On-screen user interface device

• US 7,607,107 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Eric J., Black, Brian, Iten, Tommi J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B
• Application Number:
  US10/464,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20040070628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,316 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 navigation device that allows a user to quickly navigate a television environment that provides multiple services, features and options. The navigation device of the present invention is a graphical user interface and minimum of commands from a remote control to navigate through the services provided. The present invention is made up of three basic parts; an anchor, menus, and control bars. An anchor is the base or foundation of the device and includes branding, a progress bar for indicating the number of available menus, and other services such as the current date and time. Other device elements extend from the anchor.

Claims

1. An on-screen navigation device for a media system having a display medium, a remote control, and an integrated receiver/decoder, said on-screen navigation device comprising:

an oblong anchor that is selectively displayable on and removable from display medium upon demand through said remote control, said anchor having an axis point at one end; and

a plurality of elongate menus that are each selectively pivotable about and extendable from said axis point of said anchor so as to be singularly displayed on said display medium upon demand through said remote control.

2. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said anchor an advertisement banner that is displayed thereon when said anchor is selectively displayed on said display medium.

3. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said navigation device further comprises means for scrolling through said menus and also means for scrolling through options available in said menus by using said remote control.

4. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said menus contain subject matter corresponding to live television broadcasts, Internet services, informational services, digitally recorded video, and a program guide.

5. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said menus at least one personalized menu having selections that are selected and set by a user through selections made from a master menu.

22. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said oblong anchor is shaped so as to visibly resemble a handle of a conventional pocketknife on said display medium, and at least one of said elongate menus is shaped so as to visibly resemble a knife blade of said conventional pocketknife on said display medium.

23. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said navigation device further comprises a media control bar that is selectively pivotable about and extendable from said axis point of said anchor so as to be displayed on said display medium upon demand through said remote control.

24. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said media control bar is operable to facilitate the controlled play of music or video on said media system.

25. An on-screen navigation device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said media control bar is shaped so as to visibly resemble a knife blade, a bottle opener, or a can opener on said display medium.

6. An on-screen device for navigating a plurality of television environments in a direct-broadcast satellite television system that includes an integrated receiver/decoder, a television, and a remote control for communicating with said integrated receiver/decoder and also manipulating said television environments that are displayed on the screen of said television, said on-screen device comprising:

an oblong anchor that is selectively displayable on and removable from said screen upon demand through said remote control, said anchor having an axis point at one end;

a plurality of elongate menus that are each selectively pivotable about and extendable from said axis point of said anchor so as to be singularly displayed on said screen upon demand through said remote control, each of said menus containing selectable subject matter that is related to at least one of said television environments; and

at least one media control bar that is selectively pivotable about and extendable from said axis point of said anchor so as to be displayed on said screen upon demand through said remote control.

7. An on-screen device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said anchor has an advertisement banner that is displayed thereon anchor is selectively displayed on said screen.

8. An on-screen device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said on-screen device further comprises means for scrolling through said menus and also means for scrolling through subject-matter options available in said menus by using said remote control.

9. An on-screen device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said menus contain subject matter relating to at least one television environment selected from the group consisting of a live television broadcast, Internet services, informational services, a digitally recorded video, and a program guide.

10. An on-screen device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said menus include at least one personalized menu having selections that are selected and set by a user through selections made from a master menu.

11. A method for navigating through and manipulating media in multiple television environments, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) activating a visible anchor device having an axis point about which a menu from a plurality of menus is selectively pivoted and from which said menu is extended and displayed on a television screen, each of said menus respectively having a plurality of selectable options that are related to a at least one of said television environments;

(b) selecting an option from said plurality of selectable options as visibly displayed on said menu, said option being utilized for manipulating media that is available in at least one of said television environments corresponding to said menu; and

(c) deactivating said anchor device so that said anchor device along with said menu is no longer visibly displayed on said television screen.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein steps of activating and deactivating the anchor device, selecting a menu, and selecting an option (a), (b), and (c) are at least partially accomplished by pressing a button on a remote control.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein step (a) is at least partially accomplished by displaying a menu related to an existing television environment.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

selecting a different menu from said plurality of menus to pivot about and visually extend from said anchor device, said different menu being related to a television environment that is different from said existing television environment.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

maintaining said existing television environment;

reactivating said anchor device; and

displaying the menu last displayed before reactivating said anchor device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

selecting a settings menu from said anchor device;

selecting desired options from said settings menu; and

storing said desired options as selected in a personalized menu; and

displaying said personalized menu upon activation of said anchor device.

17. An activatable pop-up menu system comprising:

a screen;

an oblong anchor having an axis point at one end and a plurality of selectable menus associated therewith, said anchor being selectively displayed on said screen;

an elongate selected menu pivotally attached and extended from said axis point of said anchor so as to be displayed on said screen; and

a plurality of functional options displayed in said selected menu and on said screen;

wherein said anchor and said selected menu are shaped so as to visibly resemble a handle and a knife blade respectively of a conventional pocketknife on said screen.

18. An activatable pop-up menu system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said anchor has an advertisement banner that is displayed thereon when said anchor is selectively displayed on said screen.

19. An activatable pop-up menu system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said pop-up menu system further comprises means for scrolling through said selectable menus and also means for scrolling through said functional options.

20. An activatable pop-up menu system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said selectable menus contain subject matter relating to at least one television environment selected from the group consisting of a live television broadcast, Internet services, informational services, digitally recorded video, and a program guide.

21. An activatable pop-up menu system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said selectable menus include at least one personalized menu having stored selections that are set by a user through selections made from a master menu.