Device and method for navigation through active element in displayed page

Abstract

To provide a solution for addressing at least some of the shortcomings of navigation between various active elements displayed on, for example, a TV.SOLUTION: A method includes: receiving content by a first interface of a device, from a further device; analyzing, by at least one hardware processor, the content to find active elements that is to be visible on a screen when displayed; generating a page by overlaying a first part of the content to be visible on the screen when displayed with graphic elements respectively corresponding to found active elements; sending the page to a third interface for display on the screen; and activating a corresponding active element upon reception, via a second interface from a user input device, of a command comprising identifier information displayed in a graphic element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Technical Field The present disclosure generally relates to navigation by display pages having active elements, and more particularly to such navigation using a conventional remote control.

Background Art

[0002] Background This section aims to introduce readers to various aspects of technologies that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure described below and / or claimed. This explanation is considered useful in providing readers with background information to better understand the various aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that these descriptions are not to be read as an admission of prior art but from this perspective.

[0003] Connected TVs can be accessed via a web browser to the same websites as computers, smartphones, or tablets. However, due to the size of the TV screen, the distance between the user and the screen, and especially the limited user interface (typically a conventional remote control, but without a touch screen or mouse, and only rarely a keyboard), browsing web pages on a TV is less intuitive than on a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

[0004] Web pages can be adapted for viewing on a TV screen, for example, using a dedicated user agent, larger fonts, and rearrangement of items within the web page. Nevertheless, navigation and selection of active elements on the web page remain problematic. Active elements are items such as hyperlinks, text input fields, buttons, clickable images, etc., that a user can interact with via an input user interface.

[0005] It is also the case for a set-top box and a decoder that enables a user to interact with a head end, for example, to request video on demand (VoD), and provides a user interface through which the user interacts with a conventional remote control.

[0006] The most common conventional solution is a remote control having arrow keys used to move a cursor or other indicator to a desired active element and confirm by pressing an "OK" button, an enter key, or the like. FIG. 1 shows an example of a screenshot of a web page 110 overlaid by a cursor 120 (enclosed by a red circle for visibility).

[0007] This cursor-based solution has several disadvantages. Since the arrow buttons often have to be used many times, it can be time-consuming to move the cursor to the desired active element. Depending on the initial position of the cursor, it may be necessary to traverse the entire web page to reach the active element.

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-278335 appears to describe a solution in which a head end provides an image to a TV along with a series of available content, and the content is overlaid by numbers. When the user enters a number using a remote control, the corresponding content is provided by the head end. This solution seems to work well as long as the head end controls the content and how the content is displayed, but it is clear that it does not always apply, especially for web pages formatted for display by a receiving device, web pages having dynamic content, or both.

[0009] Therefore, it is understood that a solution is desired that addresses at least some of the drawbacks of navigating between various active elements displayed, for example, on a TV. The present principle provides such a solution. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Summary of the Disclosure In a first aspect, the present principle relates to an apparatus comprising means for receiving data regarding information displayed on a screen, means for receiving a command from a user input device, means for outputting an image to be displayed on the screen, means for processing data to generate a first image including at least a part of the displayed information, the first image being entirely visible on the screen when displayed, means for generating an overlaid first image by overlaying graphic elements respectively corresponding to active elements in the first image and the first image, means for providing the overlaid first image to the means for outputting an image for output on the screen, means for associating a single graphic element with a group including a plurality of active elements, and means for activating an active element corresponding to a case where the command includes identification information displayed within the graphic element when the command is received by the means for receiving a command. When the identification information corresponds to the group, activating includes overlaying the graphic elements corresponding to each active element within the group on the first image.

[0011] In a second aspect, the principle involves receiving data regarding information displayed on a screen from a further device via a first interface, processing the data by processing means to generate a first image including at least a portion of the information to be displayed, where the first image is entirely visible on the screen when displayed, processing the data, generating, by generating means, an overlaid first image by overlaying graphic elements respectively corresponding to active elements within the first image onto the first image, providing, by providing means, the overlaid first image to output means for output on the screen, and activating, by activating means, a corresponding active element when a command including identification information displayed within a graphic element is received by means of receiving a second interface from a user input device. When the identification information corresponds to a graphic element related to a group including a plurality of active elements, activating includes overlaying, onto the first image, graphic elements corresponding to each active element within the group.

[0012] In a third aspect, the principle is directed to a computer program including program code instructions executable by a processor to implement the steps of a method according to any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0013] Brief Description of the Drawings Next, the features of the principle will be described as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Description of Embodiment FIG. 2 shows a system 200 according to an embodiment of this principle. The system 200 includes an apparatus 210 and an input device 220, and also shows a non-transitory computer-readable medium 230 that stores program code instructions for implementing the steps of the method according to this principle when executed by a processor.

