TV feature highlight

• US 8,823,879 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Xiong, True, Flores, Prisciliano
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U
• Application Number:
  US12/590,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 348731-733, 348/725, 348653-569, 348553-555, 348/570, 725/38, 725/40, 725/68, 725/72, 725/69, 725 56- 57, 725/53, 725/59, 455/161.3, 455/154.1, 455/154.2, 455/159.1
• US Class Current: 348/732
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A method carried out on a television receiver device involves at a television receiver/tuner device, carrying out a channel scan to identify available television channels that can be received by the television receiver device; while the channel scan is being carried out: reading a feature highlight video file from a memory; and displaying the feature highlight video file on a television display. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method carried out on a television receiver device, comprising:

at a television receiver/tuner device, carrying out a channel scan to identify available television channels that can be received by the television receiver device;

while the channel scan is being carried out;

reading a feature highlight video file from a memory;

where the feature highlight video file contains a video tutorial explaining use of a feature operable on the television receiver device;

displaying the video tutorial stored in the feature highlight video file on a television display; and

setting a flag when the feature highlight video file has been displayed, where the flag indicates that the reading and displaying are not to be carried out during future channel scans until reset.

2. The method according to claim 1, carried out as part of an initial setup sequence for the television receiver device.

3. The method according to claim 1, carried out as a consequence of initiation of the channel scan as a menu selection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading and displaying of the feature highlight video file is carried out as a result of a positive user input authorizing the reading and displaying.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a progress bar on the display during the channel scan.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a channel search status window on the display during the channel scan, where the channel search status window displays a count of channels that have been identified.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a thumbnail identifying the feature highlight video file that is currently playing on the display during the channel scan.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading and displaying are repeated for a plurality of feature highlight video files, with each feature highlight video file depicting a different television feature.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the feature highlight video comprises a passive video for viewing by a viewer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the feature highlight video comprises an interactive tutorial.

11. A tangible non-transitory computer readable electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method according to claim 1.

12. A method carried out on a television receiver device, comprising:

at a television receiver/tuner device, carrying out a channel scan as part of an initial setup sequence for the television receiver device to identify available television channels that can be received by the television receiver device;

displaying a progress bar on a television display during the channel scan;

displaying a channel search status window on the display during the channel scan, where the channel search status window displays a count of channels that have been identified;

while the channel scan is being carried out;

sequentially reading a plurality of feature highlight video files from a memory;

where the plurality of feature highlight video files contain video tutorials explaining use of features operable on the television receiver device;

displaying the feature highlight video files on the television display;

setting a flag when the feature highlight video file has been displayed, where the flag indicates that the reading and displaying are not to be carried out during future channel scans until reset; and

displaying a thumbnail identifying the feature highlight video file that is currently playing on the display during the channel scan;

where the reading and displaying of the feature highlight video file is carried out as a result of a positive user input authorizing the reading and displaying.

13. The method according to claim 12, carried out a subsequent time as a consequence of initiation of the channel scan as a menu selection.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the feature highlight video comprises a passive video for viewing by a viewer.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the feature highlight video comprises an interactive tutorial.

16. A television receiver device, comprising:

a control processor;

a television display;

a television receiver/tuner that carries out a channel scan responsive to commands from the control processor to identify available television channels that can be received by the television receiver device;

while the channel scan is being carried out, the processor operating to read a feature highlight video file from a memory and cause the feature highlight video file to be displayed on the display, where the feature highlight video file contains a video tutorial explaining use of a feature operable on the television receiver device; and

where the control processor sets a flag when the feature highlight video file has been displayed, where the flag indicates that the reading and displaying are not to be carried out during future channel scans unless the flag is reset.

17. The television receiver device according to claim 16, where the channel scan and reading and displaying are carried out as part of an initial setup sequence for the television receiver device.

18. The television receiver device according to claim 16, where the channel scan, reading and displaying of the feature highlight video file are carried out as a consequence of initiation of the channel scan as a menu selection.

19. The television receiver device according to claim 16, wherein the reading and displaying of the feature highlight video file are carried out as a result of a positive user input authorizing the reading and displaying.

20. The television receiver device according to claim 16, where the processor further operates to cause a progress bar to be displayed on the display during the channel scan.

21. The television receiver device according to claim 16, where the processor further operates to cause a channel search status window to be displayed on the display during the channel scan, where the channel search status window displays a count of channels that have been identified.

22. The method according to claim 16, where the processor further operates to cause display on the display of a thumbnail identifying the feature highlight video file that is currently playing on the display during the channel scan.

23. The television receiver device according to claim 16, wherein the processor causes the reading and displaying are repeated for a plurality of feature highlight video files, with each feature highlight video file depicting a different television feature.

24. The television receiver device according to claim 16, wherein the feature highlight video comprises a passive video for viewing by a viewer.

25. The television receiver device according to claim 16, wherein the feature highlight video comprises an interactive tutorial.

26. A television receiver device, comprising:

a control processor;

a television display;

a television receiver/tuner that carries out a channel scan as a part of an initial setup sequence responsive to commands from the control processor to identify available television channels that can be received by the television receiver device;

while the channel scan is being carried out the processor operating to read a feature highlight video file from a memory and cause the feature highlight video file to be displayed on the display, where the feature highlight video file comprises a passive video for viewing by a viewer;

where the passive video comprises a video tutorial explaining use of a feature operable on the television receiver device;

the processor further operating to cause a progress bar to be displayed on the display during the channel scan;

the processor further operating to cause a channel search status window to be displayed on the display during the channel scan, where the channel search status window displays a count of channels that have been identified;

the processor further operating to cause display on the display of a thumbnail identifying the feature highlight video file that is currently playing on the display during the channel scan;

wherein the processor causes the reading and displaying to be repeated for a plurality of feature highlight video files, with each feature highlight video file depicting a different television feature; and

where the processor sets a flag when the feature highlight video file has been output, where the flag indicates that the reading and output are not to be carried out during future channel scans unless the flag is reset.

27. A television receiver device, comprising:

a control processor;

a television receiver/tuner that carries out a channel scan responsive to commands from the control processor to identify available television channels that can be received by the television receiver device;

while the channel scan is being carried out, the processor operating to read a feature highlight video file from a memory and generating a signal including the feature highlight video file to be output for display, where the feature highlight video file contains a video tutorial explaining use of a feature operable on the television receiver device; and

where the processor sets a flag when the feature highlight video file has been output, where the flag indicates that the reading and output are not to be carried out during future channel scans unless the flag is reset.

28. The television receiver device according to claim 27, where the channel scan and reading and output are carried out as part of an initial setup sequence for the television receiver device.

29. The television receiver device according to claim 27, where the channel scan, reading and output of the feature highlight video file are carried out as a consequence of initiation of the channel scan as a menu selection.

30. The television receiver device according to claim 27, wherein the reading and output of the feature highlight video file are carried out as a result of a positive user input authorizing the reading and displaying.

31. The television receiver device according to claim 27, where the processor further operates to cause a progress bar to be displayed on the display during the channel scan.

32. The television receiver device according to claim 27, where the processor further operates to cause a channel search status window to be output for display during the channel scan, where the channel search status window includes a count of channels that have been identified.

33. The television receiver device according to claim 27, wherein the processor causes the reading and outputting are repeated for a plurality of feature highlight video files, with each feature highlight video file depicting a different television feature.

34. The television receiver device according to claim 27, wherein the feature highlight video comprises a passive video for viewing by a viewer.

35. The television receiver device according to claim 27, wherein the feature highlight video comprises an interactive tutorial.