MXPA01000712A - Navigation system for a multichannel digital television system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a digital television system characterised in that access rightsto a programme or channel are received and analysed by the decoder in determining whether to permit or prohibit full audio and visual access by the user to that programme or channel when displayed in a mosaic window.

Description

a »1 NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR A TELEVISION SYSTEM OF MULTIPLE CHANNELS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multi-channel digital television system and, in particular, to aspects of a system with respect to navigation between the channels. One of the advantages of digital television either in the number of channels that are available in such systems and the flexibility that is available to the television service provider, with respect to which channel choices may be made available to the service subscriber. Unlike a standard group of subscription channels, the system may also include other controlled access channels such as, for example, a pay-per-view channel that allows a subscriber to pay for a movie, sports event, etc. particular. In addition, the digital television system may allow access by the viewer to a number of other interactive type services, such as text-based program guides, weather maps, etc. These services may be associated with dedicated digital television channels used to carry the information. Other additional menu-based services can be provided by allowing a user to access certain basic information in a series of drop-down menus that while watching a broadcast program These services operate using the so-called "pilot" information carried on the same channel as audiovisual channels Although the visuahzador benefits from the increased available choice, the large numbers of channels and service that are available can provide distraction, and in practice, a visuahzador can usually have difficulty in handling the possible viewing possibilities In addition, existing navigation tools usually fail to properly handle the interface between the browser and controlled access channels, some of which may not be available to a particular user. It is an object of the invention in its broader aspects and / or specific, overcome some or all of these p and facilitating the navigation of the channels by a user while respecting the restrictions of aspect control In a first aspect, the present invention provides a decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation , said decoder comprises means, for example, an interface, to receive access rights to one of a program and a channel, and means, for example, a central processor, to prohibit complete audio and visual access by the user to one of a program and a channel when it is presented in said window in accordance with the access rights received The use of mosaic format presentations of available channels to aid channel navigation is known in the field. However, said mosaic tools allow total access by a user to all available channels, albeit in a reduced form. If the digital audio for this channel is also available, a user can see and listen for example, a whole normal program and only available after the special subscription or payment, but here presented in a window of the mosaic presentation. The present invention overcomes this problem. This aspect of the present invention extends to a digital television system comprising a decoder adapted to present a plurality of digital television channels in a mosaic formation, where access rights to a program or channel are received and analyzed. by the decoder to determine whether full audio and visual access by the user to that program or channel when it is presented in a mosaic window is allowed or forbidden. The decoder preferably comprises means for receiving access right data together with audiovisual data to create the tile. In order to allow the user to obtain full access rights to a program and / or channel, the decoder preferably comprises means for issuing a request for complete audio and visual access to one of a channel and a program presented in a window.

The access rights in the training can be used by the decoder in a number of ways. For example, in an implementation where a course is used to select a desired channel and the audio information is generated by the decoder in response to the placement of the cursor, the decoder can be adapted to allow or prohibit the generation of audio information. for a program or controlled access channel. In this way, the preference decoder comprises means for generating a cursor to be presented with the mosaic formation, the course being selectively movable on the windows of the mosaic formation to allow the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation. The decoder may comprise means for generating audio information associated with a particular channel in response to the placement of a cursor on said window presenting the particular channel, and may also comprise means for prohibiting the generation of audio in accordance with the rights of the user. Access received The audio information may be disabled for programs or controlled access channels at any time, if the decoder does not have the associated access rights.Alternatively, the audio information may be prohibited if the course is placed over a window of access. mosaic prohibited for more than a predetermined time In this way, the means for prohibiting can be adapted to prohibit the generation of said audio information if the cursor is placed on said window for more than a predetermined period of time In another modality more, the interaction of the cursor with a mosaic window may depend on the access rights associated with the program or channel presented in that window For example, the decoder can be adapted to automatically reposition the course in case the course is placed on a prohibited mosaic window corresponding to a program or controlled access channel In this way, the decoder preferably comprises means for automatically repositioning the course in the event that the course is placed on said window that presents one of a program or a channel to which all audio and visual access is prohibited. This repositioning can be performed instantaneously, in the sense that the decoder does not allow a cursor to be placed directly on a program or controlled access channel presented in a mosaic window. Alternatively, the reposition can be performed after the expiration of a predetermined period of time. , the relocation means are preferably adapted s to reposition the cursor after the expiration of a predetermined period of time For example, in the case where an audio sound band is activated if a window is illuminated by a cursor this time delay allows a user to have full access to a sample of a program during a period of time to allow the user to evaluate the interest of this program The relocation of the cursor does not need to depend on the access rights to a channel and / or program presented in a window For example, in addition to or as an alternative to the above, the decoder may comprise means for automatically relocating the cursor after the expiration of a predetermined period of time This allows a user to "surf like in a surfboard" through the receiving tile, during this period of default time, audio information for each tile window at a time This operation navigation mode can be started or pre-assigned button on a remote control As an alternative to reposition the cursor after expiration for a predetermined period of time, the decoder can be adapted to automatically issue a request for full access rights to a channel and / or program to which it is All audio and visual access is forbidden in the case that the cursor is placed on the screen displaying said channel and / or program for a predetermined period of time This can enable the automatic ordering of all access rights to a program and / or channel without any additional user input In addition or as an alternative the previous steps, the decoder can also be adapted to generate a message that informs a user of the lack of access rights to a program or channel in the case of placing the cursor in a window of the forbidden tile. In this way, the decoder may comprise means for generalizing a message that informs a user of the access rights of one of a program and / or channel in the case of placing the cursor on said window that presents one of a program and a channel. Alternatively, or in addition, the decoder can simply prohibit the generation of video information in a mosaic window depending on the access rights associated with the program or channel normally presented in that window. In this way, the decoder may comprise means for prohibiting the generation of at least a portion of the video information in said window depending on the access rights of one of a program and a channel presented in that window. All access by the viewer to at least a portion of the video presented in a window may be prohibited by using one or more of a number of different methods. For example, the decoder may comprise means for controlling the presentation of an image in said window instead of at least one video information. The image may comprise a logo associated with the channel presented in the window, or an image associated with the program presented in said window. Alternatively, the decoder may comprise means for controlling the presentation of an advertisement in said window instead of at least a portion of the video information. In another alternative, the decoder may comprise means for controlling the presentation of additional video information in said window instead of at least a portion of video information. This additional video information may comprise promotional video information, such as a synopsis of a program that will be presented later that will be displayed on the channel presented in the window. Access rights to a program and / or channel typically comprise information regarding the nature of the program or channel, such as, for example, if the channel is a subscription channel, if the program is a payment per event, and etc. . As they are used to allow or prohibit complete access to video and audio to the program and / or channel when presented in a window of a mosaic formation, these and other access rights can be used by the decoder to adapt to various aspects of the presentation. For example, the decode o'r may comprise means for changing a cursor attribute depending on a characteristic of at least one of the program and channel presented in a window on which the cursor is placed. This feature may include, for example, the classification (such as for adults only, or programs for children) of the program, the theme (eg, sports, wildlife, politics) of the program, if the program is a fee-for-service program. event, and so on. In addition, the programs and / or channels can be grouped according to a selection of the user, for example, of favorite channels, and the cursor attribute changed accordingly each time it is placed on a window presenting one of the favorite channels of the user. user. This can make it easier for the user to identify certain channels and programs presented in mosaic training. Thus, in another aspect of the present invention, a decoder is provided for the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, said decoder comprising means for generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation. , the cursor can be moved to select a desired channel within the mosaic formation, and means to change a cursor attribute depending on a characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in a window over which the cursor is placed. In a modality, the means of change are arranged to change the color of the cursor depending on the characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in the window on which the cursor is placed. However, another of the cursor attributes, such as size and shape, can be changed according to this feature. The decoder may comprise means for receiving data for assigning said feature of a remote control microphone associated with the decoder and means for assigning said feature in response to the received data. This can enable the user to assign a channel as a favorite channel using the remote controller, for example, by pressing a default button of the controller when the cursor is placed over the window presenting that channel. Alternatively, the decoder may comprise means for generalizing a list of channels presented in the mosaic form, the user, by pressing appropriate buttons on the remote control, selects channels from the list as favorite channels. When the user presses a predetermined button on the remote controller when the cursor is placed over a window, the decoder can be arranged to perform one of a number of operations. For example, the decoder may comprise means for tuning the decoder to a channel presented in the desired window after selection of the desired window. This can enable the selected channel so that it is presented in "full form" on the television screen after selecting the window that presents that channel. As an alternative, or in addition, the decoder may comprise means for generating information with presentation comprising information with respect to the program presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. For example, a short summary of the program shown on the channel, along with the start time, duration and / or end time, can be displayed after pressing a predetermined button on the remote control when the cursor is placed over the window that present that channel In this way, the present invention provides a decoder for controlling the display of plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, said decoder comprising means for generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable on the windows of the mosaic formation to enable the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation, and means for generating a presentation comprising information-with. with respect to the program presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. This information can be received by the decoder along with the audiovisual data for that program and stored in memory of the remote control to recover and present when the user requests it. Alternatively, "the decoder can download this information and when it is required to be presented." In another alternative the decoder may comprise means for communicating with a communications center to obtain information regarding the program presented in the desired window. a modem to dial said communication center to supply a request for information to the communications center.

