Method and apparatus for displaying textual or graphic data on the screen of television receivers

• US 20010002852A1
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Published: 06/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwoh, Daniel S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,456,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence

Abstract

A local language is pre-stored in permanent memory. Equivalent data is transmitted in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) to television receivers. Each equivalent data set comprises a unique language identifier and a foreign language translation of, or graphical representative of, the local language pre-stored in permanent memory. The viewer selects the language to be displayed from an on screen menu with a remote controller. The selected equivalent data is retrieved from the VBI and stored in a RAM for future display. When the microprocessor calls up the text of a command for display, the equivalent data is substituted for the local language data so the foreign language version of the command can be displayed in a seamless manner. If no equivalent data is in the RAM, the local language pre-stored in permanent memory is displayed on the television screen in accordance with the normal operation of the microprocessor.

Claims

1. A system for displaying textual or graphic data on a television receiver comprising:

a memory device at the television receiver in which data representing local language commands is stored;

a microprocessor electrically coupled to the memory device for displaying the local language commands stored in the memory device on the television receiver;

a VBI decoder for extracting data from a VBI of a television signal, wherein the extracted data includes commands, in one or more foreign languages, corresponding to the local language commands; and

a storage device at the television receiver for storing the extracted data, wherein the microprocessor is configured to substitute the commands in one or more foreign languages for the local language commands for displaying on the television receiver.

2. The system of

claim 1

, further comprising a status bit stored in the microprocessor for indicating whether the local language commands or the commands in one or more foreign languages are to be displayed.

3. The system of

claim 2

, further comprising means for changing the status bit by a user.

4. The system of

claim 1

, wherein the extracted data includes unique language identifiers corresponding to the foreign language commands.

5. The system of

claim 4

, further comprising an input device for transmitting a viewer'"'"'s choice of the language identifiers to the microprocessor.

6. The system of

claim 5

, wherein the local language commands have addresses in the memory device that identify the location on the television receiver where the commands are to be displayed and the corresponding foreign language commands have the same addresses in the storage device.

7. The system of

claim 1

, in which the storage device is a RAM.

8. The system of

claim 1

, in which the memory device is a ROM.

9. A method for displaying textual or graphic data on television receivers comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory device at the television receiver data representing local language commands;

transmitting to a television receiver equivalent data in_a VBI of a television signal, the equivalent data including a plurality of translations or graphical representatives, in one or more foreign languages, of the local language commands;

storing the equivalent data in a storage device at the television receiver; and

configuring a microprocessor to substitute the equivalent data for the local language commands for displaying on the television receiver.

10. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising the steps of:

creating a language menu including a listing of the foreign languages; and

displaying the language menu on the screen.

11. The method of

claim 10

, further comprising the steps of:

choosing one of the transmitted foreign languages from the language menu at the television receiver; and

displaying foreign language translation of the commands corresponding to the chosen foreign language on the screen.

12. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising the steps of:

attaching to the transmitted equivalent data a plurality of language identifiers, each being unique to one of the foreign language translations or graphical data representations;

inputting a choice from among the language identifiers;

comparing the inputted choice with the language identifiers attached to the equivalent data; and

displaying the equivalent date when a match occurs in the comparing step.

13. The method of

claim 9

, wherein the step of transmitting comprises inserting the equivalent data into the VBI of television signal at a head end location.

14. The method of

claim 9

, wherein the step of transmitting equivalent data also transmits the local language commands and a local language identifier.

15. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising the step of assigning addresses to the local language commands and the equivalent data indicating the location on the television receiver where the commands are to be displayed.

16. The method of

claim 9

, further comprising the step of configuring the microprocessor when a call is made to issue an address to designate a screen location, retrieve the command responsive to the status bit and the issued address, and display the retrieved command.

17. A method for displaying textual or graphic data on a screen of a television receiver comprising the steps of:

storing in a local memory at the television receiver a set of commands in a first language;

receiving on a subcarrier of a television signal a set of the same commands in a second language;

storing at the television receiver the received set of commands in a second language;

selecting one of the sets of commands for display on the screen; and

configuring a microprocessor to display the selected set of commands on the screen of the television receiver.

18. The method of

claim 17

, wherein the step of receiving comprises extracting from a VBI of a television signal a set of the same commands in a second language.

19. The method of

claim 17

, further comprising the steps of:

creating a language menu including a listing of the foreign languages;

displaying the language menu on the screen;

choosing one of the transmitted foreign languages from the language menu at the television receiver; and

displaying foreign language translation of the commands corresponding to the chosen foreign language on the screen.

20. The method of

claim 17

, further comprising the step of configuring the microprocessor when a call is made to issue an address to designate a screen location, retrieve the command responsive to the status bit and the issued address, and display the retrieved command.