Apparatus for controlling a television receiver using a plurality of stored labels

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for controlling a television receiver to select a television channel corresponding to a preassigned channel number, the apparatus comprising:

a read-only memory for storing a plurality of predetermined stored labels, each of said stored labels being stored at one of an ordered series of predetermined ROM address;

a programmable memory including a plurality of RAM addresses, each of said RAM addresses being capable of storing one channel number thereat, said programmable memory being further adapted to store a marker value corresponding to each of said ROM addresses;

an operator-actuated control for generating a first signal comprising a data set representative of one of said stored labels and a channel number to be associated therewith;

a processor for receiving said first signal, and responsive thereto, causing an activation value to be stored for the one of said marker values corresponding to the one of said ROM addresses corresponding to said one stored label, and for counting the number of said activation values corresponding to said ROM addresses preceding said one stored label, and for storing said channel number at the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count;

said operator-actuated control further generating a second signal comprising a data set representative of said one stored label independent of said channel number;

said processor, upon receiving said second signal, retrieving from said programmable memory said channel number by counting the number of said activation values corresponding to said ROM addresses preceding said one stored label and retrieving said channel number from the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count, and generating an output control signal corresponding to said channel number.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said marker value includes a marker data bit, and wherein said activation value includes a value for said marker bit of one.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein prior to storing of said channel number at the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count of said activation values, and in the event another channel number is already stored at said RAM address, said processor moves said another channel number and any further channel numbers stored at subsequent ones of said RAM addresses to the next succeeding one of said RAM addresses.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said control further generates a third signal representative of an instruction to disassociate said channel number from said stored label, and said processor upon receiving said third signal removes said channel number from said programmable memory.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said control further generates a third signal representative of an instruction to disassociate said channel number from said stored label;

said processor upon receiving said third signal causes said activation value to be deleted for said one marker value, and removes said channel number from said RAM address of said programmable memory.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein subsequent to removing of said channel number at the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count of said activation values, and in the event another channel number is stored at a subsequent one of said RAM addresses, said processor moves said another channel number and any further channel numbers stored at subsequent ones of said RAM addresses to the next preceding one of said RAM addresses.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting said control output signal to a television receiver.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said stored labels each comprise a unique series of characters, said control includes means for actuation in a manner representative of a series of characters, and wherein said processor upon receipt of said second signal which is representative of a series of characters, some consecutive portion of which corresponds to one said stored label, ignores any characters not corresponding to said stored label and generates said output control signal.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said consecutive portion of said series of characters is an initial portion of said series.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said stored labels each comprise a unique series of characters, said control includes means for actuation in a manner representative of a series of characters, and wherein said read only memory stores in association with each said stored label a first data entry indicative of whether said stored label is an absolute stored label, and wherein said processor upon receipt of said second signal representative of a series of characters, some consecutive portion of which corresponds to one said stored label other than one of said absolute stored labels, ignores any characters not corresponding to said stored label and generates said output control signal.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said programmable memory further is for storing at least one programmed label;

said control generating a third signal comprising a data set representative of a programmed label and a second channel number to be associated therewith;

said processor, in response to said third signal, causes said programmable memory to store said programmed label and said second channel number as corresponding thereto;

said data set of said second signal being selectively representative of one of said programmed labels;

said processor, upon receiving said second signal, retrieves from said programmable memory said channel number corresponding to said programmed label and generates an output control signal corresponding to said channel number.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising an error indicator, and wherein said processor, in response to said third signal, determines whether said programmed label is identical to any of said stored labels, and in such event, activates said error indicator without causing said programmed label to be stored in said programmable memory.

13. Apparatus for controlling a television receiver as defined in claim 11, wherein:

each of said stored labels is stored in said read-only memory at one of an ordered series of predetermined ROM address;

said programmable memory includes a plurality of RAM addresses, each of said RAM addresses being capable of storing one of said channel numbers thereat;

said programmable memory stores a marker value for each of said ROM addresses;

upon receipt of said first signal, said processor causes an activated value to be stored for the one of said marker values corresponding to the one of said ROM addresses corresponding to said one stored label, and counts the number of said activation values corresponding to said ROM addresses preceding said one stored label and stores said channel number at the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count;

upon receipt of said second signal, said processor retrieves said corresponding channel number by counting the number of said activation values corresponding to said ROM addresses preceding said one stored label and retrieving said channel number from the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein:

said programmable memory further includes a plurality of RAM label addresses, each of said RAM label addresses being capable of storing one of said programmed labels thereat;

said programmable memory further stores one of said marker values for each of said RAM label addresses;

upon receipt of said third signal, said processor causes an activated value to be stored for the one of said marker values corresponding to the one of said RAM label addresses corresponding to said one programmed label, and counts the number of said activation values corresponding to all of said ROM addresses and to said RAM label addresses preceding said one programmed label and stores said channel number at the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count;

upon receipt of said second signal, in the event said second signal is representative of one of said programmed labels, said processor retrieves said corresponding channel number by first counting the number of all of said activation values corresponding to said ROM addresses and then counting the number of said activation values corresponding to said RAM label addresses preceding said one programmed label and retrieving said channel number from the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said programmable memory includes a maximum number of RAM addresses and a maximum number of RAM label addresses, and wherein the maximum number of useable stored labels having activation values associated therewith is equal to said maximum number of RAM addresses less the number of programmed labels having activation values associated therewith.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said programmable memory includes a maximum number of RAM label addresses, said maximum number of RAM label addresses being less than said maximum number of RAM addresses.

17. An apparatus for controlling a television receiver to select a television channel corresponding to a preassigned channel number, the apparatus comprising:

a control for generating a first signal representative of a selected channel;

a processor for receiving said first signal, and responsive thereto, generating an output control signal corresponding to a selected channel number for instructing a television receiver to tune to said selected channel;

a programmable memory including a predetermined number of channel addresses for storing up to said predetermined number of channel numbers;

a storage control for generating a second signal, said processor receiving said second signal, and responsive thereto and subsequent to generating said output control signal, causing said programmable memory to store said selected channel at a first of said channel addresses;

upon receipt of said second signal, and in the event any other of said channel numbers are stored in any of said channel addresses, and prior to storing said selected channel number, moving said other channel numbers to the next succeeding higher of said channel addresses and erasing any of said other channel numbers already stored at the last of said channel addresses;

a retrieval control for generating a third signal, said processor receiving said third signal, and responsive thereto, retrieving from one of said channel addresses the one of said channel numbers stored thereat and generating an output control signal corresponding to said first selected channel number.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said processor, upon receiving a subsequent one of said third signals retrieves the one of said channel numbers stored at a next succeeding one of said channel addresses.

19. Apparatus for controlling a television receiver to select a television channel corresponding to a preassigned channel designation, the apparatus comprising:

a read-only memory storing a plurality of predetermined stored labels in an ordered series of ROM addresses;

a programmable memory for storing one of said channel designations at each of a predetermined number of RAM addresses, and for storing a marker value for each of said ROM addresses;

a control for generating a first signal comprising a data set representative of a selected one of said stored labels and a channel designation to be associated therewith;

a processor for receiving said first signal and responsive thereto, a) storing a marker value for the one of said ROM addresses corresponding to said label, b) beginning with a first of said ROM addresses, counting all of said ROM addresses to have marker values stored therefor up to and including said marker value stored for said selected label, and c) storing said channel designation at the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

said control generates a second signal comprising a data set representative of one of said stored labels independent of said channel designation associated therewith; and

said processor receiving said second signal and responsive thereto, a) beginning with a first of said ROM addresses, reviewing each of said stored labels until one of said stored labels matching said second signal is found, b) beginning with a first of said ROM addresses, counting all of said ROM addresses to have marker values stored therefor up to and including said marker value stored for said matching label, and c) retrieving from the one of said RAM addresses corresponding to said count the channel designation stored therein and causing the television receiver to select the television channel corresponding to the retrieved one of said channel designations.

21. Apparatus for controlling a television receiver to select a television channel corresponding to a preassigned channel designation, the apparatus comprising:

a read-only memory storing a plurality of predetermined stored labels in an ordered series of ROM addresses;

a programmable memory for storing one of said channel designations at each of a predetermined number of RAM addresses, and for storing a marker value for each of said ROM addresses;

a control for generating a first signal comprising a data set representative of a selected one of said stored labels and a channel designation to be associated therewith;

a processor for receiving said first signal and responsive thereto, a) storing a marker value for the one of said ROM addresses corresponding to said label, b) beginning with a first of said ROM addresses, counting all of said ROM addresses to have marker values stored therefor up to and including said marker value stored for said selected label, c) determining in accordance with a first formula, one of said RAM addresses as corresponding to said count, and d) storing said channel designation at said one of said RAM addresses.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein:

said control generates a second signal comprising a data set representative of one of said stored labels independent of said channel designation associated therewith; and

said processor receiving said second signal and responsive thereto, a) reviewing each of said stored labels in said ROM addresses until one of said stored labels matching said second signal is found, b) beginning with a first of said ROM addresses, counting all of said ROM addresses to nave marker values stored therefor up to and including said marker value stored for said matching label, c) determining in accordance with said first formula, one of said RAM addresses as corresponding to said count, and d) retrieving from said one of said RAM addresses the channel designation stored therein and causing the television receiver to select the television channel corresponding to the retrieved one of said channel designations.