Patent ID: 7308698

Claim:
A television display device for use with a television display configured to display television services and an input unit configured to provide at least one command to the television display device, the television display device including: a memory configured to store in advance a plurality of predetermined control images; an event selector configured to enable a user selected event, from a group of events, each event having an event type predetermined from a plurality of different event types and an independently user-selected one of the plurality of predetermined control images and configured to associate said selected event with said selected predetermined control image; an action selector configured to enable a user associated action from a group of actions, each action having an action type predetermined from a plurality of different action types, and configured to associate said selected action with the selected predetermined control image; a display section configured to detect an occurrence of said selected event and, in response, producing display information configured to display only for a predetermined period the selected predetermined control image on a portion of the television display superposed on the television service being viewed; and a command section responsive to a predetermined control command provided by the input unit and configured to initiate said selected action conditional on whether or not the predetermined control command is provided within said predetermined period.