The present invention relates to a method and system for enabling a quick menu search and more particularly an alphabetical quick menu search for remote controlled devices.
Background of the Invention:
A common type of user interface in televisions is the On Screen Display (OSD), which displays all information of features, which can be controlled by the user. Typically, the user interacts with an On Screen Display with the help of Navigation keys (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT) on a remote control. Current systems predefine each of the functions in an OSD and the methods of traversing the entire menu tree. The user currently has to traverse the entire menu and sub menu for locating a specific function in order to control it or adjust it. Often there are more menu options to be displayed than space available within a display screen to display them.
As the control of televisions gets increasingly complicated, various features are added to a menu periodically and the overall size of the menu has grown to a point where the entire range of functions cannot be displayed on a single screen but are split into sub menus and even sub-sub menus. In these situations, a portion of the menu options is displayed. The user has to scroll through the submenus until the user finds the desired menu option.
Some menu systems also allow the user to customize the menu according to their preference. For example US 5781247 assigned to Thomson Consumer Electronics describes a customized 'fetch' menu that holds a given number of the users favorite commands. The user is allowed to add commands to the fetch menu that may reside in any position in the menu hierarchy. Thus the user can display his list of favorite commands via a remote control keypad and execute his desired command without having to find that command at its normal position in the hierarchy.
Some known systems permit a user to delete menu options which are not frequently used from future displays of the menu while others permit a user to predetermine which menu options will be displayed. In some of these systems a usage history is maintained and displayed to the user. A user may also change the display order of menus so that menus,
which contain more advanced menu options, do not appear to the user who is utilizing the basic menu options.
Some menu systems also alter the menu on the basis of the usage patterns. US patent 5420975 describes a method and system for the automatic alteration of a display of a user selectable menu by using counters. Thus the most frequently used menu options will be displayed more prominently and before the less used one. Alternately, the lesser-used function could be dimmed or deleted.
Thus in most current systems the user has to navigate through the entire menu to search a particular feature of his choice and then control the settings as per his choice. Though the user may have a vague idea of the features exact location in the menu he has to still browse through a number of sub menus before locating the desired function.
Also as features in different televisions may be named or labeled differently or a particular television set may have some extra functions the task of locating a particular function may be more daunting than expected. It should also be borne in mind that not all users of televisions come from a technical background and location of features that may seem obvious to the programmer may seem illogical to an ordinary user.
The existing menu systems aim at making navigation easier by either giving flexibility to the users for deleting some not used menus or prioritizing the menu depending on users choice. Some other systems change the menu order upon the frequency of selection of the feature. These are complex ways that aim at making the user able to access the feature and control it immediately. Some known systems also provide dedicated keys that can be programmed to go into the control of the functionality directly. But then again the limitation of the number of physical keys in the remote becomes a detriment. There is therefore a requirement for a simpler and an all-inclusive search that takes the user directly to the functionality he desires to control.
The purpose of this invention is to implement the search feature for a remote controlled device so that the user can directly go to the desired location of control. Without any
intended limitation to the scope of the invention, the quick menu search feature of the present invention is implemented on a television OSD. For instance, the invention may also be applied to other devices with remote control facility and menu structured search such as mobile phones, display devices, music systems etc.
To overcome the above drawbacks the invention provides a method and system for enabling quick menu search. A further object of the invention is to provide quick access to the menu by using a quick menu search and thereby searching, selecting and controlling user desired functionality instantly without creating complex new menus, changing menu locations, or adding any additional hardware for switching between menus. Another object of the invention is to provide means to save the desired search result in the form of direct keys or hot keys.
To meet the aforementioned objectives the invention provides for a method and a system for quick menu search. The quick search menu application in the TV enables a user to quickly and efficiently search an item in the menu. The user is either provided with a list of all the menu items arranged in alphabetical order or with a list of recently or most frequently used menu items or a combination thereof. The list of menu functions is displayed on a screen of the TV. The user can narrow down the number of menu functions in the list by pressing an alphabet on a remote control of the TV. The menu functions in the list with titles starting with the selected alphabet are displayed on the screen of the TV. The user can scroll through the displayed list and select a menu function required by him or her. The user may also program a key to save a desired search result. The key is programmed and the user can directly reach the searched menu function by just pressing the programmed key once.
The quick menu search application thereby enables easy menu navigation and intelligent search for a menu item. Further, it also allows the user to save a searched result as a direct key, 'HotKey', thereby enabling user-friendly operation of the remote control.
