METHOD FOR PROVIDING PROGRAM IMAGE INFORMATION IN DIGITAL BROADCASTING RECEIVING DEVICE

• US 20080098430A1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Tae Hyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• 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

Abstract

A method for providing program image information in a digital broadcasting receiving device. The method includes receiving image broadcasting information segments containing pre-edited program image information about a plurality of channels to be displayed by displaying in a plurality of areas of a display screen and displaying the received image broadcasting information segments. The method allows display of program image information about a plurality of channels on a single screen, thus enabling a user to easily monitor a program being played back on each channel.

Claims

1. A method for providing program image information in a digital broadcasting receiving device, the method comprising:

receiving image broadcasting information segments containing pre-edited program image information about a plurality of channels to be provided by displaying in a plurality of areas of a display screen;

dividing the display screen into the plurality of areas using the received image broadcasting information segments and playing back program image information about a channel pre-allocated to each of the areas in the corresponding area;

selecting one of the areas in response to an area select signal; and

enlarging the selected area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in enlarging the selected area, program image information about channels allocated to the selected area and to the non-selected areas are displayed on a single screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the program image information is motion video data of a program pre-edited for each broadcast time zone of a channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each image broadcasting information segment consists of pre-edited program image information about the corresponding pre-allocated channel and program guide data mapped thereto.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling play back of the channel allocated to the enlarged selected area, receiving a broadcast signal of the channel, and outputting the broadcast signal when a playback signal is input to the enlarged selected area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein in outputting the broadcast signal, the received broadcast signal is displayed on the entire screen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in selecting one of the areas, the area is selected in response to a signal input through left/right/up/down arrow keys.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying menu items when a menu display signal is input to the enlarged selected area; and

performing a function corresponding to the selected menu item when a menu select signal is input to a menu item of the displayed menu items.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the displayed menu items comprise playlist and program guide data menu items.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing a function corresponding to the selected menu item comprises:

extracting program image information about each channel from the corresponding received image broadcasting information segment when the playlist menu item is selected;

combining the extracted program image information about each of the plurality of channels with the corresponding program guide data for each channel to form a plurality of information pairs;

sequentially displaying the plurality of information pairs of the program image information and the corresponding program guide data in the plurality of areas of the display screen pre-allocated for the corresponding channels;

selecting one of the areas in response to an area select signal; and

enlarging the selected area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling play back of the channel allocated to the enlarged selected area, receiving a broadcast signal of the channel, and outputting the broadcast signal when a playback signal is input to the enlarged selected area.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein performing a function corresponding to the selected menu item comprises simultaneously displaying program guide data corresponding to the selected area together with the enlarged selected area when the program guide data menu item is selected.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising ordering a product advertised on the enlarged selected area in response to a product ordering signal input to the enlarged selected area when an advertising channel is pre-allocated to the selected area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein ordering an advertised product comprises:

creating an order message relevant to the product being advertised; and

transmitting the order message to a provider of the advertising channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the order message specifies product name, buyer'"'"'s phone number, and a quantity of products being purchased.