METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LOADING A USER INTERFACE

• US 20020080160A1
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing Dtv
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: GREGOIRE, LOUIS, DEVITO, MARIO
• Granted Patent: US 6,452,616 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for loading a user interface in a television system comprising a decoder and a removable smart card cooperating with said decoder, said decoder comprising a main user interface.

The method comprises the steps of

loading and storing by the decoder of the totality of a user interface module stored on said smart card, said user interface module comprising data structures making reference to information destined to a user, said information being stored on said smart card,

establishing by said decoder a relation between said main user interface and said stored user interface module in order to enable access by a user to said user interface module,

subsequently exchanging between said decoder and said smart card parts of said information upon commands issued by said user through said user interface module.

The invention also concerns a smart card and a video receiver implementing said method.

The invention may for example be used in the frame of a digital television network.

Claims

1. Method for loading a user interface in a television system comprising a decoder and a removable smart card cooperating with said decoder, said decoder comprising a main user interface, said method being characterised in that it comprises the steps of

loading and storing by the decoder of the totality of a user interface module stored on said smart card, said user interface module comprising data structures making reference to information destined to a user, said information being stored on said smart card,

establishing by said decoder a relation between said main user interface and said stored user interface module in order to enable access by a user to said user interface module,

subsequently exchanging between said decoder and said smart card parts of said information upon commands issued by said user through said user interface module.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that said step of loading and storing is performed upon the first detection by said decoder of the presence of a smart card in said smart card interface.

3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that said step of establishing said relation between said main user interface and said user interface module comprises the step of identifying at least one entry point into said user interface module and in displaying to said user in said main user interface an access to said user interface module through said at least one entry point.

4. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said information comprises user-defined data.

5. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said user interface module is stored under the form of at least one linked list of objects.

6. Method according to claim 3 and claim 5, characterised in that said at least one linked list of objects comprises a series of screens, at least one screen in each linked list comprising one of said entry points.

7. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that, said main user interface comprising a predetermined pointer to said at least one entry point, said step of establishing by said decoder a relation between said main user interface and said user interface module further comprises the step of allowing said user to activate a trigger to access said entry point only when said user interface module has been loaded.

8. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that said step of establishing a relation between said main user interface and said user interface module further comprises the steps of:

loading from said smart card at least one object to be linked to an object of said main user interface.

11. Video receiver according to claim 10, characterised in that it implements the method of one of claims 1 to 9.

9. Smart card comprising a memory, a microprocessor and input/output means characterised in that it comprises data destined to a user, a user interface module to present said information to said user and data identifying bridges between said user interface module to a main user interface module of a device into which said smart card is inserted.

10. Video receiver comprising a main user interface, a memory (19), a memory card interface (9) and a device for entering user commands (11, 24), characterised in that it comprises:

means (9, 23) for downloading the totality of a user interface module stored in a memory card inserted into said memory card interface,

a memory (19) for storing said user interface module,

means (23) for establishing a relation between said main user interface and said user interface module.