Remote control for navigating through content in an organized and categorized fashion

• US 20030083533A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contemporary Display LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Corporate Media Partners Doing
• Inventors: Gerba, George, Nichols, Michael, Lambert, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 585/367
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A method and system for presenting an interactive multi-window video display which provides particular advantages in a one-way television broadcast system in which user selections can not be transmitted to a head end or other central station. The system comprises a receiver for receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a number of reduced size video displays. The reduced size video displays each contain video representing programming being currently offered on a different channel. The system presents the multi-window video display on a display device such as a television and allows viewers to select of one of the reduced size video displays. When the reduced size video is selected for highlighting, the audio associated with that video is presented. When the highlighted video is selected, the receiver tunes to the channel upon which the video is available in full screen mode.

Claims

1. A system for presenting an interactive multi-window video display, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a plurality of reduced size video displays;

presenting means for presenting the multi-window video display on a display device; and

selection means for allowing selection of one of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives the multi-window video signal in a one-way communication system.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising means for receiving a plurality of audio signals, at least two of the plurality of audio signals corresponding to at least two of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

4. The system of claim 3, comprising means for automatically presenting an audio signal corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising means for receiving a video signal representing a full size video display corresponding to at least one of the reduced size video displays.

6. The system of claim 5, comprising means for automatically presenting a full size video display corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising means for indicating which one of the plurality of reduced size video displays is selected.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for indicating comprises means for visually indicating the selected reduced size video display on the display device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein video displays are organized by programming category, and wherein the reduced size video displays contained in the multi-window video display are in one category.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver receives a plurality of multi-window video signals representing a plurality of multi-window video displays.

11. The system of claim 10, comprising means for allowing a user to select one of the plurality of multi-window video signals, and wherein the presenting means presents the multi-window video display of the selected multi-window video signal on the display device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein video displays are organized by programming category, and wherein the reduced size video displays contained in different multi-window video displays are in different categories.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device is a television receiver.

14. A system for presenting an interactive multi-window video display, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a plurality of reduced size video displays;

a generator coupled to the receiver for generating an overlay grid having a number of cells at least equal to the number of reduced size video displays; and

presenting means for presenting the multi-window display together with the overlay grid so that the reduced size video displays are visible within the cells.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wherein the receiver receives the multi-window video signal in a one-way communication system.

16. The system of claim 14, comprising selection means for allowing the selection of one of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising means for receiving a plurality of audio signals, at least two of the plurality of audio signals corresponding to at least two of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising means for automatically presenting an audio signal corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

19. The system of claim 16, comprising means for receiving a video signal representing a full size video display corresponding to at least one of the reduced size video displays.

20. The system of claim 19, comprising means for displaying the full size video display corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

21. The system of claim 16, where in the generator comprises means for indicating in the overlay grid which of the reduced size video displays is selected.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for indicating comprises means for visually indicating the selected reduced size video display on the display device.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein video displays are organized by programming category, and wherein the reduced size video displays contained in the muti-window video display are in one category.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver receives a plurality of multi-window video signals representing a plurality of multi-window video displays.

25. The system of claim 24, comprising means for allowing selection of one of the plurality of multi-window video signals, and wherein the presenting means presents the multi-window video display of the selected multi-window video signal on the display device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein video displays are organized by programming category, and wherein the reduced size video displays contained in different multi-window video displays are in different categories.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein upon selection of a second one of the plurality of multi-window video signals while a first multi-window video display is being presented, the generator generates a new overlay grid having a number of cells at least equal to the number of reduced size video displays in the second multi-window video display, and wherein the presenting means presents the second multi-window video display together with the new overlay grid so that the reduced size video displays are visible within the cells.

28. The system of claim 14, wherein the generator generates an overlay grid having the same number of cells as the number of reduced size video displays.

29. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiver receives cell quantity data for indicating the number of reduced size video displays.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the generator generates an overlay grid having the number of cells indicated by the cell quantity data.

31. The system of claim 14, wherein the display device is a television receiver.

32. A method for presenting an interactive multi-window video display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a plurality of reduced size video displays;

presenting the multi-window video display on a display device; and

allowing selection of one of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the multi-window video signal in a one-way communication system.

34. The method of claim 32, comprising receiving a plurality of audio signals, at least two of the plurality of audio signals corresponding to at least two of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

35. The method of claim 34, comprising automatically presenting an audio signal corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

36. The method of claim 32, comprising receiving a video signal representing a full size video display corresponding to at least one of the reduced size video displays.

37. The method of claim 36, comprising automatically presenting a full size video display corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

38. The method of claim 32, comprising indicating which one of the plurality of reduced size video displays is selected.

39. A method for presenting an interactive multi-window video display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a multi-window video signal representing a multi-window video display comprising a plurality of reduced size video displays;

generating an overlay grid having at least the same number of as the number of reduced size video displays; and

presenting the multi-window display together with the overlay grid so that the reduced size video displays are visible within the cells.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the multi-window video signal in a one-way communication system.

41. The method of claim 39, comprising the step of allowing the selection of one of the plurality of reduced size video displays.

42. The method of claim 41, comprising automatically presenting an audio signal corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

43. The method of claim 41, comprising receiving a video signal representing a full size video display corresponding to at least one of the reduced size video displays.

44. The method of claim 41, comprising displaying the full size video display corresponding to a selected reduced size video display.

45. The method of claim 41, comprising indicating on the overlay grid which of the reduced size video displays is selected.