Dynamic control menu for a television system or the like

Claim 2

Apparatus for use in a television receiver, said apparatus comprising: input means (3,5,19) for providing an input signal bearing at least one of audio and video information; signal processor means (25) responsive to said input signal and capable of operating in a plurality of processing modes for processing said input signal to produce an output signal; character generator means (63) for generating a character signal suitable for displaying on a display device, a selection menu including said processing modes available for selection by a user; user input means (59) for allowing a user to enter command signals for selecting ones of said processing modes via said selection menu; and characterized by detector means (31,35) responsive to said input signal for generating a characteristic indicative-signal indicating the presence or absence of a particular characteristic of said input signal; and control means (53) coupled to said character generator means for determining which one or more of said plurality of processing modes are included in said selection menu in response to said characteristic indicative signal, said control means limiting, in accordance with the content of said input signal, the available processing modes which can be selected by a user.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1, characterized in that: said input signal is an IF signal and said IF signal includes a sound carrier component which is modulated with at least monaural audio information and possibly also auxiliary audio information; said signal processor means (25) 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 (63) is controlled by said character signal control means (53) 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 input signal is an IF signal and said IF signal includes a sound carrier modulated to represent at least monaural audio information and possibly also one or both of stereophonic audio information and second audio program information; said signal processor means (25) 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 (31,35) 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 (63) is controlled by said character signal control means (53) 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 monaural output signal, a second processing option corresponding to the production of said left and right 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 (63) is controlled by said character signal control means (53) to generate said character signal so that processing options are presented sequentially in time.