Television operation method

• US 8,334,933 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsukada, Yujin, Hoshino, Takeshi, Nakajima, Isshu, Tokunaga, Tatsuya, Matsumoto, Kazumi, Yoshimaru, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): NATNAEL, PAULOS M
• Application Number:
  US12/695,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 348/734, 348/725, 348/552, 348/553, 345/173, 345/168, 345/169, 715/718, 715/716, 715/717, 725/110, 725/39, 725/86
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A television operation method whereby a desired content screen can be shown on a TV receiver by controlling operation on the display of a remote terminal. When the TV display of the TV receiver shows a received program screen and the remote display of the remote terminal shows another received program screen, if the screen shown on the remote display is transferred to the TV display, a reception remote control screen to enable channel selection appears on the remote display. If buttons are operated so as to show a related web screen on the remote display and transfer the related web screen to the TV display, a web remote control screen for control of a cursor on the related web screen appears on the remote display.

Claims

1. A television (TV) operation method as a display method for a TV receiver equipped with a remote terminal having a display, comprising the steps of:

using control buttons provided adjacent to the display of the remote terminal for operation of the TV receiver; and

showing, on the display of the remote terminal, a remote control screen to control a content screen shown on a display of the TV receiver,

wherein one of the control buttons provided adjacent to the display of the remote terminal is a “

Send Content”

button which is used to transfer a content screen shown on the display of the remote terminal to the display of the TV receiver and show the content screen on the display of the TV receiver;

wherein another one of the control buttons provided adjacent to the display of the remote terminal is a “

Receive Content”

button which is used to transfer a content screen shown on the display of the TV receiver to the display of the remote terminal and show the content screen on the display of the remote terminal; and

wherein when the “

Send Content”

button is operated while the display of the TV receiver shows a received program screen, the display of the remote terminal shows a reception remote control screen which enables selection of a program to be received and shown on the display of the TV receiver.

2. The television operation method according to claim 1, wherein one of a plurality of select buttons shown on the reception remote control screen shown on the display of the remote terminal controls the display of the TV receiver show a program selection screen for selecting a program to be received and shown on the display of the TV receiver.

3. The television operation method according to claim 1, wherein one of the control buttons provided adjacent to the display of the remote terminal is a “

Related Info”

button which is used, when the display of the TV receiver shows a content screen, to show a related web screen for selection of information related to the content screen.

4. The television operation method according to claim 3, wherein as the “

Send Content”

button is operated while the display of the remote terminal shows the related web screen, the related web screen appears on the display of the TV receiver and a web remote control screen for control of the related web screen with a cursor appears on the display of the remote terminal.

5. The television operation method according to claim 1, wherein one of the control buttons provided adjacent to the display of the remote terminal is a “

Home”

button which is used to control the remote terminal show a “

HOME”

screen which enables selection of a recorded content for playback.

6. The television operation method according to claim 5,

wherein as a recorded content is selected on the “

HOME”

screen shown on the display of the remote terminal, the selected recorded content appears on the display of the remote terminal, and

when the “

Send Content”

button is operated, a playback screen for the selected recorded content appears on the display of the TV receiver and a playback remote control screen for control of playback of the recorded content shown on the display of the TV receiver appears on the display of the remote terminal.

7. The television operation method according to claim 6, wherein as an operation to stop playback is input on a playback remote control screen, a received program screen appears on the display of the TV receiver and a reception remote control screen for selection of a program to be received and shown on the display of the TV receiver appears on the display of the remote terminal.

8. The television operation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting with a detector a direction of a line of sight of a user using the remote terminal; and

wherein according to a change in the direction of the line of sight is detected by the detector, a first content screen shown on the display of the remote terminal is transferred to the display of the TV receiver and shown there, and a second content screen shown on the display of the TV receiver is transferred to the display of the remote terminal and shown there.