On-screen displaying apparatus

• US 5,936,611 A
• Filed: 10/31/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US08/741,970
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 345/146, 345/156, 345/158, 345/169, 348/114
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/032 Feedback about selected symbol, e.g. display
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42225 characterized by types of remote control, e.g. universal remote control
• 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 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

The on-screen displaying apparatus displays the remote control hand unit and its keypad graphically on the CRT 9 screen and changes the mode to help mode when the MENU! key, for example, of the remote control hand unit 10 is pressed. In this help mode, when the user presses an arbitrary key on the remote control hand unit, the displayed key corresponding to the actually pressed key changes color or blinks on said CRT screen. At the same time, a functional description (the main points of the functional description described in the manual) of the key is displayed on said CRT screen. The user can use all the functions of any apparatus by using the remote control functions effectively even though he/she forgets the remote operational procedure or loses the manual.

Claims

1. An on-screen displaying apparatus comprising:

a controlled instrument including means for displaying an image;

a remote control hand unit comprising a plurality of operation keys and a help key for remotely controlling the controlled instrument;

means for changing a mode to a help mode by pressing the help key on the remote control hand unit and for displaying, on the means for displaying the image, a graphic image of an arrangement of keys corresponding, respectively, to all of the keys arranged on the remote control hand unit; and

means for displaying a functional description which, when an arbitrary key of the remote control hand unit is pressed, while in the help mode, displays a functional description of the pressed arbitrary key together with the graphic image on the means for displaying the image.

4. The on-screen displaying apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for displaying the functional description displays a functional description of respective operation keys of the remote control hand unit successively in a predetermined order on the means for displaying the image whenever a first key, predetermined among the plurality of operation keys of the remote control hand unit, is pressed while in the help mode.

5. The on-screen displaying apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the graphic image of the arrangement of the keys, as displayed by the means for displaying the image, is displayed singly or superimposedly on another image displayed by the means for displaying the image.

6. The on-screen displaying apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the functional description of the pressed arbitrary key of the remote control hand unit, as displayed on the means for displaying the image, is displayed singly or superimposedly on another image displayed by the means for displaying the image, together with the graphic image of the arrangement of the keys.

2. An on-screen displaying apparatus comprising:

a controlled instrument including means for displaying an image;

a remote control hand unit comprising a plurality of operation keys and a help key for remotely controlling the controlled instrument;

means for changing a mode to a help mode by pressing the help key on the remote control hand unit and for displaying, on the means for displaying the image, a graphic image of an arrangement of keys corresponding, respectively, to all of the keys arranged on the remote control hand unit;

means for changing a key display state which, when an arbitrary key of the remote control hand unit is pressed while in the help mode, changes a display state of an image of a key, corresponding to the pressed arbitrary key, in the graphic image so that a user can recognize the pressed arbitrary key; and

means for displaying a functional description of the arbitrary key, pressed while in the help mode, together with the graphic image on the means for displaying the image.

3. The on-screen displaying apparatus of claim 2, wherein the means for changing the key display state changes a color of or blinks the arbitrary key being graphically displayed on the means for displaying the image.

7. A remote control hand unit for use with an on-screen displaying apparatus comprising:

a remote control hand unit, constructed and arranged to control a controlled instrument including a display, the remote control hand unit comprising a plurality of operation keys and a help key for remotely controlling the controlled instrument;

means for changing a mode to a help mode by pressing the help key on the remote control hand unit and for causing to be displayed on the display, a graphic image of an arrangement of keys corresponding, respectively, to all of the keys arranged on the remote control hand unit; and

means for causing a functional description to be displayed on the display, which, when an arbitrary key of the remote control hand unit is pressed, while in the help mode, causes a functional description of the pressed arbitrary key together with the graphic image to be displayed on the display.

10. The remote control hand unit of claim 7 or 8, wherein the means for causing the functional description to be displayed causes a functional description of respective operation keys of the remote control hand unit to be displayed successively in a predetermined order on the display whenever a first key, predetermined among the plurality of operation keys of the remote control hand unit, is pressed while in the help mode.

11. The remote control hand unit of claim 7 or 8, wherein the graphic image of the arrangement of the keys, as displayed by the display, is displayed singly or superimposedly on another image displayed by the display.

12. The remote control hand unit of claim 7 or 8, wherein the functional description of the pressed arbitrary key of the remote control hand unit, as displayed on the display, is displayed singly or superimposedly on another image displayed by the display, together with the graphic image of the arrangement of the keys.

8. A remote control hand unit for use with an on-screen displaying apparatus comprising:

a remote control hand unit, constructed and arranged to control a controlled instrument including a display, the remote control hand unit comprising a plurality of operation keys and a help key for remotely controlling the controlled instrument;

means for changing a mode to a help mode by pressing the help key on the remote control hand unit and for causing to be displayed on the display, a graphic image of an arrangement of keys corresponding, respectively, to all of the keys arranged on the remote control hand unit;

means for changing a key display state which, when an arbitrary key of the remote control hand unit is pressed while in the help mode, changes a display state of an image of a key, corresponding to the pressed arbitrary key, in the graphic image so that a user can recognize the pressed arbitrary key; and

means for causing a functional description of the arbitrary key, pressed while in the help mode, to be displayed on the display together with the graphic image.

9. The remote control hand unit of claim 8, wherein the means for changing the key display state causes a change of color of or blinks the arbitrary key being graphically displayed on the display.