Operational terminal device, display control device, method of operating terminal device, method of operating display control device, and system

• US 8,803,811 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Kazumoto, Nakajima, Yasuhisa, Tsurumoto, Takashi, Nakano, Masahiro, Omori, Shiro, Banba, Tatsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US13/273,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/1.2, 345/1.3, 345/204, 345/156, 345/169, 178/18.01, 710/64, 348/734, 455/151.1, 463/36, 725/43
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

An operational terminal device may include a control unit to control display on a display screen of at least one operation button to control a display control device, based on button information associated with the operation button and received from the display control device.

Claims

1. An operational terminal device comprising:

a control unit to control display, on a display screen of the terminal device, of at least one operation button to control a display control device external to the terminal device, based on a result of analysis of button information associated with the operation button and received as a display control command from the display control device.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information is transmitted from the display control device when the terminal device is in remote control mode.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information is transmitted from the display control device when data broadcasting for a program is provided.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information is transmitted from the display control device when a predetermined external device is connected to the display control device.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information is written in a same language that button information in data broadcasting is written.

6. The terminal device of claim 5, wherein the language in which the data broadcasting is written is a language among a plurality of languages in which the data broadcasting is writable.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, when data broadcasting for a program is absent, the button information reflects the data broadcasting being absent.

8. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information is generated from information in data broadcasting for a program.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information includes information to control display on the display screen of the terminal device such that a first operation button is displayed on the display screen of the terminal device only when a second operation button on the display screen of the terminal device is selected.

10. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information includes information to control display on the display screen of the terminal device such that, when the at least one operation button is displayed, the display control device controls display on a display screen of the display control device of contents associated with the at least one operation button without information corresponding to the at least one operation button.

11. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information includes information to control display on the display screen of the terminal device of the at least one operation button to reflect a predetermined broadcast standard.

12. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the button information includes information to control display on the display screen of the terminal device of the at least one operation button to reflect only operable operation buttons.

13. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls display on the display screen of the terminal device of a label based on the button information.

14. The terminal device of claim 1 further comprising:

a touch panel superimposed on the display screen of the terminal device.

15. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls display on the display screen of the terminal device of indicia representing a next chapter and a previous chapter of content based on the button information.

16. The terminal device of claim 15, wherein the content is from another device connected to the display control device and external to the display control device and the terminal device.

17. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls display on the display screen of the terminal device to indicate an operating state of the display control device.

18. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls display on the display screen of the terminal device when the button information indicates volume of the display control device is changed.

19. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls transmission of a control signal to the display control device in response to an operation by a user corresponding to the at least one operation button.

20. A display control device comprising:

a control unit to control transmission to an external device, wherein the external device is connectable to the display control device and controls display on a display screen of the external device, of button information associated with at least one operation button as a display control command, wherein a result of analysis of the button information controls display of the operation button on the display screen by the external device.

21. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information is transmitted when the terminal device is in remote control mode.

22. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the control unit generates the button information when data broadcasting for a program is provided.

23. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information indicates a label to be displayed on the display screen.

24. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the control unit generates the button information when a predetermined external device is connected to the display control device.

25. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information is transmitted when a predetermined external device is connected to the display control device.

26. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information is written in a same language that button information in data broadcasting is written.

27. The display control device of claim 26, wherein the language in which the data broadcasting is written is a language among a plurality of languages in which the data broadcasting is writable.

28. The display control device of claim 20, wherein, when data broadcasting for a program is absent, the button information reflects the data broadcasting being absent.

29. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information is generated from button information in data broadcasting for a program.

30. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information includes information to control display on the display screen of the external device such that a first operation button is displayed on the display screen of the external device only when a second operation button on the display screen of the external device is selected.

31. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the button information includes information to control display on the display screen of the external device such that, when the at least one operation button is displayed, the display control device controls display on a display screen of the display control device of contents associated with the at least one operation button without information corresponding to the at least one operation button.

32. The display control device of claim 20, wherein the control unit performs processing in response to a control signal from the external device.

33. A method of operating a terminal device comprising:

controlling, by a processor, display, on a display screen of the terminal device, of at least one operation button to control a display control device external to the terminal device, based on a result of analysis of button information associated with the operation button and received as a display control command from the display control device.

34. A method of operating a display control device comprising:

controlling, by a processor, transmission to an external device, wherein the external device is connectable to the display control device and controls display on a display screen of the external device, of button information associated with at least one operation button as a display control command, wherein a result of analysis of the button information controls display of the operation button on the display screen by the external device.

35. A system comprising:

an operational terminal device and a display control device external to the terminal device,

wherein the operational terminal device includes a first control unit to control display, on a display screen of the terminal device, of at least one operation button to control the display control device, based on a result of analysis of button information associated with the operation button and received as a display control command from the display control device, and

wherein the display control device includes a second control unit to control transmission to the terminal device of the button information.