Image processing unit, method, and program

• US 7,593,003 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Mitsuru, Tanaka, Tomoe, Nomura, Yasuo, Koresawa, Akio, Kida, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said; Mansour M
• Application Number:
  US10/994,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 725/39, 725/44, 725/46, 725/52, 715/716, 715/719, 715856-858
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time

Abstract

A display of “scroll up by 1 hour” is overlaid on sections of station name of a program schedule Fa1 when an up arrow key of a cross key provided to a remote commander is operated when a cursor K is on the upper border of a program frame, and when there is any preceding program (past program) not currently displayed in the program schedule Fa1. Then when an enter key provided to the remote commander is operated, the 1-hour-scrolled-up program schedule Fa1 is responsively displayed after reconfiguration. In such a manner, the display range of the program schedule can be changed with ease, and the present invention is applicable to television receivers for digital broadcasting.

Claims

1. An image processing unit for displaying display data according to a display format, the unit comprising:

means for displaying a first portion of display data on a display screen, the first portion of the display data being of a size smaller than a total amount of data available for display;

means for receiving a request to move a cursor on the display screen in a specified direction beyond the first portion of the display data;

means for determining whether a second portion of display data exists in the specified direction that is currently not displayed on the display screen;

means for displaying a display option to be selected in response to determining that the second portion of display data exists in the specified direction, the display option allowing selection of a quantity of blocks of the second portion of display data to display; and

means for reconfiguring, after selecting the display option, the display screen to include the selected quantity of the second portion of the display data.

2. The image processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the display data is an electronic program guide composed of blocks each designated for a predetermined section.

3. The image processing unit according to claim 2, wherein the section indicates channel number, broadcasting station name, broadcasting time, date and time, or category.

4. The image processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the display option is changed in display color when selected.

5. The image processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the display option is flashed when selected.

6. An image processing method for displaying display data according to a display format, the method comprising:

displaying a first portion of display data on a display screen, the first portion of the display data being of a size smaller than a total amount of data available for display;

receiving a request to move a cursor on the display screen in a specified direction beyond the first portion of the display data;

determining whether a second portion of display data exists in the specified direction that is currently not displayed on the display screen;

displaying a display option to be selected in response to determining that the second portion of display data exists in the specified direction, the display option allowing selection of a quantity of blocks of the second portion of display data to display; and

reconfiguring, after selecting the display option, the display data to include the selected quantity of the second portion of the display data.

7. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer-executable program which, when executed by a processor, performs a method for displaying display data according to a display format, the method comprising:

displaying a first portion of display data on a display screen, the first portion of the display data being of a size smaller than a total amount of data available for display;

receiving a request to move a cursor on the display screen in a specified direction beyond the first portion of the display data;

determining whether a second portion of display data exists in the specified direction that is currently not displayed on the display screen;

displaying a display option to be selected in response to determining that the second portion of display data exists in the specified direction, the display option allowing selection of a quantity of blocks of the second portion of display data to display; and

reconfiguring, after selecting the display option, the display data to include the selected quantity of the second portion of the display data.