System for dual-display interaction with integrated television and internet content

• US 6,097,441 A
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eremote, Inc.
• Inventors: Allport, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/001,841
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.1, 455/6.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.3, 455/420, 348/460, 348/9, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/552, 348/734, 348/473, 379/90.01, 379/93.12, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/93.25, 379/102.03, 379/102.02
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/33 Remote control using macros, scripts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for using two or more cooperating but physically independent displays for enhanced viewing of data streams, where the viewing on one display does not interfere with the viewing on the other displays. The type of data streams may be complex streams such as multiple television (TV) broadcast signals or other video signals, internet data, or other local data such as information related to the state of a consumer'"'"'s home appliances. The signals may include data embedded in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) for analog signals, or in dedicated slots in a digital signal according to protocols such as MPEG. The system includes a hand-held and portable remote control with a motion picture display, and hardware and/or software enabling interaction between a primary display (such as a TV) and the hand-held display. The hardware may include an integrated TV tuner, or a physically separate base station having a TV tuner, in which case the base station and the remote control would communicate via radio frequency (RF).

Claims

1. A method of viewing data associated with multiple channels of a TV broadcast signal substantially simultaneously comprising the steps of:

receiving the TV broadcast signal into a base station having a tuner;

sending the TV broadcast signal from the base station to a first device having a tuner and a display;

tuning the first device to a first channel using the tuner of the first device;

displaying first data associated with the first channel on the display of the first device;

tuning the base station to a second channel using the tuner of the base station;

sending second data associated with the second channel from the base station to a second device having a display; and

displaying the second data on the display of the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second device is a portable hand-held device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second data is sent using radio frequency transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of swapping the first and second data between the first and second displays.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of outputting an audio signal associated with the second data from a speaker associated with the second device.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the second data is sent using radio frequency transmission.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the first device is tuned to the first channel in response to a command from the second device.

8. A system for providing enhanced viewing of multiple data streams comprising:

a first device having a display, the first device being capable of displaying full motion video;

a second device having a display, the second device being capable of displaying full motion video, and having communications hardware for sending control infrared (IR) commands, and a radio frequency (RF) antenna for receiving RF transmissions; and

a base station connected to the first device by a cable, and having communications hardware for receiving control IR commands and for sending RF transmissions.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second device is a hand-held remote control.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control further comprises a USB port.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the first device has communications hardware for receiving control IR commands.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the base station further comprises a tuner.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control comprises a tuner.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the second device further comprises a speaker.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the base station further comprises a tuner.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the base station further comprises a tuner.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the base station further comprises a tuner.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the first device comprises a tuner.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the tuner of the base station is tuned to a first channel and the tuner of the first device is tuned to a second channel, and wherein the second device contains a button programmed to:

1) send a first control IR command to the base station to cause the tuner of the base station to tune to the second channel; and

     2) send a second control IR command to the first device to cause the tuner of the first device to tune to the first channel.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the base station further comprises a tuner.

21. The system of claim 9 wherein the remote control further comprises a Firewire 1394 port.

22. A method of swapping first data displayed on a first device, with second data displayed on a second device, wherein the first and second data are associated with first and second channels respectively and are both at least initially contained within a single data stream, and wherein the first device has communications hardware for transmitting infrared (IR) commands and the first device receives the first data via RF communications from a base station, and the second device has communications hardware for receiving IR commands, comprising the steps:

actuating a button on the first device, said actuation causing an infrared (IR) command sequence to be sent from the first device to the second device commanding the second device to adjust a tuner therein to a predetermined channel, said actuation also causing another IR command sequence to be sent from the first device to the base station commanding the base station to adjust a tuner contained therein to a predetermined channel.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first device is a hand-held remote control, and the second device is a TV.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the remote control has a memory and wherein the remote control stores in the memory information related to the IR commands sent such that the remote control is capable of subsequently accessing the information to determine the channels tuned to by the tuners.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the remote control sends information to the base station via RF communications.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the remote control has a memory and wherein the remote control stores in the memory information related to the IR commands sent such that the remote control is capable of subsequently accessing the information to determine channels tuned to by the tuners.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the data stream is a TV signal.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the TV signal is received by the base station and by the second device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the TV signal contains embedded data.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the embedded data is HTML data.

31. A method of viewing multiple data streams substantially simultaneously comprising the steps of:

receiving a first data stream into a base station;

receiving a second data stream into the base station;

transmitting the first data stream from the base station to a first device, the first device having a display capable of displaying full motion video;

displaying the first data stream on the display of the first device;

transmitting the second data stream from the base station to a second device, the second device having a display capable of displaying full motion video;

displaying the second data stream on the display of the second device; and

discontinuing to display the first data stream on the display of the first device, discontinuing to display the second data stream on the display of the second device, displaying the second data stream on the display of the first device, and displaying the first data stream on the display of the second device, all substantially simultaneously in response to activation of a button on the second device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second device is a hand-held remote control.

33. A method of viewing different portions of data from a data stream on two physically separate displays substantially simultaneously comprising the steps of:

receiving the data stream into a base station;

processing the data stream within the base station to separate the data stream into a first portion and a second portion;

transmitting the first portion from the base station to a first display;

displaying the first portion on the first display;

transmitting the second portion from the base station to a second display;

displaying the second portion on the second display; and

discontinuing to display the first portion on the first display, discontinuing to display the second portion on the second display, displaying the second portion on the first display, and displaying the first portion on the second display, all substantially simultaneously in response to activation of a button on a second device comprising the second display.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the second device is a hand-held remote control.

35. A method of viewing different portions of data from a data stream, on two physically separate displays substantially simultaneously, comprising the steps of:

receiving the data stream into a base station;

processing the data stream within the base station to separate the data stream into a first portion and a second portion;

transmitting the first portion from the base station to the first display;

displaying the first portion on the first display;

transmitting the second portion from the base station to the second display via Firewire 1394 protocol wired communication; and

displaying the second portion on the second display, the second display being on a hand-held remote control.

36. A method of viewing data associated with multiple data streams substantially simultaneously comprising the steps of:

receiving a first data stream into a base station;

receiving a second data stream into the base station;

transmitting the first data stream from the base station to a television having a display capable of displaying full motion video;

displaying first data associated with the first data stream on the display of the television;

transmitting the second data stream from the base station to a hand-held remote control using Firewire 1394 protocol wired communication, wherein the hand-held remote control has a display capable of displaying full motion video; and

displaying second data associated with the second data stream on the display of the hand-held remote control.