Touch Sensitive Viewing Device for Set Top Box Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional set top box user interfaces are not capable of touch screen control, making it difficult for remote viewers to interact with the menu and electronic program guide, especially since optimal viewing distances place the screen beyond arm's reach, and physical interaction may result in fingerprints on the screen.
Innovation Solution
A touch sensitive viewing device with bidirectional communication allows users to control set top box functions through touch and motion sensing, enabling remote control of selections and orientations, using a remote A/V display device that receives and processes digital A/V streams via Wi-Fi or digital wireless links, and interprets touch coordinates and motion to generate appropriate control commands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical button pushes or remote control commands are used to control set top box menu and electronic program guide, then the control functionality is provided, but the user interaction becomes cumbersome and imprecise due to the distance between the user and the display screen
Solution Approach 1:
A touch-sensitive display screen serves as an intermediary between the user and the set top box control system. The screen detects touch inputs and translates them into control commands for the set top box menu and electronic program guide, eliminating the need for physical buttons or remote controls and allowing direct interaction at the display location.
2Ease of operation
If touch screen control is implemented on the display screen, then direct user interaction is enabled, but fingerprints and smudges are left on the screen surface
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the touch input coordinates and translates them into control commands without requiring physical contact with the screen surface. The touch-sensitive display detects the location of finger contact and sends this information wirelessly to the set top box, eliminating the need for the user to physically interact with the screen while maintaining direct control capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the set top box control interface is made accessible at the display location, then user interaction is improved, but the existing interface design cannot accommodate touch-based control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The touch-sensitive display screen is designed to perform multiple functions: it displays video content, detects touch inputs for control, and communicates control commands to the set top box. This multi-functional design allows the same device to serve both as the display output and the control interface, eliminating the need for separate control mechanisms and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables intuitive and fingerprint-free control of set top box functions, allowing users to navigate and select content without physical contact with the screen, maintaining the standard user interface paradigm while providing enhanced control capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
transitory motion and or spatial reorientation of the touch sensitive viewing device can control selections within the set top box and ancillary equipment
Implementation Method 2
receives and processes digital A/V streams via Wi-Fi or digital wireless links
Data Source
AI summary
A method for control comprises a set top box receiving coordinates from a touch sensing screen. The coordinates are interpreted for controlling the set top box, and in accordance with the interpreted coordinates an action is performed. A further method for control comprises a set top box receiving a signal representative of displacement. A control function is determined from the displacement representative signal and the control function is activated. In accordance with the control function a signal is formed for communication.