System and method of displaying a video stream

• US 8,390,744 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Marc A., Kortum, Philip T., Brandt, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U
• Application Number:
  US12/349,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 348731-733, 348/725, 348554-557, 348/728, 348/14.03, 348/14.05, 348/14.14, 348 21- 22, 3483841-3901, 725/40, 725 90- 91, 725/98, 725/115, 725/134
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/427 Display on the fly, e.g. simultaneous writing to and reading from decoding memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to a video stream processing system and to a method of displaying a video stream. In a particular embodiment, the method includes, during a first time period, displaying a first version of a received video stream while recovering a second version of the received video stream, the first version of the received video stream having a lower video display quality than the second version of the received video stream. The first time period begins no more than approximately 100 milliseconds after a detected channel change. The method also includes switching from display of the first version of the received video stream to display of the second version of the received video stream during a second time period.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a video stream, the method comprising:

detecting a channel change to a requested channel;

during a first time period, displaying a first version of a received video stream associated with the requested channel while recovering a second version of the received video stream, the first version of the received video stream having a lower video display quality than the second version of the received video stream, wherein the first time period begins no more than approximately 100 milliseconds after the detected channel change;

during an interim time period, displaying a blurred image while switching from display of the first version of the received video stream to display of the second version of the received video stream; and

displaying the second version of the received video stream during a second time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to switching, synchronizing the first version of the received video stream with the second version of the received video stream.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during a third time period, displaying a third version of the received video stream, the third version having higher video display quality than the second version.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first version, the second version, and the third version together comprise a portion of a progressive video stream, wherein the progressive video stream initially presents an image having an initial quality and then presents added resolution and higher quality images over a sequence of successive time periods.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first version has a reduced color set with respect to the second version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time period is less than approximately three seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an audio signal at full resolution while recovering the second version of the received video stream.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first version has a reduced spectral frequency relative to the second version.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first version of the received video stream comprises a still image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the still image is a frame derived from the received video stream.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the still image is a title screen associated with the received video stream.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the title screen includes information regarding the received video stream.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information includes one of a title of an episode, a title of a series, and a title of a movie to be displayed.

14. A video stream processing system, comprising:

a video generation module responsive to a video detection module, the video generation module configured to communicate to a display device a first version of a received video stream associated with a requested channel while the video detection module recovers a second version of the received video stream, the first version of the received video stream having a reduced color set relative to the second version of the received video stream;

wherein the video generation module is to communicate a blurred image to the display device during an interim time period while switching from communicating the first version of the received video stream to communicating the second version of the received video stream to the display device, wherein the video generation module is configured to communicate to the display device the first version of the received video stream during a first time period and the second version of the received video stream during a second time period, wherein the video detection module is responsive to a user interface, wherein the video detection module is configured to receive the video stream to be displayed on the display device, wherein the user interface is configured to detect a channel change request, and wherein the first time period begins no more than approximately 100 milliseconds after the detected channel change request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the video generation module includes synchronization logic to synchronize the first version of the received video stream with the second version of the received video stream.