The decoder may further comprise means for generating a presentation comprising a schedule of some program that comes for the channel presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. This schedule can be received by the decoder together with the audiovisual data for the presented channel. Alternatively, the decoder can download these hours and when required for presentation. In another alternative, the decoder may comprise means for communicating with a communications center to obtain the schedule. The communication means may comprise a modem to dial the communications center to supply a request for the schedule in the communications center. In this way, the present invention extends to a decoder for presenting a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, said decoder comprises means for generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable on the windows of the mosaic formation to allow the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation, and means to generate a presentation comprising a schedule of some program that comes for the channel presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. The schedule of the next program may include a textual presentation of the program schedule information. Alternatively, the next program schedule may comprise a presentation of a plurality of pictorial images associated with respective respective programs in respective windows of a mosaic formation. In this manner, the present invention further extends to a decoder to control the presentation of programming schedule information, said decoder comprises means for generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images associated with respective programs, in at least one digital television channel in respective windows of a mosaic formation The plurality of pictorial images it can be associated with programs that pour to be displayed simultaneously on respective digital television channels For example, these coming programs can be viewed on respective digital television channels for a future period of time when the cursor is placed on one of the images, information regarding the program, such as the title, start time, duration and / or end time of the program may be presented. At least one of said plurality of pictorial images may comprise the length of video associated with the respective program In one embodiment, the receiving means are adapted to receive the access rights of a remote control microphone associated with a decoder This may allow the user to prevent video and / or audio access to one or more of the channels presented in the mosaic formation windows, for example, the user may wish to restrict all access to channels that normally show adult programs. For example, when the cursor is placed over a window in which the user wants to restrict all access, the user can by pressing one or more buttons of the remote control, instructing the decoder to avoid everything to access to the channel presented in that window Preferably, the reception means are adapted to receive a PIN number of the remote control microphone, said decoder comprising means for authenticating the received PIN number and, after PIN number authentication, allowing the reception of access rights This can add a level of security to the transmission of access rights, thus preventing access rights from being altered by an unauthorized user In an operation mode, the channels are presented in a formation that is determined by the broadcaster of the audiovisual data for the channels. In this way, several user favorite channels can be randomly presented in the mosaic formation in order to allow the placement of the various windows in training, in one embodiment the decoder comprises positional control means for controlling the relative positions of the windows within the mosaic formation. In an arrangement the positional control means may be arranged to control the relative positions of the windows in response to the access rights received in the channels or programs presented in said windows. For example, pay-per-view programs and channels to which the user does not have full access rights can be displayed in nearby windows of the mosaic formation. In this way, the present invention extends to a decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, said decoder comprising positional control means for controlling the relative positions of the windows within the mosaic formation. In one embodiment, the positional control means are arranged to control the relative positions of said windows in response to received window placement data to control the relative position of said windows within the mosaic array. In one arrangement, the decoder comprises means for receiving said window placement data from a remote control computer associated with the decoder. This can allow the relative positions of the windows in the mosaic formation to be easily changed by the user, for example, by pressing one or more buttons of the remote control. In this manner, the present invention also extends to a decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic array, the decoder comprising means for receiving, of a remote control microphone associated with the decoder, window positioning data, and positional control means for controlling the relative positions of said windows within the mosaic array in response to the received positioning data. The positional control means may be arranged to control the relative positions of the windows of the mosaic formation according to a program program characteristic normally shown in the channels presented in the windows. For example, in the means of positional control they can be "arranged to jointly group windows, which normally show the same subject such as, sports, wildlife, programs for children, adult programs, etc. In addition, or alternatively, the means of Positional control can be arranged to jointly group windows that present channels that normally show pay-per-view programs The positional control means can be arranged to maintain a window that presents one of a particular channel and one of a particular program in a constant position In a mosaic formation, for example, that window can be that window of the mosaic formation that presents the channel presented immediately before the presentation of the mosaic formation.

The present invention also provides a decoder comprising: means for storing a plurality of interactive applications; means for generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images in respective windows of a mosaic formation, each pictorial image being associated with a respective interactive application; means for generating a cursor to be presented with the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable on the mosaic windows to enable the function of a desired window within the mosaic formation; and means for executing an interactive application after the selection of a window that presents a pictorial image associated with that interactive application. The invention further extends to a digital television system comprising a decoder as mentioned above and the transmission means * adapted to transmit access rights data together with the audiovisual data used to create the mosaic. This information may include a configuration list, updated every 24 hours or a list of access rights for programs that will be broadcasted in the next 24-hour period. After receiving the list, the decoder can compare the access rights with the rights available to the decoder before performing the steps described above. The transmission means can also be adapted to receive audiovisual information from a plurality of channels and to process this information depending on the access rights for each program or channel that forms the mosaic. For example, in the case of an adult broadcast or an adult channel, it may be preferable to simply obscure the corresponding tile window that this channel should display at all times. As will be appreciated, this can be done in addition to or as an alternative the steps taken in the decoder to limit the presentation of the mosaic and / or the -movement of the cursor. The present invention also provides a method for controlling the display of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic array, comprising receiving access rights to one of a program or channel, and prohibiting all audio access and visualization by the user to said program and channel when presented in a window in accordance with the access rights received. The present invention also provides a method for controlling the presentation of pluralities of digital television channels in respective windows of a training of mosaic, which comprises generating a cursor for presenting mosaic formation, said cursor can be moved to select a desired channel within the mosaic formation, and changing a cursor attribute depending on a characteristic of at least one program and one channel presented in the window over which the cursor is placed. The present invention also provides a method for controlling the presentation of pluralities of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, comprising generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable over the windows of the array of mosaic to allow the selection of the desired window within the mosaic formation, and generate a presentation comprising information with respect to the program presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. The present invention also provides a method for controlling the display of scheduling information, which comprises generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images associated with respective progress programs e * n at least one digital television channel in respective windows of a mosaic formation. The present invention also provides a method for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, comprising controlling the relative positions of said windows within the mosaic formation.

