WO2004056099A1

WO2004056099A1 - Method and apparatus for browsing television programs

Info

Publication number: WO2004056099A1
Application number: PCT/IB2003/005915
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sheau-Bao Ng; Sean W. Yip
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2002-12-16
Filing date: 2003-12-12
Publication date: 2004-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 2005-06-16
Also published as: AU2003303007A1

Abstract

A method of providing an adapted video screen for displaying an at least one dynamic video presentation and an electronic program guide (EPG) on a main window and an at least one dynamic video presentation on a secondary window, wherein the at least one dynamic video presentation is automatically displayed on a secondary window by selecting a program from the an electronic program guide (EPG). An apparatus comprising: an adapted video screen for displaying the at least one dynamic video presentation and an electronic program guide (EPG) on a main window and an at least one dynamic video presentation on a secondary window, wherein the at least one dynamic video presentation is automatically displayed on a secondary window by selecting a program from the an electronic program guide (EPG).

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BROWSING TELEVISION PROGRAMS

The present invention relates generally to the field of television. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for selecting and displaying television programs from an Electronic Program Guide (EPG), while continuing to view another program. Related Art

Electronic Program Guides (EPGs) provide information about television programs. Such television program guides list the available television programs by day of the week, time of day, channel, and program title. Neverthless, some television viewers want more information about television programs than EPGs currently provide.

The present invention provides a method for browsing television programs, comprising: displaying on a video screen an at least one dynamic video presentation from at least one program in a first portion of a main window of the video screen; displaying at least one electronic program guide (EPG) in a second portion of the at least one main window; and selecting an at least one program from the at least one electronic program guide (EPG), wherein the selecting results in displaying a dynamic video presentation in an at least one secondary window, and wherein the at least one main window and the at least one secondary window have a picture Din-picture (PIP) format.

A second embodiment of the present invention discloses an apparatus for browsing television programs, comprising: a video screen adapted to display: an at least one dynamic video presentation from at least one program in a first portion of a main window; an at least one electronic program guide (EPG) in a second portion of the main window, wherein the at least one electronic program guide (EPG) in the second portion of the main window has at least one selected program; and an at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) in an at least one secondary window, and wherein the at least one main window and the at least one secondary window have a picture-in-picture (PIP) format.

FIG. 1 depicts an apparatus for browsing television programs, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and FIG. 2 depicts a method for browsing television programs, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will be shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., and are disclosed simply as an example of the preferred embodiment. The features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings. Although the drawings are intended to illustrate the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The present invention relates generally to the field of television. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for selecting and displaying television programs by selecting the program from an Electronic Program Guide (EPG), and displaying in a picture-in-picture (PIP), picture-outside-picture (POP) or double- window (DW) format a dynamic video presentation of the selected program, while continuing to view another program. Hereinafter, when a television monitor displays a picture of a same or a different image than the one being displayed full-screen, the picture is said to have picture-in-picture format. Alternatively, picture-outside-picture enables two different programs to be shown side-by-side. Picture-outside-picture may also display the main image in half the television screen, while the other half is used for a plurality of sub- pictures. The new 34" and 30" Digital widescreens with Two-Tuner Double Window or Dual Window permit the viewer to split the television picture in half and display two independent television programs simultaneously without having to use an additional source for tuning.

The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has proposed a digital television standard in which audio and video information will be transmitted in digital form. Digital signals have a number of benefits over traditional analog transmissions, including greater flexibility in the kinds of information that can be transmitted along with audio and video information, ease of compression of broadcast signals to conserve bandwidth, and convenient manipulation of information at the receiving end. Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information is one kind of information that can be transmitted along with audio and video information. Alternatively, EPG information may be provided by any appropriate means.

FIG. 1 depicts an apparatus 48 for browsing television programs, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention and in accordance with a method, as depicted by a flow chart 20 in FIG. 2 and described herein. The apparatus 48 for browsing television programs, comprises a video screen 10, an antenna 27; a television controller 31, speakers 22 and 23, a manual controller 42, a remote controller 43 and a receiver 44 to be used with the remote controller 43. The video screen 10 comprises: an at least one dynamic video presentation 3 in a first portion 38 of a main window 18. Although FIG. 1 depicts the at least one dynamic video presentation 3 completely filling the main window 18, the at least one dynamic video presentation 3 may not extend to the edges of the main window 18, leaving a narrow boarder between the perimeter of the at least one dynamic video 3 in the first portion 38 of the main window 18.. A second portion 39 of the at least one main window 18 includes an at least one electronic program guide (EPG) 21. The at least one electronic program guide (EPG) 21 in the second portion 39 of the at least one main window 18 has at least one selected program 16.

