Patent ID: 6278499
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G06F,G09F,H04N

Abstract:
A remote control including electrical circuitry coupled to a power supply in a housing of said remote control, a visual display on said housing and coupled to said electrical circuitry, a keyboard on said housing and coupled to said electrical circuitry, memory means including a buffer memory, a realtime clock, means for turning on and turning off said remote control, wireless receiver means for receiving, from a host device, data, including selected information to be displayed, means for displaying said information on said visual display, wireless transmitting means for sending information input through said keyboard, control means coupled to said electrical circuitry and including software in said buffer memory for controlling the operation of said remote control and the display of selected information under command of said realtime clock, means for maintaining said selected information displayed on said visual display when said remote control is not being used by a user to perform a function, said selected information including: advertising, a subset of an electronic program guide, instructions for setting up said remote control and a user guide or a context-sensitive help menu, means for displaying said instructions for setting up said remote control or said user guide or said context-sensitive help menu on said visual display of said remote control, and, software for displaying, on said visual display, key labels for selected keys on said keyboard and for indicating which function said remote control is controlling when a user presses one of said selected keys on said keyboard of said remote control.