System and Method for Receiving a Picture-in-Picture Display via an Internet Connection in a Satellite Television System

• US 20100037271A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crowe, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/186,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037271A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/68
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A method for receiving a picture-in-picture display via an Internet connection in a satellite television system. A first video stream associated with linear television content is received from a satellite dish. A second video stream is received over an Internet protocol connection. The first video stream of linear television content received from the satellite dish is output to a display, and the second video stream received from the Internet protocol connection is output to a picture-in-picture display on the display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first video stream associated with linear television content from a satellite dish;

receiving a second video stream over an Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the first video stream of linear television content received from the satellite dish to a display, and outputting the second video stream received from the Internet protocol connection to a picture-in-picture display on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a channel change request for the picture-in-picture display;

ending reception of the second video stream;

receiving a third video stream in response to the channel change request over the Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the third video stream in the picture-in-picture display.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a display swap request;

receiving the second video stream from the satellite dish;

receiving the first video stream from the Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the second video stream as linear television content to the display, and outputting the first video stream to the picture-in-picture display in response to the display swap request.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first video stream has a first bit rate higher than a second bit rate of the second video stream.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a channel change request for the picture-in-picture display;

ending reception of the second video stream;

receiving a third video stream in response to the channel change request over the Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the third video stream in the picture-in-picture display.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a display swap request;

receiving the second video stream from the satellite dish;

receiving the first video stream from the Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the second video stream as linear television content to the display, and outputting the first video stream to the picture-in-picture display in response to the display swap request.

5. A method comprising:

receiving a first video stream associated with linear television content from a satellite dish;

receiving a picture-in-picture request;

receiving a second video stream over an Internet protocol connection in response to the picture-in-picture request;

outputting the first video stream of linear television content received from the satellite dish to a display; and

outputting the second video stream received from the Internet protocol connection to a picture-in-picture display on the display.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a channel change request for the picture-in-picture display;

ending reception of the second video stream;

receiving a third video stream associated with the channel change request over the Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the third video stream in the picture-in-picture display.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a display swap request;

receiving the second video stream from the satellite dish;

receiving the first video stream from the Internet protocol connection; and

outputting the second video stream as linear television content to the display, and outputting the first video stream to the picture-in-picture display in response to the display swap request.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the first video stream has a first bit rate higher than a second bit rate of the second video stream.

9. A set-top box device comprising:

a satellite television tuner configured to receive a first video stream associated with linear television content from a satellite dish, and configured to output the first video stream to a display; and

an Internet protocol television tuner configured to receive a second video stream from an Internet protocol connection, and configured to output the second video stream to a picture-in-picture display on the display.

10. The set-top box device of claim 9 further comprising:

a receiver module in communication with the Internet protocol television tuner, the receiver configured to receive a picture-in-picture request from a remote control device and further configured to send the picture-in-picture request to the Internet protocol television tuner.

11. The set-top box device of claim 9 wherein the Internet protocol television tuner is further configured to receive and to output a third video stream in response to a picture-in-picture channel change request.

12. The set-top box device of claim 9 wherein the Internet protocol television tuner is further configured to receive and to output the first video stream in response to a display swap request, and the satellite television tuner is further configured to receive and to output second video stream in response to the display swap request.

13. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions to manipulate a processor, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a first video stream associated with linear television content from a satellite dish;

instructions to receive a picture-in-picture request;

instructions to receive a second video stream over an Internet protocol connection in response to the picture-in-picture request; and

instructions to output the first video stream of linear television content received from the satellite dish to a display, and to output the second video stream received from the Internet protocol connection to a picture-in-picture display on the display.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

instructions to receive a channel change request for the picture-in-picture display;

instructions to end reception of the second video stream;

instructions to receive a third video stream associated with the channel change request over the Internet protocol connection; and

instructions to output the third video stream in the picture-in-picture display.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

instructions to receive a display swap request;

instructions to receive the second video stream from the satellite dish;

instructions to receive the first video stream from the Internet protocol connection; and

instructions to output the second video stream as linear television content to the display, and outputting the first video stream to the picture-in-picture display in response to the display swap request.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the first video stream has a first bit rate greater than a second bit rate of the second video stream.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a first video stream having a first bit rate, the first video stream being associated with linear television content from a satellite dish;

receiving a second video stream over an Internet protocol connection via a Internet protocol television tuner, the second video stream having a second bit rate lower than the first bit rate; and

outputting the first video stream of linear television content received from the satellite dish to a display, and outputting the second video stream received from the Internet protocol connection to a picture-in-picture display on the display.