Methods and apparatus for providing multiple channel recall on a television receiver

• US 8,793,735 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: VanDuyn, Luke, Rudolph, Daniel L., Taxler, Karen Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, FARZANA E
• Application Number:
  US12/242,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 725 38- 61, 725/25, 725/27, 715/700, 715/716, 715/719
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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

The various embodiments described herein provide methods and apparatus for providing multiple channel recall on a television receiver. A television receiver stores multiple previously viewed channels for selective recall by a user. A television receiver outputs a selection menu that includes a plurality of previously viewed channels. A user selects one of the channels from the selection menu for viewing, and a tuner of the television receiver is commanded to output the selected channel.

Claims

1. A method of providing multiple channel recall on a television receiver, the method comprising:

storing N previously and most recently viewed channels in a list, wherein N represents an integer, wherein each of the N previously and most recently viewed channels represents a unique television channel of N most recently viewed channels that was previously viewed by a user;

receiving user selections that indicate a user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of the N previously and most recently viewed channels, wherein M represents an integer that is less than N;

outputting a selection menu including the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels and the user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of previously and most recently viewed channels, wherein only the user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels is available for selection in the selection menu, channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels but not of the user-configurable subset of M channels being non-selectable;

receiving a user input selecting one of the user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels from the selection menu; and

commanding a television tuner to output the selected one of the user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of N channels is populated with the previously and most recently viewed channels in a first in first out (FIFO) manner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the selection menu further comprises:

outputting the presently viewed channel as one of the channels selectable within the selection menu.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

outputting a visual indicator highlighting the subset of M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels;

outputting a cursor within the selection menu, the cursor moveable only within the user-configurable subset M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels; and

receiving first user input requesting to manipulate a position of the cursor, wherein the position of the cursor determines the selected one of the M channels of the user-configurable subset of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels output by the television tuner.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels includes a first previously viewed channel and the presently viewed channel, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user input requesting to alternate between the first previously viewed channel and the presently viewed channel.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving third user input requesting to change a composition of the user-configurable subset of M channels of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the selection menu further comprises:

outputting an icon associated with each channel of the list of N previously and most recently viewed channels, wherein the icon comprises a selection feature configurable by the user to include or exclude the previously-viewed channel from the user-configurable subset of M channels.

8. A system comprising:

a remote control including;

an input device that receives user input;

a transmitter that transmits the user input; and

a television receiver including;

a tuner that receives television programming from a programming source;

a memory that stores a plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and communicatively coupled to the tuner that outputs a presently viewed channel for presentation by a display device, the processor further overlaying a selection menu including representations of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels, a user-configurable subset of the previously and most recently viewed channels, wherein the user-configurable subset consists of less than all of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels, and the presently viewed channel, the selection menu further comprising a manipulatable cursor, and wherein only the user-configurable subset of the selection menu is highlighted for selection and is selectable using the manipulatable cursor, channels of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels but not of the user-configurable subset being non-selectable; and

an interface module communicatively coupled to the processor that receives the user input from the transmitter, the user input manipulating a position of the cursor to thereby receive user selections from the selection menu that indicate the user-configurable subset of the selection menu and selecting one of the previously and most recently viewed channels from the user-configurable subset of the selection menu;

the processor further operable to process the user input and responsively command the tuner to tune to the selected one of the user-configurable subset of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels and operable to output a video signal associated with the selected one of the user-configurable subset of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels for presentation by the display device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the input device comprises a touch pad.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor outputs a visual indicator highlighting the user-configurable subset of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels, and wherein the position of the cursor is manipulatable only within the subset of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the subset of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels includes a first previously and most recently viewed channel and the presently viewed channel, and wherein movement across the touch pad responsively toggles the output of the processor between the first previously and most recently viewed channel and the presently viewed channel.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface module receives third user input from the input device requesting to change the user-configurable subset of the plurality of the previously and most recently viewed channels, the processor outputting a second visual indicator highlighting the changed subset of the plurality of previously and most recently viewed channels based on the third user input.

13. A method of providing multiple channel recall on a television receiver, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of previously viewed channels in a list, wherein each of the previously viewed channels represents a unique television channel that was previously viewed by a user;

outputting a first selection menu including the list of previously viewed channels, wherein only a first subset of the list of previously viewed channels are-user selectable, channels of the list of previously viewed channels that are output in the first selection menu but that are not of the first subset being non-selectable;

receiving user selections from the first selection menu that indicate a second, user-configured subset of the list of previously-viewed channels;

outputting a second selection menu including the list of previously viewed channels and the second, user-configured subset of the list of previously viewed channels, wherein only the second, user-configured subset of the list of previously viewed channels is available for selection in the second selection menu, channels of the list of previously viewed channels that are output in the second selection menu but that are not of the second, user-configured subset being non-selectable;

receiving a user input selecting one of the second, user-configured subset of the plurality of previously viewed channels from the second selection menu; and

commanding a television tuner to output the selected one of the second, user-configured subset of the plurality of previously viewed channels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first subset comprises a currently viewed channel and a most recently viewed channel.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, after receiving the user selections, reconfiguring the first subset into the second, user configured subset.