Bi-Modal Switching for Controlling Digital TV Applications on Hand-Held Video Devices

• US 20090027565A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Dorsey, Eric Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable digital television (DTV) comprises a processor and a navigational button arrangement. The processor of the portable DTV controls the navigational button arrangement to have at least a bi-modal operation. In one mode of operation, the navigational button arrangement provides a navigational interface to a user and, in another mode of operation, the navigational button arrangement provides an interactive application interface to the user.

Claims

1. A digital television, comprising:

a navigational button arrangement arranged to provide a navigational interface to a user and having at least a bi-modal operation;

wherein in one mode of operation, the navigational button arrangement provides a navigational mode for traversing a graphical user interface presented on the digital television and, in another mode of operation, the navigational button arrangement provides an interactive application mode for interacting with a digital television application presented to the user on the digital television.

2. The digital television of claim 1, wherein the digital television is a portable digital television.

3. The digital television of claim 1, further comprising a remote control unit housing the navigational button arrangement.

4. The digital television of claim 1, further comprising optical elements for displaying colors of light on the navigational button arrangement, and wherein in the navigational mode at least one of the optical elements emit light of a first color and in the interactive application mode at least one of the optical elements emit lights of a different color corresponding to a color associated with a particular interactive application function displayed on the digital television.

5. The digital television of claim 1, wherein the first color is white and the different colors comprise red, yellow, blue and green.

6. A portable digital television, comprising:

a processor; and

at least four buttons, arranged to provide a navigational interface to a user;

wherein the processor controls the four-button arrangement such that in a first mode of operation the four-button arrangement provides the navigational interface to the user and, in a second mode of operation, the four buttons provide an interactive application interface to the user for interacting with a digital television application presented to the user on the digital television.

7. The portable digital television of claim 6, further comprising a mode button that enables the user to cause the processor to switch between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

8. The portable digital television of claim 6, further comprising optical elements associated with each of the four buttons;

wherein in the first mode of operation the processor causes at least one of the optical elements to provide light of a first color indicative to the user of the first mode of operation and in the second mode of operation the processor causes at least one of the optical elements to provide light of a different color indicative to the user of the second mode of operation, wherein the different color is representative of an interactive application function.

9. The portable digital television of claim 8, wherein the optical elements are bi-color light emitting diodes.

10. The portable digital television of claim 8, wherein any optical elements associated with a particular button are adjacent thereto.

11. The portable digital television of claim 8, wherein the different colors are red, green, blue and yellow.

12. The portable digital television of claim 8, wherein the first color is white.

13. A portable television (TV) comprising:

a navigational button arrangement for use in traversing a graphical user interface presented on the portable TV, the navigational button arrangement comprising at least an;

up button;

down button;

left button;

right button; and

a select button; and

a number of optical elements such that at least one optical element is associated with each button; and

wherein the button arrangement operates in at least two modes, the at least two modes comprising a navigational mode and a chromatic mode, wherein in the navigational mode at least one of the number of optical elements provide light of a first color and, in the chromatic mode, the number of optical elements provide light of at least four colors such that four of the buttons are each associated with a different one of the four colors.

14. The portable digital television of claim 13, wherein the four colors are red, green, blue and yellow.

15. The portable digital television of claim 13, wherein the first color is white.

16. A method for use in a digital television, the method comprising:

(a) setting a first mode for a navigational button arrangement;

(b) causing a first color to be displayed on the navigational button arrangement, wherein in the first mode the navigational button arrangement is used to traverse a graphical user interface presented on the digital television;

(c) setting the navigational button arrangement to a second mode; and

(d) causing at least four different colors to be displayed on the navigational button arrangement;

wherein in the second mode the navigational button arrangement is used to interact with an interactive application presented on the digital television, and wherein each of the four different colors are associated with a different interactive function.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the digital television comprises a button having at least two states, one state associated with the first mode and the second state associated with the second mode and further comprising the step of determining the state of the button such that when the state associated with the first mode is detected steps (a) and (b) are performed and when the state associated with the second mode is detected steps (c) and (d) are performed.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

(e) returning to step (a) upon selection of a button by a user.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the four different colors are red, green, blue and yellow.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first color is white.