System providing data quality display of digital video

• US 6,496,983 B1
• Filed: 08/04/1998
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Robert, Schindler, Jeffrey, Zyzda, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/129,449
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.716, H04/N.718, H04/N.7173, 725/68, 725/131, 725/139, 725/51, 725/70, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/80, 725/81, 348/731, 348/734, 348/552, 709/250, 709/321, 709/327
• US Class Current: 725/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• 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 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• 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 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An entertainment system has a personal computer as the heart of the system with a large screen VGA quality monitor as the display of choice. The system has digital satellite broadcast reception, decompression and display capability with multiple radio frequency remote control devices which transmit self identifying signals and have power adjustment capabilities. These capabilities are used to provide context sensitive groups of keys which may be defined to affect only selected applications running in a windowing environment. In addition, the remote control devices combine television and VCR controls with standard personal computer keyboard controls. A keyboard remote also integrates a touchpad which is food contamination resistant and may also be used for user verification. Included in the system is the ability to recognize verbal communications in video signals and maintain a database of such text which is searchable to help identify desired programming in real time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a receiver that receives a compressed digital video signal from a source external to the system;

a processor coupled to the receiver, wherein the processor associates a plurality of applications with a plurality of respective remotes and sends commands from the respective rernotes to the associated applications;

a decompressor coupled to the receiver that receives the compressed digital video signal from the receiver and decompresses the signal into a decompressed digital video signal; and

a video driver coupled to the decompressor that receives the decompressed digital video signal and converts the decompressed video signal into a data quality analog signal; and

a data quality monitor that receives the data quality analog signal and displays video images therein.

2. An information handling system, comprising:

a receiver that receives a compressed digital video signal from a source external to the system;

a processor coupled to the receiver, wherein the processor associates a plurality of applications with a plurality of respective remotes and sends commands from the respective remotes to the associated applications;

a decompressor coupled to the receiver that receives the compressed digital video signal from the receiver and decompresses the signal into a decompressed digital video signal;

a video driver coupled to the decompressor that receives the decompressed digital video signal and converts the decompressed video signal into a data quality analog signal; and

a data quality monitor that receives the data quality analog signal and displays video images therein.

3. An information handling system, comprising:

a computer having a bus;

a receiver coupled to the bus for receiving a compressed digital video signal from a source external to the system;

a processor coupled to the receiver, wherein the processor associates a plurality of applications with a plurality of respective remotes and sends commands from the respective remotes to the associated applications;

a decompressor coupled to the bus for receiving the compressed digital video signal from the receiver and decompressing the signal into a decompressed digital video signal;

a video driver coupled to the bus for receiving the decompressed digital video signal and converting the decompressed video signal into data quality analog signals; and

a data quality monitor that receives the data quality analog signals and displays video images therein.

4. A system, comprising:

a personal computer having a processor, a main memory, a secondary storage device, and a bus for connecting the processor, the main memory and the secondary storage device and that receives signals from multiple circuits, wherein the processor associates a plurality of applications with a plurality of respective remotes and sends commands from the respective remotes to the associated applications;

a tuner for receiving a digital video broadcast signal and tuning the signal into a digital video signal;

a monitor driver coupled to the bus that receives digital video signal and converts it into data quality analog signals; and

a data quality monitor that receives the data quality analog signals and displays video images therein on a screen capable of a resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the bus is a personal computer standard PCI bus, allowing video signals to be processed by all the devices attached to the PCI bus.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the main memory is coupled to the bus, and provides memory storage for:

a fifo memory buffer, and

a buffer controller for controlling the buffer to store digital video signals, and to provide the buffered digital video signals to a decompressor in response to the system controller.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the digital video broadcast signal is compressed in accordance with MPEG standards, and the system further comprises an MPEG decompression circuit.

8. A system, comprising:

a system controller for receiving user input to control selected portions of the system;

a receiver coupled to an antenna, for receiving a compressed digital video signal broadcast from a satellite;

a processor coupled to the receiver, wherein the processor associates a plurality of applications with a plurality of respective remotes and sends commands from the respective remotes to the associated applications;

a tuner, coupled to the receiver and the controller for selecting at least one channel of said compressed digital video signal in response to the controller;

a decompressor, coupled to the tuner for receiving a channel of the compressed digital video signal and decompressing the compressed digital video signal into a decompressed digital video signal;

a converter, coupled to the decompressor for receiving the decompressed digital video signal and converting the decompressed video signal data quality analog signals; and

a data quality monitor coupled to the converter that receives the data quality analog signals and displays the video images therein on a screen capable of a resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels.

9. The entertainment system of claim 8 and further comprising:

a fifo memory buffer coupled to the tuner and decompressor, and

a buffer controller for storing compressed digital video signals in said buffer, wherein said buffer controller causes the buffer to provide the buffered compressed digital video signals to the decompressor in response to the system controller.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the compressed digital video broadcast signal is compressed in accordance with MPEG standards, and the decompressor comprises an MPEG decompression circuit.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the monitor has a diagonal viewing size of at least 27 inches.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the monitor has a diagonal viewing size of at least 31 inches.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the monitor is non-interlaced.

14. The system of claim 8 and further comprising an audio processing circuit coupled to the converter for receiving decompressed audio data encoded in the digital video signal and providing an output suitable for driving speakers.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio processing circuit further comprises an input for accepting signals from a microphone.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio processing circuit further comprises an input for accepting signals from audio CD players.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio processing circuit further comprises an FM synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio processing circuit further comprises a wavetable synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio processing circuit further comprises:

an FM synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound

a wavetable synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound; and

a mixer, coupled to the FM synthesis circuit and to the wavetable synthesis circuit for mixing the sounds created by both and providing them to a line out.

20. The system of claim 8, and further comprising:

an NTSC tuner for tuning regular commercial broadcast television signals to provide a second video feed to the monitor driver.

21. The system of claim 8, wherein all the elements therein except the monitor are contained within a personal computer chassis, and the monitor does not contain a tuner.

22. The system of claim 8, wherein all the elements therein are contained in a monitor chassis.

23. The system of claim 8, wherein the digital video signal is displayed on the monitor without cropping.

24. An information handling system capable of receiving compressed digital video signals broadcast from one or more satellites, the system comprising:

a personal computer having

a first circuit for receiving a compressed digital video signal broadcast from at least one satellite;

a processor coupled to the first circuit, wherein the processor associates a plurality of applications with a plurality of respective remotes and sends commands from the respective remotes to the associated applications;

a second circuit for decompressing the compressed digital video signal into a decompressed digital video signal; and

a third circuit for converting the decompressed video signal into data quality analog signals; and

a data quality television for receiving the data quality analog signals and displaying the video images therein on a screen capable of a resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels.