Media channel selection

Abstract

A media control system processes a numeric user input to identify a set of alphabetic letters. The media control system selects a plurality of media channel names based on the set of alphabetic letters. The media control system generates a first signal to drive a first display of the media channel names. The media control system processes additional user input to select one of the displayed media channel names. The media control system generates a second signal to drive a second display associated with a media channel identified by the selected one of the displayed media channel names.

1 . A method of operating a media control system comprising:
 detecting a first numeric user input, wherein the first numeric user input is defined by an amount of time that the first numeric user input is pressed;   determining that the first numeric user input corresponds to a first numeral when the amount of pressed time of the first numeric user input is less than a predetermined amount of time;   determining that the first numeric user input corresponds to a first set of alphabetic letters when the amount of pressed time of the first numeric user input is at least equal to the predetermined amount of time;   processing the first numeric user input to identify the first set of alphabetic letters in response to determining that the first numeric user input corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters;   selecting a first plurality of media channel names based on the identified first set of alphabetic letters, wherein each of the first plurality of media channel names begins with a first alphabetic letter corresponding to one of the alphabetic letters of the identified first set of alphabetic letters;   generating a first signal configured to drive a display, wherein the display presents at least the first plurality of media channel names;   detecting a second numeric user input after detecting the first numeric user input;   determining that the second numeric user input corresponds to a second set of alphabetic letters and does not correspond to a second numeral associated with the second set of alphabetic letters responsive to determining the first numeric user input corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters;   processing the second numeric user input to identify the second set of alphabetic letters associated with the second numeric user input;   selecting a second plurality of media channel names from the first plurality of media channel names, wherein each of the second plurality of media channel names have a first alphabetic letter that corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters followed by a second alphabetic letter that corresponds to one of the alphabetic letters of the second set of alphabetic letters; and   generating a second signal configured to drive a second display, wherein the second display presents at least the second plurality of media channel names.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the first numeric user input comprises detecting the first numeric user input from a pressed first numeric key residing on a remote control, and wherein detecting the second numeric user input comprises detecting the second numeric user input from a pressed second numeric key residing on the remote control. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the first numeric user input and detecting the second numeric user input are detected at a touchscreen of the remote control. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the first numeric user input and detecting the second numeric user input are detected at a key pad of the remote control. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating from the remote control the generated first signal configured to drive the display; and   communicating from the remote control the generated second signal configured to drive the display.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the communicated first signal and the communicated second signal are configured to be received by a set-top box, wherein the set-top box transfers display signals corresponding to the generated first signal and the generated second signal to the display of a television. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the communicated first signal and the communicated second signal are configured to be received by a television with the display. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of media channel names are names of video channels. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second display comprises video programming on one of the second plurality of media channel names. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second display comprises a video program guide for the second plurality of media channel names. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded instructions to direct operation of a remote control to perform a method comprising:
 processing a first single-numeral user input received from a pressed first numeric key residing on the remote control, wherein the processing identifies an amount of time that the first numeric key is pressed;   further processing the first single-numeral user input to determine that the first single-numeral user input corresponds to a first numeral when the pressed time is less than a predetermined amount of time, and to determine that the first single-numeral user input corresponds to a first set of alphabetic letters when the pressed time is at least equal to the predetermined amount of time;   further processing the first single-numeral user input to identify the first set of alphabetic letters responsive to the first single-numeral user input being pressed for at least the predetermined amount of time;   selecting a first plurality of media channel names that each have a first alphabetic letter corresponding to the first set of alphabetic letters;   generating a first signal to drive a first display to present the first plurality of media channel names;   processing a second single-numeral user input received from a pressed second numeric key residing on the remote control, wherein the second single-numeral user input is subsequently received after the first single-numeral user input is received, wherein the second single-numeral user input is identified as a second set of alphabetic letters in response to determining that the first single-numeral user input corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters;   selecting a second plurality of media channel names from the first plurality of media channel names, wherein each of the second plurality of media channel names have a first alphabetic letter that corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters followed by a second alphabetic letter that corresponds to one of the alphabetic letters of the second set of alphabetic letters; and   generating a second signal to drive a second display of the second plurality of media channel names.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 communicating from the remote control the generated first signal configured to drive the first display; and   communicating from the remote control the generated second signal configured to drive the second display.   
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a remote control, comprising;
 a remote control interface configured to receive and process a first numeric user input from a pressed first numeric key residing on the remote control that is received for a pressed amount of time, and to subsequently receive a second numeric user input from a pressed second numeric key residing on the remote control after the first numeric user input is received; and 
 a remote control processing system configured to process the first numeric user input and the second numeric user input, wherein the remote control processing system is further configured to:
 determine that the first numeric user input corresponds to a numeral when the amount of pressed time of the first numeric user input is less than a predetermined amount of time; 
 determine that the first numeric user input corresponds to a first set of alphabetic letters when the amount of pressed time of the first numeric user input is at least equal to the predetermined amount of time; 
 generate a first signal corresponding to the first set of alphabetic letters; transmit the first signal from the remote control; 
 in response to receiving the second numeric user input after receiving the first numeric user input, determine that the second numeric user input corresponds to a second set of alphabetic letters in response to determining that the first numeric user input corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters; 
 generate a second signal corresponding to the second set of alphabetic letters; and 
 transmit the second signal from the remote control; 
 
   a media control system, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive the first signal and the second signal from the remote control; and 
 a display interface configured to transfer the first signal to drive a first display of at least a first plurality of media channel names, and configured to transfer the second signal to drive a second display of at least a second plurality of media channel names, 
 wherein the first plurality of media channel names is identified based on the identified first set of alphabetic letters, and wherein each of the first plurality of media channel names begins with a first alphabetic letter corresponding to one of the identified alphabetic letters of the identified first set of alphabetic letters, and 
 wherein the second plurality of media channel names is identified from the first plurality of media channel names based on the identified second set of alphabetic letters, and wherein each of the second plurality of media channel names has a first alphabetic letter that corresponds to the first set of alphabetic letters followed by a second alphabetic letter that corresponds to one of the identified second set of alphabetic letters. 
   
     
     
         14 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of media channel names is eliminated based on the second set of alphabetic letters that correspond to the second alphabetic letter of the first plurality of media channel names. 
     
     
         15 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein the remote control processing system is configured to identify the first plurality of media channel names and the second plurality of media channel names. 
     
     
         16 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein the media control system further comprises:
 a media control processing system configured to identify the first plurality of media channel names and the second plurality of media channel names.   
     
     
         17 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein the media control system further comprises:
 a display that displays the first plurality of media channel names and the second plurality of media channel names.   
     
     
         18 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein the media control system is a set-top box, wherein the set-top box transfers display signals corresponding to the generated first signal and the generated second signal to the display of a television. 
     
     
         19 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein the remote control further comprises:
 a touchscreen, wherein the first numeric user input from the pressed first numeric key and the second numeric user input from the pressed second numeric key are received by the remote control interface from the touchscreen.   
     
     
         20 . The media control system of  claim 13 , wherein the remote control further comprises:
 a key pad, wherein the first numeric user input from the pressed first numeric key and the second numeric user input from the pressed second numeric key are received by the remote control interface from the key pad.