Ticker tape picture-in-picture system

• US 6,833,874 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Arthur H., Steward, Roy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US09/819,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5445, H04/N.545, 348/565, 348/564, 348/563, 348/566, 348/567, 348/569, 348/468, 348/473, 348/474, 348/584, 348/588, 348/589, 348/590, 348/591, 348/592, 348/598-9, 345/603, 345/604, 725/137
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84

Abstract

A ticker tape PiP system that provides for viewing the ticker tape image portion from one image signal (e.g., a ticker tape image portion of a television image signal), while viewing at least a portion of an image from a different image signal (i.e., a standard television program image). The ticker tape PiP system includes an image display device, a first tuner and a second tuner. The first and second tuners are configured to receive first and second image signals and to output corresponding first and second video signals, respectively. The ticker tape PiP system also includes a video switching subsystem for receiving the first and second video signals and for selectively switching an output to the image display device between (i) an RGB formatted display signal derived from the first video signal and (ii) an RGB formatted display signal derived from the second video signal that corresponds only to a ticker tape image portion of the second video signal. The selective switching of the video switching subsystem is based on a timing signal supplied by a microprocessor.

Claims

1. A ticker tape picture-in-picture (PiP) system comprising:

an image display device;

a first tuner for receiving a first image signal corresponding to a first image and outputting a first video formatted signal corresponding thereto;

a second tuner for receiving a second image signal corresponding to a second image, the second image including a ticker tape image portion, and outputting a second video formatted signal corresponding thereto;

a video switching subsystem for receiving the first video formatted signal and the second video formatted signal and selectively outputting to the image display device an RGB formatted display signal derived from one of the first video signal and the second video signal;

a microprocessor for sending a timing signal to the video switching subsystem, the timing signal causing the video switching subsystem to selectively switch between outputting an RGB formatted display signal derived from the first video signal and an RGB formatted display signal derived from the second video signal in such a manner that the image display device sequentially receives an RGB formatted display signal corresponding to a predetermined portion of the first image and an RGB formatted display signal corresponding to the ticker tape image portion of the second image;

wherein the first and second video signals include audio and video components and wherein the video switcher subsystem includes;

an audio/video switch configured to receive the first and second video signals from the first and second tuners, respectively, to stitch audio and video components of the first and second video signals, and to output a stitched first video signal, a stitched second video signal, a Y formatted signal and a C formatted signal;

a V-to-YUV format converter configured to convert the stitched second video signal to a YUV formatted signal; and

a video mixer/switch configured to receive the Y formatted signal, the C formatted signal and the YUV formatted signal and to selectively and sequentially convert the Y and C formatted signals and the YUV formatted signal into an RGB formatted display signal.

2. The ticker tape picture-in-picture system of claim 1 further comprising a PiP circuit configured to receive the stitched second video signal and to output a corresponding YUV formatted signal to the video mixer/switch.

3. A video switching subsystem comprising

first and second inputs for receiving first and second video signals, respectively, wherein the first and second video signals include audio and video components;

a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal to selectively switch between outputting an RGB formatted display signal derived from the first video signal and an RGB formatted display signal derived from the second video signal in such a manner that the image display device sequentially receives an RGB formatted display signal corresponding to a predetermined portion of the first image and an RGB formatted display signal corresponding to the ticker tape image portion of the second image;

an audio/video switch configured to receive the first and second video signals to stitch audio and video components of the first and second video signals and to output a stitched first video signal, a stitched second video signal, a Y formatted signal and a C formatted signal;

a V-to-YUV format converter configured to convert the stitched second video signal to a YUV formatted signal; and

a video mixer/switch configured to receive the Y formatted signal, the C formatted signal and the YUV formatted signal and to selectively and sequentially convert the Y and C formatted signals and the YUV formatted signal into an RGB formatted display signal.

4. The video switching subsystem of claim 3, further comprising

a picture-in-picture circuit configured to receive the stitched second video signal and to output a corresponding YUV formatted signal to the video mixer/switch.