JP2003143433A - Remote control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control system to operate in a way easily understandable by a user with a fewer number of remote-control button, operations as a graphic user interface (GUI) in a television. SOLUTION: By comprising a display part for displaying a GUI screen, a remote control provided with a numeric keypad and some function buttons on which its function is printed, respectively, and a means for displaying an icon with the numeric keypad of the remote control on the display part, processing for a desired icon is executed at one button operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control system including a screen display of a graphic user interface (GUI) on a television and operating means by a remote control.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a GUI operated by a remote controller in a television, a cursor moving button on the remote controller is used to move a cursor to a desired icon on a screen, and an enter button is used to select and execute the icon. Remote control is common.

However, in the above-mentioned operation, when the position of the cursor and the position of the target icon are far from each other, the number of operations of the cursor movement button increases, and further, the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-1126.
The "remote control system" of Japanese Patent No. 14 discloses that the electronic program guide has a problem that the screen configuration is limited only by the conventional cursor movement button.

Therefore, in the "remote control system",
The screen structure of the electronic program guide is divided into several groups, and the cursor movement buttons are used within the groups. To move between groups, a group movement button added to the remote controller or a number is added to each group Proposes an operation to move to.

[0005]

However, even in the above-mentioned "remote control system", since it is necessary to move the cursor to the target icon again by the cursor movement button after selecting a group, the operation is less than the conventional operation. However, there is a problem that the number of button operations on the remote control is large.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the remote control system of the present invention, a display unit for displaying a GUI screen and a remote control equipped with 10 keys and some function buttons clearly showing the function are provided. By providing the display unit with the drawing means for displaying the icon in which the 10 keys of the remote controller are also written, the desired icon process can be executed by one button operation.

Further, by adding a cursor movement button to the above remote control system and adding a function of displaying a cursor on an icon in the drawing means, a flexible operation can be performed even for a user who is accustomed to operating the cursor movement button. Can provide sex.

When the display section is displaying the electronic program guide as a GUI screen, a channel input button is added to the remote controller as a function button, and the 10 key of the remote controller is pressed after pressing the channel input button. The display unit switches to a program guide display centered on the broadcast station corresponding to the channel input by the 10 key on the display screen of the electronic program guide, and the cursor of the display of the desired broadcast station in the electronic program guide is displayed. You can switch without operating the move buttons.

Similarly, by adding a channel UP button and a channel DOWN button to the remote controller as function buttons, and pressing the channel UP button or the channel DOWN button, the display section is displayed at the center of the electronic program guide. By scrolling the stations, the electronic program guide can be switched without operating the cursor movement button.

With this configuration, the remote control system of the present invention can process the menu processing of the GUI screen with a few button operations.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
~ It demonstrates using FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a display unit for displaying a GUI screen, and here, a television setting menu is displayed. Reference numeral 101 is a remote controller for operating the GUI screen. Reference numeral 102 denotes a unit 1 arranged on the remote controller 101.
The 0 key. A menu button 103 displays a television setting menu on the display unit 100. 104
Is an icon button A selected in the setting menu, and the same number as the button 1 of the 10 key 102 on the remote controller 101 is also shown.

Numerals 105 to 107 are icon buttons B, C and D which are not selected in the setting menu, and like the icon button A104, buttons 2, 3, 4 of the 10 key 102 are provided.
The same number is also written. Reference numeral 108 denotes a list A indicating menu items below the icon button A104, which is displayed when the icon button A104 is selected.

According to this structure, the menu button 10
By pressing 3, the setting menu is displayed on the display unit 100. Here, the icon button A104 is selected by default, and a list A108 which is a menu item below the icon button A104 is displayed.

