Display control device and method

• US 7,340,687 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshii, Taketo, Okamura, Kazuo, Sekiguchi, Takuya, Yasutake, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/749,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20040155906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/792, 715806-807
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/506 Constraint
• 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: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/12 Frame memory handling
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/001 Arbitration of resources in a display system, e.g. control of access to frame buffer by video controller and/or main processor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

The present invention provides a device and a method for displaying appropriately on the display area for each processing unit such as an application according to the applied equipment. The CPU 12 processes display area acquisition requests from a plurality of processing units R1-Rn according to a display management program. The display management program decides whether use of the display area is allowed to each processing unit, considering the relationship of the plurality of display areas requested from each processing unit R1-Rn. Each processing unit R1-Rn executes display processing for the display area for which use is allowed. In this way, whether use is allowed is notified from the display management program to each processing unit R1-Rn after each processing unit R1-Rn sends the display area acquisition request. As a consequence, display in a plurality of areas by each processing unit R1-Rn can be controlled appropriately.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a display on a display device in response to at least one processing unit, comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas,

a display area management unit that determines whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire the one of predefined display areas; and

a tuner unit that selects and demodulates a transport stream which includes desired data, wherein, when a plurality of requests for acquiring the same one of predefined display areas from a plurality of processing units are received by the receiving unit, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made one of the requests to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the desired data, the single processing unit controlling the tuner unit to select and demodulate the transport stream.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transport decoder that selects the desired data from the transport stream selected and demodulated by the tuner; and

an AV decoder that decodes the desired data selected by the transport decoder, wherein the single processing unit controls the transport decoder and the AV decoder to display the desired data decoded by the AV decoder.

3. A device for controlling a display on a display device in response to at least one processing unit, comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a request from one processing unit for acquiring one of predefined display areas;

a display area management unit that determines whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit for acquiring the one of predefined display areas; and

a tuner unit that selects and demodulates a transport stream which includes desired data for data broadcasting, wherein, when a plurality of requests for acquiring the same one of predefined display areas from a plurality of processing units are received by the receiving unit, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made one of the requests to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the desired data for data broadcasting, the single processing unit controlling the tuner unit to select and demodulate the transport stream.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a transport decoder that selects the desired data for data broadcasting from the transport stream selected and demodulated by the tuner; and

an AV decoder that decodes the desired data for data broadcasting selected by the transport decoder, wherein the single processing unit controls the transport decoder and the AV decoder to display the desired date for data broadcasting decoded by the AV decoder.

5. A device for controlling a display on a display device in response to at least one processing unit, comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas;

a display area management unit that determines whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire the one of the predefined display areas; and

a tuner unit that selects and demodulates a transport stream which includes an electronic program schedule, wherein, when a plurality of requests to acquire the same one of predefined display areas from a plurality of processing units are received by the receiving unit, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made one of the requests to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the electronic program schedule, the single processing unit controlling the tuner unit to select and demodulate the transport stream.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising;

a transport decoder that selects the electronic program schedule from the transport stream selected and demodulated by the tuner; and

an AV decoder that decodes the electronic program schedule selected by the transport decoder, wherein the single processing unit controls the transport decoder and the AV decoder to display the electronic program schedule decoded by the AV decoder.

7. A method of controlling a display on a display apparatus in response to at least one processing unit, comprising:

receiving a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas;

determining whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire one of predefined areas; and

selecting and demodulating a transport stream which includes desired data, wherein, when a plurality of requests to acquire a same one of predefined display areas a plurality of processing units are received, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made the request to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the desired data, the single processing unit controlling the selecting and demodulating of the transport stream.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

selecting the desired data from the selected transport stream; and

decoding the selected desired data, wherein the single processing unit controls a display of the decoded desired data.

9. A method of controlling a display on a display apparatus in response to at least one processing unit, comprising:

receiving a request from one processing unit for acquiring one of predefined display areas;

determining whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas; and

selecting and demodulating a transport stream which includes desired data for data broadcasting, wherein, when a plurality of requests to acquire a same one of the predefined display areas from a plurality of processing units are received, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made the request to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the desired data for data broadcasting, the single processing unit controlling the selecting and demodulating of the transport stream.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the desired data for data broadcasting from the selected transport stream; and

decoding the selected desired data, wherein the single processing unit controls a display of the decoded desired data for data broadcasting.

11. A method of controlling a display on a display apparatus in response to at least one processing unit, comprising:

receiving a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas;

determining whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire the one of predefined display areas; and

selecting and demodulating a transport stream which includes an electronic program schedule, wherein, when a plurality of requests to acquire a same one of predefined display areas from a plurality of processing units are received, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made the request to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the electronic program schedule, the single processing unit controlling the selecting and demodulating of the transport stream.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting the electronic program schedule from the selected and demodulated transport stream; and

decoding the selected electronic program schedule, wherein the single processing unit controls a display of the decoded electronic program schedule.

13. A software program stored on a computer-readable medium having instructions to be executed by at least one processor to control a display on a display apparatus, comprising:

receiving a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas;

determining whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas; and

selecting and demodulating a transport stream which includes desired data, wherein, when a plurality of requests for acquiring the same one of predefined display areas are received, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made the request to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the desired data, the single processing unit controlling the selecting and demodulating of the transport stream.

14. The software program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting the desired data from the selected and demodulated transport stream; and

decoding the selected desired data, wherein the single processing unit controls a display of the decoded desired data.

15. A software program stored on a computer-readable medium having instructions to be executed by at least one processor to control a display on a display apparatus, comprising:

receiving a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas;

determining whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas; and

selecting and demodulating a transport stream which includes desired data for data broadcasting, wherein, when a plurality of requests for acquiring the same one of the predefined display areas are received, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made the request to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the desired data for data broadcasting, the single processing unit controlling the selecting and demodulating of the transport stream.

16. The software program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

selecting the desired data for data broadcasting from the selected and demodulated transport stream; and

decoding the selected desired data for data broadcasting, wherein the single processing unit controls a display of the decoded desired data for data broadcasting.

17. A software program stored on a computer-readable medium having instructions to be executed by at least one processor to control a display on a display apparatus, comprising:

receiving a request from one processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas;

determining whether to provide an authorization to acquire one of a plurality of predefined display areas in response to an acquisition request from a processing unit to acquire one of predefined display areas; and

selecting and demodulating a transport stream which includes an electronic program schedule, wherein, when a plurality of requests to acquire a same one of predefined display areas are received, the authorization is provided to a single processing unit that made the request to acquire the same one of predefined display areas, and for displaying the electronic program schedule, the single processing unit controlling the selecting and demodulating of the transport stream.

18. The software program stored on a computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting the electronic program schedule from the selected and demodulated transport stream; and

decoding the selected electronic program schedule, wherein the single processing unit controls a transport display of the decoded electronic program schedule.