Method of selecting a portion of a block of data for display based on characteristics of a display device

• US 6,839,903 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter Rae, Usui, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoye, Michael W
• Application Number:
  US09/534,832
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 725 39- 59, 725/78, 725/80, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 348554-556, 348/558, 348/581, 348/441, 348/445, 345/699
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4356 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. to reformat additional data on a handheld device, attached to the STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4358 for generating different versions, e.g. for different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection

Abstract

A method of selecting a portion of a block of data for display based on characteristics of a display device. The method comprises several steps. In the first step, a block of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data is received at a communication device adapted to process this data. Next, an input is received at the communication device regarding an appearance of the display device. The communication device can be a set-top box. The appearance of the display includes, but is not limited to, the resolution, the aspect ratio (AR), and the physical size of the display. Based on these inputs, the communication device next selects a portion, more or fewer columns or rows, of the block of EPG data to be displayed on the display device. The portion of the EPG data selected is formatted and communicated to the display device, e.g. television, for viewing by the user.

Claims

1. In a video device, a method of determining a portion of a block of text-based data to be provided to a display device, said method comprising:

receiving said block of text-based data;

receiving an input regarding an appearance of said display device, said input is provided by said display device;

selecting said portion of said block of text-based data to be displayed on said display device based on said input;

formatting said portion of said block of text-based data to create an image frame for said display device; and

communicating said image frame to said display device.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said video device is a set-top box.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said selecting comprises comparing said input to a predetermined threshold value stored in memory.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said input includes a display characteristic of said display device.

5. The method recited in claim 4 wherein said display characteristic includes aspect ratio data regarding said display device.

6. The method recited in claim 4 wherein said display characteristic includes a screen size of said display device.

7. The method recited in claim 4 wherein said display characteristic includes a resolution of said display device.

8. The method recited in claim 4 wherein said block of text-based data is on-screen display information.

9. The method recited in claim 8 wherein said on-screen display information is Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information.

10. The method recited in claim 3 wherein said input is an aspect ratio of said display device, a resolution of said display device, or a display size of said display device.

11. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said display device has an aspect ratio of 16:

9.

12. The method recited in claim 1 wherein said formatting based on said input.

13. The method recited in claim 12 wherein said formatting comprises implementing vertical compression of said portion of said block of text-based data, wherein said frame image comprises a blacked-out top region.

14. A video device comprising:

a receiver unit for receiving a block of text-based data;

a processor coupled to said receiver unit; and

a computer readable memory coupled to said processor and containing program instructions stored therein that when executed implement a method for determining a portion of said block of text-based data to be provided to a display device, said method comprising;

receiving said block of text-based data;

determining if said display device provides an input of a display characteristic of said display device;

prompting via a message to provide display information of said display device, if said display device does not provide said input;

receiving said display characteristic of said display device, in response to said prompting;

selecting a portion of said block of text-based data to be displayed on said display device based on said display characteristic, in response to said receiving;

formatting said portion of said block of text-based data to create an image frame for said display device; and

communicating said image frame to said display device.

15. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said video device is a set-top box.

16. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said selecting comprises comparing said display characteristic to a predetermined threshold value stored in memory.

17. The video device recited in claim 16 wherein said display characteristic is an aspect ratio of said display device, a resolution of said display device, or a display size of said display device.

18. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said display characteristic includes aspect ratio data regarding said display device.

19. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said display characteristic includes a screen size of said display device.

20. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said display characteristic includes a resolution of said display device.

21. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said block of text-based data is on-screen display information.

22. The video device recited in claim 21 wherein said on-screen display information is Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information.

23. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said device device has an aspect ratio of 4:

3.

24. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said formatting based on said display characteristic.

25. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said formatting comprises implementing vertical compression of said portion of said block of text-based data, wherein said frame image comprises a blacked-out top region.

26. The video device recited in claim 14 wherein said method further comprising:

receiving a font type and font size for said block of text-based data, in response to said prompting.

27. A method comprising:

receiving a block of text-based data to be provided to a display device;

determining if said display device provides an input of a display characteristic of said display device;

prompting via a message to provide display information of said display device, if said display device does not provide said input;

selecting a portion of said block of text-based data to be displayed on said display device based on a display characteristic default value stored in memory, if no display characteristic input received in response to said prompting;

formatting said portion of said block of text-based data to create an image frame for said display device; and

communicating said image frame to said display device.

28. The method recited in claim 27 wherein said formatting based on said display characteristic default value.