Internet television apparatus

Claim 2

An Internet television apparatus having an Internet connecting capability, comprising: a connector for connecting to a Web server of the Internet; a storage unit for storing a markup language document received from the Web server; an interpreter for interpreting the markup language document and developing an image on an image memory; a display device for displaying the developed image thereon; a wireless remote controller having an operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions for remotely controlling the Internet television apparatus; a recognizer for recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document to detect mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in respective directions capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; and a control unit for determining to which hot spot a focus is to be transferred next from a currently focused hot spot, by referring to said transfer list on the basis of the currently focused hot spot and a user's operation to said operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions, and for transferring said focus to the determined hot spot.

Claim 3

The Internet television apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a receiver for receiving the markup language document through a telephone line.

Claim 4

The Internet television apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a receiver for receiving the markup language document from a data broadcasting.

Claim 5

The Internet television apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focusing is achieved by displaying a cursor placed on a hot spot to be focused on.

Claim 6

The Internet television apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the focusing is achieved by an enhancement display of a hot spot to be focused on.

Claim 7

An external device to be connected to a television apparatus for providing the same with an Internet accessing capability, comprising: a connector for connecting to a Web server of the Internet; a storage unit for storing a markup language document received from the Web server; an interpreter for interpreting the markup language document and developing an image on an image memory; a transmitter for transmitting the developed image to said television apparatus; a wireless remote controller which has an operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions and remotely control said external device; a recognizer for recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document to detect the mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in respective directions capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; and a control unit which refers to said transfer list in response to a user's operation to the operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions and in response to a currently focused hot spot, so as to determine to which hot spot the focus is to be transferred next from the current hot spot, and to transfer the focus onto the determined hot spot.

Claim 8

An external device to be connected to a television apparatus for providing the same with an Internet accessing capability, comprising: a connector for connecting to a Web server of the Internet; a storage unit for storing a markup language document received from the Web server; an interpreter for interpreting the markup language document and developing an image on an image memory; a transmitter for transmitting the developed image to said television apparatus; a wireless remote controller which has an operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions and remotely control said external device; a recognizer for recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document to detect the mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in respective directions capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; and a control unit which refers to said transfer list in response to a user's operation to the operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions and in response to a currently focused hot spot, so as to determine to which hot spot the focus is to be transferred next from the current hot spot, and to transfer the focus onto the determined hot spot.

Claim 9

The external device according to claim 6 , characterized in that said remote controller is used in common as that for said television apparatus.

Claim 10

The external device according to claim 6 , comprising a receiver for receiving the markup language document through a telephone line.

Claim 11

The external device according to claim 6 , comprising a receiver for receiving the markup language document from a data broadcasting.

Claim 12

The external device according to claim 6 , wherein the focusing is achieved by displaying a cursor placed on a hot spot to be focused on.

Claim 13

The external device according to claim 6 , wherein the focusing is achieved by an enhancement display of a hot spot to be focused on.

Claim 16

A recording medium recording a computer program for achieving a method of transferring by, key operation, a focus to a plurality of hot spots on a browser screen displaying a markup language document on a device with a display for displaying the markup language document, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the markup language document; recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document received; detecting the mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in respective directions capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; determining to which hot spot the focus is to be transferred next from a current hot spot by referring to said transfer list in response to a user's operation to said operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions and the currently focused hot spot; and transferring the focus onto the determined hot spot.

Claim 17

A recording medium recording a computer program for achieving a method of transferring by, key operation, a focus to a plurality of hot spots on a browser screen displaying a markup language document on a device with a display for displaying the markup language document, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the markup language document; recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document received; detecting the mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in respective directions capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; determining to which hot spot the focus is to be transferred next from a current hot spot by referring to said transfer list in response to a user's operation to said operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions and the currently focused hot spot; and transferring the focus onto the determined hot spot.

Claim 18

The recording medium according to claim 13 , wherein said transfer list is generated to further define for one or more of said hot spots, coordinates of at least one diagonal point of said hot spot.

Claim 19

An Internet unit having an Internet connecting capability, comprising: a connector for connecting to a web server of the Internet; a storage unit for storing a markup language document received from the Web server; an interpreter for interpreting the markup language document and developing an image on an image memory; a display device for displaying the developed image thereon; an operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions for controlling the Internet apparatus; a recognizer for recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document to detect mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in each direction capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; and a control unit for determining to which hot spot a focus is to be transferred next from a currently focused hot spot, by referring to said transfer list on the basis of the currently focused hot spot and a user's operation to said operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions, and for transferring said focus to the determined hot spot.

Claim 20

An Internet unit having an Internet connecting capability, comprising: a connector for connecting to a web server of the Internet; a storage unit for storing a markup language document received from the Web server; an interpreter for interpreting the markup language document and developing an image on an image memory; a display device for displaying the developed image thereon; an operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions for controlling the Internet apparatus; a recognizer for recognizing, for each markup language document, anchor tags existing in the markup language document to detect mutual positional relationship among hot spots, corresponding to the recognized anchor tags, on a browser screen so as to generate a transfer list which defines, for each hot spot, indication of either no hot spot or a hot spot existing next to said each hot spot in each direction capable of being indicated by said operation key or keys; and a control unit for determining to which hot spot a focus is to be transferred next from a currently focused hot spot, by referring to said transfer list on the basis of the currently focused hot spot and a user's operation to said operation key or keys for indicating at least four directions, and for transferring said focus to the determined hot spot.

Claim 21

The Internet unit according to claim 15 , wherein said transfer list further defines for one or more of said hot spots, coordinates of at least one diagonal point of said hot spot.

Claim 22

The Internet television apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said transfer list further defines for one or more of said hot spots, coordinates of at least one diagonal point of said hot spot.

Claim 23

The device according to claim 6 , wherein said transfer list further defines for one or more of said hot spots, coordinates of at least one diagonal point of said hot spot.

Claim 24

The method according to claim 12 , wherein said transfer list is generated to further define for one or more of said hot spots, coordinates of at least one diagonal point of said hot spot.