Systems and methods for delivering picture-in-picture signals at diverse compressions and bandwidths

• US 7,187,418 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M., Campbell, Kurt A., Brodigan, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/377,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 348563-569, 348/473, 348/588, 348/474, 348/390.1, 348/596, 348/469, 348/586, 375/240.26, 375/395.1
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• 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 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 : between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

T Systems and methods for providing picture-in-picture, or other multi-picture displays. Some of the systems include two or more video and/or data signals that are coupled to a transmission device. In addition, a selector signal is coupled to the transmission device. The transmission device also includes a video output that, based at least in part on the selector signal, provides a derivative of one of the video and/or data signals at a first compression and bandwidth, and the other video and/or data signal at a second compression and bandwidth. Various of the methods include utilize the systems to transmit two or more video outputs based at least in part on a selector signal.

Claims

1. A system for providing picture-in-picture, at a user display device, the system comprising:

a first video signal and a second video signal;

a transmission device, wherein the transmission device includes a selector interface for receiving a selector signal, and a video interface for receiving the first video signal and the second video signal;

wherein the transmission device includes a video output, wherein the video output includes a first video output signal at a first compression and a first bandwidth, and a second video output signal at a second compression and a second bandwidth, and wherein the transmission device further includes a compositing device for combining the first and second video output signals into a composite signal for display at the user display device;

wherein the first video output signal is derived from the first video signal, and the first compression and the first bandwidth is based at least in part on the selector signal;

wherein the second video output signal is derived from the second video signal, and the second compression and the second bandwidth is based at least in part on the selector signal; and

wherein the combined first and second video output signals are displayed at the user display device as the composite signal without the use of multiple tuners at the user display device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selector signal indicates that the first video signal is a full screen signal, and wherein the selector signal indicates that the second video signal is a partial screen signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first transmission bandwidth is greater than the second transmission bandwidth.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the selector signal indicates a size of the partial screen signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second compression is determined at least in part on the size of the partial screen signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission device further includes an encoder engine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first compression is MPEG-2.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second compression is MPEG-2.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first bandwidth is a high bit rate MPEG-2.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second bandwidth is a low bit rate MPEG-2.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission device further includes a resolution converter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the resolution converter reduces the resolution of the second video signal relative to the resolution of the first video signal.

13. A method for supporting picture-in-picture, the method comprising:

receiving a first video signal, a second video signal, and a selector signal;

decoding the selector signal, wherein the selector signal indicates that the first video signal is a main-screen video signal, and the second video signal is a sub-screen video signal; and

based at least in part on the decoded selector signal, formatting the first video signal as a high bit rate video signal, and the second video signal as a low bit rate video signal; and

transmitting the high bit rate video signal and the low bit rate video signal over as a composite signal over a transmission medium coupled to a NID; and

displaying the composite signal at a user display device coupled to the NID.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selector signal indicates a display size of the low bit rate video signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting the second video signal as a bit rate video signal comprises reducing the resolution of the second video signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein reducing the resolution comprises reducing the number of lines of displayed video.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein formatting the first video signal as a high bit rate video signal comprises formatting to a format selected from a group consisting of:

a low bit rate MPEG-1 signal, a high bit rate MPEG-1 signal, a low bit rate MPEG-2 signal, a high bit rate MPEG-2 signal, a low bit rate MPEG-4 signal, and a high bit rate MPEG-4 signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein formatting the second video signal as a low bit rate video signal comprises formatting to a low bit rate MPEG-2 signal.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein a transmission bandwidth of the low bit rate video signal is less than half the transmission bandwidth of the high bit rate video signal.