Internet television device capable of selecting hot spots by the use operation buttons

An Internet television device capable of connecting to the Internet, comprising:

• a connector for connecting to a WEB server on the Internet;
• storage for storing a markup language document received from said WEB server;
• an interpreter for interpreting said markup language document to develop an image on an image memory;
• a display for displaying the developed image thereon;
• a wireless remote controller for remotely controlling said Internet television device;
• means for recognizing button identifiers of operation buttons, said button identifiers being set in the received markup language document in one-to-one correspondence with selected ones of anchor tags existing in the markup language document, wherein said button identifiers are set inside said selected ones anchor tags, and for creating, for each markup language document, a button assignment table which correlates said recognized button identifiers with hot spots corresponding to said anchor tags to which said button identifiers are assigned;
• and
• a controller for referring to said button assignment table, based on an operation button operated by a user, to determine which hot spot in the markup language document is indicated and for selecting the thus determined hot spot.

An external device connected to a television set to provide said television with a capability of connecting to the internet, comprising:

• a connector for connecting to a WEB server on the Internet;
• storage for storing a markup language document received from said WEB server;
• an interpreter for interpreting said markup language document to develop an image on an image memory;
• a forwarder for forwarding said image to said television set;
• a wireless remote controller for remotely controlling said external device;
• a recognizer for recognizing button identifiers of operation buttons, said button identifiers being set in the received markup language document in one-to-one correspondence with selected ones of anchor tags existing in the markup language document, wherein said button identifiers are set inside said selected ones of anchor tags, and for creating, for each received markup language document, a button assignment table which correlates said recognized button identifiers with hot spots corresponding to said anchor tags to which said button identifiers are assigned;
• and
• a controller for referring to said button assignment table, based on an operation button operated by a user, to determine which hot spot in the markup language document is indicated and for selecting the thus determined hot spot.

A method for assigning operation buttons to hot spots displayed on a browser display screen, comprising the steps of:

• reading out a markup language document;
• recognizing button identifiers being set in the read out markup language document in one-to-one correspondence with selected ones of anchor tags existing in the markup language document, wherein said button identifiers are set inside said selected ones of anchor tags;
• creating, for each read-out markup language document, a button assignment table which correlates said recognized button identifiers with hot spots corresponding to said anchor tags to which said button identifiers are assigned;
• referring to said button assignment table, based on an operation button operated by a user, to determine which hot spot in the markup language document is indicated;
• and
• selecting the thus determined hot spot.

A recording medium which has stored a computer program for realizing a method for selecting, with operation buttons, hot spots on a browser display screen in an Internet television device, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a markup language document from a WEB server;
• recognizing button identifiers of operation buttons, said button identifiers being set in the received markup language document in one-to-one correspondence with selected ones of anchor tags existing in the markup language document, wherein said button identifiers are set inside said selected ones of anchor tags;
• creating, for each read out markup language document, a button assignment table which correlates said recognized button identifiers with hot spots corresponding to said anchor tags to which said button identifiers are assigned;
• referring to said button assignment table, based on an operation button operated by a user, to determine which hot spot in the markup language document is indicated;
• and
• selecting the thus determined hot spot.

A recording medium which has stored a computer program for realizing a method for assigning operation buttons to hot spots displayed on a browser display screen, said method comprising the steps of:

• reading out a markup language document;
• recognizing button identifiers being set in the read out markup language document in one-to-one correspondence with selected ones of anchor tags existing in the markup language document, wherein said button identifiers are set inside said selected ones of anchor tags;
• creating for each read out markup language document, a button assignment table which correlates said recognized button identifiers with hot spots corresponding to said anchor tags to which said button identifiers are assigned;
• referring to said button assignment table, based on an operation button operated by a user, to determine which hot spot in the markup language document is indicated;
• and
• selecting the thus determined hot spot.

An Internet device capable of connecting to the Internet, comprising:

• a connector for connecting to a WEB server on the Internet;
• storage for storing a markup language document received from said WEB server;
• an interpreter for interpreting said markup language document to develop an image on an image memory;
• a display for displaying the developed image thereon;
• a recognizer for recognizing button identifiers of operation buttons, said button identifiers being set in the received markup language document in one-to-one correspondence with selected ones of anchor tags existing in the markup language document, wherein said button identifiers are set inside said selected ones of anchor tags, and for creating, for each markup language document, a button assignment table which correlates said recognized button identifiers with hot spots corresponding to said anchor tags to which said button identifiers are assigned;
• and
• a controller for referring to said button assignment table, based on an operation button operated by a user, to determine which hot spot in the markup language document is indicated and for selecting the thus determined hot spot.