Next, when the button 1 of the 10 key 102 is pressed to execute the processing of the icon button A104 as it is, the menu contents of the list A108 shown in FIG. 2 are displayed on the display unit 100. On the other hand, in the setting menu shown in FIG. 1, when the button 4 of the 10 key 102 is pressed, the icon button D107 is selected as shown in FIG. 3, and the menu items below the icon button D107 are displayed.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the display unit 100
By pressing the button of the 10 key 102 on the remote controller 101 corresponding to the number written together with the icon displayed in, the menu processing can be executed with a small number of button operations.

(Embodiment 2) An embodiment of the invention described in claim 2 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 4, 101 to 108 are the same as those in FIG. Reference numerals 200 to 203 denote right, bottom, left, and upward cursor movement buttons arranged on the remote controller 101.
A decision button 204 executes the process of the icon button selected on the GUI screen displayed on the display unit 100. Reference numerals 205 and 206 are cursor icons indicating cursor movement buttons 200 to 203 that can be operated on the GUI screen.

According to this configuration, as in the first embodiment, not only the GUI screen displayed on the display unit 100 can be menu-processed by the 10 key 102 arranged on the remote controller 101, but also the GUI screen shown in FIG. 4, for example. It can be confirmed that the cursor movement button 200 can be operated by the cursor icon 205 displayed on the screen. When the cursor movement button 200 is pressed, the menu contents of the list A 108 shown in FIG. 5 are displayed on the display unit 100.

The same applies when the enter button 204 is pressed instead of the cursor movement button 200. Also, FIG.
In, it can be confirmed that the cursor movement button 201 can be operated by the cursor icon 206. When the cursor movement button 201 is pressed, the icon button B105 is selected on the display unit 100 as shown in FIG. The menu item in is displayed.

Next, when the cursor movement button 201 is pressed, the icon button C106 is selected as shown in FIG. 7, and the menu items below the icon button C106 are displayed. Furthermore, the cursor movement button 201
When is pressed, the icon button D107 is selected as shown in FIG. 8, and the menu items in the lower layer of the icon button D107 are displayed.

As described above, in the second embodiment, 10 keys and 10 keys are used.
Cursor icon 20 as well as button operation by 2
Since it is shown by 5, 206 that the same operation can be performed by the cursor movement buttons 200 to 203, it is possible to provide operability that is easy for a user who is accustomed to operating the cursor.

(Embodiment 3) An embodiment of the invention described in claim 3 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
Will be explained.

In FIG. 9, 101 to 108 are the same as those in FIG. 200 to 204 are the same as those in FIG. 205
Reference numerals 208 to 208 are cursor icons indicating cursor movement buttons 200 to 203 that can be operated on the GUI screen.
An electronic program guide 300 is displayed on the display unit 100.
A broadcast station name 301 is an item of the electronic program guide 300.

A program name 302 is one of the items in the electronic program guide 300. Reference numeral 303 denotes a time zone change icon for changing the time zone of the program name 302 to be displayed. 304 is a program guide button that displays the electronic program guide 300 arranged on the remote controller 101. 305 is 10 when selecting a broadcasting station
The channel input button is pressed before the channel number is input by the key 102.

According to this structure, the program guide button 304
By pressing, the electronic program guide 300 is displayed on the display unit 100. Next, from the time zone change icon 303, it can be confirmed that the night time zone is button 6 of the 10 key 102,
When the button is pressed, for example, from 20:00 to 2 as shown in FIG.
The program name 302 up to 3:00 is displayed.

Next, from the time change icon, the next day is 10
It can be confirmed that it is the button 8 of the key 102, and when the button is pressed, the program name 302 from 20:00 to 23:00 on the next day is displayed as shown in FIG. With respect to the other time change icons 303, the program name 302 can be changed in the time zone displayed by the corresponding 10 key 102.

Further, since the cursor icon 205 is displayed in the electronic program guide of FIG. 9, pressing the cursor movement button 200 moves the cursor to the program name 302 of the adjacent broadcasting station as shown in FIG. Next, when the cursor move button 200 is pressed, the broadcast station name 301 and the program name 302 are shifted to the left as shown in FIG. 13, and the cursor moves to the adjacent broadcast station (here, broadcast station D).