The present invention further provides a method for controlling the presentation of pluralities of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic array, comprising receiving from a remote control microphone associated with the decoder window position data, and controlling the positions relative of said windows within the mosaic array in response to the received position data. The present invention also provides a method for controlling a decoder, said method comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of interactive applications; generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images in respective windows of a mosaic formation, each pictorial image being associated with a respective interactive application; generating a cursor to be presented with the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable over the windows of the mosaic formation to allow the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation; and execute an interactive application within the selection of the window that presents a pictorial image associated with that interactive association. Aspects of the apparatus as described are also applicable to method aspects of the present invention, and vice versa.

As used herein, the term "digital television system" includes any transmission system for transmitting or broadcasting, for example, digital data primarily audiovisual or multimedia. Although the present invention is particularly applicable to a digital television system based on broadcasting, the invention can also be applied to a fixed telecommunications network for multimedia Internet applications, to a closed circuit television network, etc. The term also includes a system using any satellite, terrestrial link, cable or other communication link. The term "decoder" or "receiver / decoder" used herein may include a receiver for receiving either coded or uncoded signals, for example, television and / or radio signals, which may be broadcast or transmitted through some other means. The term may also include a decoder for decoding received signals. The modes of said receivers / decoders may include an integral decoder with an e-receiver for decoding the signals received, for example, in a "cable TV box", such as a decoder operating in combination with a physically separate receiver, or said decoder including additional functions, such as a web browser or a recorder or a television. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a digital television system as may be adapted in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a summary of the elements of a decoder for use in a digital television system; Figure 3 shows a microphone remote control for use with the decoder of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a screen display associated with a first mode of a channel mosaic; Figure 5 shows the cursor in a different position in the screen presentation of Figure 4; Figure 6 shows another screen display associated with a channel mosaic; Figure 7 shows subscription information in the screen display of Figure 6 when the user does not have full rights to a channel; Figure 8 shows the elements of a transmission system associated in the generation of the mosaic; Figure 9 shows a screen display associated with a second mode of a channel mosaic; Figure 10 shows a cursor placed in the screen presentation of Figure 9; Figure 11 shows subscription information in the screen display of Figure 9 when the user does not have full rights to a channel; Figure 12 shows a screen display of an electronic program guide in a form of a mosaic of windows; Figure 13 shows a screen display associated with a mosaic of radio channels; Figure 14 shows a screen display with information in relation to a radio channel; and Figure 15 shows a screen display associated with a mosaic of interactive applications. A summary of a television system 1 is shown in Figure 1. The invention includes a mostly conventional digital television system 2 utilizing the known MPEG-2 compression system for transmitting compressed digital signals. In more detail, the MPEG-2.3 compressor, in a broadcast center, receives a digital signal system (typically a video signal stream). The compressor 3 is connected to a multiplexer and mixer 4 through the link 5. The multiplexer 4 receives a plurality of additional input signals, assembles the transport current and transmits compressed digital signals to a transmitter 6 of the broadcasting center through link 7, which, of course, has a wide variety of forms, including telecommunications links. The transmitter 6 transmits electromagnetic signals through the uplink 8 of a satellite transponder 9, where they are electronically processed and broadcast via a notional downlink 10 to a ground receiver 12, conventionally in the form of a dish owned or rented by the end user The signals received by the receiver 12 are transmitted to a receiver / decoder 13 integrated by the owner or rented by the end user and connected to the television set 14 of the end user. The receiver / decoder 13 decodes the MPEG signal. 2 compressed to a television signal for the television set 14 Other transport channels for data transmission are, of course, possible, such as terrestrial broadcasting, cable transmissions, combined satellite / cable links, telephone networks, etc. In a channel system, multiplexer 4 handles audio and video information received from a number or from parallel sources and interacts with the transmitter 6 to broadcast the information along a corresponding number of channels In addition to the audiovisual information, * -you can enter messages or applications of any other type of digital data on some or all of these channels interleaved with the digital audio and video information transmitted A conditional access system 15 is connected to the multiplexer 4 and the receiver / decoder 13, and is located partially in the broadcasting center and partially in the decoder It allows the end user to have access to digital television broadcasts of one or more radio providers. A smart card, capable of decoding a message in relation to commercial offers (ie, one or several television programs sold by the broadcasting provider), can be inserted into the receiver / decoder 13. Using the decoder 13 and the smart card, the end user can buy commercial offers in either a subscription mode or a pay-per-event mode. As mentioned above, the programs transmitted by the system are mixed in the multiplexer 4, the conditions and cryptic encoding keys applied to a given transmission being determined by the access control 15. The transmission of data mixed in this way is well known in the field of pay-per-view systems. Typically, the mixed data is transmitted together with a control word to decode the data, the same control word being cryptically encoded by a so-called operating key and transmitted in critically encoded form. The mixed data and the cryptically encoded control word are then received by the decoder 13 having access to an equivalent to the operating key stored in a master card inserted in the decoder to cryptically decode the encoded control word cryptically and then separate the data transmitted. A paid subscriber will receive, for example, an Intimulated Control Message, monthly broadcast ECM, the operating key to cryptically decode the control word encoded cryptically in order to allow transmission vision In interactive system 16, also connected to multiplexer 4 and the receiver / decoder 13 and through partially located in the broadcasting center and partially in the decoder, allows the end user to interact with several applications with a modern return channel 17 the modem return channel can also be used for communications used in the broadcasting system. access 15 An interactive system can be used, for example, to allow the viewer to communicate immediately with the transmission center to demand authorization to view a particular event, download an application, etc. Referring to Figure 2, the elements of the receiver / decoder 13 or cable TV box now The counter elements in this figure will be described in terms of functional blocks. The decoder 13 comprises a processor 20 including associated memory elements and adapted to receive input data from a serial interface 21, a parallel interface 22. a modem 23 (connected to the return channel of the modem 17 of FIG. 1) and switching contacts 24 on the front panel of the decoder. The decoder 13 is also adapted to receive inputs of an infrared remote control 25 through a control unit 26 and also has two smart card readers 27, 28 adapted to read bank or subscription smart cards 29, 30 respectively. The subscription card reader 28 is coupled with an inserted subscription card 30, and with a conditional access unit 29 for supplying the necessary control word to a demultiplexer / decoder or separator 30 to allow the broadcast-encoded signal to be cryptically separated . The decoder also includes a conventional tuner 31 and demodulator 32 for receiving and demodulating the satellite transmission before being filtered and demultiplexed by the unit 30. The data processing within the decoder is generally handled by the central process 20. In the case of audio and video signals received, the MPEG packets containing these signals will be demultiplexed and filtered in order to pass real-time audio and video data in the form of an elementary current and packaged (PES) data. audio and visuals to processors or decoders 33, 34 and dedicated videos. The converted output of the audio processor 33 passes even preamplifier 35 and then through the audio output of the receiver / decoder. The converted signal of the video processor 34 passes through a graphics processor 36 and the PAL / SECAM encoder 37 to the video output of the receiver / decoder.

