Video display appliance having function of varying screen ratio and control method thereof

• US 7,268,830 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak; Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US10/892,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 348565-568, 348/588, 348/581, 348/601, 348/734, 345/660, 715/788, 715/792, 715/800
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Disclosed are a video display appliance having a function of varying a screen ratio of a main picture to a sub-picture depending upon a position of a user when a twin picture function is provided, and a control method thereof. The video display appliance includes a channel selection unit for selecting a channel which transmits data displayed on a main picture region and a sub-picture region, a video processing unit for processing the data transmitted from the channel tuned by the channel selection unit as a signal to be displayed on the main picture region or the sub-picture region, a position detecting unit, disposed at a center of the video display appliance, for detecting a position of a remote controller, a control unit for outputting a control signal to vary the screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture in response to position information of the remote controller inputted from the position detecting unit, and a scaler for outputting video signals outputted corresponding to the main picture and the sub-picture from the video processing unit according to the varied screen ratio, in response to the control signal inputted from the control unit.

Claims

1. A video display appliance having a function of varying a screen ratio of twin pictures when a main picture and a sub-picture are simultaneously displayed, the video display appliance comprising:

a channel selection circuit for selecting a channel which transmits data displayed on a main picture region and a sub-picture region;

a video processing circuit for processing the data transmitted from the channel tuned by the channel selection circuit as a signal to be displayed on the main picture region or the sub-picture region;

a position detecting circuit, disposed at a center of the video display appliance, for detecting a position of a remote controller;

a control circuit for outputting a control signal to vary the screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture in response to position information of the remote controller inputted from the position detecting circuit; and

a scaler for outputting video signals outputted corresponding to the main picture and the sub-picture from the video processing circuit according to the varied screen ratio, in response to the control signal inputted from the control circuit.

2. The video display appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control circuit varies the screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture, in response to a desired command signal inputted from the remote controller.

3. The video display appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control circuit varies the screen ratio so that a size of one screen, adjacent to the remote controller, between the main picture and the sub-picture is increased more than that of the other screen, in response to the position information of the remote controller inputted from the position detecting circuit.

4. The video display appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main picture is displayed at a left of a display unit of the video display appliance, and the sub-picture is displayed at a right of the display unit of the video display appliance.

5. The video display appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the position information of the remote controller comprises an angle of the remote controller deviated leftwardly or rightwardly from a center of the display unit.

6. The video display appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein a size of the main picture is increased in proportion to the angle of the remote controller deviated leftwardly from the center of the display unit, and a size of the sub-picture is increased in proportion to the angle of the remote controller deviated rightwardly from the center of the display unit.

7. A method of controlling a video display appliance having a function of varying a screen ratio of twin pictures when a main picture and a sub-picture are simultaneously displayed, the method comprising:

a) receiving a signal of selecting a twin picture mode,

b) detecting a position of a remote controller of the video display appliance in response to the signal of selecting the twin picture mode;

c) varying the displayed screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture in response to position information of the detected remote controller; and

d) displaying the main picture and the sub-picture according to the varied screen ratio.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the main picture is displayed at a left of a display unit of the video display appliance, and the sub-picture is displayed at a right of the display unit of the video display appliance.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein c) comprises the following based on the position information of the detected remote controller:

increasing a size of the main picture, if the remote controller positions at a left;

decreasing the size of the main picture, if the remote controller positions at a right; and

maintaining the screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture in a ratio of 1;

1, if the remote controller positions at a center.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a size of the main picture is increased in proportion to the angle of the remote controller deviated leftwardly from the center of a display unit, and a size of the sub-picture is increased in proportion to the angle of the remote controller deviated rightwardly from the center of the display unit.

11. A method of controlling a video display appliance having a function of varying a screen ratio of twin pictures when a main picture and a sub-picture are simultaneously displayed, the method comprising:

a) receiving a signal of selecting a twin picture mode;

b) determining whether an automatic mode has been set for adjusting the screen ratio of the main and sub-pictures based on position of a remote controller;

c) if said automatic mode has not been set, varying the screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture in response to a desired command signal inputted by the remote controller; and

d) displaying the main picture and the sub-picture according to the varied screen ratio.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the main picture is displayed at a left of a display unit of the video display appliance, and the sub-picture is displayed at a right of the display unit of the video display appliance.

13. A method of controlling a video display appliance having a function of varying a screen ratio of twin pictures when a main picture and a sub-picture are simultaneously displayed, the method comprising:

a) inputting a signal of selecting a twin picture mode;

b) determining whether a function of automatically adjusting the screen ratio is selected, in response to the signal of selecting the twin picture mode;

c) detecting a position of a remote controller of the video display appliance, if the function of automatically adjusting the screen ratio is selected;

d) varying the displayed screen ratio of the main picture to the sub-picture in response to position information of the detected remote controller; and

e) displaying the main picture and the sub-picture according to the varied screen ratio.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the position information of the remote controller comprises an angle of the remote controller deviated leftwardly or rightwardly from a center of a display unit.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a size of the main picture is increased in proportion to the angle of the remote controller deviated leftwardly from the center of the display unit, and a size of the sub-picture is increased in proportion to the angle of the remote controller deviated rightwardly from the center of the display unit.

16. A video processing system, comprising:

a detector to detect a position of a remote controller;

a circuit to generate a control signal based on said position, said control signal for varying a screen ratio of a first picture and a second picture to be simultaneously displayed on a display unit in twin-picture mode; and

a scalar to output video signals corresponding to the first and second pictures to the display unit based on said control signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second pictures are derived from different television channels.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first picture is received from a first tuner and the second picture is received from a second tuner.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the scalar increases the size of the first picture relative to the second picture when position information from the detector indicates that the remote controller is closer to the first picture, said control signal generated based on said position information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said position information provides an indication of whether the remote controller is located left or right of a center of the display unit.