Apparatus and method for performing multi-picture in a display device

• US 20050036068A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Soo Min
• Granted Patent: US 7,317,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An apparatus and method for performing a multi-picture in a display device are disclosed. The apparatus includes a demodulation unit demodulating a plurality of broadcast signals, which include video signals, audio signals, and supplementary information including genre information, a video processing unit converting at least one of the video signals into data representing a displayable main picture and data representing one or more displayable sub-pictures, and a controller selecting at least one of the video signals corresponding to at least one selected genre based on the demodulated genre information, wherein the controller controls the video processing unit to convert the video signals corresponding to the selected genre into the sub-picture data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing a multi-picture in a display device, comprising:

a demodulation unit demodulating a plurality of broadcast signals, which include video signals, audio signals, and supplementary information including genre information;

a video processing unit converting at least one of the video signals into data representing a displayable main picture and data representing one or more displayable sub-pictures; and

a controller selecting at least one of the video signals corresponding to at least one selected genre based on the demodulated genre information, wherein the controller controls the video processing unit to convert the video signals corresponding to the selected genre into the sub-picture data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processing unit comprising:

a main video processor converting one of the video signals into the main picture data;

one or more supplementary video processors converting the video signals corresponding to the selected genre into the sub-picture data; and

a multiplexer combining the main picture data and the sub-picture data according to a control signal of the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the multiplexer assigns pixel addresses of a display unit to the main picture data and the sub-picture data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video processing unit converts video signals inputted from one or more external devices into the main picture data and/or the sub-picture data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the external device comprises a camcorder, digital video disc (DVD) player, a video cassette recorder (VCR), or a personal computer (PC).

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the genre information represents a genre of a broadcasting program or a channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller provides a user with a sub-picture setting menu for selecting genres of broadcasting programs or channels to be displayed on the sub-pictures.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sub-picture setting menu includes a selectable option for selecting a number of the sub-pictures to be displayed.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sub-picture setting menu includes a plurality of selectable options for controlling a size and a position of the sub-picture.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller selects the genres of broadcasting programs or channels to be displayed on the sub-pictures according to a frequency of the user'"'"'s previous selections of broadcasting programs or channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller selects the genres of broadcasting programs or channels to be displayed on the sub-pictures according to a genre of a broadcasting program or a channel displayed on the main picture.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing the selected genres.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a codec encoding and decoding the video signals, the audio signals, and the supplementary information.

14. A method of performing a multi-picture in a display device, comprising:

receiving a plurality of broadcast signals, which include video signals, audio signals, and supplementary information including genre information;

selecting video signals corresponding to at least one selected genre based on the genre information; and

converting one of the demodulated video signals into data representing a displayable main picture and converting the selected video signals corresponding to the selected genre into data representing one or more displayable sub-pictures.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting the genres of broadcasting programs or channels to be displayed on the sub-pictures.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting the genres comprising:

providing a user with a sub-picture setting menu for selecting the genres of the broadcasting programs or the channels to be displayed on the sub-pictures; and

selecting the genres by using the sub-picture setting menu.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting the genres comprising selecting the genres according to a frequency of the user'"'"'s previous selections of broadcasting programs or channels.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting the genres comprising selecting the genres according to a genre of a broadcasting program or a channel displayed on the main picture.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the selected genres in a memory.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a number of the sub-pictures to be displayed.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling sizes and positions of the sub-pictures.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

assigning pixel addresses of a display unit to the main picture data and the sub-picture data; and

combining the main picture data and the sub-picture data according to the pixel addresses.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising encoding and decoding the detected video signals.