Patent ID: 7671782

Claim:
A method for guiding a user in the use of a remote control (RC) device, wherein the RC device includes a plurality of input mechanisms, comprising: determining a current state of a user's interaction with an application, to provide a determined state; determining one or more input mechanisms of the RC device that are relevant to the determined state, to provide one or more relevant input mechanisms capable of performing operational functions specific to the determined state; and displaying a representation of the one or more relevant input mechanisms on a user interface presentation of a presentation device, wherein the user interface presentation is split into at least two sections, and the displaying comprises: displaying a media program or a display of digital pictures for user consumption on a first section of the user interface presentation, displaying options or text associated with the media program or the display of digital pictures on a second section of the user interface presentation, and displaying the one or more relevant input mechanisms on the first section and the second section of the user interface presentation, wherein the representation de-emphasizes irrelevant input mechanisms of the RC device, distinguishing irrelevant input mechanisms from relevant input mechanisms, wherein irrelevant input mechanisms are not capable of performing an operational function specific to the determined state.