IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE, VIEWING DEVICE AND METHODS FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20120026396A1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Banavara, Prasanna Ramarao
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/354 for displaying sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/403 the images being monoscopic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/008 Aspects relating to glasses for viewing stereoscopic images

Abstract

An image display device, a viewing device, and a method for operating the same are provided. The method includes pairing a first viewing device with the image display device; displaying a first image corresponding to a first channel during a first period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the first image can be viewed with the use of the first viewing device; and displaying a second image during a second period subsequent to the first period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the second image cannot be viewed with the use of the first viewing device. This allow users to concurrently view different images using different viewing devices on a single image display device.

Claims

1. A method for operating an image display device, the method comprising:

pairing a first viewing device with the image display device;

displaying a first image corresponding to a first channel during a first period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the first image can be viewed with the use of the first viewing device; and

displaying a second image during a second period subsequent to the first period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the second image cannot be viewed with the use of the first viewing device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second images are the same.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising pairing a second viewing device with the image display device,

wherein the displaying of the second image during the second period displays the second image in synchronization with the second viewing device so that the second image can be viewed with the use of the second viewing device during the second period.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

changing the first channel to another channel; and

displaying a third image corresponding to the another channel during a third period subsequent to the second period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the third image can be viewed with the use of the first viewing device but cannot be viewed with the use of the second viewing device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first channel is changed to the another channel using one of the first viewing device and a remote controller.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second image is a scrambled image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image includes at least one of a menu, an electronic program guide (EPG), a broadcasted image, and an external input image.

8. A method for operating an image display device, the method comprising:

entering a multi-user mode;

searching for input images;

displaying the input images on the display;

selecting first and second images of the input images during the search; and

completing a setting of the multi-user mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the input image includes at least one of a menu, an electronic program guide (EPG), a broadcasted image, and an external input image.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the multi-user mode is entered if the multi-user mode is selected using a remote controller, or when a first viewing device and a second viewing device are activated.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a notice is displayed as one of the input images when the multi-user mode is entered.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein a vertical synchronization frequency of the first and second images that are displayed in synchronization with respective viewing devices changes as a number of the respective viewing devices change.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

displaying, when an identical image is selected for respective viewing devices, the selected image in synchronization with the respective viewing devices; and

transmitting an identical synchronization signal to each of the respective viewing devices.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first and second images are broadcast images, and

a channel search range for the first viewing device and a channel search range for the second viewing device are set to be different according to at least one of age, preference, gender, recently viewed channels, or program rating of a corresponding user.

15. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an image selection signal for selecting a different image for a first viewing device while the first image is being displayed in synchronization with the first viewing device;

displaying the image selected by the image selection signal on the image display device in synchronization with the first viewing device; and

providing a notification message indicating overlapping image selection in form of a notification message transmitted to the first viewing device or an object displayed on the image display device, when the selected image is identical to an image displayed in synchronization with another viewing device.

16. An image display device comprising:

a display arranged to display a first image and a second image;

a wireless communication unit arranged to transmit or receive data to or from a first viewing device; and

a controller arranged to perform a control operation to pair the first viewing device with the image display device, to display the first image corresponding to a first channel during a first period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the first image can be viewed with the use of the first viewing device, and display the second image during a second period subsequent to the first period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the second image cannot be viewed with the use of the first viewing device.

17. The image display device according to claim 16, wherein the wireless communication unit is further arranged to transmit or receive data to or from at least a second viewing device, and the controller is further arranged to perform pairing the second viewing device with the image display device, and

wherein the display of the second image during the second period displays the second image in synchronization with the second viewing device so that the second image can be viewed with the use of the second viewing device during the second period.

18. The image display device according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further arranged to:

perform changing the first channel to another channel based on a signal from one of a remote controller and at least one of the first and second viewing devices, and

perform displaying a third image corresponding to the another channel during a third period subsequent to the second period in synchronization with the first viewing device so that the third image can be viewed with the use of the first viewing device but cannot be viewed with the use of the second viewing device.

19. The image display device according to claim 18, wherein the remote controller is used to change the first channel for the first viewing device based on the remote controller being closer to the first viewing device than the second viewing device.

20. A viewing device comprising:

a left-eye glass and a right-eye glass;

a selection unit arranged to perform channel search or channel selection;

a wireless communication unit arranged to transmit or receive data to or from an image display device; and

a controller arranged to perform a control operation to pair the viewing device with the image display device, to enable viewing a first image corresponding to a first channel during a first period in synchronization with the viewing device so that the first image can be viewed with the use of the viewing device, and not enable viewing a second image during a second period subsequent to the first period in synchronization with the viewing device so that the second image cannot be viewed with the use of the viewing device.

21. The viewing device of claim 20, wherein the controller is further arranged to perform opening at least one of the left-eye and right-eye glasses according to a synchronization signal received from the image display device through the wireless communication unit and to transmit a channel selection signal generated by the selection unit to the image display device.