Method, apparatus and computer program product for switching television channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10212480-B2
Application number	US-201314066698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Nov 2, 2012
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for switching television channels, adapted to an electronic apparatus having a touch screen for controlling a television system to switch the television channels, are provided. A control panel including a first and a second switching region is displayed on the touch screen. The first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by the television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list which includes a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels. Next, a touch operation performed on the control panel is detected by using the touch screen. When the touch operation is within the first switching region, the first television channels are switched according to the touch operation. When the touch operation is within the second switching region, the second television channels are switched according to the touch operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for switching television channels, adapted to a mobile apparatus having a touch screen for controlling a television system to switch television channels displayed thereby, the method comprising: displaying a control panel comprising a first switching region and a second switching region on the touch screen, wherein the first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by the television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list, and the channel list comprises a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels, and the first switching region and the second switching region arc fixed; detecting a touch operation performed on the control panel by using the touch screen; controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the first television channels according to the touch operation when the touch operation is within the first switching region; accumulating a staying time of the television system staying at one of the first television channels after the television system switches to the corresponding first television channel, determining whether the staying time of the television system staying at the first television channel exceeds a time threshold, and when the staying time of the television system at the first television channel exceeds the time threshold: accumulating a valid viewing frequency that the television system switches to the first television channel within a time unit given that the staying time at the first television channel exceeds the time threshold, and determining whether the valid viewing frequency exceeds a frequency threshold; and adding the first television channel to the channel list when the valid viewing frequency exceeds the frequency threshold; wherein after the step of adding the first television channel to the channel list, obtaining related information of a first television program broadcast on the first television channel at the moment when the first television channel is added to the channel list, wherein the related information comprises a broadcast time of the first television channel; and removing the added first television channel and the added first television program from the channel list when the first television program ends and controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the second television channels according to the touch operation when the touch operation is within the second switching region.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first switching region comprises a first key and a second key, and wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the first television channels according to the touch operation comprises:
controlling the television system to switch to a previous first television channel when the touch operation is performed on the first key; and
controlling the television system to switch to a next first television channel when the touch operation is performed on the second key.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second switching region comprises a third key and a fourth key, and wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the second television channels according to the touch operation comprises:
controlling the television system to switch to a previous second television channel when the touch operation is performed on the third key; and
controlling the television system to switch to a next second television channel when the touch operation is performed on the fourth key.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the first television channels according to the touch operation comprises:
controlling the television system to switch to a previous or a next first television channel according to a sliding direction of the touch operation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the second television channels according to the touch operation comprises:
controlling the television system to switch to a previous or a next second television channel according to a sliding direction of the touch operation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying the control panel comprising the first switching region and the second switching region on the touch screen comprises:
displaying the channel list in the second switching region, wherein the channel list comprises a plurality of options corresponding to the second television channels, and each of the options comprises one or a combination of a name, an icon, program information and a program snapshot of the corresponding second television channel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first switching region and the second switching region are the same, and wherein the step of controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the first television channels and the second television channels according to the touch operation comprises:
when the touch operation is a single-finger gesture operation, controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the first television channels according to the single-finger gesture operation; and
when the touch operation is a two-finger gesture operation, controlling the television system to switch up and switch down between the second television channels according to the two-finger gesture operation.

8. An apparatus for switching television channels, comprising: a touch screen; a storage unit, recording a plurality of modules; and one or a plurality of processing units, coupled to the touch screen and the storage unit, and accessing and executing the modules stored in the storage unit for causing the apparatus to: display a control panel comprising a first switching region and a second switching region on the touch screen, wherein the first switching region corresponds to a plurality of first television channels provided by the television system, and the second switching region corresponds to a channel list, and the channel list comprises a plurality of second television channels selected from the first television channels, and the first switching region and the second switching region are fixed; detect a touch operation performed on the control panel by using the touch screen; control the television system to switch up and switch down between the first television channels according to the touch operation when the apparatus detects that the touch operation is within the first switching region; accumulate a staying time of the television system staying at one of the first television channels after the television system switches to the corresponding first television channel; determine whether the staying time of the television system staying at the first television channel exceeds a time threshold, and when the staying time of the first television channel exceeds the time threshold: accumulate a valid viewing frequency that the television system switches to the first television channel within a time unit given that the staying time at the first television channel exceeds the time threshold, and determine whether the valid viewing frequency exceeds a frequency threshold; and add the first television channel to the channel list when the valid viewing frequency exceeds the frequency threshold; wherein the processing unit further executes the modules for causing the apparatus to obtain related information of a first television program broadcast on the first television channel at the moment when the first television ch

Assignees

• Htc Corp

Inventors

• Wang John C

Classifications

• H04N21/4126

  The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones · CPC title

• H04N21/4312

  involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations · CPC title

• H04N21/84

  Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)} · CPC title

• H04N21/44222

  Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programmes or purchase activity (monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33) · CPC title

• H04N21/42224

  Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control · CPC title