Field of the invention
This invention relates to aunethod and a system for selecting and displaying channels on
an on screen displayN More particularly this invention relates to the navigation of available channels from various list present in a display device in very convenient way such that user continues to enjoy his/her current program without getting disturbed.
Background of the invention
Generally, when selecting a different channel while watching TV, it is inconvenient for a user, to manipulate a ten-key pad or a,channel up/down key to select a desired channel. Further, when selecting a TV channel while reproducing a videocassette signal on a VCR, it is inconvenient to change the VCR mode to a TV mode, and then manipulate the channel up/down key or the ten-key pad so as to select a desired channel.
Also a traditional way of channel NAVIGATION/Scanning, user has to change the current program to have even a look at some qther channel. For instance, when a user is watching a movie on one particular program and at the same time, he wants to be updated witlj the happening of popular sporting event being telecasted on the other channel, in that case he has to switch to sporting channel after some particular interval of timeand he has to get back to the movie after getting the qfatus of the sporting event, in this case not only important part of the movie is missed bpt also it becomes irritating if there is an advertisement break on the sporting channel.
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To overcome this problem there has been proposed a so-called small-picture inset (PinP) TV receiver in which a reduced small picture of another television program is inset on part of an original television picture for effective use of the cathode ray tube of a television receiver. Such a television receiver has been described in, for example, U.S. periodical "Electronics" Sept. 1, 1977, pp. 102-106 and German patent applications Nos. P2,413,839 and P2,628,737 filed Mar. 22, 1974 and June 25, 1976, respectively aand US patent No. 4,249,213.

US 4,746,983 describes a picture-in-picture type television receiver in which a sub-picture screen is inset within a main picture screen to allow the same or different pictures to be simultaneously displayed and which includes a circuit for separately displaying the channel numbers of both the main and sub-picture screens momentarily whenever the picture content of the sub-picture screen is changed and whenever the picture content of the main picture is changed if the sub-picture is display.
US 4,495,654 describes a remote control system for a television receiver which includes a remote control transmitter with keys for initiating a scan type channel selection operation and a memory for storing a list of preferred channels and non-preferred channels. During a scanning operation the non-preferred channels are passed over (i.e., "skipped"). The battery of the remote control transmitter advantageously also maintains the contents of the "skip" memory so that it may be volatile. So that the same type of channel selection is available locally at the television receiver itself scan keys and an associated skip memory are also incorporated with the chassis of the television receiver.
US 5,900,916 A also describes a system for displaying a picture-in-picture display in a television wherein the main picture and a picture-in-picture (PIP) overlaid on the main picture. The publication discloses two modes of operation: a review mode and a preview mode. In the review mode, the PIP displays the channel which had been displayed on the main picture prior to the channel change. And, in the preview mode, the main picture is selected from a channel selection list and the PIP displays the next channel in the channel selection list. The channel selection list may be a predefined favorite channel list.
US 5,251,034 discloses a channel search mode of a video cassette recorder (VCR) having a picture-in-picture (PIP) function, an automatic PIP channel search apparatus and method used during television (TV) viewing which is composed of at least the steps of setting the currently-viewed broadcast picture in a main screen, if a scan key is input when watching a TV channel, setting broadcasting channels excluding the channel set as the main screen as sub screens and displaying in turn the sub screen channels, and if the scan key signal is input again, displaying only a specific channel broadcast on the main screen. An.automatic PIP channel search apparatus and method used during viewing a video tape is composed of the steps of setting a reproduced signal of the currently-viewed

video tape as a main screen if a scan key is input, when reproducing a video tape of the VCR, setting a plurality of stored broadcasting channels as sub-screens and displaying in turn the sub-screen channels, and if the scan key signal is input again, displaying only the video signal on the main screen. As a result of the method, one can easily find which program is broadcast on a different channel by displaying a broadcasting channel besides the currently-viewed channel on the monitor in the PIP screen, using the scan key.
To overcomes the aforesaid drawbacks, the present invention enables the user switch off from one channel to view the other channel completely but with a single key press he can view the sporting event in PIP window that too will not to be switched off after some time, as variable tinier can be adjusted for the time duration for which that PIP screen will flash. Also the channels can be navigated from a channel list, which will POP up at the bottom of the screen after pressing a left / right burton on the remote control. Channel list selection can be done from the main menu out of three options all added channels/ favorite channels/minimized channels. PIP flash window time can be selected from main menu
Object and summary of the invention
It is an object of the invention is to provide a method and a system to navigate between various channels in a display device in a very convenient way and without disturbing the user while watching a current program.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for visiting all the channels in a display device without actually turning to that program.
It is yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for searching channels in a more convenient way and help viewers get rid of old method of program search.
It is still another object of the present invention is to select channels from a channel list comprising added channel, favorite channel and dynamically minimized channel list.

