System and method of dynamic interface placement based on aspect ratio

• US 7,224,401 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ackley, Jonathan, Carr, Bennet S., Carey, Christopher T., Poole, Kathleen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/859,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 348/556, 348/555, 348/554, 348/558, 348/563, 348/564, 348/589, 348/445
• US Class Current: 348/556
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 348/913 Letterbox, e.g. display 16:9 aspect ratio image on 4:3 screen

Abstract

A system for dynamically placing textual elements adjacent a video content, based on aspect ratios, includes means for detecting the aspect ratio of the media player content and the aspect ratio of the display device and determining if there are unused positions of the video content when displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically displaying screen elements adjacent to a video content on a display based on an aspect ratio of an output device, the method comprising:

detecting the aspect ratio of the video content;

querying the aspect ratio of the output device from the output device;

determining unused portions of the display based on the aspect ratio of the video content and the aspect ratio of the output device;

displaying the video content on the display independent of the aspect ratio of the output device;

displaying the screen elements based on the unused portions of the display device if the determining determines a mismatch between the aspect ratio of the video content and the aspect ratio of the output device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the screen elements are subtitles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the screen elements are menu options.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the screen elements are graphics.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the aspect ratio of the video content is 16:

9 and the aspect ratio of the output device is 4;

3.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the screen elements are displayed above the video content.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the screen elements are displayed below the video content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the aspect ratio of the video content is 4:

3 and the aspect ratio of the output device is 16;

9.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the screen elements are displayed adjacent to the video content.

10. A system for dynamically displaying screen elements adjacent a video content on a display based on an aspect ratio of an output device, the system comprising elements for:

detecting the aspect ratio of the video content;

querying the aspect ratio of the output device from the output device;

determining unused portions of the display based on the aspect ratio of the video content and the aspect ratio of the output device;

displaying the video content on the display independent of the aspect ratio of the output device;

displaying the screen elements based on the unused portions of the display device if the determining element determines a mismatch between the aspect ratio of the video content and the aspect ratio of the output device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the screen elements are subtitled texts.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the screen elements are menus.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the screen elements are graphics.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the unused portions of the display exist in an area below the video content, above the video content, left side of the video content or right side of the video content.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the element for displaying the screen elements dynamically moves the screen elements in the unused portion of the screen adjacent the vide content.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the element for querying the aspect ratio of the output device uses multimedia interface with the output device.

17. A method of adjusting an original placement of a screen element with respect to an original placement of a video content on a display, the method comprising:

querying an aspect ratio of an output device from the output device;

detecting an aspect ratio of a media, wherein the media includes the screen element, the video content, information indicative of the original placement of the screen element and information indicative of the original placement of the video content;

determining an unused area of the display based on the aspect ratio of the output device and the aspect ratio of the media;

displaying the video content on the display in the original placement of the video content;

modifying the original placement of the screen element to define a modified placement of the screen element based on the unused area;

displaying the screen element in an area of the display indicated by the modified placement of the screen element.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the querying is performed automatically, and the modifying the original placement of the screen element and the displaying the screen element are performed dynamically.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the displaying the screen element in part overlaps with the displaying the video content.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the determining the unused area of the display determines at least two unused areas separated by the video content, and wherein the displaying the screen element displays the screen element in the at least two unused areas.