Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-05-08
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
C725S043000, C725S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230323
ABSTRACT:
<TECHNICAL FIELD>
The present invention relates to a television receiver, and a television receiver capable of receiving at least digital satellite broadcasting such as CS broadcasting.
<BACKGROUND ART>
In a system for a digital satellite broadcasting such as CS broadcasting, a lot of (for example, 70 or more) channels are prepared, and a lot of programs are provided. In this system, guide information relating to the program which is being currently broadcast and the programs which will be broadcast in the future, together with original program data, are transmitted at predetermined time intervals. A television receiver capable of receiving digital satellite broadcasting has the function of displaying a program guide screen (a program guide list) on the basis of the program guide information.
In such a television receiver, a program guide list which is a part of the entire program guide list corresponding to all received program guide information, for example, is displayed on the program guide screen. A plurality of program guides are displayed in a matrix shape utilizing the vertical axis as a time axis and utilizing the horizontal axis as a channel number axis, for example, on the program guide screen. Programs corresponding to three channels and corresponding to three hours are displayed on the program guide screen.
A cursor for designating the program and scrolling the program guides on the program guide screen is displayed on the program guide screen. The cursor is moved by operating cursor moving keys. The cursor is moved along the time axis every time the cursor moving key for upward or downward movement is operated. On the other hand, the cursor is moved along the channel number axis every time the cursor moving key for leftward or rightward movement is operated. When the cursor is moved to an end of the program guide list displayed on the program guide screen, the program guides are scrolled on the program guide screen. When the program to be selected is selected by the cursor in the program guide list displayed on the program guide screen, and a determination key is then pressed, the program to be selected is selected by the cursor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver making it easy for a user to perceive an air time for a program guide displayed on a display device.
An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver making it easy for a user to perceive which of time periods in one day includes an air time for a program guide displayed on a display device.
An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver making it easy for a user to perceive whether or not a program guide displayed on a display device can be scrolled along the time axis and forward and whether or not it can be scrolled along the time axis and backward.
An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver making it easy for a user to set an air time range in which program guides are to be displayed.
Developed as a television receiver is one capable of receiving ground wave broadcast programs, BS broadcast programs and CS broadcast programs. An operation unit of a remote control transmitter or the like in the television receiver is generally provided with 12 keys for selecting the ground wave broadcast programs and eight keys for selecting the BS broadcast programs. Since the number of channels on which the CS broadcast programs are respectively broadcast is very large, however, there is provided no program selection key for each channel. Therefore, channel selection in the CS broadcast programs is made on the program guide screen or by a channel skip key. When the channel selection in the CS broadcast programs is made by the channel skip key, it takes long to select the desired channel.
An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver capable of selecting, when a channel skip key is operated, a channel range comprising no-charge and contracted channels in CS broadcasting as a channel range to be skipped and capable of making channel selection in CS broadcast programs in a short time.
An object of the present invention is to provide, in a television receiver capable of receiving at least BS broadcast programs and CS broadcast programs, a television receiver capable of using a BS program selection key as a preset key of a channel number for CS broadcasting, and selecting, with respect to a group of channels in a particular range on which the CS broadcast programs are respectively broadcast, the channel in a short time.
<DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION>
A first television receiver according to the present invention is characterized by comprising first means for displaying a plurality of program guides in a matrix shape on a display device utilizing one of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis as a channel number axis and utilizing the other axis as a time axis, and second means for displaying air times for the program guides displayed on the display device in the shape of a bar graph that is long along the time axis.
It is preferable that 24 hours constituting one day is classified into a plurality of time periods, different colors are respectively assigned to the time periods obtained by the classification, and the second means comprises means for displaying each of parts, respectively representing the air times, of a time display portion in the shape of the bar graph in the color assigned to the time period to which the air time represented by the part of the time display portion belongs.
An example of the first means is one comprising means for displaying a part of a program guide list in a predetermined range as program guides on the display device, and means for scrolling the program guides along the channel number axis and along the time axis in the program guide list in the predetermined range on the basis of a given input signal.
An example of the second means is one comprising means for displaying, when the program guides before the time when display is started in the predetermined range which is displayed by the time display portion in the shape of the bar graph cannot be displayed by scrolling, the shape of an end, on the side of the time when display is started, of the time display portion as a first shape, means for displaying, when the program guides before the time when display is started in the predetermined range which is displayed by the time display portion in the shape of the bar graph can be displayed by scrolling, the shape of the end, on the side of the time when display is started, of the time display portion as a second shape different from the first shape, means for displaying, when the program guides after the time when display is terminated in the predetermined range which is displayed by the time display portion in the shape of the bar graph cannot be displayed by scrolling, the shape of an end, on the side of the time when display is terminated, of the time display portion as a third shape, and means for displaying, when the program guides after the time when display is terminated in the predetermined range which is displayed by the time display portion in the shape of the bar graph can be displayed by scrolling, the shape of the end, on the side of the time when display is terminated, of the time display portion as a fourth shape different from the third shape.
The first shape and the third shape are square, for example. The second shape is a triangle projecting outward at the end, on the side of the time when display is started, of the time display portion, for example. The fourth shape is a triangle projecting outward at the end, on the side of the time when display is terminated, of the time display portion, for example.
In the first television receiver according to the present invention, the air time for the program guide displayed on the display device is easily perceived by a user. According to the present invention, it is easy for the user to perceive which of the time periods in one day includes the air time for the program guide d
Awano Kiyoshi
Hama Yoshinori
Nonomura Takaya
Shiono Tadashi
Wakamatsu Takashige
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Faile Andrew
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Vu Ngol
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