Displaying enhanced content information on a remote control unit

• US 8,402,505 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Alten, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRONCZER, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US10/969,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20050055640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,072 Days
• Field of Search: 725/141, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/141
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• 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 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A remote control unit for a video receiver may be utilized to display information about enhanced content available in conjunction with a video broadcast. The information displayed on the remote control unit display may provide information about available enhanced content, advertising, or even the status of connected devices, such as telephones, computer systems, digital video disk players, and video cassette recorders. By transmitting the data from the video receiver to the remote control unit, the information is available to the user without interrupting the display on the user'"'"'s video receiver.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving video information, an icon locator, and an enhancement including content selectively displayable on a first display, said video information being displayable on a second display, said enhancement being information about an incoming email or an incoming telephone call and further including code, said code designating the first display;

recognizing said code;

based on said code, parsing said icon locator to access an icon image of a plurality of icon images, wherein said plurality of icon images are included in local storage; and

displaying said icon image on the first display, said icon image to identify a type of content of said enhancement.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a user selection of said icon image on the first display.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, in response to receiving said user selection, displaying the enhancement on said first display, wherein said first display is a remote control display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying the enhancement comprises displaying caller identification information on said remote control display.

5. The method of claim 1 including parsing said enhancement from the video information and parsing the code from said enhancement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second enhancement, said second enhancement being information about a status of a peripheral video device.