Image display apparatus and operating method thereof using thumbnail images

• US 8,595,766 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Kyung, Lee, Kun Sik, Kim, Gyu Seung, Ahn, Yong Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, PAUL J
• Application Number:
  US12/630,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 715/802, 715/838, 386/200, 386/231, 386/243
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

An operating method of an image display apparatus includes displaying a screen on a display and displaying a thumbnail image screen in response to a command to display an input image list. The thumbnail-image list includes a plurality of groups of thumbnail images that respectively correspond to a plurality of input image signals on the display. Each thumbnail-image group includes one or more thumbnail images that represent different points of time in a corresponding input image signal.

Claims

1. An operating method of an image display apparatus, comprising:

displaying at least one image on a display; and

in response to a command to display an input image list, displaying a thumbnail-image list including a plurality of groups of thumbnail images respectively corresponding to a plurality of input image signals on the display, the plurality of groups including;

an antenna group including thumbnail images corresponding to terrestrial broadcast signals received from terrestrial channels,

a component group including thumbnail image corresponding to external input image signal received via component port of the image display apparatus, and

an RGB group including thumbnail image corresponding to external input image signal received via RGB port of the image display apparatus, wherein;

the external input image signals are different from the broadcast image signals,

the broadcast image signals are received through inputs of the image display apparatus different from the one or more external input ports through which the external input image signals are received,

a first thumbnail image and a second thumbnail image in a same group at least partially overlap, and

the first thumbnail image is displayed on top of the second thumbnail image, the first thumbnail image is sent behind the second thumbnail image so that the second thumbnail image is displayed on top of the first thumbnail image based on a predetermined event, and

at least one of the thumbnail images included in the component group and the RGB group includes input port name information indicating input port of the image display apparatus, and

when there is no external input device connected to the image display apparatus or no external input image signal is received via any one port of the image display apparatus, a default thumbnail image or a blank thumbnail image corresponding to the port is displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first thumbnail image and the second thumbnail image are aligned in order of time or in order of viewing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when one group is selected, thumbnails of the selected group are individually displayed in a row direction or a column direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event includes at least one of a selection of the second thumbnail image or an update of the second thumbnail image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thumbnail-image list is displayed with at least one image of a different size on the display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality, of groups further includes a cable group including thumbnail images corresponding to cable broadcast signals received from cable channels, and

wherein each of the thumbnail images included in the antenna group and the cable group includes channel name information and channel number information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a blank thumbnail image or a default thumbnail image and

information indicating an input source when there is no input image signal group for a group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second thumbnail image is selected by a pointer representing movement of a remote controller.

9. An image display apparatus comprising:

a display to display at least one image;

one or more external input ports configured to receive external input image signals; and

a controller to control a thumbnail-image list for display, wherein;

the thumbnail-image list includes a plurality of thumbnail images arranged into groups, the plurality of groups including;

an antenna group including thumbnail images corresponding to terrestrial broadcast signals received from terrestrial channels,

a component group including thumbnail image corresponding to external input image signal received via component port of image display apparatus, and

an RGB group including thumbnail image corresponding to external input image signal received via RGB port of the image display apparatus,

thumbnail images in each of the first and second thumbnail image groups correspond to different points in time for respective ones of the external input image signals or the broadcast image signals,

the external input image signals are different from the broadcast image signals,

the broadcast image signals are received through inputs of the image display apparatus different from the one or more external input ports through which the external input image signals are received,

a first thumbnail image and a second thumbnail image in a same group at least partially overlap, and the first thumbnail image is sent behind the second thumbnail image so that the second thumbnail image is displayed on top of the first thumbnail image based on a predetermined event, and

at least one of the thumbnail images included in the component group and the RGB group includes input port name information indicating input port of the image display apparatus, and

when there is no external input device connected to the image display apparatus or no external input image signal is received via any one port of the image display apparatus, a default thumbnail image or a blank thumbnail image corresponding to the port is displayed.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller controls the first thumbnail image and the second thumbnail image to be aligned in order of time or in order of viewing.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a blank thumbnail image or a default thumbnail image is displayed when there is no input image signal corresponding to a group.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predetermined event includes at least one of a selection of the second thumbnail image or an update of the second thumbnail image.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality, of groups further includes a cable group including thumbnail images corresponding to cable broadcast signals received from cable channels, and

each of the thumbnail images included in the antenna group and the cable group includes channel name information and channel number information.