To meet the aforementioned objectives the invention provides for a method of quick menu search by a remote controlled device comprising the steps of:
activating the search screen on the On Screen Display by depressing the search button on the remote controlled device; displaying the entire list of menu functions in an alphabetical order;
either entering at least the first character of the desired menu function such that the displayed list of menu functions reduces to those starting with the entered character; or scrolling down the displayed menu functions;
selecting the desired menu function from the displayed menu functions.
The invention also provides for an apparatus for quick menu search comprising:
a remote control device for activating the quick menu search and for entering the
user commands;
a means for storing the menu functions;
a processing means for processing commands entered by the user;
an on screen display for displaying menu functions; wherein the on screen display lists out the entire list of menu functions when no character has been entered by the user and displays only those functions starting with the entered character or sequence of characters, when the user has entered a character or a sequence of characters.
Brief description of accompanying drawings:
The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the following detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Figure 1 illustrates a dedicated remote control with the search key in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 illustrates a search result on the screen in accordance with the invention.
Figure 3 illustrates a flowchart defining the implementation of the invention.
Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart for the method of saving a searched result as a direct key.
Figure 5 illustrates the display of menu functions in accordance with the maximum viewed feature and last viewed feature.
Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram for the implementation of the alphabetical quick menu search on a television set.
Detailed description of the Invention:
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
The invention provides use of a dedicated remote key (search key). The remote in accordance with the invention and with the search key is shown in figure 1. This key can be multiplexed with any other existing key also. On pressing the search key, the user will be able to view all the menu functions at a glance, arranged in an alphabetical order. The user has an option to view the entire menu features available or search for a particular function or feature by keying in its initials thereby enlisting the menu features starting with the keyed initials only and then select the desired function by pressing the enter key and reach the function directly and control it as per his requirements.
As shown in figure 1 a remote control device is being used with alphabets multiplexed with number keys. This can be replaced by providing a virtual keyboard along with search functionality.
With reference now to figure 2, a quick menu search feature is being used which lists the entire menu functions alphabetically. The user has an option to view the entire menu functions or search for a particular function by keying in its initials. As shown, by keying the alphabet 'b', all the functions in the menu starting with the alphabet 'b' are displayed alphabetically. The user can now scroll down and select the desired function or alternatively type in the next character in the menu function that he is searching for. For example, if a user were trying to locate the brightness function within the menu tree, then typing 'b' followed by V would bring up the brightness funaion from the menu at the beginning of the list. On the other hand had the user typed 'b' followed by '1' the blue screen function would have turned up on the OSD at the beginning of the list.
This search can be additionally made an intelligent search, which shows a list depending upon the maximum used feature and last used feature or features. In this case for example: if the user searches for Brightness more frequently and has searched for Bass last time (stored as last viewed feature status), then in that case Brightness will be displayed first followed by Bass thereon according to priority instead of being displayed in alphabetical order. If Bass is again searched and is controlled again, then when its priority becomes more than Brightness it will show up above Brightness in the List Box. The intelligent search basically prioritizes the search feature list according to priority considering the maximum used feature and/or the last viewed feature.
Figure 5 illustrates a method of quick menu search incorporating the maximum used feature and the last viewed feature. On entering the search key 400 the menu funaion list is displayed on the OSD in alphabetical order 410. It is then determined if the maximum viewed funaion has a pre-defined value 420 before displaying it before the last viewed function 430. If the maximum viewed feature does not have a predefined value then the last viewed funaion is.displayed before the maximum viewed feature in the menu display list.
Furthermore, the user can also store the search result in the form of direct keys or 'hot keys'. Thus a user who frequently uses a particular function of the menu can save the result as a direct key.
A simplified flow chart for the portion of the control program of the micro controller that relates to the operation of the search key is shown in figure 3. The quick search function in accordance with the invention is entered when the user presses the search key on the remote control device 100. At this stage the search display screen is visible on the OSD, 110. Before continuing with the subsequent search operations it is determined whether the exit key is depressed, 120. Thus if the search key were pressed in error the subsequent entering of the exit key will take the routine out of the quick search screen display. If however, the exit key is not entered, the routine in accordance with the method of quick search as defined by the invention moves to step 130'where it is determined if any character has been entered by the user. If the user has entered any character or a sequence of characters then the OSD will display the list of menu functions beginning with the entered sequence, 150. If however, the user has entered no character then the OSD will display the complete list of menu functions, step 140.
In the preferred embodiment the step 140 may be clubbed with step 110 and display of search screen would also display the list of menu functions as per the defined priority.
