Picture-in-picture television receiver control

• US 4,959,719 A
• Filed: 12/21/1988
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gentner, Donald R., Strubbe, Hugo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US07/288,546
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 358/183, 358/192.1, 358/22
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A television system with picture-in-picture capability in which a common control element can be used to control both the main picture and the picture-in-picture on the screen together with an indicating means displayable on the screens indicate which picture the common control element is capable of controlling at any time.

Claims

1. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver including a display means with a screen capable of displaying a main picture and at least one picture-in-picture, a plurality of sources of information for display as said main picture and said at least one picture-in-picture, a single manually operable control means for switching said main picture from one of said sources of information which it is capable of displaying to another such source and for switching said at least one picture-in-picture from one of said sources of information which it is capable of displaying to another such source, selection means for selecting whether said control means switches said main picture or said predetermined one of said at least one picture-in-picture between sources of information in response to manual operation and an indicating means generator responsive to said selection means causing said display means to display on said screen indicating means indicating which of said pictures said control means will switch between sources of information upon manual operation to cause such switching.

2. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said predetermined one of said at least one picture-in-picture when, said selection means is operated to select said predetermined one for said control means to switch between sources of information.

3. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said selection means is operated to select said main picture for said control means to switch between sources of information.

4. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said selection means is operated to select said main picture for said control means to switch between sources of information.

5. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein said indicating means is a border on at least part of the edge of said picture-in-picture.

6. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein said border is on the top and left side edges of said picture-in-picture.

7. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said selection means is operated to select said main picture for said control means to switch between sources of information.

8. A television system having a receiver capable of receiving a plurality of channels and having display means with a screen capable of providing a picture-in-picture display whereby the display means displays a main picture of information received from a first channel being received by said television receiver and whereby the display means displays a smaller picture than the main picture of information received from a second channel being received by said television receiver;

first tuner means for switching said main picture from said first channel to any other of said plurality of channels received by said television receiver;

second tuner means for switching said smaller picture from said second channel to any other of said plurality of channels received by said television receiver;

common control means for enabling either said first tuner means to operate to switch channels or said second tuner means to switch channels;

manual selection means for selecting which of the tuner means said control means will enable; and

an indicating means generator being enabled by said control means to cause said display means to display indicating means on said screen indicating which of said tuner means is enabled.

9. A television system according to claim 8, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said smaller picture when said tuning control means is in position to control said second tuner means.

10. A television system according to claim 9, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said tuning control means is in the position to control said first tuner means.

11. A television system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said indicating means is a border on at least part of the edge of said smaller picture.

12. A television system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said border is on the top and left side edges of said smaller picture.

13. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver including a display means with a screen capable of displaying a main picture and at least one picture-in-picture, a plurality of sources of information for display as said main picture and said at least one picture-in-picture, a single manually operable control means for controlling at least one feature of said main picture and for controlling at least one feature of said at least one picture-in-picture, selection means for selecting whether said control means controls said at least one feature of said main picture or said at least one feature of said at least one picture-in-picture in response to manual operation and an indicating means generator responsive to said selection means causing said display means to display on said screen indicating means indicating which of said pictures said control means will control upon manual operation.

14. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 13, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said one picture-in-picture of said at least one picture-in-picture when said selection means is operated to select said predetermined one for said control means to control.

15. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 13, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said selection means is operated to select said main picture for said control means to control.

16. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 14, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said selection means is operated to select said main picture for said control means to control.

17. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 14, wherein said indicating means is a border on at least part of the edge of said picture-in-picture.

18. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 17, wherein said border is on the top and left side edges of said picture-in-picture.

19. In combination with a picture-in-picture television receiver as claimed in claim 18, wherein said indicating means is an image associated with said main picture when said selection means is operated to select said main picture for said control means to control.