Patent ID: 6690391
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
In an audio/visual (AV) system, a method for efficient navigation of AV options available to a user of the AV system, comprising:a) entering an interactive mode of a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a display apparatus of the AV system, in response to a user of the AV system activating a selection mechanism of a navigation and selection device of the AV system; b) displaying a status bar in a prominent position of the GUI, wherein the status bar has a plurality of last-selected AV options displayed as last-selected items within a corresponding plurality of fields, with one or more fields of the plurality of fields being navigable fields; c) laterally moving a cursor of the GUI across the plurality of fields of the status bar to place the cursor over a field of the plurality of fields and thus highlight the field in response to the user laterally moving a scrolling mechanism of the navigation and selection device; d) displaying a navigable list of the highlighted field having a plurality of items corresponding to a plurality of related AV options, if the highlighted field is a navigable field of the one or more navigable fields of the plurality of fields of the status bar; e) scrolling the plurality of items of the navigable list through the highlighted field to cause a desired item of the plurality of items to be highlighted within the highlighted field in response to the user scrolling the scrolling mechanism of the navigation and selection device; f) repeating c)-e) as needed for other fields of the plurality of fields of the status bar to place a plurality of currently chosen AV options within the plurality of fields of the status bar; g) selecting the plurality of currently chosen AV options highlighted within the fields of the status bar by activating the selection mechanism of the navigation and selection device; h) in response to selecting, controlling an AV device of the AV system in accordance with the currently chosen AV options that were selected; i) wherein prior to entering the interactive mode, further comprising: entering an information display mode of the GUI in response to the user moving the scrolling mechanism without activating the selection mechanism of the navigation and selection device; displaying the status bar within a non-prominent position of the GUI, with the plurality of fields of the status bar containing a plurality of last-selected AV options; and j) wherein subsequently entering the interactive mode of the GUI from the information display mode causes the status bar of the GUI to move from the non-prominent position to a prominent position of the GUI.