Method and apparatus for selecting one of a plurality of video channels for viewings

• US 8,613,025 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Top Victory Investments Limited (TPV Technology Co., Ltd. (f/k/a Nanjing Huadong Electronics Information & Technology))
• Original Assignee: TP Vision Holding BV (TPV Technology Co., Ltd. (f/k/a Nanjing Huadong Electronics Information & Technology))
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Padma Lakshmi Anoop, Bhat, Sanjay, Narayanan, Venkatasubramanian, Saiyed, Sajid, Venkataraman, Vijayan
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, PAUL J
• Application Number:
  US12/599,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20110016491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

One of a plurality of video channels is selected for viewing. A specific one of a plurality of video channels is bookmarked. An object representing said bookmarked channel is displayed. A displayed object is selected to select the bookmarked channel.

Claims

1. A method for selecting one of a plurality of video channels for viewing, the method comprising the steps of:

bookmarking, via an input interface and a display controller, one of a plurality of video channels;

displaying, via the display controller and a display screen, a first symbol representing said bookmarked video channel as an overlay over a portion of a currently presented video channel continually on the display screen until the displayed first symbol is removed;

displaying continually on the display screen of the currently viewed video channel, other symbols different than the first symbol representing other bookmarked video channels of the plurality of video channels during display of the first symbol and upon removal from display of the first symbol, for corresponding video channels not currently being viewed on the display screen; and

selecting, via the input interface, the displayed first symbol to select said bookmarked video channel, wherein responsive to selecting the displayed first symbol for viewing of the corresponding bookmarked video channel, outputting, via the display controller, said corresponding bookmarked video channel to the display for viewing, and wherein responsive to selecting the displayed first symbol for removing of the corresponding bookmarked video channel, removing, via the display controller, said selected displayed first symbol from the display screen.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first symbol representing the bookmarked video channel is displayed only when said bookmarked video channel represented by said first symbol is not currently selected for viewing.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of bookmarking one of a plurality of video channels comprises the step of:

automatically bookmarking the currently viewed video channel when said currently viewed video channel has been viewed for a certain time period.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

removing said displayed first symbol from the display if said displayed first symbol is not selected for a certain time period.

5. An apparatus for selecting one of a plurality of video channels for viewing, the apparatus comprising:

an input interface configured to bookmark one of a plurality of video channels;

a display controller configured to display a first symbol representing said bookmarked video channel via a display device, wherein the first symbol representing said bookmarked video channel is displayed as an overlay over a portion of a currently presented video channel continually on the display device until the displayed first symbol is removed, wherein the display controller is configured to continually display on the display device other symbols different than the first symbol representing other corresponding bookmarked video channels of the plurality of video channels, for corresponding video channels not currently being viewed on the display device; and

wherein said input interface is further configured to provide selection of the displayed first symbol to select said bookmarked video channel, wherein responsive to selecting the displayed first symbol for viewing of a corresponding bookmarked video channel, the display controller outputting said corresponding bookmarked video channel to the display device for viewing, and wherein responsive to selecting the displayed first symbol for removing of a corresponding bookmarked video channel, the display controller removing said selected displayed first symbol from the display device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display controller is configured to display said first symbol only when said bookmarked video channel represented by said first symbol is not currently selected for viewing.

7. A method, comprising:

bookmarking one or more video channels;

representing respective one or more video channels with respective bookmark symbols;

displaying at least one of the bookmark symbols representing one of the bookmarked video channels during display of a currently presented program, wherein programming content of the bookmarked video channels is not displayed during display of the currently presented program; and

retrieving, upon a selection of the at least one bookmark symbol, display of the bookmarked video channel corresponding to the bookmark symbol.

8. The method of claim, 7, wherein displaying the at least one bookmark symbol includes displaying a plurality of bookmark symbols and maintaining display of the plurality of bookmark symbols during display of programming content of the bookmarked video channel corresponding to the selected bookmark symbol.

9. The method of claim 8, including removing the selected bookmark symbol from display during display of programming content of the bookmarked video channel corresponding to the selected bookmark symbol.