Television user interface

Abstract

A user interface for a television display includes a remote control with a touch pad. The user controls movement of an indicator by means of gestures and/or other actions performed on the touch pad. The movement of the indicator may be constrained in a horizontal and/or vertical direction. Actions by the user on the touch pad below a predetermined magnitude may be prevented from causing movement of the indicator.

1 . A method of providing an interactive user interface for a television display, responsive to a user-operated remote control having a touch-sensitive surface, the method comprising:
 i) simultaneously displaying a plurality of selectable items in a first display area, at least one further selectable item in a second display area separated from the first display area by a boundary, and a position indicator, and   ii) moving the position indicator relative to the selectable items according to a directional output from the touch-sensitive surface;   wherein the position indicator is movable within the first display area, but is prevented from moving across the boundary, according to a first said directional output, and is subsequently moveable across the boundary from the first display area to the second display area in response to a subsequent second said directional output discrete from said first directional output.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the directional output is responsive to a directional gesture performed on the touch-sensitive surface, and the position indicator is movable within the first display area according to a first said directional gesture performed on the touch sensitive surface until the position indicator reaches the boundary but is prevented from moving across the boundary in response to the first directional gesture, and is subsequently moveable across the boundary from the first display area to the second display area in response to a subsequent second said directional gesture performed on said touch sensitive surface, discrete from said first directional gesture. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first display area comprises an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second display area comprises a status display area. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second display area comprises a menu area, and the at least one further selectable item comprises at least one corresponding menu item. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one corresponding menu item comprises at least one corresponding channel filter item for applying a corresponding channel filter to the EPG. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the position indicator is constrained to a horizontal or vertical direction according to the direction of the directional output. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , including highlighting one or more of the selectable items in accordance with their proximity to the position indicator. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , including receiving a command initiated by the user to select the one or more highlighted items. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the command is initiated by a non-directional touch output from the touch-sensitive surface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the highlighting of the one or more selectable items changes in response to movement of the position indicator over a threshold defined with respect to the selectable items. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the position indicator is moved in response to said directional output having greater than a predetermined magnitude. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus arranged to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . A computer program product comprising program arranged to perform a method of providing an interactive user interface for a television display, responsive to a user-operated remote control having a touch-sensitive surface, by:
 i) simultaneously displaying a plurality of selectable items in a first display area, at least one further selectable item in a second display area separated from the first display area by a boundary, and a position indicator, and   ii) moving the position indicator relative to the selectable items according to a directional output from the touch-sensitive surface;   wherein the position indicator is movable within the first display area, but is prevented from moving across the boundary, according to a first said directional output, and is subsequently moveable across the boundary from the first display area to the second display area in response to a subsequent second said directional output discrete from said first directional output.