User interface having a cross arrangement

Abstract

In an audio/visual (AV) system, a method for navigation of menu options available to a user involves entering a graphical user interface (GUI) in a menu system that is displayed on a video display; generating a signal for displaying a first navigable list of menu options on the video display, the first navigable list of menu options having a plurality of fields arranged in a first linear configuration that overlays AV content currently playing on the display with one of the menu options shown at a location of the video display that is highlighted; and responsive to a navigation command from a remote controller, moving the first navigable list of menu options of the GUI to cause another field of the plurality of fields to move to the location that is highlighted, to highlight the another field while continuing to display the AV content currently playing on the video display.

1 . In an audio/visual (AV) system, a method for navigation of menu options available to a user of the AV system, comprising:
 entering a graphical user interface (GUI) in a menu system that is displayed on a video display;   generating a signal for displaying a first navigable list of menu options on the video display, the first navigable list of menu options having a plurality of fields arranged in a first linear configuration that overlays AV content currently playing on the display with one of the menu options shown at a location of the video display that is highlighted; and   responsive to a navigation command from a remote controller, moving the first navigable list of menu options of the GUI to cause another field of the plurality of fields to move to the location that is highlighted, and thus highlight the another field while continuing to display the AV content currently playing on the video display.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to a navigation command from the remote controller, generating a signal for displaying a second navigable list of menu options associated with the highlighted field, the second navigable list of menu options arranged in a second linearly configured set of fields which intersect the first linear configuration of fields of the first navigable list of menu options at the highlighted location and overlaying the AV content currently playing on the video display.   
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 navigating to a menu option of the second navigable list of menu options in response to a navigation command.   
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 selecting the menu option of the second navigable list in response to a selection command from the remote controller, wherein the AV content currently playing on the video display continues to play unless the menu option selected is a menu option that begins playing a different selection of AV content.   
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 upon selection of the menu option from the second navigable list, ceasing the generating of the signals for displaying the first and second navigable list of menu options so that the first and second navigable list of menu options disappear from the video display and taking an action associated with the menu selection.   
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first linear configuration of the first menu is oriented substantially horizontally, and the second linear configuration of the second menu is oriented substantially vertically. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first linear configuration of the first menu is oriented substantially vertically, and the second linear configuration of the second menu is oriented substantially horizontally. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first linear configuration of the first menu is oriented substantially at a right angle to the second linear configuration of the second menu.