[0016] The apparatus 210 can be, for example, a TV or a set-top box. The apparatus 210 includes a user input interface 211, at least one hardware processor (hereinafter referred to as "processor") 212, a memory 213, a network interface 214, and a display interface 215. The interfaces are implemented at least partially by hardware. For the sake of brevity of description, it will be understood that parts of the apparatus 210 that are not useful for understanding this principle are not shown.

[0017] The user input interface 211 is typically wireless and is configured to receive input from the input device 220 and provide the received input to the processor 212. The processor 212 is configured to execute program code instructions for performing the method according to the present principle described with respect to FIG. 3. The memory 213 is configured to store program code instructions for execution by the processor 212 and to store data. The network interface 214 may be wired or wireless and is configured to enable communication between the processor 212 and at least one device within an external network (not shown) to obtain content for display to the user. Such content may be a web page, and a web page is used as a non-limiting example. The display interface 215 may be wired or wireless and is configured to output content for display on the screen 240. When the device 210 is a television, the screen 240 is included within the device, but this does not apply when the device 210 is a device such as a set-top box that provides information for display on a separate screen. It should be noted that a television may also have a display interface for displaying information on a separate screen (not shown).

[0018] The remote control 220 may be a conventional remote control having buttons for the arrow (up, down, left, right), OK, power on / off, volume adjustment, and digits 0-9 for entering channel numbers.

[0019] The processor 212 implements a web browser 2121 according to the present principle. To that end, the web browser 2121 may be a conventional web browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox extended by a plugin or add-on that provides additional features of the present principle. The web browser and the plugin (add-on) may be implemented by program code instructions.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a method 300 of a web browser according to the present principle. Hereinafter, it will be understood that the web browser 2121 is executed by the processor 212.

[0021] In step S30, the web browser 2121 receives web page data for display and analysis via the network interface 214, and in step S31, the web browser 2121 receives the web page data and finds active elements (such as hyperlinks) therein. The web page can be stored in the memory 213. The web page can be in a markup language such as HTML or XML or a script language designed for web development such as javascript.

[0022] In step S32, the web browser 2121 formats the web page data for display on the screen 240 and determines the portion of the web page that will be visible when displayed to the user on the screen 240. This portion of the web page is determined by the size of the web page and the size of the screen 240 (in terms of the size used to display the web page). Such a portion of the web page can be based on techniques such as formatting of the HTML page to fit the size of the display window, and determination of the size of the display portion used with a print preview indicating what will be printed on the page and a scroll bar, as is well known in the art. It will be understood that no formatting is required if the web page is pre-formatted by, for example, a head-end device.

[0023] In step S33, the web browser 2121 determines the active elements within the displayed portion and the positions of those active elements. The web browser knows the portion of the document that will be visible and also knows, from the formatting of the web page, where each active element is located. Those active elements and their positions can be stored in the memory 213.

[0024] In step S34, the web browser 2121 generates and overlays a graphic element on the web page near at least a part of the active elements visible to the user. Each graphic element is related to the corresponding active element and preferably displays different active element identification information. Such identification information is preferably corresponding to content that can be easily recognized by the user and can be easily input by the user using the input device 220, such as numbers and characters (as in a conventional remote control, etc.). Each piece of identification information can be stored in the memory 213 together with its respective active element (and position).

[0025] In this context, "near" means that, without making it difficult or impossible to see what the active element is by hiding the active element, preferably by bringing the graphic element closer to its associated active element than to other active elements, it is close enough to the active element to reasonably ensure that the user can recognize which active element the graphic element is linked to (i.e., associated with). As long as the active element is easily identifiable, the graphic element can hide a part of the active element. The graphic element can be opaque or translucent. The graphic element can also include a boundary surrounding its active element. Examples of graphic elements near the active element are shown in FIGS. 4 to 7.

[0026] In one embodiment, only the identification information directly corresponding to the buttons on the input device 220 is used. For example, if the input device 220 includes numeric buttons 0 to 9, the identification information can be limited to single-digit numbers (including zero). In this embodiment, there may not be enough graphic elements for all visible active elements. Therefore, a specific user input, such as "0", can cause the processor 212 to associate those graphic elements with a further active element rather than the original active element.

[0027] In a further embodiment, the identification information can also correspond to a combination of buttons, such as a multi-digit number. In yet a further embodiment, identification information corresponding to non-numeric buttons such as color buttons can be used in addition to other buttons or combinations of buttons.

[0028] More specifically, a graphic element can be associated with a plurality of active elements. In this case, it is preferable that the graphic element includes its indicator. For example, such a graphic element can include identification information together with a dedicated symbol such as "+", can be of a specific color different from a "single" graphical element, can have a specific boundary, and so on.

