Patent ID: 6118442
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A synthesis apparatus including a plurality of appliances for synthesizing menu information withheld by each appliance, said menu information being hierarchical information enabling a user to control said appliances interactively,(1) one of said plurality of appliances including:first menu storage means for storing first menu information, said first menu information being hierarchical information to be used to control said one appliance;menu information receipt means for receiving the menu information from the other appliances;menu information synthesis means for synthesizing the menu information received by said menu information receipt means and first menu information stored in said first menu information storage unit, resulting synthesized menu information being used as a menu-information selection menu at a highest position in a hierarchy; andmenu display means for displaying the menu-information selection menu generated by said menu information synthesis means,(2) each of the other appliances including:menu storage means for storing the menu information unique to each appliance, the menu information being hierarchical information to be used to control each appliance; andmenu transmission means for transmitting the unique menu information in said menu storage means to said one appliance.