Method and apparatus for providing an on-screen user interface for a

Abstract

Apparatus for providing a user friendly interface to a subscription television terminal comprises a key pad arranged into a plurality of key groupings and an on-screen display controller for generating a plurality of screens for display on an associated television receiver. Five such key groupings are segregated from one another and comprise function keys, initialization keys, channel keys, audio keys and digit keys. The digit keys may be most conveniently arranged in a two dimensional matrix corresponding to a key pad of a conventional tone dialing telephone. Each of the other key groupings may be arranged linearly and differentiated by the use of color or boxes. A method of initializing the cable television terminal comprises the steps of generating a display of a menu structure, actuating the movement of a cursor in one direction through choices presented by a menu by use of a cursor key, and actuating a selection of a menu choice via actuation of a select key. For example, a sleep timer may be implemented in a subscription television terminal for turning off power to an associated television set after a predetermined period of time. Parental control of received channels can be established such that only those having knowledge of a particular code may view the parentally controlled channel. Other features of a terminal in accorance with the invention include messaging, establishing a favorite channel list, pay-per-view, program timing, and terminal control.