Other

Sony Corporation

Sony Electronics Inc

Joseph I Saib

Atsushi Suzuki

Kazuto Mugura

Yuko Nishikawa

Peter G Jordan

Gail K White

Ludovic Legrand

James Kevin Leahey

Lubric Legrand

Satoru Nemoto

The present invention is implemented in one embodiment in a tuning decoder device, such as an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) of a digital satellite system. The IRD is coupled to a satellite system, the remote controller and a monitor, such as a TV set. The present invention allows a user to store up to five stations in a JUMP Loop sequence during a single viewing period by depressing a single key in a remote controller.

Station jump loop

An apparatus and method for editing video frames stored on a digital video disk is disclosed. The apparatus includes memory for storing instruction sequences, a processor, and a digital video disk drive. The processor executes instructions stored in the memory. The digital video disk drive stores video frames within video. Stored instructions cause the processor to first retrieve one or more video frames from the video on the digital video disk. Then a selection of an editing parameter for a video frame is made. Finally, the apparatus edits the video frame in accordance with the selected editing parameter.

Method and apparatus for providing a video editor

A technique for converting displayable objects of a graphics user interface (GUI) display into a code representation with minimal user intervention. The technique includes creation of the GUI display and analysis of each displayable object when prompted by the user to convert to a code representation. The analysis features accessing parameters of each displayable object to produce an object data file, a color data file storing colors used by the displayable objects of the GUI display and a bitmap data file to contain bitmaps of logos or images featured in the GUI display. These data files are complied with an implementation file featuring a software library to generate an executable program having the code representation of the GUI display.

GUI resource editor for an embedded system

The present invention relates to a home entertainment system and method for selectively recording or purchasing a show broadcast for receipt by the home entertainment system. To perform selective recording or purchasing an electronic guide screen is initially produced. Upon viewing the electronic guide screen, a viewer may select a show to be entered into timer memory based on a search term. This selection prompts recording of the show or shows associated with the search term. Thereafter, the programming data associated with the show is loaded into timer memory.

System and method for providing selection of timer recording

A technique for system-wide emulation of an embedded system. The technique includes the addition of emulation software and an intermediary operating system. The intermediary operating system is used to avoid modification of system software. The emulation software is used to generate objects that simulate hardware features of the embedded system and to signal when control features of these objects have been selected.

Simulation development tool for an embedded system

The present invention relates to a home entertainment system and method for selectively recording or purchasing a show broadcast for receipt by the home entertainment system to perform selective recording or purchasing an electronic guide screen is initially produced. Upon viewing the electronic guide screen, a viewer may select a show to be entered into timer memory. This selection prompts the viewer to select whether or not to record the show. Thereafter, the programming data associated with the show is loaded into timer memory along with information indicating whether the show is scheduled to be recorded.

System and method for selection/deselection of timer recording

A method and apparatus for displaying graphic images to indicate a status of programs in an electronic program guide are provided. A multiple channel broadcasting system generates an electronic program guide including graphic images to indicate a status of the programs in the electronic program guide. The status includes whether a user has selected pay-per-view broadcasts for purchase, whether a broadcast system timer has been set to tune to a particular channel program at a designated time, whether a channel program has been set for recording, and whether a program is designated as a favorite program. The broadcast system displays the graphic images or icons within an electronic program guide in areas delineating particular programs that a user has selected for purchase so that the user can view the status of the programs while viewing the electronic program guide. A method and apparatus for displaying a graphical representation of time in relation to programming times are also provided. A time bar is displayed with the electronic program guide that identifies times of programming on the channels in the broadcasting system. A graphical representation of time is generated and displayed in proximity to the time bar to indicate the current time so the user can view the current time in relation to the times of programming on the channels of the broadcast system.

Method and apparatus for displaying time and program status in an electronic program guide

The present invention relates to an entertainment system and method for selectively adjusting an audio parameter of a currently broadcast audio program. The system comprises a display monitor, having a screen menu including an information area on a first portion of the display. The information area displays a plurality of textual information regarding a currently broadcast audio program. The screen menu also includes a parameter area on a second portion of the display, which displays a status of a parameter corresponding to the currently broadcast audio program. An adjustment mechanism adjusts the status of the parameter, so that the parameter area is updated to display the corresponding adjusted status of the parameter. A broadcast receiver coupled to the display monitor includes a front-end unit capable of receiving and broadcasting programming data associated with an audio program and corresponding video information for viewing on the display monitor.

