Patent ID: 8937687
Filing Date: 2015-01-20
Classification: H03J,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for graphically controlling symbol-based features in a television receiver configured to present imagery on a display in response to viewer instructions transmitted from a remote control that does not have a numerical keypad, the method comprising: presenting a numerical keypad image on the display, wherein the keypad image comprises a plurality of key images each corresponding to one of the symbol-based features; receiving a first input signal from the remote control that does not have a numerical keypad, the first input signal encoding two-dimensional instructions for moving a cursor presented within the imagery on the display to thereby indicate one of the key images and for selecting the one of the key images, wherein the first input signal is received from the remote control independent of an orientation of the remote control with respect to the television receiver; and updating the imagery on the display in response to the received two-dimensional input indicating and selecting one or more of the key images using the cursor, wherein the updating comprises: receiving a second input signal from the remote control that does not have a numerical keypad, the second input signal encoding two-dimensional instructions for moving the cursor presented within the imagery on the display to thereby indicate the indicator of the television channel and for selecting the indicator of the television channel, and, in response to receiving the second input signal corresponding to the indicator of the television channel, tuning the receiver to the indicated television channel; and receiving a third input signal from the remote control that does not have a numerical keypad, the second input signal encoding two-dimensional instructions for moving the cursor presented within the imagery on the display to thereby indicate a selection of the remember feature, and in response to the third input signal corresponding to the remember feature, associating the television channel indicated by the indicator with a quick reference feature visible on the imagery presented on the display that allows direct subsequent access to the television channel indicated by the indicator via the quick reference feature, the quick reference feature being displayed in a quick reference area comprising a plurality of other quick reference features, the quick reference features comprising short-cut buttons to favorite channels, wherein receiving the first input signal, updating the imagery, receiving the second input signal, and receiving the third input signal are performed while the display simultaneously presents each of the numerical keypad image, numbers corresponding to the selected one or more of the key images, the indicators for each television channel of the subset of the identified television channels, the remember feature, the quick reference feature, and the quick reference area.