Systems and methods for providing and displaying picture-in-picture signals

• US 20040150748A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M., Campbell, Kurt A., Brodigan, Donald
• Application Number:
  US10/377,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150748A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 : between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing picture-in-picture, or other multi-picture displays. Some of the systems include two video signals that are coupled to a transmission device along with a selector signal. The transmission device further includes two video outputs associated with each of the respective video inputs. Based in part on the selector signal, one of the video outputs includes a derivative of one of the video inputs transmitted at a first bandwidth, while the other video output includes a derivative of the other video input transmitted at a second bandwidth. Some of the methods include supporting multi-picture displays by receiving two or more video inputs and a selector input. Based on the selector input, the video inputs are formatted and transmitted as video outputs that correspond to the respective video inputs.

Claims

1. A system for providing picture-in-picture, the system comprising:

a first video signal and a second video signal;

a transmission device, wherein the transmission device includes a selector interface for receiving a selector signal, and a video interface for receiving the first video signal and the second video signal;

wherein the transmission device includes a video output, and wherein the video output includes a first video output signal at a first transmission bandwidth, and a second video output signal at a second transmission bandwidth;

wherein the first video output signal is derived from the first video signal, and the first transmission bandwidth is based at least in part on the selector signal; and

wherein the second video output signal is derived from the second video signal, and the second transmission bandwidth is based at least in part on the selector signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selector signal indicates that the first video signal is a full screen signal, and wherein the selector signal indicates that the second video signal is a partial screen signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transmission bandwidth is greater than the second transmission bandwidth.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the selector signal indicates a size of the partial screen signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second transmission bandwidth is determined at least in part on the size of the partial screen signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission device further includes an encoder engine.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the encoder engine encodes the first video signal to create the first video output signal, and wherein the encoder engine encodes at least a portion of the second video signal to create the second video output signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second video output signal is selected from a group consisting of:

an MPEG-2 signal, and MPEG-1 signal, and an MPEG-4 signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the MPEG-2 signal is a high bit rate MPEG-2 signal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the MPEG-2 signal is a low bit rate MPEG-2 signal.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first video output signal is selected from a group consisting of:

a high bit rate MPEG-4 signal, a low bit rate MPEG 4 signal, a low bit rate MPEG-1 signal, a high bit rate MPEG 1 signal, a low bit rate MPEG-2 signal, and a high bit rate MPEG-2 signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission device further includes a line dropper, wherein the line dropper is controlled at least in part by the selector signal.

13. A method for supporting picture-in-picture, the method comprising:

receiving a first video signal, a second video signal, and a selector signal;

decoding the selector signal, wherein the selector signal indicates that the first video signal is a full screen video signal, and the second video signal is a partial screen video signal; and

based at least in part on the decoded selector signal, formatting the first video signal as the full screen signal, and the second video signal as the partial screen signal; and

transmitting the full screen signal and the partial screen signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selector signal indicates a size of the partial screen signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting the second video signal as a partial screen signal comprises line dropping.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting the first video signal as a full screen signal comprises formatting to a format selected from a group consisting of:

a low bit rate MPEG-2 signal, a high bit rate MPEG-2 signal, and an MPEG-4 signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein formatting the second video signal as a partial screen signal comprises formatting to a format selected from a group consisting of:

a low bit rate MPEG-2 signal, a high bit rate MPEG-2 signal, and an MPEG-4 signal.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the full screen signal and the partial screen signal comprises:

transmitting the full screen signal at a first transmission bandwidth, and transmitting the partial screen signal at a second transmission bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first transmission bandwidth is greater than the second transmission bandwidth.

20. A method for displaying picture-in-picture, the method comprising:

receiving a full screen signal and a partial screen signal;

combining the full screen signal and the partial screen signal; and

outputting the combined signal to a television.