Method and apparatus for multiple channel display
First Claim
1. A method for multiple channel display, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) retrieving identity of a plurality of channels;
b) determining whether the plurality of channels can be displayed within a display area based on size of the display area, number of channels in the plurality of channels, and displaying characteristics;
c) when the plurality of channels can be displayed within the display area, determining channel display size for each of the plurality of channels based on the displaying characteristics, the size of the display area, and the number of channels; and
d) providing visual representations of each of the plurality of channels in accordance with the channel display size such that the visual representations of each of the plurality of channels may be displayed on a single display.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus that automatically scales the channel display area (i.e., thumbnails of the channels) based on the number of channels and displaying characteristics and that provides the user with options to customize the plurality of channels displayed in the multi-channel display is accomplished by determining whether all of the channels in the user'"'"'s customized list can be displayed within the given display area, which may be the full screen or a portion thereof. If all of the channels can be displayed in the given display area, another determination is made to determine the size of each of channel display areas (i.e., thumbnail). Having made this determination, visual representations of each channel in the user'"'"'s customized list is displayed. While the multi-channel display is being presented, the user can select one of them for customized editing.
153 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for multiple channel display, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) retrieving identity of a plurality of channels; b) determining whether the plurality of channels can be displayed within a display area based on size of the display area, number of channels in the plurality of channels, and displaying characteristics; c) when the plurality of channels can be displayed within the display area, determining channel display size for each of the plurality of channels based on the displaying characteristics, the size of the display area, and the number of channels; and d) providing visual representations of each of the plurality of channels in accordance with the channel display size such that the visual representations of each of the plurality of channels may be displayed on a single display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A multiple channel display comprising:
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a channel tuner; a decoder operably coupled to receive broadcast signals from the channel tuner and to convert the broadcast signals into decoded representations; a video graphics processing circuit operably coupled to the decoder, wherein the video graphics processing circuit generates pixel information from the decoder representations; a digital storage medium that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processor within the video graphics processing circuit, cause the processor to prepare the pixel information for multiple channel display, the digital storage medium includes; first means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to retrieve identity of a plurality of channels; second means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine whether the plurality of channels can be displayed within a display area based on size of the display area, number of channels in the plurality of channels, and displaying characteristics; third means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine channel display size for each of the plurality of channels based on the displaying characteristics, the size of the display area, and the number of channels, when the plurality of channels can be displayed within the display area; and fourth means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to provide the pixel information for visual representations of each of the plurality of channels in accordance with the channel display size such that the visual representations of each of the plurality of channels may be displayed on a single display.
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17. A digital storage medium that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to prepare the pixel information for multiple channel display, the digital storage medium includes:
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first means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to retrieve identity of a plurality of channels; second means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine whether the plurality of channels can be displayed within a display area based on size of the display area, number of channels in the plurality of channels, and displaying characteristics; third means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine channel display size for each of the plurality of channels based on the displaying characteristics, the size of the display area, and the number of channels, when the plurality of channels can be displayed within the display area; and fourth means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to provide the pixel information for visual representations of each of the plurality of channels in accordance with the channel display size such that the visual representations of each of the plurality of channels may be displayed on a single display.
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18. A method for determining channel display areas for a plurality of channels, the method comprises the steps of
a) determining a display area parameter that is based on at least one of width and height of the display area, wherein the display area is an area in which video representations of the plurality of channels are to be displayed; -
b) determining a channel display area parameter of a channel display area from the display area parameter and number of channels in the plurality of channels; c) determining height and width of the channel display area based on the channel display area parameter and an aspect ratio; d) comparing the height and width of the channel display area with minimal acceptable height and width values; and e) providing pixel information of the visual representations of the plurality of channels for display within the channel display areas when the comparing of the height and width of the channel display area with the minimal acceptable height and width values was favorable. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A digital storage medium that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processor, causes the processor to determine size of a channel display area, the digital storage medium comprising:
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first means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine a display area parameter that is based on at least one of width and height of the display area, wherein the display area is an area in which video representations of the plurality of channels are to be displayed; second means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine a channel display area parameter of a channel display area from the display area parameter and number of channels in the plurality of channels; third means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to determine height and width of the channel display area based on the average channel display area and an aspect ratio; fourth means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to compare the height and width of the channel display area with minimal acceptable height and width values; and fifth means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the processor to provide pixel information of the visual representations of the plurality of channels for display within the channel display areas when the comparing of the height and width of the channel display area with the minimal acceptable height and width values was favorable.
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Specification