Simulated pip window in EPG

• US 6,538,701 B1
• Filed: 02/17/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/251,366
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 725/48, 725/49, 348/565, 348/584, 348/600, 348/598, 348/581
• US Class Current: 348/564
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A first signal representing a reduced size video program is transmitted from a central location to a plurality of user terminals in a television signal. A second signal representative of an EPG is generated at one of the user terminals. The first and second signals are linearly combined and applied to a display monitor to display the reduced size video program and the EPG on the screen of the monitor simultaneously in a PIG format. In one embodiment a plurality of reduced size video programs are transmitted in the television signal and one of them is selected for display in a PIG format by marking the program listing in the EPG corresponding to the selected reduced size video program with a cursor.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an EPG comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first signal of a reduced size video program from a central location to a plurality of user terminals in a television signal, each user terminal having a display monitor with a screen;

generating a second signal of an electronic program guide (EPG) at one of the user terminals;

linearly combining the first and second signals; and

applying the first and second signals to the display monitor to display the reduced size video program and the EPG on the screen simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of first signals of reduced size video programs as one video signal to the user terminals;

selecting one of the plurality of first signals; and

linearly combing the selected first signal with the second signal to display the reduced size video program of the selected first signal and the EPG on the screen simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the EPG comprises a plurality of program listings corresponding to the video programs and further comprising displaying a movable cursor on the screen to mark one of the plurality of program listings, and selecting one of the plurality of first signals corresponding to the marked program listing for combining with the second signal to display simultaneously the video program corresponding to the marked program listing and the EPG.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising masking out unselected first signals of the plurality of first signals transmitted.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising blanking out a portion of the second signal based on the unselected first signals masked out.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising blanking out a portion of the one video signal occupied by unselected first signals of the plurality of first signals.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising blanking out a portion of the second signal based on a portion of the screen to be occupied by the reduced size video program of the selected one of the plurality of first signals.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein each reduced size video program of each first signal of the plurality of first signals is assigned a portion of a screen, such that the aggregation of the reduced size video programs fills an entire screen.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising tuning to a channel reserved for the plurality of first signals.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising tuning to a channel based on the selected one of the plurality of first signals.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the EPG is arranged to provide an area to be occupied by a reduced size video program prior to generating the second signal.

12. The method of claim 2 wherein the first signal includes the reduced size video program having a specific size and position and a first blanked out area outside the specific size and position of the reduced size video program, such that the reduced size video program and the first blanked out area together cover an entire screen.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second signal includes the EPG having a specific size and position and a second blanked out area outside the specific size and position of the EPG, such that the EPG and the second blanked out area together cover an entire screen.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first blanked out area corresponds in size and position to the second blanked out area.

15. A system of displaying an EPG, the system comprising:

a tuner configured to receive a plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs on one video signal;

memory having an electronic program guide (EPG);

a video processor configured to select one of the plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs and to linearly combine the EPG to the selected one of the plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a processor coupled to the tuner to cause the tuner to tune to a channel based on the selected one of the plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a decoder coupled to the tuner to mask out an unselected plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the video processor linearly combines the EPG to the selected one of the plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs by combining the selected one of the plurality of transmitted reduced size video programs and a first blanked portion with the EPG and a second blanked portion, the first blanked portion having a corresponding size and position as the second blanked portion.