Zenith Electronics Corporation

Sol M Cherrick

Kevin J Gaughan

Charles Steven Pint

A television receiver has a surfing feature that provides one or more of a plurality of surfing groups for enabling tuning, with up/dn keys, only among designated surf channels in the selected one of the surfing groups. Certain ones of the receivable television signals are designated as memory channels and enable conventional sequential tuning with up/dn keys when the surfing feature is disabled. A surf key on a remote control transmitter or an on-screen cursor controls activation and deactivation of the surfing feature and selection of the surfing groups. An EAROM has bits that may be set to store memory channels, surfing groups and surf channels within the surfing groups.

Receiver with channel surfing mode

A television receiver with PIP circuitry provides a snapshot feature for freezing the main video display in the PIP display inset by operation of a special key on a remote control keypad. With the television receiver operating normally (PIP deactivated), one operation of the special key switches the main video signal to the PIP input and freezes the PIP display in its largest size and in the position it occupied the last time PIP was activated. A video message informs the viewer that a snapshot feature is operational. A subsequent operation of the special key switches the PIP signal to the PIP circuitry and unfreezes the display as in normal PIP operation. A further operation of the special key deactivates the PIP circuitry.

One key system for freezing a television PIP display

A television receiver is equipped with hardware/firmware so that it may be disabled by a remotely transmitted series of codes. In a preferred embodiment, the display of the receiver indicates that the receiver is operable, but has been disrupted, rather than being broken. The invention is particularly useful for commercial situations such as rentals or lodging facilities where payment is expected for use of the television.

Remotely selectable audio/video/text disruption

A television receiver has a main, or regular, display; a picture-in-picture display; and an on-screen menu display for adjusting various television operating parameters, including those which are channel or source related, such as channel labeling, source labeling and on-screen program guide operation. When a channel or source related menu is displayed for operation on channel or source related functions, the channel or source operated upon is displayed in the picture-in-picture display and the main display may be blanked to present a more legible background for the menu.

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Sol M Cherrick