Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-15
2001-04-17
Huynh, Ba (Department: 2773)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C348S552000, C348S564000, C725S051000, C725S109000, C725S133000, C725S141000, C725S153000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219042
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to Internet browsing and television viewing. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for integrating television viewing and Internet browsing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The advent of the Internet and the growth of resources accessible on the Internet have led to an increase in demand among the general public for access to the Internet. For some individuals and families, the cost of a general purpose computer has been a major impediment to obtaining access to the Internet. One solution for such people has been the recent development of low cost, special purpose Internet access devices, such as the WEBTV Internet access terminal, which utilizes a standard television set as a display. (WEBTV is a registered trademark of WEBTV Networks, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.) Such devices allow users to access the Internet without making the substantial investment required to purchase a personal computer.
Internet browsing and television viewing are further becoming linked in ways beyond the use of a television as a display device. In particular, various systems have been developed to deliver uniform resource locators (“URL's”) in the broadcast television signal to direct viewers to Internet content associated with particular television shows or advertisers. Similarly, the INTERCAST® system from INTEL® embeds actual digital information from Internet sites for downloading simultaneously with the video content. Thus, it can be seen that the trend is for Internet browsing and television viewing to become more closely linked.
One unfortunate consequence of the increasing integration of television viewing and Internet browsing, particularly when using a single display, is the corresponding increase in complexity of the user interface necessary to allow users to access the features available to support television viewing and Internet browsing and switching therebetween. Prior user interface designs have allowed users to switch between an Internet browsing mode and a television viewing mode without regard for the recent status of either mode. Within each of these modes, there may be many different configurations in addition to basic browsing or viewing. These auxiliary configurations may be set-up screens, programming guides or other screens on which web content or television programming is not displayed. Thus, in attempting to return to television viewing, users may be confronted with an auxiliary screen in which television is not displayed and may become confused or frustrated attempting to obtain a television program display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a method of interspersing Internet browsing and television viewing where a user is provided with a user interface having an Internet mode adapted for Internet browsing and a television mode adapted for television viewing. The television mode includes a plurality of configurations and the user interface is adapted to toggle between the modes responsive to user input. The user interface is placed in the television mode in a first configuration and toggled to the Internet mode responsive to user input. Upon returning the user interface to the television mode, the configuration of the television mode is selectively changed to a second configuration different than the first configuration.
The present invention also includes a system for integrating Internet browsing and television viewing. The system including a user interface display with an Internet mode adapted for Internet browsing and a television mode adapted for television viewing. The television mode has a plurality of configurations, including at least one viewing configuration in which television programming is displayed on the user interface display and at least one auxiliary configuration in which no television programming is displayed on the user interface display. A control system associated with the user interface display controls the mode and configuration of the user interface display. The control system toggles the user interface display between Internet and television modes responsive to user input and is configured to place the user interface display in the viewing configuration of the television mode upon toggling from the Internet mode to the television mode after having toggled from the auxiliary configuration of the television mode to the Internet mode.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5790201 (1998-08-01), Antos
patent: 5818935 (1998-10-01), Maa
patent: 5940073 (1999-08-01), Klosterman et al.
patent: 5945991 (1999-08-01), Britt et al.
patent: 5977963 (1999-11-01), Gaughan et al.
patent: 5982363 (1999-11-01), Naiff
Anderson David R.
White Christopher M.
Huynh Ba
WebTV Networks Inc.
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
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