Interactive digital television system and method of grouping data objects

An integrated digital television including:

• a display driver for displaying on a display television images;
• and
• a control unit including a plurality of input keys for controlling the television system;
• wherein
• the display driver is also for displaying on the display a plurality of data objects and applying highlighting to any one of the displayed data objects;
• the input keys of the control unit include at least one first input key for causing the display driver to move the highlighting to successive displayed data objects and at least one second input key for selectively assigning the currently highlighted data object to a respective group;
• and
• when a data object is assigned to a respective group, the display driver causes the display to display with said data object an image associated with said respective group.

A set top box including:

• a display driver for displaying on a display television images;
• and
• a control unit including a plurality of input keys for controlling the television system;
• wherein
• the display driver is also for displaying on the display a plurality of data objects and applying highlighting to any one of the displayed data objects;
• the input keys of the control unit include at least one first input key for causing the display driver to move the highlighting to successive displayed data objects and at least one second input key for selectively assigning the currently highlighted data object to a respective group;
• and
• when a data object is assigned to a respective group, the display driver causes the display to display with said data object an image associated with said respective group.

A method of grouping data objects displayed on an interactive digital television system using the input keys of the control unit of the integrated digital television system, the method including:

• displaying the data objects on the display of the interactive digital television system and highlighting one of the displayed data objects;
• using at least one first input key of the input keys of the control unit to cause the display to move the highlighting to successive displayed data objects;
• and
• using at least one second input key of the input keys of the control unit to selectively assign the currently highlighted data object to a respective group;
• wherein
• when a data object is assigned to a respective group, an image associated with said respective group is displayed with said data object.

A method of grouping data objects displayed on an interactive digital television system using the input keys of the control unit of the integrated digital television system controlled by an application program running on layered programs, the method comprising:

• displaying the data objects on the display of the interactive digital television system and highlighting one of the displayed data objects;
• using at least one first input key of the input keys of the control unit to cause the display to move the highlighting to successive displayed data objects;
• and
• using at least one second input key of the input keys of the control unit to selectively assign the currently highlighted data object to a respective group;
• wherein
• when a data object is assigned to a respective group, an image associated with said respective group is displayed with said data object.