Digital Broadcast Receiver

Abstract

One embodiment provides a digital broadcast receiver that features a video telephone module, a program table generator, an input receive module and a display control module. The video telephone module establishes a video telephone communication with an external apparatus and receives a video telephone image from the external apparatus during the video telephone communication. The video telephone image is displayed on a screen during the video telephone communication. The program table generator generates a program table of broadcast programs while the display control module controls a display, where the program table is superimposed on the video telephone image during video telephone communications and transitions into a channel menu. The channel menu presents information of the selected one of the broadcast program and allows the user to perform at least one of a recording operation and a program display operation on the selected one of the broadcast program.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A digital broadcast receiver, comprising:
 a video telephone module configured to establish a video telephone communication with an external apparatus and to receive a video telephone image from the external apparatus during the video telephone communication, the video telephone image being displayed on a screen during the video telephone communication;   a program table generator configured to generate a program table of broadcast programs;   an input receive module configure to a manipulation input; and   a display control module configured to control a display on the screen such that (1) the program table including the broadcast programs is superimposed on the video telephone image during the video telephone communication, and (2) upon an input onto the input receiver to select one of the broadcast programs within the program table, the program table transitions into a channel menu which presents information of the selected one of the broadcast program and allows the user to perform at least one of a recording operation and a program display operation on the selected one of the broadcast program.   
     
     
         2 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the display control module controls the display so that each of the program table and the channel menu is displayed on the screen at
 (i) an area adjacent to a top end line,   (ii) an area adjacent to a bottom end line,   (iii) an area adjacent to a left end line, or   (iv) an area adjacent to a right end line.   
     
     
         3 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the display control module controls the display so that the program table is automatically superimposed on the video telephone image for a predetermined time period after an establishment of the video telephone communication. 
     
     
         4 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the program table includes:
 a first type of information as to a first channel being the same with a broadcast program which was viewed immediately before an establishment of the video telephone communication, the first type of information to be displayed at a substantially center portion; and   a second type of information as to a second channel other than the first channel, the second type of information to be displayed at a side of the first type of information.   
     
     
         5 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the program table is displayed when a predetermined clock time occurs. 
     
     
         6 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein, if the recording operation is selected through the channel menu is during the video telephone communication, the recording operation is performed while continuing the video telephone communication. 
     
     
         7 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein, if the program display operation is selected through the channel menu during the video telephone communication, the program display operation is performed while terminating the video telephone communication. 
     
     
         8 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a setting module configured to display a setting screen which allows the user to set whether or not the program table should be superimposed on the video telephone image for a predetermined time period after an establishment of the video telephone communication.   
     
     
         9 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the video telephone module establishes the video telephone communication with an external apparatus through a communication network. 
     
     
         10 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the channel menu includes:
 information of a subject broadcast program;   a recording button to activate the recording operation on the subject program; and   a program display button to activate the program display operation on the subject program.   
     
     
         11 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 10 , wherein the information includes at least one of a broadcast station name, a channel number, a program name, a broadcast schedule and a thumbnail of the subject program. 
     
     
         12 . A digital broadcast receiver, comprising:
 a video telephone module that, when in operation, establishes a video telephone communication with an external apparatus and receives a video telephone image from the external apparatus during the video telephone communication, the video telephone image being displayed on a screen during the video telephone communication;   a program table generator to generate a program table of broadcast programs;   an input receiver; and   a display control module to control a display on the screen, the control of the display comprises (1) superimposing the program table including the broadcast programs on the video telephone image during the video telephone communication, and (2) transitioning the program table, based at least partially upon an input onto the input receiver, to select one of the broadcast programs within the program table, the program table transitions into a channel menu which presents information of the selected one of the broadcast program and allows the user to perform at least one of a recording operation and a program display operation on the selected one of the broadcast program.   
     
     
         13 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , wherein the display control module controls the display so that each of the program table and the channel menu is displayed on the screen at
 (i) an area adjacent to a top end line,   (ii) an area adjacent to a bottom end line,   (iii) an area adjacent to a left end line, or   (iv) an area adjacent to a right end line.   
     
     
         14 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , wherein the display control module controls the display so that the program table is automatically superimposed on the video telephone image for a predetermined time period after an establishment of the video telephone communication. 
     
     
         15 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , wherein the program table is displayed when a predetermined clock time occurs. 
     
     
         16 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , wherein, if the recording operation is selected through the channel menu is during the video telephone communication, the recording operation is performed while continuing the video telephone communication. 
     
     
         17 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , wherein, if the program display operation is selected through the channel menu during the video telephone communication, the program display operation is performed while terminating the video telephone communication. 
     
     
         18 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a setting module to display a setting screen that allows the user to set whether or not the program table should be superimposed on the video telephone image for a predetermined time period after an establishment of the video telephone communication.   
     
     
         19 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 12 , wherein the channel menu includes:
 information of a subject broadcast program;   a recording button to activate the recording operation on the subject program; and   a program display button to activate the program display operation on the subject program.   
     
     
         20 . The digital broadcast receiver of  claim 19 , wherein the information of the subject broadcast program includes at least one of a broadcast station name, a channel number, a program name, a broadcast schedule and a thumbnail of the subject program.