Patent · US Active

Television viewer interface system

US8220021B1 · kind B1 · utility

76Cited by
33References
78Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 23, 2004
Grant dateJul 10, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 11, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/4882
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. A highlight bar is responsive to the user's commands and is used to indicate the current menu item that can be selected by the user. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. The background colors of each set of menus remains consistent throughout the user's experience such that the user intuitively knows what menu area he is in through the color cues. The invention provides indicators that tell the user that more information is available in a particular direction for a menu item.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.