With reference to Figure 2, the graphics processor 36 is preferably designated for general a screen presentation by combining moving images together with overlapping text or other images More specifically, it can combine 4 layers, a motionless layer, a moving image layer, a graphics layer, and a course layer The graphic processor 36 also receives graphic data to present (such as generated images, etc.) from the central processor 20 and combines this information with information received from the video processor 34 to generate the screen presentation The software architecture of the central processor may correspond to that used in a known decoder and will not be described here in any detail. It may be based on, for example, a virtual machine multimediaizing through a layer of an operating system with an operating system. lowest level implemented in the hardware components of a decode In terms of the hardware architecture, the decoder will be equipped with a processor, elements such as memory, ROM, RAM, FLASH, etc., as in known decoders. The central processor 20 can be adapted to run a number of applications defining the functionality of the decoder An application introduced in the decoder corresponds to a section of the code introduced in the machine that allows the control of for example functions of the highest level of the machine Typical applications may include the generation of a graphic sequence in the display of the television display in response to a command by the remote control, or the broadcast of a message via the decoder modem to the server associated with the digital broadcasting system As will be described later, an application in accordance with the present invention is adapted to generate screen presentations, course program information that is in or replacing the normal television display and associated with navigation among a number of interactive channels or services proposed by the system The presented information may substantially comprise invariable menu data _ and / or updated data using information contained in the MPEG transport stream of one or more channels The applications can be resident applications stored in ROM or FLASH of the decoder or application of broadcasting and downloads through a decoder interface or, in reality, such as the serial interface 21, a card reader 27, etc. Applications can include navigation tools, game program guide applications, interactive services, television sales applications, as well as initiation applications to allow the decoder to be immediately operational after startup and applications to configure the decoder Applications are stored in memory locations in the decoder and presented as resource files comprising graphic object description files, drive files, variable files, instruction sequence files, application files, data files, etc. Conventionally, the applications downloaded to the decoder via the broadcast link are divided into modules, each module corresponding to one or more MPEG data. Each MPEG table can be divided into a number of sections. In the case where the data transfer also occurs through the serial and parallel ports, the modules are similarly divided into tables and sections, the size of the sections depending on the channel used. In the case of broadcast transmission, the modules are transported in the form of data packets within respective types of data streams, for example, a stream of d Video streams, an audio data stream, a text data stream In accordance with MPEG standards, each packet is preceded by a packet identifier (PID) of 13 bits, a PID for each packet transported in the MPEG stream. For a given frequency channel, one or more program map tables (PMTs) contain a list of the different data streams within that channel and defines the content of each stream by referring to its respective PID The PMT table or tables have access through a Program Access Table (PAT) In a digital broadcasting system, the information it is carried over a plurality of frequency channels of a fixed and predetermined bandwidth. Within a single frequency channel, a plurality of audio and / or visual data streams can be obtained. For example, an individual video stream may be associated with a plurality of audio streams, doubling the program in a number of languages. Alternatively or in addition, multiple video streams may be contained in the packet stream associated with the frequency channel and showing, for example, the same sporting event of different camera positions. Although these different audio and video streams are broadcast within the same frequency channel, the viewer can perceive. the change of the audio / video current within that frequency channel as corresponding to a real change. In addition to conventional audiovisual program information, other data can be carried in a frequency channel. As will be described later, these data may include me.nu presentation information associated with updated program summaries, etc. The PID values of said data can again be made available through a PMT table. In order to provide a constant interface, some information is need broadcasting on all frequency channels. For example, the information associated with a "pilot" type application indicating basic program information and options available to a user can be broadcast on all frequency channels, so that a user can always call this information, without considering the program or channel you are watching. In this way, a continuity of interface is ensured. Referring to Figure 3, the group of controls associated with the remote control microphone 25 of the receiver / decoder will now be described. This remote control representation corresponds to that currently supplied with the digital channel decoder system + existing media path. As will be understood, the response by the decoder to the activation of a particular control in the microphone is programmable and may vary according to the application load in the decoder. In this way, although certain functions (on / off, mute, etc.) are universal, others may change according to the configuration of the decoder. As shown, the microphone 25 includes a control PROG 40 and a PILOT control 41. The channel decoder system + existing media path, these controls respectively call a program guide listing the programs available on each channel and a pilot application giving the information regarding the program that is being watching in that channel as well as a certain quantity of information with respect to the programs that are going to be shown in this or other channels at that moment, in the near future, etc. In the context of the present application, the activation of the PROG 40 control of the microphone calls for a more generalized main service menu, the program guide being accessible as an option within this menu, together with other services such as interactive shopping applications. etc. The application called by the PILOT control 41 remains enormously unchanged. The microphone further includes a group of directional navigation buttons 42 for controlling the movement of a cursor on the screen within a menu presentation, as well as an "OK" control button 43 for selecting an article illuminated by the cursor. A group of number buttons 44 allows the direct selection of an enumerated channel, input of numerical data such as credit card numbers, PIN numbers, etc. The numerical controls 44 can also be associated with the input of a secondary group of data, such as the days of the week, day / night / afternoon, etc. This data can be printed on top of the controls and can be used when programming a chronometer application, navigating a program guide, etc. The microphone 25 also includes a preference control 45 giving access to a menu list of a number of preferred channels, as selected by the user. In this way, the user can quickly channel between the channels that he wants to see frequently. The control button 46 is used to exit an activated application or a presentation menu. The SERV 47 control button is used to call a summary of the services available within an activated application, such as a user guide for a purchasing application. The "+" control button, 48, gives access to a menu that allows the selection of subtitles in the number of languages and / or the selection of the language used in the audio tape that accompanies the presented program. The PERSO control button, 49, calls an application that allows a user to set and personalize certain basic functions of the decoder, including the audio output volume of the decoder, characteristics of the video output of the decoder, etc. - Control buttons A to E 50 are generally not associated with a particular type of function, but can be used by certain applications and in the option of the programmer to activate particular functions such as the return to a previous menu etc. Finally, the mute control button 51 deactivates or activates the sound that accompanies the presented channel, the TV / SAT 52 control allows the user to switch between received channels through a satellite input and those received through a terrestrial antenna, and the reservation button 53 allows the user to remotely switch the decoder on and off. Referring to Figure 4, one of the services offered is a grid or mosaic formation showing the content of all the channels that are currently being broadcast to the decoder. After the selection of these services, the decoder changes to the frequency channel associated with this service and the mosaic 80 shown in Figure 4 is presented. In this mode, the tile 80 is broadcasted in the channel number 8 and when the numerical button "8" is selected in the remote control, the decoder tunes to that frequency channel. In an alternative embodiment, the remote control may include a dedicated control button to tune to this frequency channel. Tile 80 is composed of a number of miniature screen display windows 81, each one showing in real time the program that is being displayed on a channel and each including at 82 an indication of the name of the channel shown in the display window 81. The mosaic also includes a general information bar 84. An application within the The decoder generates a moving frame cursor at 83. This cursor can be moved horizontally and vertically using the arrows on the remote control's navigation. For example, in Figure 5, the cursor 83 has been moved to select the third window down, third cross. The title of the program that is currently being displayed in the channel presented in this window is presented in the display bar 84. The decoder also selects and reproduces the audio stream associated with this channel. Pressing "OK" on the remote control then causes the decoder to tune to the channel shown in that window. The mosaic shown in Figure 4 presents 20 channels. In practice, up to 60 or more channels can be received by the decoder. In this case, access to other program tiles may be necessary. For example, when the cursor is placed in the window 84", as shown in Figure 4, the selection of the right navigation arrow will cause the presentation to change to another mosaic of 20 programs, as shown in Figure 6. Similarly, when the cursor is on the left side of the grid 80, the selection of the left-hand navigation arrow will cause the display to change to show another program tile, the tile screens can then be linked in such a way that the output of the last tile screen will take the user back to the first screen, etc. The program tile shown in Figure 4 presents a selection of all program channels broadcast by the decoder, however in some cases, the decoder You may not have all access rights * for all channels, for example, some channels may be dedicated for pay-per-view programming, or they may be want an additional subscription by the user. In this case, it is undesirable for a user to have complete audio and video access to a program, to a reduced screen version shown in the display windows 81. