INFORMATION PROVIDING DEVICE AND METOD FOR INDEX INFORMATION FOR SCENE CHANGES

• US 20110214145A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motoki Kobayashi, Takeshi Hashimoto, Tatsushi Nashida
• Original Assignee: Motoki Kobayashi, Takeshi Hashimoto, Tatsushi Nashida
• Inventors: HASHIMOTO, Takeshi, KOBAYASHI, Motoki, NASHIDA, Tatsushi
• Application Number:
  US13/083,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20110214145A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/43615 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 21/44008 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus and an information providing apparatus. Images which are consecutive in time series are sequentially enlarged and displayed such that the enlarged images are continuous spirally in the time-series order from the inner circumferential side. In this manner, according to the present invention, it is possible to understand easily a before-after relationship between a large number of images which are consecutive in time series by applying the present invention to a set-top box for digital satellite broadcasting, for example.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus for displaying information on a screen, based on various information data provided through a plurality of information sources, characterized by comprising:

first information obtain means for obtaining index information concerning a content outputted from a first information source of the plurality of information sources, from the first information source;

second information obtain means for obtaining index information concerning a content outputted from a second information source of the plurality of information sources, from the second information source;

menu screen display means for displaying a categorized menu screen on the screen, based on the obtained index information concerning the content outputted from the first information source and the obtained index information concerning the content outputted from the second information source; and

display means for obtaining necessary information data from the first or second information source, in response to selection operation on the menu screen, and for displaying information based on the necessary information data, onto the screen.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the necessary information data is information data for displaying contents of the content.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first information source and the information providing apparatus are connected with each other through a network, and

the first information obtain means obtains the first information data through the network.

4. An information providing method for displaying information on a screen, based on various information data provided through a plurality of information sources, characterized by comprising:

a first information obtain step of obtaining index formation concerning a content outputted from a first information source of the plurality of information sources, from the first information source;

a second information obtain step of obtaining index information concerning a content outputted from a second information source of the plurality of information sources, from the second information source;

a menu screen display step of displaying a categorized menu screen on the screen, based on the obtained index information concerning the content outputted from the first information source and the obtained index information concerning the content outputted from the second information source; and

a display step of obtaining necessary information data from the first or second information source, in response to selection operation on the menu screen, and of displaying information based on the necessary information data, onto the screen.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the necessary information data is information data for displaying contents of the content.

6. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that in the first information obtain step, the first information data concerning the first information source is obtained from the first information source through the network.