[0029] In step S35, the web browser 2121 displays, via the display interface 215, the visible portion of the web page having the overlaid graphical element.

[0030] In step S36, the web browser 2121 monitors the user interaction with the displayed web page via the user input interface 211. Such interaction includes movement (scroll) of the web page and input of identification information.

[0031] If the user interaction is a scroll of the web page, in step S37 the movement is calculated and the method returns to step S32 for determining the visible portion.

[0032] If the user interaction is a selection of identification information (which can be an input such as a channel number in a conventional system), in step S38 the web browser 2121 determines the corresponding active element and activates that active element. The activation can be different for each type of active element, for example as follows. · For a hyperlink, activation of the hyperlink · For a text field, placement of the cursor within the text field and display of a virtual keyboard to enable text input · For a button, execution of the function associated with that button · Display of items within a pop-up list · In graphical elements related to multiple active elements, presentation of further graphical elements (see further explanation below)

[0033] Selection can also cause movement of graphical elements as already described, or display of graphical elements for a group of active elements as will be further described.

[0034] In one embodiment, a user can activate and deactivate the display of graphical elements overlaid on a web page.

[0035] Figure 4 shows an example of a screenshot of a web page 400 overlaid with graphical elements. As can be seen, thirteen graphical elements 1 to 13 are overlaid near various active elements within the web page.

[0036] It has been previously stated that a graphical element can be related to multiple active elements. This can occur, for example, when there are multiple active elements within a relatively narrow area, making it difficult for a user to determine which graphical element corresponds to which active element. There may also be cases where it is difficult to clearly display the graphical elements. It can also occur that a web page contains many active elements and it is desirable for a user to first select a group of active elements and then select a desired active element within the group.

[0037] Figure 5 shows a second example of web page 500 displayed according to the present principle. As can be seen, the graphic elements labeled from 1 to 7 are respectively related to a single active element "Rubens", "Barbara",... "Appels d’offres". Four groups of active elements can be seen at the bottom of the visible part of the web page, and these groups are named "Groupe", "Actualites", "Creation", and "France Television & Vous". Each group is related to a respective graphic element that indicates that the selection of the corresponding identification information can select the individual active elements of the group. For example, "Groupe" is related to the graphic element "8+", where "8" is the identification information and "+" is the indicator described above.

[0038] The selection of the "Groupe" identification information causes the web browser 2121 to display the graphic element corresponding to the active element of the selected group. This can be done in at least two ways, shown in Figures 6 and 7 respectively.

[0039] Figure 6 shows a first example of group selection within a web page displayed according to the present principle. Figure 6 shows a web browser 60 displaying web page 62 corresponding to web page 500 shown in Figure 5. Web pages 62 and 500 are generally the same unless scrolled. However, the overlaid graphic elements are different. In Figure 6, each active element of the selected group is individually associated with a graphic element now shown grouped as 64. The selection of this graphic element now activates the corresponding active element. In this example, the identification information also starts from 1 and is incremented. In Figure 6, when a group is selected, the graphic elements related to other groups disappear, and their associations can be made non-existent. For example, in Figure 5, "Rubens" was associated with the identification information "1", but not in Figure 6. Now, "1" is related to "Histoire" within the group named "Groupe".

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a second example of group selection within a web page displayed in accordance with the present principle. FIG. 7 shows a web browser 70 that displays a web page 72 corresponding to the web page 500 shown in FIG. 5, and the web pages 72 and 500 are generally the same unless scrolled. However, the graphic elements of the overlay are changed by replacing the graphic elements of the group "8+" with individual graphic elements having numbers not previously used in FIG. 7, in this case "12" and "13". It should be noted that the web browser 70 can be configured to cancel the group selection by entering the identification information used to select the group in the first stage, i.e., "8".

[0041] Although the present principle has been described with respect to web pages, those skilled in the art will understand that it can be used provided that the active elements within other types of "pages" can be located, such as pre-formatted pages having active elements from a service provider, such as a video content provider, by, for example, a decoder or a set-top box. In this case, the page can be received, for example, as an MPEG packet.

[0042] It will be understood that the present principle can provide improved navigation by active elements when using a conventional remote control.

[0043] It should be understood that the illustrated elements can be implemented by various forms of hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Preferably, these elements are implemented by a combination of hardware and software on one or more appropriately programmed general-purpose devices that may include a processor, memory, and an input / output interface.

[0044] This description shows the principle of the present disclosure. Thus, it will be understood that those skilled in the art can devise various configurations that embody the principle of the present disclosure and fall within its scope even if not explicitly described or illustrated herein.

[0045] All of the examples and conditional language recited herein are intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles and concepts of the present disclosure provided by the inventors to advance the art, and are to be construed as not being limited to such specifically recited examples and conditions.

