Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
1996-11-20
2001-01-30
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2779)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C348S014160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181326
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information display control unit and the method, and a remote input unit and the method, particularly relates to a remote input unit for transmitting a batch of input character string data and the method, and an information display control unit for receiving the character string data and accessing to a terminal which is provided with the character string as an address and is connected to a computer network and the method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, a computer network is being popularized and above all, the Internet on a world scale attracts notice. Services in the Internet are received by a terminal constituted by a computer
93
connected to the Internet mainly as shown in FIG.
14
.
Each terminal in the Internet is provided with its proper internet protocol (IP) address and if each terminal accesses to another terminal and communicates with it, the location of the terminal in a computer network is specified based upon this IP address and processing for access and communication is performed. This IP address is expressed in the shape that a dot is put between four numbers as 128.1.2.3.
In World Wide Web (WWW) as an information retrieval system (service) utilizing the Internet, a variety of information can be accessed via Uniform Resource Locator (URL). This URL is expressed by a character string such as “http://www.abc.co.jp.”“http” in it shows a protocol name and “www.abc.co.jp” shows the name of a host (server) (a domain name). The name of a host (a domain name) is converted to its IP address by Domain Name System (DNS) set in relation to the Internet.
If a terminal is constituted by a computer
93
as shown in
FIG. 14
, its user inputs an IP address and a URL character string via his/her keyboard
91
and mouse
92
, checking them on his/her display
94
.
At present, such a terminal is mainly used to receive a computer network service, however, it is conceivable that in future a computer network service can be received by controlling a television set by an information display control unit such as a set-top box (STB).
For example, as shown in
FIGS. 15A and 15B
, STB
4
provided with a modem can communicate data with another terminal (server) by connecting it to a television set
6
and connecting it to the Internet via a telephone line.
As a variety of operations are more often performed on such a television set
6
by remote control using a remote controller and others than they are performed nearby a unit as a terminal shown in
FIG. 14
, it is conceivable that such a unit on which operations by remote control is enabled in addition to conventional operations is used even if an IP address and a character string such as URL are input.
For example, it is conceivable that a character string is input using a remote controller shown in
FIGS. 16
to
19
, a wireless keyboard shown in
FIG. 20 and a
wireless tablet shown in FIG.
21
.
Referring to a remote controller shown in
FIG. 16
, twenty-six alphabetic letters are allocated to three split functional buttons
121
. When a user presses the side of “+” or “−” of each button, the signal is sent to STB
4
shown in
FIG. 15A
or
15
B. STB
4
generates a video signal based upon the signal, instructs to display alphabetic letters, for example in a window
103
on the screen of a television set
6
shown in FIG.
15
B and changes them to other ones. A user performs the selective input of an alphabetic letter by pressing a predetermined button when a predetermined alphabetic letter is displayed.
A remote controller shown in
FIG. 17
is provided with a cursor button
122
and when a user operates this cursor button
122
, the signal is sent to STB
4
shown in
FIG. 15A
or
15
B. STB
4
instructs to display a cursor
102
on the screen of a television set
6
as shown in FIG.
15
A and moves the cursor according to the signal.
Therefore, a user operates the cursor button
122
to move the cursor
102
to the position of a predetermined alphabetic key in a keyboard
101
displayed on the screen and inputs the alphabetic letter selectively by pressing a definition button
123
.
Or as shown in
FIG. 15B
, alphabetic letters displayed in the window
103
can be changed by displaying predetermined alphabetic letters in the window
103
and operating the right button
122
-
1
and the left button
122
-
2
of the cursor button and selective input can be performed by pressing the definition button
123
when a predetermined alphabetic letter is displayed in the center of the window
103
.
A remote controller shown in
FIG. 18
is provided with a track ball
124
and when a user operates a track ball
124
, the signal is sent to STB
4
shown in
FIG. 15A
or
15
B. STB
4
instructs a television set
6
to display a cursor
102
and moves the cursor according to the signal.
As described above, a user moves the cursor
102
to the position of a predetermined alphabetic key in the keyboard
101
displayed on the screen as shown in
FIG. 15A
by operating the track ball
124
and selectively inputs the alphabetic letter by pressing the definition button
125
.
Or as shown in
FIG. 15B
, a user instructs to display a predetermined number of alphabetic letters in the window
103
, changes alphabetic letters displayed in the window
103
by moving the track ball
124
left and right and can input a predetermined alphabetic letter by pressing the definition button
125
when the above letter is displayed in the center of the window
103
.
A remote controller shown in
FIG. 19
is provided with a tablet
126
. When a user writes a letter on this tablet
126
, the written letter (the handwritten letter) is sent to STB
4
after it is converted to the corresponding character data and is displayed in a predetermined window
104
on the television set
6
.
A wireless keyboard shown in
FIG. 20
sends character data corresponding to a key pressed by a user to STB
4
and STB
4
instructs a television set
6
to display the letter in a predetermined window
104
on the television set
6
.
Referring to a wireless tablet shown in
FIG. 21
, when a user writes a letter on the tablet, the written letter (the handwritten letter) is sent to STB
4
after it is converted to the corresponding character code and is displayed in a predetermined window on a television set
6
.
As described above, if a character string such as an IP address and URL required for a computer network service is input to an information display control unit such as STB, it is conceivable that a letter is input in order using a remote controller, a wireless keyboard or a wireless tablet, checking an input letter on the screen of a television set
6
on the receiving side.
However, as a character string is required to be input, always checking an input letter on the screen of the receiving side if such a remote controller, wireless keyboard or wireless tablet is used, it is difficult to check a character string on the screen depending upon the size and the quality of the screen of the receiving side and it is impossible to input a character string in a position distant from the screen of the receiving side. Further, there is a problem that if a wireless keyboard is used, operability is bad because speed for sending and processing to display a letter corresponding to a pressed key on the screen is slower than speed at which a user presses a key.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made to solve such problems and the object is to enable sending a batch of input character string data on the sending side, receiving the character string data on the receiving side, accessing to and communicating with a terminal which is connected to a computer network and is provided with the character string as its address.
An information display control unit according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises receiving means for receiving a batch of remote control signals including predetermined character string data as an address in a computer network, conversion means for converting a remote c
Luu Matthew
Maioli Jay H.
Sony Corporation
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