725/57, 725/39, 725/52, 725/53
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/414 Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
• 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 21/42214 using alphanumerical characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices

Abstract

In a converged computer and television system, the TV network viewed in a TV mode can be changed by entering an alphanumeric channel macro on the computer keyboard.

Claims

1. In a PC/TV computer system having keyboard for providing alphanumeric characters to said PC/TV computer and also having a display monitor, a method of selecting a network station or an internet site comprising the steps of:

storing predetermined network station and internet site identifiers;

placing said PC/TV computer in a user selectable TV mode providing a full screen display and no user accessible PC functionality or in a Computer mode providing user accessible PC functionality and with a video window in said display being in focus;

effecting a first actuation of an alphanumeric key on said keyboard associated with a network identifier;

creating a monitor display of the or each stored network station identifier or internet site identifier having a first character matching the character associated with said alphanumeric key;

effecting a second actuation of the same or another alphanumeric key on said keyboard;

creating a monitor display of the or each stored network station identifier or internet site identifier containing first and second character matching the characters associated with said first and second alphanumeric key;

if more than one said identifier is displayed, optionally effecting one or more further alphanumeric key actuations and creating a monitor display of the or each stored network station identifier or internet site identifier containing an initial sequence of characters matching the sequence of characters associated with the sequence of alphanumeric key actuations;

effecting user input to the system to mark the or a user selected displayed name having said matching sequence of characters; and

then effecting user input to the system to establish communication between the PC/TV computer system and a network station corresponding to the displayed network station identifier or internet site identifier marked by said user input;

wherein at least one of said network station identifiers is a channel macro identifying a selected television program on a particular network station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said keyboard is a wireless keyboard.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of downloading a program guide from a network provider, said program guide providing information that matches network stations with TV channels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the or a user selected displayed network station name containing a matching first character is highlighted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying is performed by providing a channel banner on the display monitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user input to tune to a network station is effected by user operation of a pointing device.