Display apparatus displaying operation menu

• US 5,434,626 A
• Filed: 06/02/1994
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Toshihide, Tsumori, Koki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US08/252,972
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• US Class Current: 348/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A television receiver has a system controller and a memory that supplies data to a display microcomputer for displaying a menu of features, such as picture-in-picture, a broadcast satellite receive mode, a reservation of recording mode. The displaying microcomputer displays the menu on a sub-screen portion of a cathode-ray tube. A user selects a feature using a remote controller and the system controller displays cursor that moves under user control, and displays non-selected items in half-tone brightness or a different color.

Claims

1. A video display apparatus comprising:

display means for receiving a video signal generated from a picture signal and a menu display signal and for displaying a picture corresponding to said picture signal and a menu corresponding to said menu display signal;

video processing means for receiving said picture signal and said menu signal, for processing said picture signal and said menu display signal and for generating said video signal;

operation means operated by a user of the video display apparatus for controlling and selecting operations indicated as corresponding items in said menu by generating user signals;

display control means for controlling display characteristics of unavailable items in said menu which correspond to unavailable operations by modifying a common menu display signal to generate said menu display signal; and

system control means for receiving said user signals, for processing said user signals, for generating said common menu display signal from common menu data stored in a memory means and for controlling said picture signal and said menu display signal in accordance with said user signals whereby said display characteristics of said items in said menu display are controlled through said display control means.

2. A video display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said video processing means further comprises:

picture-in-picture means for displaying said menu and said picture on a sub-screen by modifying said picture signal.

3. A video display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said operation means comprises:

a remote controller for controlling and selecting operations at a position remote from said apparatus by generating remote control signals, and

a receiver for receiving said remote control signals transmitted from said remote controller and for generating said user signals in accordance with said remote control signals.

4. A television receiver comprising:

display means for receiving a video signal generated from a picture signal and a menu display signal and for displaying a picture corresponding to said picture signal and a menu corresponding to said menu display signal;

video processing means for receiving said picture signal and said menu display signal, for processing said picture signal and said menu display signal and for generating said video signal;

an operation member operated by a user for controlling and selecting operations identified as corresponding items in said menu by generating user signals;

a speaker for receiving an audio signal and for producing sounds corresponding to said audio signal;

an audio processing circuit for receiving a sound signal, for processing said sound signal and for generating said audio signal;

display control means for controlling display characteristics of unavailable items in said menu which correspond to unavailable operations by modifying a common display menu signal to generate said menu signal; and

system control means for receiving said user signals, for processing said user signals, for generating said common menu display signal from common menu data stored in a memory means and for controlling said picture signal and said menu signal in accordance with said user signals whereby said display characteristics of said items in said menu are controlled through said display control means.

5. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein said video processing means further comprises:

picture-in-picture means for displaying said menu and said picture on a sub-screen by modifying said picture signal.

6. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 wherein said operation member comprises:

a remote controller for controlling and selecting operations at a position remote from the television receiver by generating remote control signals, and

a receiver for receiving said remote control signals transmitted from said remote controller and for generating said user signals in accordance with said remote control signals.

7. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a tuner for receiving a broadcast program and for providing a signal to said video processing means and said audio processing circuit.

8. A television receiver as claimed in claim 7 wherein said tuner receives said broadcast program from a VHF/UHF broadcasting band.

9. A television receiver as claimed in claim 7 wherein said tuner receives said broadcast program from a satellite.

10. A television receiver as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a decoder for receiving said broadcast program, for decoding said broadcast program according to a predetermined format to produce said signal and for providing said signal to said video processing means and said audio processing circuit.

11. A television receiver as claimed in claim 10 wherein said decoder decodes a CS format signal broadcast by a communications satellite.

12. A television receiver as claimed in claim 10 wherein said decoder decodes a scrambled video signal and a scrambled audio signal.

13. A television receiver as claimed in claim 10 wherein said decoder decodes a MUSE format video signal and an audio signal.

14. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 further comprising an input terminal for receiving an input video signal and an audio signal from another apparatus.

15. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 further comprising an output terminal for outputting a video signal and an audio signal to another apparatus.

16. A television receiver as claimed in claim 6 wherein said remote controller includes a roller for rolling to select desired operations.

17. A television receiver as claimed in claim 6 wherein said remote controller includes an enter switch for entering an item selected by the user.

18. A television receiver as claimed in claim 6 wherein said remote controller includes numerical keys, a left key, a right key, and an enter key on a same face of the remote controller.

19. A television receiver as claimed in claim 6 wherein said menu is displayed on a main screen of said display means or a sub-screen thereof.

20. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 wherein said corresponding items are formed of:

(1) characters indicating names of corresponding operations; and

(2) marks representing images of corresponding operations, and wherein a movable cursor provides an indication of movement to a position of a selected item.

21. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 wherein said display characteristics includes normal lighted characters and marks and dim lighted characters and marks.

22. A television receiver as claimed in claim 21 wherein said normal lighted characters and marks are used for indicating items available for selection and said dim lighted characters and marks are used for indicating items not available for selection.

23. A television receiver as claimed in claim 20 wherein said movable cursor is moved by operation of a key of a remote controller.

24. A television receiver as claimed in claim 23 wherein said key comprises an up key and a down key.

25. A television receiver as claimed in claim 24 wherein said key comprises a roller of said remote controller.

26. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 wherein said video processing means further comprises an RGB switch for receiving a signal for controlling display characteristics of said items in said menu from said display control means.

27. A television receiver as claimed in claim 26 further comprising a resistor network connected between said display control means and said RGB switch for controlling respective R, G, and B signals.

28. A television receiver as claimed in claim 27 wherein said resistor network is used as a dimmer circuit for dimming said unavailable items in said menu.

29. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 wherein said menu has a hierarchical structure.

30. A television receiver as claimed in claim 29 wherein each screen of a layer of said hierarchical structure has a means for moving to a different screen of said hierarchical structure.

31. A television receiver as claimed in claim 30 wherein said means for moving is one of said items selected by a cursor.

32. A television receiver as claimed in claim 4 wherein said corresponding items are formed of colored characters and marks of predetermined color and colored characters and marks of different color from said predetermined color.

33. A television receiver as claimed in claim 32 wherein said colored characters and marks of predetermined color indicate items available for selection, and said colored characters and marks of different color from said predetermined color indicate items not available for selection.

34. A television receiver as claimed in claim 32, wherein said colored characters and marks of predetermined color indicate performed items, and said colored characters and marks of different color from said predetermined color indicate unperformed items.