Portable device for viewing real-time synchronized information from broadcasting sources

• US 20060064734A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yue Ma
• Original Assignee: Yue Ma
• Inventors: Ma, Yue
• Application Number:
  US10/535,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/60 characterised in that the receiver comprises more than one tuner
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• 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 21/41265 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 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• 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 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A broadcast media viewing system includes a source of a broadcast stream including primary data providing primary media content and supplemental data providing supplemental information. A media content viewing mechanism decodes the primary data and renders the primary media content to a first active display. A portable device decodes the supplemental data and renders the supplemental information to a second active display.

Claims

1. A broadcast media viewing system, comprising:

a source of a broadcast stream including primary data providing primary media content and supplemental data providing supplemental information;

a media content viewing mechanism decoding the primary data and rendering the primary media content to a first active display;

a portable device decoding the supplemental data and rendering the supplemental information to a second active display;

wherein the portable device receives the broadcast stream simultaneously received by the media content viewing mechanism, said portable device and media content viewing mechanism each having tuners capable of independently tuning to different channels of the broadcast stream.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary media content rendered to the first active display comprises images having supplemental data embedded therein, and wherein said portable device senses and decodes the supplemental data embedded in the images.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said broadcast stream is organized into a plurality of channels, wherein a channel has corresponding supplemental data embedded in the primary data of the channel, said media content viewing mechanism has a first tuner receiving a selected channel of the broadcast signal, and said portable device has a second tuner receiving a selected channel of the broadcast signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device, in response to user input, is operable to designate the selected channel for the first tuner and the second tuner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device further comprises:

a content database adapted to buffer and store supplemental information from a source of supplemental information; and

a sync engine adapted to deliver a consistent package of contents based on decoded supplemental data and contents of the content database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device further comprises an intermittent primary media content decoder adapted to decode primary data to extract primary media content at predetermined frame intervals, and to render the primary media content to the second active display at reduced resolution.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable device further comprises a primary media content decoder adapted to decode primary data to extract primary media content, and to render the primary media content to the second active display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said portable device is adapted to render the primary media content to the second active display in combination with supplementary media content including contents of an electronic programming guide.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the primary media content decoder is adapted to selectively decode channels based on user access of the contents of the electronic programming guide.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said primary media content decoder is adapted to decode a channel selected for display on the first active display of said media content viewing mechanism, thereby accomplishing co-display of the primary media content during a channel surfing activity.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said primary media content decoder is adapted to decode a channel regardless of a channel selected for display on the first active display of said media content viewing mechanism, thereby allowing the user to view two channels simultaneously during a channel surfing activity.

28. The system according to claim 1, wherein said portable device is adapted to retrieve related information based on the supplemental data from a source of related information, to buffer and store the supplemental data and related information as supplemental information in a content database, and to deliver a consistent package of contents based on the decoded supplemental data and contents of the content database.

12. A portable device for use with a broadcast media viewing system, comprising:

a first tuner receiving a selected channel of a broadcast stream, wherein the channel includes primary data providing primary media content and supplemental data providing supplemental information;

a supplemental decoder decoding the supplemental data to extract the supplemental information;

a first active display communicating the supplemental information to a user; and

a command processor independently designating selected channels for said first tuner and for a media content viewing mechanism having a second tuner receiving an independently selected channel of the broadcast stream, wherein said media content viewing mechanism is operable to decode the primary data and render the primary media content to a second active display.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising an intermittent primary media content decoder adapted to decode primary data to extract primary media content at predetermined frame intervals, and to render the primary media content to the first active display at reduced resolution.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a content database adapted to buffer and store supplemental information from a source of supplemental information; and

a sync engine adapted to deliver a consistent package of contents based on decoded supplemental data and contents of the content database.

29. The device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a source of related information delivering related information based on the supplemental data;

a content database buffering and storing the supplemental data and related information as supplemental information; and

a synchronization engine delivering a consistent package of contents based on the decoded supplemental data and contents of the content database.

15-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A synchronization method for use with a media content viewing system, comprising:

tuning to a first channel of a television broadcast being enjoyed by a user independently of a second channel being enjoyed by the user;

decoding supplemental data embedded in a television broadcast being enjoyed by a user;

retrieving related information based on the supplemental data from a source of related information;

buffering and storing the supplemental data and related information as supplemental information in a content database; and

delivering a consistent package of contents based on the decoded supplemental data and contents of the content database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

intermittently decoding primary data of the television broadcast, thereby obtaining primary media content; and

visually rendering the primary media content at reduced resolution.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

decoding primary data of the television broadcast, thereby obtaining primary media content; and

visually rendering the primary media content.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising rendering the primary media content in combination with supplementary media content including contents of an electronic programming guide.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

remotely controlling a peripheral media consumption device to display primary media content of a user selected channel of the broadcast; and

selectively decoding channels independently of user selection of the user selected channel based on user access of the contents of the electronic programming guide.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

remotely controlling a peripheral media consumption device to display primary media content of a user selected channel of the broadcast; and

decoding a channel selected for display on peripheral media consumption device, thereby accomplishing co-display of the primary media content during a channel surfing activity.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

remotely controlling a peripheral media consumption device to display primary media content of a user selected channel of the broadcast; and

decoding a channel regardless of a channel selected for display by the peripheral media consumption device, thereby allowing the user to view two channels simultaneously during a channel surfing activity.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating metadata tags adapted to identify supplementary media content accessible to users;

embedding the metadata tags in a broadcast signal containing primary media content related to the supplementary media content; and

broadcasting the signal to the users.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the metadata tags are XML tags.

27. A synchronization method for use with a media content viewing system, comprising:

generating metadata tags adapted to identify supplementary media content accessible to users;

embedding the metadata tags in a broadcast signal containing primary media content related to the supplementary media content; and

broadcasting the signal to the users.