User programmable overlay facility for use with video display

• US 20040119728A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Laquinta, Sharon Pagapong, Blanco, Jessica Marie, Jones, Scott Thomas, Jones, Jeffrey Allen
• Application Number:
  US10/327,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20040119728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/06 Adjustment of display parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/18 Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence

Abstract

A display system includes a display device that receives a video signal via a first port and user programmable overlay information via a second port. The display device includes overlay code for generating an overlay image derived from the overlay information and for simultaneously displaying a video image derived from the video signal and the overlay image on the display screen. The system further includes an overlay information source device having user I/O and means enabling a user to define the overlay information using the I/O means. An output port of the source device conveys the overlay information to the second port of the display device. The overlay information may include attribute information such as position information, transparency information, and color information. The overlay code applies the corresponding attributes to the overlay image. The port over which the overlay information is conveyed may be a USB port or a Bluetooth port.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image on a display device, comprising:

defining overlay information indicative of a user definable overlay image;

providing the overlay information to a second port of a display device, the display device including a first port via which a video signal is received; and

rendering the overlay image based on the overlay information and displaying the overlay image on the display screen simultaneously with a video image derived from the video signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the overlay information to the second port comprises providing the overlay information to a USB port of the display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the overlay information to the second port comprises providing the overlay information to a FireWire port of the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the overlay information to the second port comprises providing the overlay information to a Bluetooth port of the display device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the overlay information comprises providing the overlay information to a plurality of display devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the overlay information is further characterized as defining the overlay information with a handheld, personal digital assistant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the overlay information is further characterized as defining the overlay information with a television remote control unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the overlay information includes defining information indicative of the overlay image content and defining information indicative of attributes of the overlay image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein defining the attribute information includes defining an attribute selected from overlay image position, overlay image transparency, and overlay image color.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user programmable overlay information includes overlay image attribute information wherein the overlay code means applies attributes corresponding to the attribute information to the overlay image and further wherein the attribute information includes attribute information corresponding to attributes selected from a position of the overlay image on the display screen, a transparency of the overlay image, a foreground color of the overlay image, and a background color of the overlay image.

10. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, the computer program product, comprising:

computer code means for receiving, via an overlay port of a display device, overlay information from an overlay information source device;

computer code means for rendering an overlay image based on the overlay information; and

computer code means for displaying the overlay image simultaneously with a video image derived from a video signal received via a video port.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the overlay information includes overlay content information and overlay attribute information and wherein the code means further includes code means for applying at least one attribute to the overlay information based on the overlay attribute information, wherein the at least one attribute is selected from a position of the overlay image, a transparency of the image, and a color of the image.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising code means for defining overlay information indicative of a user defined overlay image and code means for providing the overlay information to a display device.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the code means for defining overlay information includes code means for defining overlay content information indicative of the content of the overlay image and overlay attribute information indicative of the at least one attribute.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the code means for receiving the overlay information includes code means for receiving information formatted in compliance with a standard selected from a USB, FireWire, and Bluetooth.

15. A display device apparatus, comprising:

a display screen suitable for displaying images;

a controller configured to receive a video signal via a first I/O port of the display device and further configured to receive user programmable overlay information via a second I/O port of the display device; and

overlay code means for generating a user defined overlay image derived from the overlay information and for simultaneously displaying a video image derived from the video signal and the overlay image on the display screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein first port comprises a VGA port of a computer monitor and the second port comprises a port of the computer monitor selected from a USB port, a FireWire port, and a Bluetooth port.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an overlay information source device comprising user I/O means and means enabling a user to define the overlay information using the I/O means and an output port suitable for conveying the overlay information to the second port of the display device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the user programmable overlay information includes overlay image attribute information wherein the overlay code means applies attributes corresponding to the attribute information to the overlay image and further wherein the attribute information includes attribute information corresponding to attributes selected from a position of the overlay image on the display screen, a transparency of the overlay image, a foreground color of the overlay image, and a background color of the overlay image.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the source device comprises a device selected from a handheld, personal digital assistant and a television set remote control.