Music channel graphical user interface

A method and apparatus for training a receiver on a source are provided. The receiver is an antenna and the source is a broadcast satellite. A first signal sensor receives at least one signal from the source. The first signal sensor may be a first low noise block (LNB) downconverter of the antenna. At least one secondary signal sensor measures a strength of the received signal. The secondary signal sensor comprises four LNB downconverters, wherein each of the four LNB downconverters are located on each of four sides of the first signal sensor. The measured strength of the received signal is used to provide guidance information for training the receiver on the source. When the broadcast satellite moves relative to the antenna, the secondary LNB downconverters detect a variance in the measured strength of the at least one signal and provide guidance information based on the detected variance, thereby reducing the training time for the antenna.

Method and apparatus for training a receiver on a source

A method and apparatus for displaying an electronic menu having components with differing levels of transparency are provided. A multiple channel broadcasting system generates an on-screen menu display for enabling a user to operate different functions of the system. The broadcasting system generates an electronic menu display that comprises a number of components, alphanumeric characters, and icons displayed on a background. The components, alphanumeric characters, and icons identify different functions of the system. The broadcast system applies different levels of transparency to the different components such that the number of opaque components is minimized. The broadcast system then superimposes the electronic menu display over a program broadcast on a screen. As the opaque components are minimized, the obstruction of the broadcast by the electronic menu display is minimized.

Method and apparatus for displaying an electronic menu having components

A system and method for automatically loading, with minimal input by a user, programming data of a show to be recorded by a home entertainment system. Upon receipt of a first command, the home entertainment system produces an electronic guide screen for display. The electronic guide screen displays (i) a first plurality of shows currently being broadcast, and (ii) a second plurality of shows to be broadcast at a future time. Thereafter, upon receipt of a second command when one of the second plurality of shows has been selected, a screen menu is generated. If an option grid of the screen menu is selected to record a future-broadcast show, programming data associated with that show is automatically loaded into a memory configured to contain shows scheduled to be recorded.

Automatic timer event entry

A system and method for downloading update data to a targeted peripheral device connected to a broadcast receiver such as an integrated receiver decoder (IRD). The update data is received via a broadcast transmission. The system features one or more peripheral devices interconnected to the IRD. The IRD receives a broadcast digital bit stream and processes contents of its header information if it is targeted for the IRD. Next, the IRD determines whether the digital bit stream includes update data to be downloaded and which peripheral device is targeted to receive the update data. Thereafter, the IRD causes the update data to be loaded into the targeted peripheral device.

Peripheral software download of a broadcast receiver

A system and methods that provide a simple, but effective, technique for generating aliased and anti-aliased fonts while minimizing both processor and memory requirements are described. For each character of a font, a source pixel representation of the character is generated and stored in memory. Preferrably, the pixels of each anti-aliased character are divided among at least three non-overlapping regions which provide a color/intensity transition between the character and the background to produce an anti-aliased effect. Three of the regions are identified as the foreground region, middle region and background region. To generate a character of the font on a display the source pixel representation of the character described by the three regions is referenced from memory. If the character is to be aliased the middle and background regions are coded to the background color and the foreground region is coded to the foreground color of the character. If the character is to be anti-aliased, the foreground, middle and background regions are coded, respectively, to the color of the character, a value to provide an anti-aliased effect, and the background color. Thus, memory requirements are minimal since only one version of a font is stored. In addition, processor overhead is minimized as the time consuming calculations to generate anti-aliased characters are avoided.

Displaying aliased and anti-aliased characters from a source font

A method and apparatus for indicating functional areas of a graphical user interface are provided. A graphical interface in the form of an electronic program guide is generated. A non-textured portion of the electronic program guide is generated wherein the user can interact with functions of the electronic program guide. A textured background for the electronic program guide is generated wherein the user cannot interact with functions of the electronic program guide. The textured background of the electronic program guide is generated using a noise-pattern generator. The noise-pattern generator provides a tiled color pattern on the textured background. The tiled color pattern is randomly generated from a selectable number of colors using a selectable tile size and selectable colors.

Method and apparatus for indicating functional areas of a graphical user

A system and method for testing a system and method for testing a remote transmitter that controls a peripheral device and for updating control codes utilized by the remote transmitter. One embodiment of the system includes a peripheral device, a broadcast receiver such as an integrated receiver decoder (IRD) and a remote transmitter that receives signals from the IRD and generates control codes to the peripheral device to service a program event. The system supports automatic loading and updating of control codes used by the remote transmitter to control present and perhaps future peripheral devices. Likewise, the IRD supports testing of the remote transmitter through a testing screen.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Joseph I Saib