It is further object of the present invention is to display the selected channel on a PIP window with preset time period.
To meet the above-mentioned objective the present invention provides a method for selecting and displaying channels on an on screen display comprising the steps of:
generating at least one input signal corresponding to a key activated by a user
by an external device;
receiving said input signal by an infrared receiver;
verifying the authenticity of the input signal and processing said input signal
according to the key activated by a controller;
displaying a channel list in a display bar incase the first enabling key of the
external device is activated;
displaying the first channel corresponding to the first enabling key activated in
the absence of any other channel on the on screen display;
selecting a second channel from the display bar by activating the first enabling
key while the user is watching the first channel;
displaying the second channel on a picture in picture (PIP) window of the
display device for a preset time period;
displaying the second channel as the first channel and switch off the PIP
window incase the second enabling key of the external device is activated.
In another aspect the present invention provides a system for selecting and displaying channels on an on screen display comprising:
a display device having picture in picture window (PIP) function;
an external device for generating at least one input signal corresponding to a key
activated by a user, said external device having:
an infrared transmitter;
a first enabling key; and
a second enabling key;
an infrared receiver for receiving said input signal; and
a controller coupled to said receiver for receiving the input signal, verifying the authenticity and processing said input signal for the particular key activated by the user by invoking the appropriate routine.

Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like designations are used to designate substantially identical elements.
Figure 1 illustrates a flow chart for operating the system of the present invention. Figure 2 represent a system according to the present invention.
Figure 3 represents a display on the on screen display of the display device according to the present invention.
Detailed description of the invention
Figure 1 illustrates a flow chart for operating the system of the present invention. The external device or remote control (301) generates an input signal corresponding to the key pressed by the user by an Infrared transmitter (301.1) in step 201. Then said input signal is received by an infrared receiver (302) in step 202. In step 203, the controller (302) verifies the authenticity of said input signal. If the input signal is proper and valid, the controller then selects the appropriate routine for encoding depending upon key pressed in step 204, else the user presses another key on the remote control as per his/her requirement. The controller checks whether the key pressed by the user is the left/right key or first enabling key of the remote control in step 205. If the key pressed is not the left/right key, then the controller ignores the key for the navigation function in step 206. If the key pressed is left/right key, the controller again checks whether any other display is flashing on the on screen display device of the display device in step 207. If any other display is flashing on the on screen display or any channel is selected previously, then the controller ignores the key for the navigation function. On the other hand if there is no display is flashing on the on screen display of the display device, then a channel list in a display bar displays at the bottom of the on screen display of the display device and a channel according to the user preference is selected from the channel list in step 208. The

channel list on the bottom of the display device comprises of added channel list or favorite channel list or dynamically minimized channel list by minimizing the channel of interest. User can select the channel from the channel list out of the three options (added channel list or favorite channel list or dynamically minimized channel list) from the main menu by a control module of the controller. The Controller again verifies whether any further left/right key is pressed in step 209. If the key pressed is a left/right key then the controller navigates to the next channel as selected by the user from the channel list and displays it on a picture in picture (PIP) window for a predetermined time in step 210. PIP flash window time is selected from the main menu by a control module of the controller. The controller sets time for the display bar to display the channel lists at the bottom of the display by a timer. The controller verifies whether the display time for the channel list expires in step 211. If the preset time period expired, then the display bar is deactivated by the controller in step 213. Otherwise, the channel list is displayed at the bottom of the display device in step 212. The controller again verifies whether any further left/right key is activated or not in step 214. If the user presses any left/right key again, then the controller navigates to the next channel as selected by the used from the channel list and displays it on a picture in picture (PIP) window for a predetermined time in step 210. If the key pressed is any other key other than the left/right key, then the controller verifies whether the user activated the enter key or the second enabling key in step 215. If the user pressed the enter key, then the controller displays the PIP window program to main window and switch off the PIP window in step 216. Else, the controller executes the key normally according to its functionality in step 217.
Figure 2 is a system (300) for selecting and displaying channels on an on screen display according to the present invention for switching between displays or channels. The said system comprises an external device (301), an infrared receiver (302), a controller (303), a display device (304) and a timer (305). The external device may preferably include a remote control or a keyboard. The external device comprises a left/right key or a first enabling key (301.2) and an enter key or a second enabling key (301.3). The external device has an infrared transmitter (301.1), which generates an input signal corresponding to a key press by the user. The infrared receiver receives said input signal and generates an enabling signal or an activated signal to activate the controller (303) coupled to the infrared receiver. The controller receives said input signal sent by the infrared receiver