Referring to FIG. 1, the video screen 10 may be adapted to display the at least one dynamic video presentation 3 for the at least one program 24 that may be broadcast on a channel "y" 6 in the first portion 38 of the at least one main window 18, where "y" is any positive integer that identifies the broadcaster and corresponds to the broadcaster's call letters such as the channel "y" 6 corresponds to NBC 37 in EPG 21.

In like manner, the video screen 10 may be adapted to display the at least one program 24 from the EPG 21, wherein the program 24 may be broadcast on the channel "y" 6 in the second portion 14 of the at least one main window 18, wherein the EPG 21 includes textual information 51 related to television programs such as a presentation time 9 of the selected at least one program 24, a title of the at least one program 24 may be "Law and Order" 1, a name of broadcaster NBC 37 of the at least one program 24 from the EPG 21, a brief description of the at least one program's content, names of lead actors or actresses, or length of play. Alternatively the at least one program 24 could be any other program being broadcast on the channel "y" 6.

In like manner, the video screen 10 may be adapted to display the at least one dynamic video presentation 13 from the at least one program 16 selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 that may be broadcast on the channel "x" 32, wherein "x" is any positive integer that identifies the broadcaster and corresponds to the broadcaster's call letters, such as PBS 36 in the at least one secondary window 12. Alternatively, the at least one program 16 selected from the at least one EPG 21 may be titled "Masterpiece Theater" 26, broadcast by a broadcaster 36 such as PBS on the at least one channel "x" 32, wherein "x" may be any positive integer, at a broadcast time 8, for example, at 6:00 PM. Alternatively the selected program 16 could be any other program being broadcast on the at least one channel "x" 32.

The video screen 10 further comprises an at least one dynamic video presentation 13 selected from the at least one program 16 of the at least one electronic program guide (EPG) 21 in a secondary window 12. The at least one main window 18 and the at least one secondary window 12 have a picture-in-picture format. Hereinafter, a "dynamic video presentation" is a video presentation that changes in time giving an appearance of a moving instead of a static picture. Further, the change in time need not be continuous or have a fixed interval of time between each change.

The video screen 10 of FIG. 1 further comprises: an antenna 27; a television controller 31, speakers 22 and 23, a manual controller 42, a remote controller 43 and a receiver 44 to be used with the remote controller 43. The antenna 27 or a cable provider provides digital television signals to a main tuner 11 and a PIP tuner 15, wherein the main tuner 11 and the PIP tuner 15 are included in the television controller 31. Alternatively, the antenna 27 or cable could provide analog signals to the main tuner 11 and the PIP tuner 15. The tuners 11 and 15 select channels or signals at a specific frequency from the antenna 27 or cable for amplification and conversion to sound or video display. The tuned channel information from each tuner 11 and 15, respectively, is provided to a main dynamic video and audio processor 28 and a PIP dynamic video and audio processor 29 through electrically conductive wires 33 and 34 respectively. The main dynamic video and audio processor 28 provides an analog video signal to a graphics overlay 5 through a electrically conductive wire 2 and an analog audio signal to speaker 23 through electrically conductive wire 7. The PIP dynamic video and audio processor 29 provides an analog video signal to a graphics overlay 5 through a electrically conductive wire 4 and an analog audio signal to speaker 22 through electrically conductive wire 19. The processors 28 and 29 may alternatively output un-encoded digital audio video (AV) data. In an embodiment, the graphics overlay processor 5 may also output digital data instead of analog. Thus, each tuner 11 and 15 may select either a different channel or a same channel or signal at a specific frequency from the antenna 27 or cable for amplification and conversion to sound or video display, such that different channels or the same channels may be selected by each tuner 11 and 15 and display an at least one dynamic video presentation 3 in a first portion 38 of the at least one main window 18.

Hereinafter, the "tuners" 11 and 15, are electronic devices used to select signals at a specific frequency for amplification and conversion to sound or video display, i.e. Hereinafter a "channel" is a specified frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for video, audio and EPG television signals. Therefore, each tuner, 11 and 15, is an electronic device used to select a channel that is a specific frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for video, audio and EPG television signals, since each tuner, 11 and 15, is an electronic device used to select signals from the antenna 27 or the cable at a specific frequency. Most components with the AV controller 31, e.g. tuners 11 and 15, processors 28 and 29, overlay processor 5, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit. They don't have to be physically separate devices. Data passed between processing components can be either analog or digital.