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the decoder application that handles the presentation of mosaic is adapted to verify the duration that the frame cursor remains in one position. After a period of, for example, 30 seconds, the application will compare the access rights of the channel in question with the access rights in the decoder, in order to verify whether the user has been completely or not accessed in the program or channel presented in the mosaic window. In the event that the decoder does not have the necessary access rights, the application acts to cut the audio output after 30 seconds, so that the user can no longer hear the sound tape associated with that program. In the case where the user does not have the necessary access rights, the frame cursor will jump to another window in this tile, such as the first item in the upper left hand corner of the first screen. Alternatively, the cursor may jump to a window element of a different tile. For a period of 5 minutes or more, the application may refuse to allow the cursor to be repositioned * in the prohibited access window. In this case, the application can propose to the user the option to pay access to the channel in question, as shown in Figure 7. If the user agrees, the application can change directly to the channel in question, for example, the credits stored in the user's subscription card Alternatively, the application can activate payment menu screens necessary to allow the user to open a subscription. These steps are standard, and they will not be discussed here in detail. As the rights to pay-per-view programs are purchased, the controller 20 can, under the control of an application, generate a cartoon or icon image presenting the purchase of an event. For example, the driver can generate a cartoon image of a sale that begins to fill as the events are purchased. In an alternative to the time expiration procedure, the application may take the necessary steps and to reset the cursor and / or cut the audio output immediately after the cursor rests on a window element for a prohibited access program or channel . The relocation of the cursor does not necessarily depend on the access rights to a channel and / or program presented in a window. For example, in addition to or as an alternative to the foregoing, the application of the decoder may be arranged to automatically rearrange the cursor after the expiration of a predetermined period of time. This can enable a user to "surf like a surfboard" through the tile, receiving audio information for each tile window at the same time during this predetermined period of time. This operating table navigation mode can be limited by pressing a predesigned button on the remote control. As an alternative for the repositioning of the cursor after the expiration of a predetermined period of time, the application can be adapted to automatically issue a request for full access rights to a channel and / or program to which total audio access is prohibited. and visual in the case that the cursor is placed on the screen that presents this channel and / or program for a predetermined period of time. This can enable automatic ordering of full access rights to a program and / or channel without any additional input by the user. In addition, or as an alternative, to cut the audio output, the application can also act to cut the video output. In some cases, for example, - when an adult material is presented, the decoder can, in all cases, obscure the presentation of video and audio for the program and channel in question, so that only the channel title information and program is presented in bars 84, 82. Since said material can be removed from all the mosaic presentations, without considering the access rights of the decoder, this step can also be performed upstream of the decoder at the end of the transmission. With reference to Figure 8. the architecture of the elements of the transmission system associated with the generation of mosaic channel will now be described. The video signal from sixty channels is received by a server 90 associated with a station 91. The server 90 acts to filter these video signals, which are not included in the mosaic, for example, video signals associated with channels of adults only, etc. The processed signals then pass to a processor 92, which resizes and resets the video signals within the screen display in order to generate the three screen or tile screens shown at 93, which are then fed to the multiplexer 4. In a similar way, the audio signals of each of the channels are filtered in 94 and assembled and PID values are assigned in 95 before being fed to multiplexer 4. In addition to the audio and visual broadcasting data, other data can be entered through an SA / DA injection server 96 and a workstation 97. In particular, the server and station enter configuration data regarding the configuration of the elements in the mosaic together with the pilot data containing the minimum information with respect to the broadcasting of programs in each channel. The pilot data may correspond to those used by the "pilot" application and will be used by the application to generate the information bar 84 of the mosaic screen. Configuration data typically includes a description of the number of tiles, the size and position of each screen element within each tile, the desired size of the frame cursor, the limits of the movement of the cursor. This information can be used to enable the associated decoder application to correctly position the frame cursor. In addition, the data includes the position of each channel in the tile (page number and coordinates), the PID of the associated sound tape in the assembled audio stream, and the channel reference in the pilot data. In order to enable the application of the decoder to change directly for a desired channel, the configuration data must also include the details of the channel (frequency, PID value) associated with a given element. You can also include access details (payment per event, subscriptions, etc.) in order to enable the application of the decoder to perform the operations described above to prevent a user from seeing and listening to a prohibited access channel. Finally. The configuration data includes the PID value of each tile page and a default header message (if any) associated with that tile page. An example of a mosaic formation where at least a portion of the video output is obscured is described below with reference to Figures 9 through 11. The mosaic 100 is broadcast in the channel number 1 and thus when the numeric button "1" is selected on the remote control, the decoder tunes this frequency channel. In an alternative embodiment, the remote control may include a dedicated control button to tune this frequency channel. The mosaic 100 is composed of a miniature screen display window 101 showing, in real time, a channel showing a synopsis of events that are going to be shown in one or more of the other channels, and four screen display windows miniature 102, each one showing in real time the program that is showing on a respective channel. The mosaic also includes a general information bar 104, and a time and date bar 106. In addition to the mosaic windows 101, 102, the mosaic formation 100 includes button items 108, the purpose of which is described below . When the mosaic 100 is first activated, the audio output is associated with the channel presented in the window 101 and, as shown in Figure 9, the general information bar 104 informs the user how to navigate around the mosaic formation 100. After pressing one of the navigation arrows of the remote control, an application within the decoder generates a moving frame cursor on one of the windows 102, as shown at 110 in FIG. 10, or one of the items of button 108. This cursor can be moved horizontally and vertically using the navigation arrows on the remote control. The button items 108 provide quick access to one of the channels as identified by the text that appears in each button article. For example, placing the cursor on the item of button 108 bearing the words "CHANNEL SATELLITE" and pressing "OK" causes the decoder to tune to the CHANNEL SATELLITE frequency channel. With the cursor 110 placed on one of the windows 102, the title of the program currently being displayed on the channel presenting in that window is displayed in the general information bar 104. The decoder further selects and reproduces the audio stream associated with this channel. The oppression of OK on the remote control then causes the decoder to tune to the channel shown in that window. As discussed above with respect to Figures 4 to 7, in some cases, the decoder can not possess full access rights to all channels. For example, some channels can be dedicated to pay-per-view programming, or may require an additional subscription by the user. In this case, it is undesirable for a user to have complete audio and video access to a program displayed in the display windows 102. The restriction of the video output in the mosaic formation 100 is particularly desirable, since the window 102 It is large enough for a viewer to comfortably see a program for which it does not have all the access rights. Accordingly, in one embodiment the application of the decoder that handles the mosaic presentation is adapted to verify the duration in which the frame cursor 110 is in one position. After a period of, for example, 30 seconds, the application will compare the access rights of the channel in question with the access rights in the decoder in order to verify whether or not a user has all access to the program or channel presented in the mosaic window 102. In the case in which the decoder does not have all the necessary access rights, the application acts to switch the audio output to that associated with the channel presented in the window 102, and move the cursor by consequently (in this mode, the cursor is not generated when the audio output is not associated with the channel presented in window 101, although this is not essential). Substantially at the same time, the video output for the channel presented in the mosaic window 112 is cut off as indicated in Figure 11, thus preventing the user from viewing the program. In this case, the application may propose to the user the option of paying access to the channel in question, as shown at 104 in Figure 11. The "blackout" of the video output for one or more of the windows 102 may be achieved. simply cutting the video output in the portion of the screen where the window is placed. However, darkening can be achieved through any number of different techniques, as discussed below. As mentioned above, the decoder typically includes a 4-layer structure to generate the image to be displayed on the television set, the 4 layers being a fixed layer, a moving image layer, a graphics layer, and a layer of cursor. The graphics layer is preferably used for both icons (typically geometric shapes) and titles (usually but not always subtitles). The decoder application can control the presentation of the text, images or a combination of text to images in the fixed layer to overlap at least a portion of the mosaic window 102, thereby obscuring the video image presented in that window. This presentation of text and / or image can take any suitable form. For example, the application can control the generation of: (i) a box, rectangle or other geometric shape to at least partially overlap the window; (ii) a logo for the channel presented for that window; (iii) a textual announcement for a program that is currently being presented, or that will be presented in that channel in the future; and / or (iv) a fixed image associated with a program that is currently being presented, or that will be presented in the future, is that channel. These presentation portions can be stored in the decoder memory to be recovered and used as required. For example, the text and / or image can be downloaded by the decoder together with the audiovisual information for the mosaic formation 100. By providing an additional moving image layer, the mosaic window 102 alternatively, or additionally, can be obscured for a promotional video for that channel. This promotional video can also be downloaded by the decoder together with the audiovisual information of the mosaic formation 100. The decoder can be programmed so that a mosaic channel will always be presented at the start of the decoder. In addition, since the cursor can also be set on the same channel each time the mosaic formation is activated for the first time, there are other possibilities. For example, when the decoder is activated, a tile can be presented with the cursor illuminating the last channel seen by the user. When switching between tile screens, a channel can be seen on all screens. For example, in Figures 5 and 6 on channel 9 is presented. Likewise, when the user changes from a channel to the tiling channel, the music screen, including this channel illuminated by the cursor, can be presented by providing an "approach" effect class of a full-screen channel presentation to a miniature version in a mosaic window element. In the embodiments described above, oppression of the "OK" button when the cursor is placed over a particular tile window causes the decoder to tune to the frequency of the channel presented in that particular tile window. However, oppression of an alternative button on the remote control can activate one of a number of different applications stored in the decoder. For example, oppression of one of the number buttons B through E (the A button typically being reserved for volume setting adjustments, as shown in Figure 4) can cause the decoder to release an electronic program guide ( EPG) associated with the channel presented in the window over which the cursor is placed. EPG can take one of many forms. For example, the EPG may comprise a textual presentation of a schedule of programs that are to be presented on the channel. Said presentations are well known in the art but will not be detailed here. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 12, the EPG may comprise a display of tiles 120 comprising a plurality of tile windows 122 (although only three windows are shown in Figure 12, any number or window arrangement is possible). Each window includes an image (fixed or moving) of the program that comes along with an indication 124 of the title of that program. The tile also includes a general information bar 126 indicating the channel name and the period of time covered by tile 120. An application within the decoder generates a moving frame cursor shown at 127. This cursor can be moved horizontally and vertically using the navigation arrows of the remote control. Positioning the cursor over a window causes the title and duration of the program to be displayed, as shown in 128 in Figure 12, along with a summary of the contents of the programs, as shown in 130 in Figure 12. Access to other EPG mosaic presentations for that channel may be necessary to present programs shown during the last period of time. For example, when the cursor is placed on the window 122 on the right side of the tile, the selection of the navigation arrow facing to the right will cause the presentation to change to another tile of three programs that will be displayed during the last period. Similarly, when the cursor is on the left hand side of mosaic 120, the selection of the left-hand navigation arrow will cause the display to change to show another mosaic of 3 programs displayed, or to be displayed, during the previous period . The EPG can be launched by tuning the decoder to a frequency channel containing the mosaic formation 120. Alternatively, the EPG can be received by the decoder along with audiovisual information for mosaic formation 80 and 100. In addition, or alternatively, the form of the EPG described with reference to Figure 12, the EPG may take the form of mosaic formation 80 shown in Figure 4 in order to present information regarding programs that will be displayed on all channels at a given time. In this example, each window 81 presents a fixed or moving image of a program that will be displayed at a particular time on that channel, for example, one hour in the future. The particular time is preferably indicated in the information bar 84. The movement of the cursor around the mosaic information causes the title of the selected program to be displayed in the information bar 84. The selection of a predetermined button in the remote controller causes The EPG presents a similar mosaic for a different time, for example two hours in the future. ._ .. As an alternative, or in addition to, launching an EPG, pressing one of the buttons B through E may cause the decoder to present additional information with respect to the program shown in the window over which the cursor is placed. This information preferably includes the title of the program, start time, end time and / or duration, and a summary of the contents of the program. This additional information may be received by the decoder together with audiovisual information for the mosaic information. Alternatively, it can be downloaded by the decoder and when required for presentation. In the patterns of mosaic formation described with reference to Figures 4 to 11, the cursor maintains a constant size and format (color, shape, etc.) as it moves through the mosaic. Alternatively, the cursor format may vary depending on a feature of the window over which the cursor is placed. In a modality, the application can change the color of the cursor depending on the access rights assigned to the program and / or channel presented in the window over which the cursor is placed. For example, the cursor may be green if the user has all access rights to the program and channel presented in the window on which the cursor is placed, and red if the user does not have all access rights to the cursor. program and / or channel presented in the window on which the cursor is placed. The cursor can also change depending on characteristics different from these particular access rights. For example, the user can assign a particular channel as "favorite", for example, by pressing a predetermined button on the remote control when the cursor is placed on the window presented that channel. The assignment of this channel as a favorite channel is stored in the decoder memory, so that when the cursor is subsequently placed on the window presenting that channel, the cursor is presented in a different color, for example, blue. As an alternative to selecting a favorite channel through mosaic formation, an application stored in the decoder can present a list of all the channels received by the decoder. the user selecting several channels in the list as the favorite channels using the remote control. In addition to this selection of "favorite channel" using the cursor, the format of the cursor may vary depending on the nature of the program presented in the window where the cursor is placed. For example, the cursor may take a different format depending on the classification (such as programs for children, adult-only programs) of the program, the theme (such as sports, wildlife, politics) of the program etc. In another arrangement, the visual and / or audio dimming of certain windows of the mosaic formation can also be determined by the user. For example, the user may wish to restrict all access to channels that normally show programs for adults if said access is not restricted by the broadcaster. The oppression of a button of the remote channel when the cursor is placed on a window presenting a program and / or channel where the user wishes to restrict access, the user can instruct the decoder to avoid all access to that channel. This information is stored in the decoder so that when the mosaic formation is subsequently activated, the audio and video information for that channel is obscured. To ensure this, the decoder can request that a PIN number be entered by the user before the access rights are altered. In the embodiments described with reference to Figures 4 to 11, the channels are presented in a formation, which is determined by the broadcaster, of the audiovisual data for the channels. In this way, several user favorite channels can be randomly extended in the mosaic formation. In order to enable the position of the various windows in the formation, in one embodiment, the decoder application is arranged to control the relative positions of the windows within the mosaic formation. As mentioned above, the decoder receives configuration data from the broadcaster, which includes a description of the number of tiles and the size and position of each screen element within each tile. The application of the decoder is able to rearrange the received positional information, so that the positions of the screen elements on the screen satisfy the user's requirements. In one arrangement, the application of the decoder is arranged to control the relative positions of the mosaic windows in response to the access rights * received to the channels or programs presented in the windows. For example, pay-per-view programs and channels in which the user does not have full access rights can be displayed in nearby windows of the mosaic formation. Alternatively, or in addition, the application of the decoder may be arranged to control the relative positions of the mosaic windows in response to commands exiting from the remote control. This can enable the relative positions of the windows in the mosaic formation that will be easily changed by the user. For example, by pressing one of buttons B to E on the remote control. For example, mosaic windows can be classified by subject, such as sports, wildlife, children's programs, adult programs, etc., at the touch of a button. Figures 4 to 12, have illustrated arrangements of window mosaic formations presenting programs shown on television channels. However, mosaic training is not limited to television programs only. For example, the mosaic formation 80 shown in Figure 4 may include one or more windows associated with respective radio channels. If so, the tiling windows for these radio channels present a logo for the radio station. The decoder may also receive frequency channels associated with other mosaic formations. By way of example, Figure 13 illustrates a mosaic formation 140 of the windows 142, each window presenting a logo of a radius channel., and at 144, an indication of the name of the channel shown in the window 142. The tile also includes a general information bar 146. An application within the decoder generates a moving frame cursor shown at 148. This cursor can be moved horizontally and vertically using the navigation arrows on the remote control. For example, in Figure 5, the cursor 83 has been moved to select the first window down, third cross. An indication of the music currently being played on the channel presented in this window is presented in the information bar 146. The decoder further selects and reproduces the audio stream associated with this channel. Pressing the "OK" button on the remote control then causes the decoder to generate the display of additional information associated with the selected channel. For example, as shown in Figure 14, oppression of "OK" on the remote control causes the decoder to generate a display 150 of additional information with respect to showing what is currently being transmitted on that channel. Alternatively, oppression of "OK" can cause the decoder to present a textual music schedule that will be played on that channel, or other information with respect to the actual piece of music being played. Figure 15 illustrates a mosaic formation 160 of window 162, each associated with a respective interactive application stored in the decoder memory. Each window contains a logo for the application along with an indication 164 of the name of the application. An application inside the decoder generates a moving frame cursor shown at 166. This cursor can be moved horizontally and vertically using the remote control's navigation arrows. For example, in Figure 15, the cursor has been moved to select the first window towards down, second crusade. The oppression of "+" on the remote control causes the interactive application associated with that logo, for example, a shopping application on television, to be launched.

