Dynamic control menu for a television system or the like

Claim 2

In a television receiver, apparatus characterized by: tuner means (3,5,19) for providing an IF signal having at least one information being modulated carrier corresponding to a respective carrier of a received RF signal of a selected channel; processor means (25) responsive to said IF signal to produce at least one output signal corresponding to said information; processor control means (53) for controlling said processor means so that said output signal corresponds to one of a group processing control options selected by a user; character generator means (63) for generating a character signal suitable for displaying on a picture display device a menu including said processing control options selectable by a user; signal detector means (31, 35) responsive to said IF signal for generating a characteristic indicative signal indicating whether or not said IF signal has a predetermined signal characteristic; and character signal control means (53) coupled to said character generator for selecting the processing control options included in said menu in response to characteristic indicative signal.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in Claim 1, characterized in that: said IF signal includes a sound carrier component which is modulated with at least monaural audio information and possibly also auxiliary audio information; said processor means is controlled by said processor control means to selectively produce at least one of a monaural audio output signal corresponding to said monaural audio information and an auxiliary audio output signal corresponding to said auxiliary audio information under the control of said processor control means; said characteristic indicative signal indicates whether or not said sound carrier is modulated with said auxiliary audio information; and said character generator means is controlled by said character signal control means to generate a character display signal suitable for displaying a first menu including both a first processing control option corresponding to the production of said monaural audio output signal and a second processing control option corresponding to the production of said auxiliary audio output signal when said sound carrier is modulated with said monaural audio information and also said auxiliary audio information; and a second menu including said first processing control option but not said second processing control option when said sound carrier is modulated with said monaural audio information but not said auxiliary audio information under the control of said character signal control means.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in Claim 2, characterized in that: said auxiliary audio information is related to the reproduction of a second audio program.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in Claim 2, characterized in that: said auxiliary audio information is related to stereophonic audio reproduction.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined in Claim 1, characterized in that: said IF signal includes a sound carrier modulated to represent at least monaural audio information and possible also one or both of stereophonic audio information and second audio program information; said processor means is controlled by said processor control means to selectively produce a monaural output signal corresponding to said monaural output left and right stereophonic output signals corresponding to a combination of said monaural audio information and said stereophonic audio information; and a second audio program output signal corresponding to said second audio program information; said signal detector means generates a first characteristic indicative signal indicating whether or not said sound carrier is modulated to represent said stereophonic audio information and a second characteristic indicative signal indicating whether or not said sound carrier is modulated to represent said second audio program information; and said character generator means is controlled by said character signal control means to generate a character display signal suitable for displaying a first menu including all of a first processing control option corresponding to the production of said monoaural output signal, a second processing option corresponding to the production of said left and righ stereophonic audio signals, and a third processing option corresponding to the production of said second audio program signal when said sound carrier is modulated to within said monaural information, said stereophonic and said second audio program information; a second menu including said first and second processing options but not said third processing option when said sound carrier is modulated with said monaural information and said stereophonic information but not with said second audio program information; and a third menu including said first processing option but not said second and third processing options when said sound carrier is modulated with said monaural information but not with said stereophonic and said second audio program information.

Claim 7

The apparatus recited in Claim 1, characterized in that: said character generator means is controlled by said character signal control means to generate said character signal so that processing options are presented sequentially in time.