VCR-style transport for navigating electronic program guide (EPG) and other textual information
AssigneeKoninlijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsMartino Annette Jacquelyn, John Zimmerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the rate at which electronic program guide (EPG) data is scrolled within a video signal corresponding to an EPG display, includes first circuitry for receiving first and second signals, and second circuitry for incrementing and decrementing the scroll rate of EPG data within an output video signal responsive to the first and second signals, respectively. Methods and corresponding software for operating the apparatus are also described.
Claims25
An apparatus for controlling the rate at which electronic program guide (EPG) data is scrolled within a video signal corresponding to an EPG display, comprising:
- first means for receiving first and second signals;
- and
- second means for incrementing and decrementing the scroll rate of EPG data within an output video signal responsive to the first and second signals, respectively.
A method for controlling the rate at which electronic program guide (EPG) data is scrolled within a video signal, generated by a video signal generator, corresponding to an EPG display, comprising:
- receiving first and second signals;
- and
- incrementing and decrementing the scroll rate of the EPG data within the video signal responsive to the first and second signals, respectively.
Software, stored in a memory of a set top box, which set top box includes a video signal generator that generates a video signal displayable as textual data scrolling at a user-selected scroll rate and a processor which instantiates a program corresponding to the software, the software performing functions including:
- determining a user-selectable scroll rate for textual data responsive to first and second control signals;
- generating a scroll rate control signal;
- and
- applying the scroll rate control signal to the video signal generator to thereby generate a video signal including the textual information scrolling at the user-selected scroll rate.
The software as recited in claim 13, wherein the determining function determines the user-selectable scroll rate responsive to the number of times the first and second signals are generated.
The software as recited in claim 13, wherein the determining function determines the user-selectable scroll rate based on the duration of the first and second control signals.
The software as recited in claim 13, wherein the determining function determines the user-selectable scroll rate based on the magnitude of a value incremented by the first signal and decremented by the second signal.
An apparatus for controlling the rate at which textual data is scrolled within a video signal corresponding to an on-screen display, comprising:
- an input port that receives at least one of first and second signals;
- a processor operatively connected to the input port that generates a scroll rate control signal responsive to the received at least one of the first and second signals;
- and
- a video signal generator that generates a video signal including textual data scrolling at the scroll rate corresponding to the scroll rate control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.