Claims (100)

1. CLAIMS 1. A decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, said decoder comprising means for receiving access rights to one of a program and a channel, and means for prohibiting all audio access and visual by the user for a program and a channel when presented in a window according to the access rights received.
2. 2. A decoder according to claim 1, comprising means._ to receive access rights data together with audiovisual data to create the mosaic.
3. 3. A decoder according to claim 2, comprising means for issuing a request for complete audio and visual access for one of a channel and a program presented in a window.
4. 4. A decoder according to any of the preceding claims, comprising means for generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable on the windows of the mosaic formation to allow the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation.
5. 5. A decoder according to claim 4, comprising means for generating audio information associated with a particular channel in response to the positioning of the cursor on a window having such a particular channel.
6. 6. A decoder according to claim 5, comprising means for prohibiting the generation of audio information in accordance with the access rights received. A decoder according to claim 6, wherein the prohibiting means are adapted to prohibit the generation of said audio information if the cursor is placed on the window for more than a predetermined period. A decoder according to claim 3 and any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the issuing means is automatically arranged to issue said request when the cursor has been placed on that window for a predetermined period of time. 9. A decoder according to any of claims 4 to 7, comprising means for automatically repositioning the cursor in the case that the cursor is placed on said window that presents one of a program or a channel where it is prohibited. all audio and visual access. A decoder according to claim 9, wherein the repositioning means is adapted to reset the cursor after the expiration of a predetermined period of time. A decoder according to any of claims 4 to 10, comprising means for changing a cursor attribute depending on a feature of at least one of a program and channel presented in a window over which the cursor is placed. 12. A decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, the decoder comprising means for generating a cursor to display the mosaic formation, the cursor can be moved to select a desired channel within the mosaic formation, and means for changing a cursor attribute depending on a characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in a window on which the cursor is positioned. 13. A decoder according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the means of change are arranged to change the color of said cursor depending on the characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in the window over which the cursor is positioned. 14. An acirecode decoder with any of claims 11 to 13, comprising means for receiving data for assigning the characteristic of a remote control microphone associated with the decoder and means for assigning the characteristic in response to the received data. 15. A decoder according to any of claims 4 to 14, comprising means for tuning the decoder in a channel presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. 16. A decoder according to any of claims 4 to 14, comprising means for generating a presentation comprising information with respect to the program presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. 17. A decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, the decoder comprising means for generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable on the windows of a .. mosaic formation to enable the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation and means to generate a presentation comprising information regarding the program presented in the window after the selection of the desired window. 18. A decoder according to claim 16 or 17, comprising means for connecting to a communication center to obtain said information with respect to the program presented in the desired window. 19. A decoder according to claim 18, wherein the communication means comprises a modem for dialing the communications center to supply a request for information to the communications center. 20. A decoder according to any of claims 4 to 14, comprising means for generating a presentation comprising a program schedule that comes for the channel presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. 21. A decoder for presenting a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, the decoder comprising means for generating a cursor to be presented with the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable on the windows of the formation of mosaic to enable the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation, and means to generate a presentation comprising a program schedule that comes for the channel presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. 22. A decoder according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the schedule of the next program comprises a textual presentation of the program schedule information. 23. A decoder according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the schedule of the next program comprises a presentation of a plurality of pictorial images associated with respective respective programs in respective windows of a mosaic formation. 24. A decoder for controlling the display of programming schedule information, the decoder comprising means for generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images associated with programs that come respectively on at least one digital television channel in respective windows of a mosaic formation. 25. A decoder according to the claim 24, wherein the plurality of pictorial images is associated with programs that come to be displayed simultaneously on respective digital television channels. 26. A decoder according to claim 25, wherein the programs that come are to be displayed on respective digital television channels for a future period of time. 27. A decoder according to any of claims 23 to 26, wherein at least one of said plurality of pictorial images comprises a video footage associated with the respective program. 28. A decoder according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means is *, adapted to receive the access rights of a remote control microphone associated with the decoder. 29. A decoder according to claim 28, wherein the receiving means is adapted to receive a PIN number of the remote control microphone, the decoder comprising means for authenticating the received PIN number and, after authentication of the received PIN number. , allow the reception of access rights. 30. A decoder according to any of the preceding claims, comprising means for prohibiting the generation of at least a portion of video information in said window depending on the access rights of one of a program and a channel presented therein. window. 31. A decoder according to the claim 30, which comprises means for controlling the presentation of an image in said window, instead of at least a portion of video information. 32. A decoder according to the claim 31, wherein said image comprises a logo associated with the channel presented in said window. 33. A decoder according to claim 31, wherein said image comprises an image associated with the program presented in that window. 34. A decoder according to claim 30, comprising means for controlling the presentation of an advertisement in the window instead of at least a portion of video information. 35. A decoder according to claim 30, comprising means for controlling the presentation of additional video information in the window instead of at least a portion of video information. 36. A decoder according to claim 35, wherein the video information comprises promotional video information. 37. A decoder according to any of the preceding claims, comprising means for generating a message informing a user of the access rights to one of a program and a channel in the case of placing the cursor on the window that presents one of a program and a channel. 38. A decoder according to any of the preceding claims, comprising positional control means for controlling the relative positions in the windows within the mosaic formation 39. A decoder according to claim 38, wherein the control means They are arranged to control the relative positions of said windows in response to the access rights received to the channels or programs presented in the windows. 40. A decoder for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic array, the decoder comprising positional control means for controlling the relative positions of said windows within the mosaic array. 41. A decoder according to claim 38 or 40, wherein the positional control means are arranged to control the relative positions of said windows in response to received window placement data to control the relative positions of the windows within the window. mosaic formation. 42. A decoder according to claim 41, comprising means for receiving said window placement data from a remote control microphone associated with the decoder. 43. A decoder for controlling the display of a plurality of digital television channels of respective windows of a mosaic array, the decoder comprising means for receiving from a remote control microphone associated with the decoder, window positioning data, and means of positional control to control the relative positions of said windows within the mosaic array in response to the positioning data received. 44. A decoder according to any of claims 38 to 43, wherein the positional control means are arranged to control the relative pro- jections of the windows of the mosaic formation according to a program program characteristic normally shown. in the channels presented in the windows. 45. A decoder according to claim 44, wherein the positional control means are arranged to jointly group windows having channels having the same program characteristic. 46. A decoder according to claim 45, wherein the positional control means are arranged to jointly group windows that present channels that normally present programs having the same subject. 47. A decoder according to the claim 45, wherein the means of positional control are arranged to jointly group windows that present channels that normally show pay-per-view programs. 48. A decoder according to any of claims 38 to 47, wherein the positional control means are arranged to maintain a window presenting one of a particular channel and a particular program in a constant position in the mosaic formation. 49. A decoder according to claim 48, wherein the window is that window of the mosaic formation presenting the channel presented immediately before the presentation of the mosaic formation. 