System and method of programmatic window control for consumer video players

• US 20050019015A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan, Poole, Kathleen S., Carr, Bennet S., Carey, Christopher T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/201
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A media playback device capable of displaying multiple streams simultaneously and with expanded picture-in-picture capabilities is provided. The placement, size, aspect ratio, cropping, scale, transparency, tint, contrast, and cropping of the media can be set or adjusted arbitrarily. Furthermore, the audio may be mixed between separate tracks accompanying the video streams and may also be set or adjusted arbitrarily. Each variable can be dynamically changed during playback through either automated or user-initiated means. A system and method are provided for simultaneously displaying a first video stream and at least a second video stream on a display comprising the steps of feeding the video streams into a video player; providing control of the display of the video streams; displaying a first video stream substantially across the display; and displaying the other video streams in a secondary display.

Claims

1. A method of simultaneously displaying a first video stream and at least a second video stream on a display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the first video stream and the at least a second video stream at a media playback device;

processing the at least two video streams to synchronize the display of portions of the at least two video streams;

displaying a first video stream on the display, wherein the first video stream substantially extends across the display; and

optionally displaying at least a second video stream in a customizable secondary display, wherein the at least a second video stream in the customizable secondary display has a playback synchronized to the playback of the first video stream.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of feeding a third video stream into a media playback device and displaying the third video stream in the customizable secondary display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of choosing a menu item that provides for the viewing of the customizable secondary display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of video streams come from a DVD, CD, an Internet source, a personal computer, a hard drive, a LAN storage, or a server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media playback device is a DVD player, a personal computer, a home media server, a high definition video player, an optical player, a hard drive based player, or a software DVD-ROM player.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of resizing the customizable secondary display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of altering the aspect ratio of the customizable secondary display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of altering the aspect ratio of the at least a second video stream.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising swapping the first video stream and one of the at least a second video stream, wherein the first video stream is displayed in the customizable secondary display and one of the at least a second video stream is displayed substantially across the display.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of repositioning the customizable secondary display to another location on the display.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of replacing the at least a second video stream in the customizable secondary display with the third video stream.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of displaying the third video stream in addition to at least a second video stream in the customizable secondary display.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of varying the audio properties of the first video stream and at least a second video stream.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the secondary display is resized to extend substantially across the display wherein the at least a second video stream overlays the first video stream.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the customizable secondary display properties through a remote control, mouse, or keyboard, or gaming controller.

4. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of displaying the name of the menu item on the customizable secondary display.

17. A system for displaying a first and a second video stream on a display, the system comprising:

a media playback device for receiving and playing the first and second video streams, wherein the first and second video streams are fed from a media source to the media playback device, and wherein the media playback device plays the first video stream on the display;

the media playback device having a CPU and a media co-processor, wherein the CPU receives commands of a user and commands the media co-processor to display or modify the first and second video stream and the secondary display.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a remote control, mouse, keyboard, or gaming controller to command the CPU.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a cursor on the display to assist the user with modifying the properties of the secondary display.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising an executable file, wherein the CPU runs the executable file to modify the properties of the video streams and the secondary display.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the executable file further comprises control data, the control data having customizable properties for the secondary display.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the executable is embedded in at least one video stream.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the executable file is provided in a stream other than the first or second video streams.

24. A method for a media playback device to display at least two video streams on a display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least two video streams in a media interface of the media playback device;

receiving an running an executable file in a CPU of the media playback device;

checking by the CPU of the at least two video streams for metatags;

receiving a command at the CPU from a user to modify at least one of the at least two video streams on the display;

commanding a media co-processor to provide the modified at least one of the at least two video streams to an output buffer for display;

maintaining alignment of at least two video streams based on the metatags; and

optionally displaying an aligned at least a second of the at least two video streams on the display.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of maintaining a relative offset between the at least two video streams.

26. A method of simultaneously displaying a first video stream and at least a second video stream, comprising:

receiving the first video stream at a video playback device;

receiving the at least second video stream at the video playback device;

synchronizing at least a portion of each of the two video streams;

displaying the first video stream, wherein the first video stream substantially extends across the display; and

optionally displaying the second video stream in a customizable secondary window, wherein the at least a second video stream in the customizable secondary window is synchronized to the playback of the first video stream.