Method and apparatus for providing information in video transitions

• US 6,593,973 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spotware Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Gary E., Smith, Kim C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U.
• Application Number:
  US09/531,953
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 348/9, 348/10, 348/584, 348/586, 348/589, 348/598, 348/600, 348/569, 348/570, 348/731, 348/722, 348/705, 348/706, 348/559, 348/560, 725/35, 725/36
• US Class Current: 348/584
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A video system displays information during transition from a first video source to a second video source. During the transition, an MPEG decoder decodes a transition video signal and provides the decoded transition video signal to a video overlay which overlays the decoded transition video signal onto a display during the transition period. In one embodiment, the transition video may be a commercial video or advertisement such that the advertisement is displayed on the display during the transition. The advertisement may be related to the content of the output of one of the video sources. In the event the MPEG decoder is unavailable to decode the transition video during the transition, the video system is capable of utilizing an alternate decoder to decode the transition video.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing an output to a display in response to an input signal received from a video source, said output providing means including means for buffering the input signal;

means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal, said decoding means being a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard; and

means, coupled to said output providing means, for overlaying the decoded video signal decoded by said decoding means onto the display during the transition when said output providing means switches from a first video source to a second video source.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller and said buffering means comprising video memory.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller, said buffering means comprising video memory, and said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means being capable of receiving the coded video signal via a network.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means being capable of decoding an encoded commercial video signal into a decoded commercial video signal such that said overlaying means overlays the decoded commercial video signal during the transition.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means being capable of decoding a video signal containing advertisement information into a decoded commercial video signal containing advertisement information such that said overlaying means overlays the decoded video signal containing advertisement information during the transition.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for storing an encoded signal such that the encoded signal is available to be decoded by said decoding means upon an occurrence of the transition.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory capable of storing an encoded signal such that the encoded signal is available to be decoded by said decoding means upon an occurrence of the transition.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a processor for executing a program of instructions that controls the apparatus, said processor being coupled to said output providing means via a bus.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of encoded video signals, said apparatus being capable of selecting a specific encoded video signal for decoding and display during the transition based upon said encoded video signal'"'"'s relevance to either a content'"'"'s subject matter displayed by the first video source prior to the transition or a content'"'"'s subject matter selected for display via the second video source following the transition.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is capable of extending the transition to a predetermined time duration when said output providing means switches from the first video source to the second video source, thereby ensuring that the decoded video signal is capable of being displayed in its entirety.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving video from a first video source such that the video from the first video source is displayed on a display;

determining whether a transition will occur when switching from the first video source to a second video source;

in the event it is determined that a transition will occur, decoding an encoded transition video;

overlaying the decoded transition video during the transition such that the transition video is displayed on the display; and

receiving video from the second video source such that the video from the second video source is displayed on the display.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the steps of, determining whether a first video decoder is available to decode the encoded transition video during the transition, and, in the event it is determined that the first video decoder is not available, decoding the encoded transition video with a second decoder.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of receiving the encoded transition video via a network.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of storing the encoded transition video such that the encoded transition video is available to be decoded upon an occurrence of a transition.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of selecting a specific encoded transition video for decoding and display during the transition from a plurality of encoded transition videos based upon said encoded transition video'"'"'s relevance to either a content'"'"'s subject matter displayed by the first video source prior to the transition or a content'"'"'s subject matter selected for display via the second video source following the transition.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of extending the transition to a predetermined time duration when switching from the first video source to a second video source, thereby ensuring that the decoded transition video is capable of being displayed in its entirety.

19. A program of instructions storable on a medium readable by an information handling system for causing an information handling system to execute steps for displaying information during a transition from a first video source to a second video source, the steps comprising:

receiving video from a first video source such that the video from the first video source is displayed on a display;

determining whether a transition will occur when switching from the first video source to a second video source;

in the event it is determined that a transition will occur, decoding an encoded transition video;

overlaying the decoded transition video during the transition such that the transition video is displayed on the display; and

receiving video from the second video source such that the video from the second video source is displayed on the display.

20. The program of instructions as claimed in claim 19, the steps further comprising the steps of, determining whether a first video decoder is available to decode the encoded transition video during the transition, and, in the event it is determined that the first video decoder is not available, decoding the encoded transition video with a second decoder.

21. The program of instructions as claimed in claim 19, the steps further comprising the step of receiving the encoded transition video via a network.

22. The program of instructions as claimed in claim 19, the steps further comprising the step of storing the encoded transition video such that the encoded transition video is available to be decoded upon an occurrence of a transition.

23. The program of instructions as claimed in claim 19, the steps further comprising the step of selecting a specific encoded transition video for decoding and display during the transition from a plurality of encoded transition videos based upon said encoded transition video'"'"'s relevance to either a content'"'"'s subject matter displayed by the first video source prior to the transition or a content'"'"'s subject matter selected for display via the second video source following the transition.

24. The program of instructions as claimed in claim 19, the steps further comprising the step of extending the transition to a predetermined time duration when switching from the first video source to a second video source, thereby ensuring that the decoded transition video is capable of being displayed in its entirety.