The selection of the channels for display of the at least one dynamic video presentations 3 and 13 in the windows 12 and 18 may be done by a user who manually operates a selector of each of the tuners 11 and 15, or by remote controlled tuners, or by computer controlled tuners that automatically select the channels and display the at least one dynamic video presentations 3 and 13 in the at least two windows, such as 12 and 18. Alternatively, a user may use control device 42, that is operatively coupled to the television controller 31 through electrically conductive wire 50 to select the program 16 from the electronic program guide EPG 21. Selecting the program 16 from the electronic program guide EPG 21 may automatically tune the PIP tuner 15. Causing the at least one dynamic video presentation 13 to be displayed in the secondary window 12. Alternatively, a remote control device 44 may transmit a light or a radio signal to a receiver 45 that is operatively coupled through electrically conductive wire 46 to the television controller 31 and may select the program 16 from the electronic program guide EPG 21 in order to display the at least one dynamic video presentation 13 in the secondary window 12. The tuners 11 and 15 may be tuned to different channels or to the same channels. If the tuners 11 and 15 are tuned to different channels, the at least one dynamic video presentations 3 and 13 of the programs being broadcast on the respective channels will be displayed in the windows 12 and 18. Alternatively, if the tuners 11 and 15 are tuned to the same channel, the at least one dynamic video presentations 3 and 13 will be the same in the windows 12 and 18.

The electronic program guide EPG 21 of FIG. 1 includes channel'"y" 6 of the program 24 and channel "x" 32 of the program 16. However, it should be understood that the tuners 11 and 15 may select any channel "y" 6 or any channel "x" 32 in the television signal that may be received by the antenna 27 or provided by the cable. Alternatively, if the television controller 31 only has one tuner a computer system may supplement the single channel video out signal provided by the single tuner system. The single channel video out signal from a television controller having only one tuner may be supplemented with a signal provided by "soft picture-in-picture" (PIP), e.g., from a computer having a storage medium, such that the video out signal through electrically conductive wire 7 to the video screen 10 provides dual channel information such that the displayed dynamic video presentations 3 and 13 may still be different, even if the television controller 31 has only one tuner.

Referring to FIG. 1, the window 12 is depicted as a smaller window within a larger window 18. Alternatively, the window 18 could be smaller than the window 12. Commonly, the smaller window is termed the secondary.

FIG. 2 depicts a method for browsing television programs, comprising steps 25, 30 and 35 in accordance with a method, as depicted by a flow chart 20 in FIG. 2 and described herein. In the step 25, a video screen 10 is provided that is adapted to display an at least one dynamic video presentation 3 from at least one program 24 in a first portion 38 of at least one main window 18. The video screen 10 that is provided in the step 30 is adapted to display an at least one electronic program guide (EPG) 21 in a second portion 39 of the at least one main window 18. In the step 35, the at least one electronic program guide (EPG) 21 in the second portion 39 of the at least one main window 18 has at least one selected program 16. The video screen 10 that is provided in the step 35 is adapted to display an at least one dynamic video presentation 13 from the at least one program 16 selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 in a secondary window 12. The at least one main window 18 and the at least one secondary window 12 have a picture D in- picture format.

In FIG. 1 , the at least one program 16 selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21, as depicted by a flow chart 20 in FIG. 2 and described herein may be from a plurality of programs, such as 16 and 24 in the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 scheduled for presentation on an at least one channel, such as channels "x" 32 or channels "y" 6. Alternatively, the at least one program 16 selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 may be from a plurality of programs, such as 16 and 24 in the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 scheduled for presentation on an at least one channel, such as channels "x" 32 and channels "y" 6. Alternatively, the at least one program 16 selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 is displayed in real time. Alternatively, the at least one program 16 selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 is played back from a storage medium 40, wherein the storage medium 40 may be played back to the adapted video screen 10 through electrically conductive wires 41 and 17, and wherein the storage medium 40 is selected from the group consisting of DVD, VCR, an optical medium, a magneto optical medium, soft PIP, and combinations thereof. Hereinafter, "soft picture-in-picture (PIP)" means generation of the display of the dynamic video presentation, 13 and 3 by computer 55 or other play back from a storage medium 40. Alternatively the display of the program 16 selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 may include an audio sound presentation of speakers 22 and 23, wherein the audio sound presentation may be provided from a sound track from the program 16 selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 and may be different than the audio sound presentation from a sound track of the program, such as 24, or any other program being displayed on the first portion 38 of the main window 18. For example, the audio sound presentation from the sound track of the program, such as 24, being displayed on the first portion 38 of the main window 18 may arise from a main dynamic video processor and audio processor 28. In contrast, if the program 16 includes a sound track, the audio sound presentation selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) 21 arises from PIP dynamic video presentation and audio processor 29. Since the dynamic video and audio processors 28 and 29 provide audio to the speakers 23 and 22, respectively, and the respective audio presentations may be different depending on whether the tuners, 11 and 15 are tuned to the same channels or different channels, speakers 22 and 23 may provide different audio presentations or the same audio presentations. In embodiments in which the tuners 11 and 15 are tuned to different channels, wherein the speakers 22 and 23 may present interfering audio presentations because they may present sound tracks from different programs, a user may manually use the controller 44 or the remote controller 43 to suppress the sound from either the speaker 22 or 23 that may interfere with listening to the sound track of the program in the main window 18.

