US6057831A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
TV graphical user interface having cursor position indicator
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
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Filing: 1997-07-21
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Granted: 2000-05-02
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Expires: 2017-07-21
Abstract
Abstract A TV graphical user interface includes a graphical channel changer for enabling a user to select a required TV channel among about 1000 channels provided by a satellite TV system. The graphical channel changer contains a vertical channel bar composed of channel boxes that display numbers and logos of selected TV channels. To switch the TV set to a required TV channel, the user directs the pointing device at the graphical channel box that indicates the required channel. A direct access channel bar is arranged on a screen so as to cause the channel boxes to display the number and logo of a selected TV channel when the user directs the pointing device at the point on the direct access bar that represents the selected channel. The direct access channel bar is provided with an absolute cursor position indicator that indicates to the user the numbers of TV channels represented by various points on the direct access channel bar, when the user moves the pointing device over these points. When TV channels in the channel changer are arranged in alphabetical order of channel or program names, the absolute cursor position indicator indicates the first letter in the name of a TV channel or program represented by a point on the direct access bar, at which the pointing device is directed.
Inventors
- 👤 Kevin Harms
- 👤 Donald Gillespie
- 👤 Eric Wood
- 👤 Kiet Khauv
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:00
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/47; H04N21/482; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N17/00; H04N21/4312; H04N21/475; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/445; G; G06; G06F; G06F2203/00; G06F2203/048; G06F2203/04804; H04N21/41; H04N21/426; H04N5/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A television (TV) system comprising: a CPU, and a TV monitor controlled by said CPU for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) including: a channel changer having channel objects for identifying TV channels and enabling a user to tune the TV system to a required TV channel when the user activates a pointing device directed at a channel object identifying the required TV channel, a direct access channel bar for indicating a list of TV channels available in the TV system and enabling the user to display in said channel object identification data of a selected TV channel when the user activates the pointing device directed at a region on the direct access channel bar representing the selected TV channel, and an absolute cursor position indicator for indicating the selected TV channel when the user directs the pointing device at the region on the direct access channel bar representing the selected TV channel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A television (TV) system comprising: a CPU, and a TV monitor controlled by said CPU for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) including: a channel changer having channel objects for identifying TV channels and enabling a user to tune the TV system to a required TV channel when the user activates a pointing device directed at a channel object identifying the required TV channel, a direct access channel bar for indicating a list of TV channels available in the TV system and enabling the user to display in said channel object identification data of a selected TV channel when the user activates the pointing device directed at a region on the direct access channel bar representing the selected TV channel, and an absolute cursor position indicator for indicating the selected TV channel when the user directs the pointing device at the region on the direct access channel bar representing the selected TV channel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said absolute cursor position indicator indicates the number of the selected TV channel when said list of TV channels is arranged in order of channel numbers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said absolute cursor position indicator indicates the first letter in a name of the selected TV channel when said list of TV channels is arranged in alphabetical order of channel names.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said absolute cursor position indicator indicates the first letter in a name of a program carried by the selected TV channel when said list of TV channels is arranged in alphabetical order of names of programs carried by the TV channels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said absolute cursor position indicator is arranged on said direct access channel bar.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said direct access channel bar comprises a graduated scale representing TV channels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said direct access channel bar changes its color when the pointing device is held in the direction of said direct access channel bar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said channel objects identify numbers and logos of the TV channels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 1, further comprises an RF tuner that switches to a frequency of the required TV channel, when the user directs the pointing device at a channel object identifying the required TV channel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said GUI further comprises an electronic TV program guide that contains a schedule of TV programs for a predetermined time period for TV channels defined by said channel objects.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 10, wherein said electronic TV program guide is aligned with said channel changer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a graphical user interface displayed on a TV monitor and having channel objects for identifying TV channels, and a direct access object for indicating a list of the TV channels, a method of identifying a selected group of the TV channels comprising the steps of: checking a position of a cursor moved by a pointing device, detecting when the cursor is positioned over the direct access object, determining a coordinate of the cursor, calculating a position of the cursor relative to the direct access object, determining a nearest TV channel corresponding to the relative position, displaying identification data of the nearest TV channel, and activating the pointing device to redraw the channel objects so as to identify said selected group including the nearest TV channel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a graphical user interface displayed on a TV monitor and having channel objects for identifying TV channels, and a direct access object for indicating a list of the TV channels, a method of identifying a selected group of the TV channels comprising the steps of: checking a position of a cursor moved by a pointing device, detecting when the cursor is positioned over the direct access object, determining a coordinate of the cursor, calculating a position of the cursor relative to the direct access object, determining a nearest TV channel corresponding to the relative position, displaying identification data of the nearest TV channel, and activating the pointing device to redraw the channel objects so as to identify said selected group including the nearest TV channel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said list of TV channels is arranged in order of channel numbers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said step of displaying includes indicating number of the nearest channel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the pointing device is activated when number of a required TV channel is indicated.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said list of TV channels is arranged in alphabetical order of channel names.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said step of displaying includes indicating the first letter in a name of the nearest channel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 17, wherein said pointing device is activated when the first letter in a name of a required TV channel is indicated.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
89 words
A TV system comprising: a CPU and a monitor for displaying a list of TV channels, and having an indicator for indicating in a first mode of operation, number of a selected TV channel when a user directs a pointing device at said selected channel in said list of TV channels, and for indicating in a second mode of operation, the first letter in a name of the selected TV channel when the user directs the pointing device at said selected TV channel in said list of TV channels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
89 words
A TV system comprising: a CPU and a monitor for displaying a list of TV channels, and having an indicator for indicating in a first mode of operation, number of a selected TV channel when a user directs a pointing device at said selected channel in said list of TV channels, and for indicating in a second mode of operation, the first letter in a name of the selected TV channel when the user directs the pointing device at said selected TV channel in said list of TV channels.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 19, wherein said list of TV channels is arranged in order of channel numbers in the first mode of operation, and in order of channel names in the second mode of operation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-05-02 | 2003-11-01 | 2004-05-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-05-02 | 2007-11-01 | 2008-05-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-05-02 | 2011-11-01 | 2012-05-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |