Information providing device and method for index information for scene changes

• US 7,610,599 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nashida, Tatsushi, Kobayashi, Motoki, Hashimoto, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris; Joseph G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, FARZANA E
• Application Number:
  US09/601,126
• Time in Patent Office: 3,619 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 56, 725/59, 725118-120, 725/139, 725/141, 725/151, 725/153, 725 86- 87, 725/101, 725/61, 725/9, 725/13, 725/14, 348564-569, 348/584, 348/155, 348/700, 386 46- 83, 345/803, 345/839, 345/866
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus and an information providing apparatus. Images which are consecutive in time series are sequentially enlarged and displayed such that the enlarged images are continuous spirally in the time-series order from the inner circumferential side. In this manner, according to the present invention, it is possible to understand easily a before-after relationship between a large number of images which are consecutive in time series by applying the present invention to a set-top box for digital satellite broadcasting, for example.

Claims

1. An information providing apparatus for displaying information on a screen, based on various information data provided through a plurality of information sources, comprising:

means for obtaining first index information from a first information source of the plurality of information sources, wherein the first index information includes representative information indicating scene changes in the information data provided through the first information source;

means for obtaining second index information from a second information source of the plurality of information sources;

means for displaying a categorized menu on the screen based on the obtained first and second index information; and

means for obtaining necessary information from the first or second information source, in response to selection operation on the menu screen, and for displaying information based on the necessary information,

means for recording a history of programs watched and heard by a user, and controlling the display of information such that a favorite channel of the user is displayed to be selectable a priori in accordance with the history,

wherein the menu screen is arranged to display the information in a plurality of dimensions and levels such that a substantial portion of the necessary information can be seen and navigated on a minimum number of screens to enable relatively easy programming decisions and selections, and

wherein a plurality of child screens are displayed on the menu screen,

wherein a selected child screen is positioned in a center region of the menu screen by shifting the entire menu screen with respect to each of the plurality of child screens displayed on the menu screen and the selected child screen is gradually enlarged to encompass substantially all of the screen, such that the enlarged child screen is not duplicative of any of the plurality of child screens displayed on the menu screen,

wherein the menu screen is arranged in a matrix form and the shifting of the entire menu screen moves, by a same distance, each child screen of the menu screen in a predetermined direction, the same distance being determined by a position of the selected child screen and a position of the center region, and

wherein a main menu screen is constructed by the categorized menu and at least one menu from a menu of recommended channels and a menu of media.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the necessary information is index information for displaying the categorized menu.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first information source and the information providing apparatus are connected with each other through a network, such that the index information from the first information source is obtained through the network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the minimum number of screens is one.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first index information includes a plurality of still images indicating scene changes in the information data provided through the first information source.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for obtaining necessary information and for displaying information based on the necessary information includes:

means for displaying the plurality of still images in a temporal sequence so that relationships among the plurality of still images can be view in a time series.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for displaying the plurality of still images includes:

means for arranging the plurality of still images in a spiral layout, where the plurality of still images is arranged in increasingly smaller sizes toward the center of the spiral layout.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for controlling the plurality of still images in the spiral layout, such that as more temporally current still images come into view on the outermost arm of the spiral layout, temporally older still images move spirally inward toward the center of the spiral layout.

4. An information providing method for displaying information on a screen, based on various information data provided through a plurality of information sources, comprising:

obtaining first index information from a first information source of the plurality of information sources, wherein the first index information includes representative information indicating scene changes in the information data provided through the first information source;

obtaining second index information from a second information source of the plurality of information sources;

displaying a categorized menu on the screen based on the obtained first and second index information;

obtaining necessary information from the first or second information source, in response to selection operation on the menu screen;

displaying information based on the necessary information;

recording a history of programs watched and heard by a user, and controlling the display of information such that a favorite channel of the user is displayed to be selectable a priori in accordance with the history;

arranging the menu screen to display the information in a plurality of dimensions and levels such that a substantial portion of the necessary information can be seen and navigated on a minimum number of screens;

displaying a plurality of child screens on the menu screen;

positioning a selected child screen in a center region of the menu screen by shifting the entire menu screen with respect to each of the plurality of child screens displayed on the menu screen and gradually enlarging the selected child screen to encompass substantially all of the menu screen, such that the enlarged child screen is not duplicative of any of the plurality of child screens displayed on the menu screen;

arranging the menu screen in a matrix form and upon shifting the entire menu screen, moving, by a same distance, each child screen of the menu screen in a predetermined direction, the same distance being determined by a position of the selected child screen and a position of the center region; and

constructing a main menu screen by the categorized menu and at least one menu from a menu of recommended channels and a menu of media.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the necessary information is index information for displaying the categorized menu.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein obtaining index information from the first information source is done through a network.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the minimum number of screens is one.

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first index information includes a plurality of still images indicating scene changes in the information data provided through the first information source.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said displaying information based on the necessary information includes:

displaying the plurality of still images in a temporal sequence so that relationships among the plurality of still images can be view in a time series.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said displaying the plurality of still images includes arranging the plurality of still images in a spiral layout.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said arranging the plurality of still images includes:

arranging the plurality of still images in increasingly smaller sizes toward the center of the spiral layout.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

controlling the plurality of still images in the spiral layout, such that as more temporally current still images come into view on the outermost arm of the spiral layout, temporally older still images move spirally inward toward the center of the spiral layout.

18. An information providing apparatus for displaying information on a screen, based on various information data provided through a plurality of information sources, comprising:

a first receiver to obtain first index information from a first information source of the plurality of information sources, wherein the first index information includes representative information indicating scene changes in the information data provided through the first information source;

a second receiver to obtain second index information from a second information source of the plurality of information sources;

a display to display a categorized menu on the screen based on the obtained first and second index information; and

a third receiver to obtain necessary information from the first or second information source, in response to selection operation on the menu screen, and to display information based on the necessary information,

a recording device to record a history of programs watched and heard by a user, and controlling the display of information such that a favorite channel of the user is displayed to be selectable a priori in accordance with the history,

wherein the menu screen is arranged to display the information in a plurality of dimensions and levels such that a substantial portion of the necessary information can be seen and navigated on a minimum number of screens to enable relatively easy programming decisions and selections;

wherein a plurality of child screens are displayed on the menu screen,

wherein a selected child screen is positioned in a center region of the menu screen by shifting the entire menu screen with respect to each of the plurality of child screens displayed on the menu screen and the selected child screen is gradually enlarged to encompass substantially all of the screen such that the enlarged child screen is not duplicative of any of the plurality of child screens displayed on the menu screen,

wherein the menu screen is arranged in a matrix form and the shifting of the entire menu screen moves, by a same distance, each child screen of the menu screen in a predetermined direction, the same distance being determined by a position of the selected child screen and a position of the center region, and

wherein a main menu screen is constructed by the categorized menu and at least one menu from a menu of recommended channels and a menu of media.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the first index information includes a plurality of still images indicating scene changes in the information data provided through the first information source, and

wherein said third receiver includes:

a second display to display the plurality of still images in a temporal sequence so that relationships among the plurality of still images can be view in a time series.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said second display includes:

an arrangement device to arrange the plurality of still images in a spiral layout, where the plurality of still images is arranged in increasingly smaller sizes toward the center of the spiral layout.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a controller to control the plurality of still images in the spiral layout, such that as more temporally current still images come into view on the outermost arm of the spiral layout, temporally older still images move spirally inward toward the center of the spiral layout.