Once the OSD displays the list of menu functions as per the outcome of step 140 or 150 the user can scroll down and select the desired function, step 160. Again, at this stage the routine will check to see if the exit key has been entered, 170. If the exit key has been entered the routine will exit from the quick search screen 220.
If exit has not been entered then the system will check if any function has been selected 180. On selection of a particular function the routine will display the sub menu associated with that function or initiate the desired function, as the situation may be 190.
Once the user has selected the desired function the routine will allow the saving of the searched function by assigning a direct key to it 200. If the user decides to assign a direct key to the searched function then that assignment will be saved 210. The routine will exit 220 from the quick search function after step 200 or 210.
With reference now to figure 4 a method of saving a search result has been illustrated. In order to save a searched result the user must first reach the programming mode for which a pre-defined combination of keys is to be entered. On entering the required combination 310 the user is taken to the programming mode 320 where the user can browse the last viewed feature using the quick menu search 330 and save the search result as a direct key 340 and the search is saved in the EEPROM 350.
With reference to figure 6, the implementation of the alphabetical quick menu search for a TV system is shown. A remote control device (500) consists of search key which when pressed will transmit Infra Red Signal (510). This infrared signal is received by the panel infrared unit (520) and is demodulated using the infrared receiver unit (530).
A micro controller unit (550) is responsible for controlling all the devices. It decodes the infrared signal received and displays search screen on the OSD. During processing the micro controller unit (550) reads the initial data from the EEPROM unit (540). Once the search signal is decoded, it processes and controls the menu operation. Thus the micro controller displays the features list as stored in the EEPROM. It then processes depending on user key inputs and creates a menu features list dynamically depending on the users choice (alphabetical key inputs), maximum viewed and last viewed features.
If the user chooses to save the search in the form of a direct key, the respective functionality will be saved in the EEPROM. To invoke the funaionality whenever needed the particular direct key is pressed.
Also if the order of features lists changes depending on maximum viewed and last viewed features, the list of features in new order is stored in the EEPROM (540). This is achieved
by passing the number of required bytes and pointers to the data in the particular address of the EEPROM.
The TV tuner (580) unit is used for tuning a particular channel .The video processing unit (560) and audio processing units (570) process the signal received from the RF Tuner.
The quick search feature thus makes locating a particular function convenient and easy. The users most repeated functions might be stored as direct keys. Menu function display may also be sorted by maximum usage and last view making the location of menu functions even more expedient. The new quick search feature can be leveraged as a valuable marketing tool.
It will readily be appreciated bf those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments herein shown. Thus variations may be made within the scope and spirit of the accompanying claims without sacrificing the principal advantages of the invention.

We claim:
1. A method of quick menu search by a remote controlled device comprising the steps
of:
- activating the search screen on the On Screen Display by depressing the search
button on the remote controlled device;
displaying the entire list of menu functions in an alphabetical order;
- either entering at least the first character of the desired menu function such that the
displayed list of menu functions reduces to those starting with the entered character;
or scrolling down the displayed menu functions;
selecting the desired menu function from the displayed menu functions.
2. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 1 wherein on entering a character
in the search screen only those menu functions starting with the entered character are displayed in an alphabetical order.
3. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 1 wherein on entering a character in the search screen only those menu functions starting with the entered character are displayed in an order considering the priority of the functions that is determined on the basis of predetermined parameters.
4. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 3 wherein the parameter for determining priority is maximum use of function.
5. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 3 wherein the parameter for determining priority is last viewed function.
6. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected menu function is saved by assigning it a direct key.
7. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 1 wherein on selection of a menu function from the displayed list the selected function is activated.
8. A method of quick menu search as claimed in claim 1 wherein on selection of a menu function from the displayed list the corresponding sub menu is displayed.
9. An apparatus for quick menu search comprising:
- a remote control device for activating the quick menu search and for entering the
user commands;
a means for storing the menu functions;
a processing means for processing commands entered by the user;
- an on screen display for displaying menu functions;
wherein the on screen display lists out the entire list of menu functions when no character has been entered by the user and displays only those functions starting with the entered character or sequence of characters, when the user has entered a character or a sequence of characters.
10. An apparatuses claimed in claim 9 wherein the remote control device has a dedicated search key.
11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the remote control device has the search key multiplexed with another key.
12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the remote control device has alphabets multiplexed with number keys.
13. A method of quick menu search substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
14. An apparatus for quick menu search substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.