[0046] Furthermore, all expressions in this specification that set forth the principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. In addition, such equivalents are intended to include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function regardless of structure.

[0047] Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will understand that the block diagrams shown herein represent conceptual diagrams of exemplary circuits embodying the principles of the present disclosure. Similarly, any flowcharts, process diagrams, etc. can be substantially represented within a computer-readable medium and, therefore, represent various processes that can be executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

[0048] The functions of the various elements shown can be provided by dedicated hardware, as well as by hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, those functions can be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which can be shared. Furthermore, the explicit use of the terms "processor" or "controller" should not be construed as referring exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, but can implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, read-only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile storage.

[0049] Other conventional and / or custom hardware may also be included. Similarly, any of the switches shown are only conceptual. Their functions can be performed by the operation of program logic, by dedicated logic, by the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, and specific techniques can be selected by the implementer so as to be more clearly understood from the context.

[0050] In the claims of this specification, any element represented as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function, for example a) a combination of circuit elements that perform that function, or b) software including any form of software that is combined with an appropriate circuit for executing the software to perform that function, and thus including firmware, microcode, etc. The disclosure as defined by such claims lies in the fact that the functions provided by the various means recited are combined and aggregated in the manner required by the claims. Accordingly, any means capable of providing those functions is considered equivalent to the means shown herein.

Description of the Reference Numerals

[0051] 60 Web browser 62 Web page 70 Web browser 72 Web page 110 Web page 120 Cursor 200 System 210 Device 211 User input interface 212 Processor 213 Memory 214 Network interface 215 Display interface 220 Input device 230 Non - transitory computer - readable medium 240 Screen 400 Web page 500 Web page 2121 Web Browser

Claims

1. means for receiving data relating to information to be displayed on the screen; means for receiving commands from a user input device; means for outputting an image for display on said screen; means for processing the data to generate a first image including at least a portion of the information to be displayed, the first image being visible in its entirety on the screen when displayed; means for generating an overlaid first image by overlaying the first image with graphic elements that respectively correspond to active elements in the first image; means for providing the overlaid first image by the means for outputting an image for output on the screen; means for associating a single graphic element with a group containing multiple active elements; means for activating a corresponding active element when a command is received by said means for receiving a command and the command includes identifying information to be displayed within a graphical element; and if the identification information corresponds to a group, activating overlays a graphical element corresponding to each active element in the group onto the first image.

13. An apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for generating an overlaid first image is configured to overlay the graphic elements corresponding to each active element in the group in addition to previously displayed graphic elements, except for the graphic elements corresponding to the group.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for generating an overlaid first image is configured to overlay the graphic elements corresponding to each active element in the group in place of previously displayed graphic elements.

4. means for generating, if the command is an instruction to display further information in the data on the screen, a second image including the further information, the second image being visible in its entirety on the screen when displayed; means for generating an overlaid second image by overlaying the second image with graphic elements that respectively correspond to active elements in the second image; means for providing the overlaid second page to the means for outputting an image for output; The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for generating an overlaid first image is configured to overlay a graphical element on or near its corresponding active element.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising the screen.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a set-top box or a decoder.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input comprises one or more digits.

9. Activation of active elements, in the case of a hyperlink, said activation of said hyperlink; in a text field, said displaying a virtual keyboard to enable placement of a cursor and text entry within said text field; For a button, performing the function associated with said button; and In a popup list, the display of items in the popup list The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one of:

10. receiving data from the further device by the first interface relating to information to be displayed on the screen; processing said data by a processing means to generate a first image including at least a portion of said information to be displayed, said first image being visible in its entirety on said screen when displayed; generating an overlaid first image by a generating means by overlaying the first image with graphic elements that respectively correspond to active elements in the first image; providing the overlaid first image by a providing means through an output means for outputting the first image on the screen; and a method including, upon receiving a command including identification information to be displayed within a graphical element by means for receiving a second interface from a user input device, activating a corresponding active element by an activating means, wherein if the identification information corresponds to a graphical element associated with a group including a plurality of active elements, said activating includes overlaying a graphical element corresponding to each active element in the group onto the first image; method.

11. If the command is an instruction to move the page to display more information in the data on the screen, generating, by said at least one hardware processor, a second image including further information, said second image being visible in its entirety on said screen when displayed; generating, by the at least one hardware processor, an overlaid second image by overlaying the second image with graphic elements that respectively correspond to active elements in the second image; and providing, by said at least one hardware processor, said second page to said third interface for output on said screen. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the graphic elements corresponding to each active element in the group in addition to previously displayed graphic elements are overlaid except for the graphic elements corresponding to the group.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the graphical element corresponding to each active element in the group is overlaid in place of previously displayed graphical elements.

14. A computer program comprising program code instructions executable by a processor to implement the steps of the method according to at least one of claims 10 and 13.

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