Further, in the electronic program guide of FIG. 9, the channel input button 305 is pressed in the same manner as the operation of selecting a broadcasting station, and then the channel number of the desired broadcasting station, for example, channel 105 (broadcasting station X) is set to the 10 key. When input at 102, the program name 302 centered on the broadcasting station X is displayed as shown in FIG.

As described above, in the third embodiment, not only is the change of the broadcasting station of the electronic program guide by the cursor movement buttons 200 to 203 performed, but also the channel input button 305 and the 10 key 1 are pressed.
By the button operation by 02, the button operation for changing the broadcasting station of the electronic program guide 300 can be provided by the same operation as when selecting the broadcasting station.

(Embodiment 4) An embodiment of the invention described in claim 4 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
This will be described using 7.

In FIG. 15, reference numerals 400 and 401 denote a channel UP button and a channel DOWN button which select an upper broadcasting station and a lower broadcasting station, respectively, when selecting a broadcasting station. The configuration other than the above is the same as that of FIG. 9 described in the description of the third embodiment.

According to such a configuration, in addition to the embodiment of the third embodiment, the channel UP button 400 or the channel DOWN button 401 is similar to the operation of selecting the broadcasting station upward or downward in the electronic program guide 300 of FIG. By pressing, the display is changed to the program name 302 centered on the broadcasting station C or the broadcasting station A as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, respectively.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the channel U is used.
P button 400 or channel DOWN button 401
By the button operation according to, it is possible to provide a remote control button operation for changing the broadcasting station of the electronic program guide 300 by the same operation as when selecting the broadcasting station.

Here, in the first to fourth embodiments, the icon buttons 104 to 107 and the time zone change icon 303 are used.
The 10 key 102, the cursor movement buttons 200 to 203, and the decision button 204 are pressed to select, move the cursor, or enter, but voice input may be used. In addition, although the cursor icons 205 to 208 are constantly displayed in the second to fourth embodiments, they may be displayed blinking or hidden after a certain period of time, or conversely, may be displayed after a certain period of time after non-display.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, a number is additionally written on each icon so that an icon on the GUI screen can be executed by the 10 key 102 of the remote controller, and further, a remote controller operation for selecting a broadcasting station. By changing the cursor selection of the program name 302 in the electronic program guide 300 by the same operation as described above, it is possible to provide a remote control system that can perform menu processing with a small number of buttons and by remote control operations that are familiar to us.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a remote control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a menu screen 1 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a menu screen 2 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a remote control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a menu screen 1 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a menu screen 2 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a menu screen 3 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a menu screen 4 according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a remote control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a menu screen 1 according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a menu screen 2 according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a menu screen 3 according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a menu screen 4 according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a menu screen 5 according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a remote control system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a menu screen 1 according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a menu screen 2 according to the fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 display 101 remote control 102 10 key 103 Menu button 104-107 Icon buttons A-D 108 List A

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A GUI for a television system
A remote controller having a display unit for displaying a screen, 10 keys and some function buttons clearly indicating functions, and drawing means for displaying an icon having the 10 keys of the remote controller on the display unit. Remote control system. 2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein a cursor movement button is added to the remote control, and a function of displaying the cursor on the icon is added to the drawing means. 3. When the display section is displaying an electronic program guide as a GUI screen, a channel input button is added to the remote controller as a function button, and after pressing the channel input button, the 10 key of the remote controller is pressed. Causes the display unit to display on the display screen of the electronic program guide.
3. The remote control system according to claim 2, wherein display is switched to a program guide display centered on a broadcasting station corresponding to a channel input with a key. 4. When the display section displays an electronic program guide as a GUI screen, a channel UP button and a channel DOWN button are added to the remote controller as function buttons, and the channel UP button or the channel DOWN button is pressed. 4. The remote control system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the display unit scrolls and displays a broadcasting station displayed at the center of the electronic program guide.