50. A decoder comprising: means for storing a plurality of interactive applications; means for generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images in respective windows of a mosaic formation, each pictorial image being associated with a respective interactive application; means for generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, said cursor being selectively movable on the windows of the mosaic formation to enable the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation, and means for executing an interactive application after the selecting the window presenting a pictorial image associated with that interactive application 51 A method for controlling the presentation on a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, comprising receiving access rights to one of a program and a channel, and prohibit all audio and visual access by the user for said program and channel when presented in the window in accordance with the access rights received 52 A method according to claim 51, wherein the access rights are received together with audiovisual data to create the mosaic 53 A method of agreement co ' n claim 51 or 52, wherein a cursor is generated to present the mosaic formation, said cursor being selectively movable on the windows of the mosaic formation to enable the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation 54 according to claim 53 wherein the information associated with a particular channel is generated in response to the placement of the cursor on a window presenting said particular channel. 55. A method according to claim 54, wherein the generation of audio information is prohibited in accordance with the access rights received. 56. A method according to claim 55, wherein the generation of the audio information is prohibited if the cursor is placed on the window for more than a predetermined period of time. 57. A method according to any of claims 53 to 56, wherein the cursor is automatically repositioned in the event that the cursor is placed on said window presenting one of a program or a channel to which all access is prohibited. audio and visual 58. A method according to claim 57, wherein the cursor is repositioned after the expiration of a predetermined period of time. 59. A method according to any of claims 53 to 58, wherein said cursor attribute is changed depending on a characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in the window on which the cursor is positioned. 60. A method for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, which comprises generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, said cursor being movable to select a desired channel within the mosaic formation, and changing a cursor attribute depending on a characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in the window on which the cursor is placed. 61. A method according to claim 59 or 60, wherein the color of said cursor is changed depending on the characteristic of at least one of a program and a channel presented in the window on which the cursor is placed. 62. A method according to any of claims 59 to 61, wherein the data for assigning said feature are received from a remote control microphone associated with the decoder, said characteristic being assigned in response to the received data. 63. A method according to any of claims 53 to 62, wherein the decoder is tuned to a channel presented in the window after the selection of the desired window. 64. A method according to any of claims 53 to 62, wherein a presentation comprising information with respect to the program presented in the desired window is generated after the selection of the desired window. 65. A method for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, comprising generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, said cursor being selectively movable over the windows of the mosaic formation to enable the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation, and to generate a presentation comprising information with respect to the program presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. 66. A method according to claim 64 or 65, comprising communicating with a communications center to obtain information regarding the program presented in the desired window. 67. A method according to claim 66, comprising dialing said communication center to supply a request for information to the communications center. 68. A method according to any of claims 53 to 62, wherein a presentation comprising a program schedule that comes for the channel presented in the desired window is generated after the selection of the desired window. 69. A method for presenting a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, comprising generating a cursor to present the mosaic formation, the cursor being selectively movable over the windows of the mosaic formation to enable the selecting a desired window within the mosaic formation, and generating a presentation comprising a program schedule that comes for the channel presented in the desired window after the selection of the desired window. 70. A method according to claim 68 or 69, wherein the program schedule that comes comprises a textual presentation of program schedule information. 71. A method according to claim 68 or 69, wherein the next program schedule comprises a presentation of a plurality of pictorial images associated with the respective respective programs in respective windows of a mosaic formation. 72. A method for controlling the presentation of programming schedule information, comprising generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images associated with programs that are respectively present on at least one digital television channel in respective windows of a mosaic formation. 73. A method according to claim 72, wherein the plurality of pictorial images is associated with programs that will be displayed simultaneously on respective digital television channels. 74. A method according to claim 73, where the programs that come are going to be shown on respective digital television channels during a future period of time. 75. A method according to any of claims 71 to 74, wherein at least one of a plurality of pictorial images comprises video footage associated with the respective accompanying program. A method according to claim 51, wherein the access rights are received from a remote control microphone associated with the decoder 77. A method according to claim 76, wherein a PIN number is received from the remote control microphone, the received PIN number being authenticated for, then of the authentication of the PIN number, allowing the reception of access rights 78 A method according to any of claims 51 to 77, wherein the generation of at least a portion of video information in the window is prohibited depending on the access rights to one of a program and a channel presented in that window 79 A method according to claim 78, wherein an image The gene is presented in the window instead of at least a portion of video information 80. A method according to claim 79, wherein the image comprises a logo associated with the channel presented in the window 81. A method according to claim 80, wherein the image comprises an image associated with the program presented in the window 82. A method according to the rei indication 78 wherein an advertisement is presented in the window instead of at least a portion of video information. 83. A method according to claim 78, wherein the additional video information is presented in the window instead of at least a portion of video information. 84. A method according to claim 83, wherein said additional video information comprises promotional video information. 85. A method according to any of claims 51 to 84, wherein a message is generated by informing a user of the access rights to one of a program and a channel in the case of placing the cursor on a window presenting one of a program and a channel. 86. A method according to any of claims 51 to 85, comprising controlling the relative positions of said windows within the mosaic formation. 87. A method according to claim 86, wherein the relative positions of the windows are controlled in response to the access rights received to the channels or programs presented in the windows. 88. A method for controlling the presentation of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic formation, comprising controlling the relative positions of the windows within the mosaic formation. 89. A method according to claim 86 or 88, wherein the relative positions of the windows are controlled in response to received window placement data to control the relative positions of the windows within the mosaic formation. 90. A method according to claim 89, wherein said window positioning data is received from a remote control microphone associated with the decoder. 91. A method for controlling the display of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic array, comprising receiving a control microphone. Remote associated with the decoder, window position data, and controlling the positions relative of said windows within the mosaic array in response to the received positioning data. 92. A method according to any of claims 86 to 91, wherein the relative positions of the windows of the mosaic array are controlled in accordance with a program characteristic normally shown in the channels presented in the windows. 93. A method according to claim 92, wherein the windows having channels that have the same feature of the program are grouped together. 94. A method according to claim 93, wherein the windows having channels that normally show programs having the same subject, are grouped together. 95. A method according to claim 93, wherein the windows having channels that normally show pay-per-event programs are grouped together. 96. A method according to any of claims 86 to 95, wherein a window having one of a particular channel and a particular program is held in a constant position in the mosaic formation. 97. A method according to claim 96, wherein the window is that window of the mosaic formation presenting the channel presented immediately before the presentation of the mosaic formation. 98. a method for controlling a decoder, said method comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of interactive applications; generating a presentation comprising a plurality of pictorial images in respective windows of a mosaic formation, each pictorial image being associated with a respective interactive application; generating a cursor to display the mosaic information, said cursor being selectively movable over the windows of the mosaic formation to allow the selection of a desired window within the mosaic formation; and execute an interactive application after the selection of the window that presents a pictorial image associated with that interactive application. 99. A decoder substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 100. A method for controlling the display of a plurality of digital television channels in respective windows of a mosaic array substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings.