US5737029A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image reception controller and method with ordered display of previously viewed channels
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1995-11-03
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Granted: 1998-04-07
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Expires: 2015-11-03
Abstract
Abstract A television reception controller enables the viewer to choose a favorite program from among many broadcasting channels easily and swiftly. The controller displays labels of categories that are NEWS, MOVIE, SPORTS, POLITICS and MUSIC on the top row of the display screen and displays pictures of broadcasting channels of the leftmost category, which have been received in the last four weeks, in small frames in the leftmost column of the screen downwardly in the order of the frequency of reception. The controller responds to the horizontal movement of the cursor to rotate the category labels horizontally and responds to the vertical movement of the cursor on the small-frame pictures and the action of selection to display the picture of the selected broadcasting channel in the main frame of the screen.
Inventors
- 👤 Yukiko Ohkura
- 👤 Kazumasa Okumura
- 👤 Akira Yamazaki
- 👤 Tomoko Shudo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 11:56
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/445; H04N5/45; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/4104; H04N21/4112; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4316; H04N21/442; H04N21/44213; H04N21/44222; H04N21/45; H04N21/4508; H04N21/4532; H04N21/47; H04N21/482; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/84; H04N21/426; H04N21/42607; H04N21/4263
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
An image reception controller, comprising: reception means for receiving a specified broadcasting channel; memory means for storing a record of reception of a plurality of broadcasting channels, inclusive of at least programming categories of said plurality of broadcasting channels received by said reception means in a prescribed period in the past; reception control means for controlling said reception means to receive broadcasting channels of said plurality of broadcasting channels that belong to a category of said plurality of programming categories stored in the memory means in response to an external command of a selected operational mode; and display control means for displaying labels of said plurality of programming categories along one of the horizontal axis and vertical axis of the display screen and displaying pictures of the broadcasting channels of the category in small frames along the other of said horizontal axis and vertical axis in decreasing order of frequency of reception as indicated in said stored record of reception.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
An image reception controller, comprising: reception means for receiving a specified broadcasting channel; memory means for storing a record of reception of a plurality of broadcasting channels, inclusive of at least programming categories of said plurality of broadcasting channels received by said reception means in a prescribed period in the past; reception control means for controlling said reception means to receive broadcasting channels of said plurality of broadcasting channels that belong to a category of said plurality of programming categories stored in the memory means in response to an external command of a selected operational mode; and display control means for displaying labels of said plurality of programming categories along one of the horizontal axis and vertical axis of the display screen and displaying pictures of the broadcasting channels of the category in small frames along the other of said horizontal axis and vertical axis in decreasing order of frequency of reception as indicated in said stored record of reception.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The image reception controller according to claim 1, wherein said display control means displays the category labels of said plurality of programming categories on one of a top row and a bottom row of the display screen and displays the small frames in one of a leftmost column and a rightmost column of the display screen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The image reception controller according to claim 2, wherein said display control means includes means for displaying a cursor for pointing to the category label or the small frame to be selected.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The image reception controller according to claim 3, further comprising means operated by a user to move the cursor on the display screen.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The image reception controller according to claim 4, wherein said display control means includes means for moving the category labels in a horizontal direction in response to operation of said cursor moving means instead of moving the cursor in the horizontal direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The image reception controller according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising means operated by the user to designate for display the small frame that is pointed to by the cursor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The image reception controller according to claim 6, wherein said cursor moving means and said small frame designation means are arranged for successive operation with one finger of the user.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of image reception control, comprising steps of: storing a record of successive receptions of respective broadcasting channels, inclusive of at least programming categories of the broadcasting channels, which have been received over a prescribed time period in the past; receiving broadcasting channels that belong to a selected programming category in the reception record in response to an external command of a selected operational mode; and displaying labels of the programming categories along one of the horizontal axis and vertical axis of the display screen and displaying pictures of the broadcasting channels of the selected programming category in small frames along the other of said horizontal axis and vertical axis in decreasing order of frequency of reception as indicated in said stored record of successive receptions.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of image reception control, comprising steps of: storing a record of successive receptions of respective broadcasting channels, inclusive of at least programming categories of the broadcasting channels, which have been received over a prescribed time period in the past; receiving broadcasting channels that belong to a selected programming category in the reception record in response to an external command of a selected operational mode; and displaying labels of the programming categories along one of the horizontal axis and vertical axis of the display screen and displaying pictures of the broadcasting channels of the selected programming category in small frames along the other of said horizontal axis and vertical axis in decreasing order of frequency of reception as indicated in said stored record of successive receptions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5398074A
Cited
US5619249A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-04-06 | 2001-10-06 | 2002-04-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-04-06 | 2005-10-06 | 2006-04-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-04-06 | 2009-10-06 | 2010-04-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |