Apparatus for Providing a Graphical Control Interface

Techniques for employing a television set and a television set controller as the control interface for devices which themselves do not have display capability and for services provided via the telephone network. The techniques involve control apparatus which is connected to the telephone network and a television set and is responsive to inputs from a hand-held controller for the television set. The control apparatus outputs a screen which contains control selections to the television set and the user employs the controller to make a selection. The control apparatus then performs the control function specified by the selection. One application is a telephone messaging system: integral with the control apparatus is a system which can answer calls and store voice messages, fax messages, character-string messages, and script messages. The control apparatus plays the voice messages on the television set and provide screens to the television set which display the fax and character-string messages. The script messages contain code which the control apparatus executes to produce displays. Services provided by the telephone network are controlled and displayed analogously. The services may also involve other devices connected to the control apparatus. The control apparatus may further be used with supplemental output devices such as printers and supplemental input devices such as fax machines, electronic pads, and keyboards.