Patent ID: 6154205
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: G06F,H04N,Y10S

Abstract:
A television-based hyperlink content navigation system, comprising:a viewing area for displaying visual content, wherein the visual content has a content area that is larger than the viewing area;a plurality of selectable objects in the visual content;a focus that is initially on a first one of the objects;a user-manipulated operator that can be manipulated by a user in different directions;wherein the navigation system is responsive to activation of the user-manipulated operator in a selected direction to perform steps comprising:determining a speed value from the activation of the user-manipulated operator;if there is a second one of the objects within a predefined linear distance in the content area from the first object in approximately the selected direction and the speed value exceeds a first threshold, tabbing the focus to said second object and scrolling the visual content relative to the viewing area if necessary to bring the second one of the objects onto the viewing area;if there is not a second one of the objects within the predefined linear distance in the content area from the first object in approximately the selected direction and the speed value does not exceed the first threshold, scrolling the visual content relative to the viewing area;if the second one of the objects includes a continuous image having a continuous two-dimensional range of selectable points, displaying a pointer over the continuous image and moving the pointer smoothly over the continuous image in response to further directional activation of the user-manipulated operator.