TOUCH SENSITIVE VIDEO SIGNAL DISPLAY FOR A PROGRAMMABLE MULTIMEDIA CONTROLLER

• US 20090303197A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savant Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Savant Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Bonczek, Bryan S., Silva, Michael C., Madonna, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 21/4312 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

The forgoing method, system, and apparatus relates to a touch sensitive display for use with a programmable multimedia controller. In the illustrative system, the user may select and designate a video input device to be implemented on a video output display device within the user'"'"'s network of devices. The media input devices and output devices are selected by the user touching a touch sensitive button located on the display screen. To initiate an action the user touches, drags and drops a media input device button onto one or more video output display device buttons. Furthermore, when the user selects a media input device to be implemented on a video output display device, the user may also select a video signal source to apply to that media input device for a transaction. A live stream of what is playing on a given channel is provided on the screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling and selecting video input for one or more video output display devices, comprising:

one or more video output display devices interconnected with a programmable multimedia controller;

one or more video input devices interconnected with the programmable multimedia controller; and

a touch sensitive display interconnected with the programmable multimedia controller, the display configured to receive at least one video signal from the video input devices and display one or more of the signals in one or more touch sensitive video selection buttons, at least one of the buttons responsive to a user'"'"'s touch to effectively command the programmable multimedia controller to establish a communication path for the associated video signal to a user selected video output display device.

14. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said

touch sensitive display is arranged with two groups of buttons, a each button in a first group of buttons corresponding to a video output display device in a system of video output display devices, and a second group of buttons, wherein each button in said second group of buttons corresponding to a given video input device.

15. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said programmable multimedia controller is programmed in such a manner that, in response to a user pressing a video input device button and dragging it to a video output display device, said programmable multimedia controller establishes a communication path via a video switch to direct the video content signals from the selected video input device to the respective video output display device.

16. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said programmable multimedia controller is further programmed to display on the touch sensitive screen at or in close proximity to a selected video output display device button, streaming video of that which is currently appearing on the selected video input device to be directed to that video output display device.

17. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said programmable multimedia controller is connected to the Internet.

18. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said programmable multimedia controller includes a microcontroller programmed to manage the general operation of the system, and a video switch and audio switch being coupled to the microcontroller via a bus.

19. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said video switch is a crosspoint switch that is capable of switching a number of connections simultaneously

20. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said video switch is a time division multiplexing switch for switching digital signals.

21. The apparatus for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said devices are televisions in various locations in a house or commercial establishment.

2. A method for controlling and selecting video input for output on one or more video output display devices, comprising:

connecting one or more video output display devices interconnected with a programmable multimedia controller;

connecting one or more video input devices interconnected with the programmable multimedia controller; and

interconnecting a touch sensitive display with the programmable multimedia controller, the display configured to receive video input from at least one video input device and display one or more of the signals generated by said video input device in one or more touch sensitive video selection buttons, at least one of the buttons responsive to a user'"'"'s touch to effectively command the programmable multimedia controller to establish a communication path for the associated video signal to a user selected video output display device.

3. The method for controlling and selecting video input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

programming said touch sensitive display to include a first portion of a screen that presents a plurality of touch sensitive buttons, each button representing a particular video output display device, and a second portion of said screen to present a plurality of touch sensitive buttons, each button on said second portion of said screen displaying one or more available media input including at least one of a video input device, video signal source and audio input device and audio signal source;

pressing a selected button associated with a desired media input;

dragging said touch sensitive button associated with the desired media input to one or more touch sensitive buttons on said second portion of said screen; and

dropping said selected input button onto each desired video output display device button in order to associate a selected media input with one or more video output display devices.

4. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

in response to dropping of selected video input button on to said desired video output display device button, said programmable controller commands an associated video switch to open a communication path between said selected video input device and said desired video output display device and to connect a selected video signal from a selected video input source to the desired video output display device.

5. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

streaming video content from a selected video input device to the touch sensitive display such that a user can view the programming currently being shown by the selected video input device in a small panel on the touch sensitive display.

6. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 5 further comprising:

streaming a video signal from said user selected video input device onto one or more video output display device buttons on said display.

7. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

tagging each connected video output display device button with a visual indicator of a video input source currently connected to the video output display device.

8. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

on said touch sensitive screen, in response to a user selecting a plurality of touch sensitive video output display device buttons and dragging a video input tag to one of the video output display devices, said programmable controller commands said video switch to open a communication path to each of the selected video output display devices, and

displaying the video content represented by the video input tag on each of the selected video output display devices to thereby broadcast the video content on each of those selected video output display devices.

9. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

swapping a video input source between two or more video output display devices;

touching a touch sensitive video input tag on a selected video output display device button;

dragging said tag onto a video output display device button which is a target of a swap;

dropping the touch sensitive video input tag on the prospective video output display device button which the user wishes to swap; and

transmitting streaming video from the selected video input device to the video output display device that is the target of the swap.

10. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2 further comprising, in response to a user selecting a particular video input device, the programmable multimedia controller then commands the touch sensitive display to change to display the streaming video of in small sections located on the touch screen displaying programming then available from the selected video input device.

11. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, wherein a video output display device is one of:

TV, CRTs, touch panels, flat panel displays, a computer monitor and personal media player.

12. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, wherein a video input device is one of cable television, satellite television, DVD player, DVR, VCR, computer, and video gaming system.

13. The method for controlling and selecting media input for output on one or more video output display devices as defined in claim 2, wherein a video input device is an audio input device including at least one of a radio, satellite radio, CD player, personal media player and digital audio player.