and verifies the authenticity of the said input signal for the particular key activated by the user by invoking the appropriate routine and processes the said signal. The controller comprises a control module (303.1) for performing the following functions for:
setting the time period for the PIP window;
setting a particular type of channel from the channel list according to the user
preference.
The channel list is displayed in a display bar (304.2) preferably at the bottom of the screen of the display device so that user can easily select his/her desirable channel whenever required. A timer (305) controls the time for which minimized channels list bar or display bar is to be shown at the bottom. To display the PIP window program on the main window, user can use the second enabling key or enter key.
In overall the controller performs the following functions: Track the user key responses, Initiate the appropriate function call routine, Display appropriate on screen display, Maintain the timers,
Display the user selected channel on a PIP window; Set the time period of the PIP window; and display the PIP window program on the main window.
All documents cited in the description are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments and examples, which are intended as illustrations of a number of aspects of the invention and any embodiments, which are functionally equivalent, are within the scope of this invention. Those skilled in the art will know, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. These and all other equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

We Claim:
1. A method for selecting and displaying channels on an on screen display
comprising the steps of:
generating at least one input signal corresponding to a key activated by a user
by an external device;
receiving said input signal by an infrared receiver;
verifying the authenticity of the input signal and processing said input signal
according to the key activated by a controller;
displaying a channel list in a display bar incase a first enabling key of the
external device is activated;
displaying the first channel corresponding to the first enabling key activated in
the absence of any other channel on the on screen display;
selecting a second channel from the display bar by activating the first enabling
key while the user is watching the first channel;
displaying the second channel on a picture in picture (PIP) window of the
display device for a preset time period;
displaying the second channel as the first channel and switch off the PIP
window incase the second enabling key of the external device is activated.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel list of the display bar
includes added channels, favorite channels and dynamically minimized channels.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a particular type of channel from the
channel list is selected from the main menu by a control module.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time frame of the display bar for
displaying at the bottom of the on screen display sets by a timer.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first channel is the current channel
viewed by the user and the second channel is the channel selected from the

channel list according to the user preference and the first enabling key activated by the user.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time period for the PIP window sets
from the main menu by the control module.
7. A system for selecting and displaying channels on an on screen display
comprising:
a display device having: said on screen display; a display bar; and
picture in picture window (PIP) function;
an external device for generating at least one input signal corresponding to a key activated by a user, said external device having: an infrared transmitter; a first enabling key; and a second enabling key;
an infrared receiver for receiving said input signal; and
a controller coupled to said receiver for receiving the input signal, verifying the authenticity and processing said input signal for the particular key activated by the user by invoking the appropriate routine; and a timer for setting time frame of a display bar.
8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:
a storage means for storing the data generated by said controller responsive to
the input signal corresponding to the first enabling key;
a control module for
o retrieving the data from the storage means;
o displaying a channel list in a display bar incase a first enabling key of the
external device is activated; o displaying the first channel corresponding to the first enabling key
activated in the absence of any other channel on the on screen display;

o selecting a second channel from the display bar by activating the first enabling key while the user is watching the first channel;
o displaying the second channel on a picture in picture (PIP) window of the display device for a preset time period;
o displaying the second channel as the first channel and switch off the PIP window incase the second enabling key of the external device is activated.
9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external device is a remote control or
keyboard.
10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first enabling key is a switching key
for selecting a channel from the channel list of the display bar for displaying
either as a first or a second channel according to the appropriate routine invoked
by the controller.
11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second enabling key is a switching
key for displaying the second channel as the first channel and switching off the
PIP window.
12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage means is EEPROM.
13. A method for selecting and displaying channels on the on screen display,
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. A system for selecting and displaying channels on the on screen display,
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.