Alternatively, the user may suppress the sound from either speaker 22 or 23 that may interfere with listening to the sound track of the program in the secondary window 12.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for browsing television programs, comprising: displaying on a video screen an at least one dynamic video presentation from at least one program in a first portion of a main window of the video screen; displaying at least one electronic program guide (EPG) in a second portion of the at least one main window; and selecting an at least one program from the at least one electronic program guide (EPG), wherein the selecting results in displaying a dynamic video presentation in an at least one secondary window, and wherein the at least one main window and the at least one secondary window are on the same video screen.

2. The method of Claim 1 , wherein the at least one secondary window is accompanied by audio.

3. The method of Claim 1 , wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is from a plurality of programs scheduled for presentation on an at least one channel.

4. The method of Claim 1 , wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is selected from a plurality of programs scheduled for presentation on a plurality of channels.

5. The method of Claim 1, wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is displayed in real time.

6. The method of Claim 1 , wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is played back from a storage medium.

7. The method of Claim 6, wherein the storage medium is selected from the group consisting of DVD, VCR, an optical medium, a magneto optical medium, soft picture-in- picture (PIP), and combinations thereof.

8. The method of Claim 1, wherein the display of the dynamic video presentation in a secondary window includes an audio sound presentation.

9. The method of Claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one main windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program in the first portion of the at least one main window and the electronic program guide (EPG) in the second portion of the at least one main window is a background for each of at least one picture-in picture (PIP) windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG).

10. The method of Claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one main windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program in the first portion of the at least one main window and the electronic program guide (EPG) in the second portion of the at least one main window is a foreground for each of at least one picture-in picture (PIP) windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG).

11. The method of Claim 1, wherein a remote control device selects the program from the electronic program guide (EPG) in order to display the at least one dynamic video presentation in the at least one secondary window.

12. An apparatus for browsing television programs, comprising: a video screen adapted to display: an at least one dynamic video presentation from at least one program in a first portion of a main window; an at least one electronic program guide (EPG) in a second portion of the main window, wherein the at least one electronic program guide (EPG) in the second portion of the main window has at least one selected program; and an at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) in an at least one secondary window, and wherein the at least one main window and the at least one secondary window are on the same video screen.

13. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the at least one secondary window is accompanied by audio.

14. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is from a plurality of programs scheduled for presentation on an at least one channel.

15. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is selected from a plurality of programs scheduled for presentation on a plurality of channels.

16. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the at least one program selected for display from the electronic program guide (EPG) is displayed in real time.

17. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the electronic program guide (EPG) includes a table of contents for a storage medium.

18. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) is played back from the storage medium.

19. The apparatus of Claim 18, wherein the storage medium is selected from the group consisting of DVD, VCR, an optical medium, a magneto optical medium, soft PIP, and combinations thereof.

20. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the display of the program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) includes an audio sound presentation.

21. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the at least one dynamic video from the program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG) is displayed by a soft PIP system.

22. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein each of the at least one main windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program in the first portion of the at least one main window and the electronic program guide (EPG) in the second portion of the at least one main window is a background for each of at least one picture-in picture (PIP) windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG).

23. The apparatus of Claim 12, wherein each of the at least one main windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from the at least one program in the first portion of the at least one main window and the electronic program guide (EPG) in the second portion of the at least one main window is a foreground for each of the at least one picture-in picture (PIP) windows having the at least one dynamic video presentation from at least one program selected from the electronic program guide (EPG).

24. The apparatus of Claim 12, further comprising a remote control device to select the program from the electronic program guide (EPG) in order to display the at least one dynamic video presentation.