Patent ID: 7466897

Claim:
Electrical apparatus for receiving digital data broadcast from a remote location and processing received digital data into audio and/or video formats for listening via speakers and/or viewing via a display screen connected to the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a memory means in the form of a hard disk memory having at least one selectable mode of operation and at least one selectable format in which said received data can be selectively stored for subsequent selective access by a user of the apparatus and a display panel; the display panel having therein a circular configuration formed by a plurality of light sources arranged to illuminate and non-illuminate in a series around the circular configuration, and illumination or non-illumination of said plurality of light sources arranged in a series around the circular configuration is controlled with respect to the mode of operation of the apparatus and memory at that time so as to provide a visual indication of operation of at least one mode of operation of the hard disk memory to the user, and the plurality of light sources having interchangeable colors; a variable speed/variable direction sequential illumination or non-illumination and interchangeable color illumination of the plurality of light sources arranged to illuminate and non-illuminate in a series around the circular configuration is determined by the particular active mode of the apparatus if the apparatus is active and wherein; the color of illumination of the plurality of light sources arranged to illuminate and non-illuminate in a series around the circular configuration is illuminated by the variable speed/variable direction sequential illumination to provide a rotational effect and defines whether the memory means is in a recoding mode in which received data is being stored therein or in a data retrieve mode in which previously stored data is being retrieved; and the direction and the sequence of the variable speed/variable direction sequential illumination of the plurality of light sources arranged to illuminate and non-illuminate in a series around the circular configuration provides a forward and backward rotational effect and indicates a particular manner in which the retrieved data or data being received is being processed and/or displayed to the user.