Method and system for providing channel information, and computer readable storage medium

• US 8,789,097 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2013
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Li-Hsuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US13/751,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 542 Days
• Field of Search: 725/57, 725/61, 725 38- 41, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42216 for quick navigation, e.g. through an EPG
• 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 21/4622 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A method for providing channel information is illustrated. The method includes: receiving a command for switching channels when a first channel content is displayed on a display unit; determining whether the command indicates a continuous switching mode or a discrete switching mode; displaying the first channel content and descriptive information of a plurality of channels being switched until a second channel among the channels being switched is selected at the continuous switching mode; displaying preview information of the second channel to replace the first channel content and loading the second channel content when the second channel is selected at the continuous switching mode or when the second channel is switched according to the command at the discrete switching mode; displaying the second channel content when loading completed. The data quantity of the preview information is larger than that of the description information.

Claims

1. A method for providing channel information adapted to a device with a display unit comprising:

receiving a channel switching command when the display unit displays a first channel content;

determining whether the channel switching command indicates a continuous switching mode or a discrete switching mode;

displaying the first channel content and a descriptive information of a plurality of channels being switched on the display unit until a second channel being selected among the plurality of channels being switched if determining the channel switching command indicating the continuous switching mode;

displaying a preview information of the second channel on the display unit replacing the first channel content and simultaneously loading the second channel content if determining the channel switching command indicating the discrete switching mode or after the selection of the second channel under the continuous mode; and

displaying the complete second channel content on the display unit when the loading finished;

wherein the preview information includes part of the second channel content and the data quantity of the descriptive information is less than the data quantity of the preview information;

wherein determining the channel switching command being under the continuous switching mode when the channel switching command is a sequential channel up/down switching from the first channel and being an up/down channel switching command satisfying a switching criteria;

wherein determining the channel switching command being under the discrete switching mode when the channel switching command includes a channel number of the second channel or a sequential channel up/down switching from the first channel yet not being the up/down channel switching command satisfying the switching criteria.

2. The method for providing channel information according to claim 1, wherein the switching criteria includes an accumulated switching number of times which is more than or equal to a predetermined switching number of times and a calculated switching interval between each of the plurality of channel being switched which is less than or equal to a predetermined switching interval.

3. The method for providing channel information according to claim 1, wherein the preview information includes the audio and visual information of the second channel while the descriptive information includes program guide of the plurality of channels being switched.

4. The method for providing channel information according to claim 1, wherein the steps of displaying the first channel content and the descriptive information of the plurality of channels being switched on the display unit until the second channel being selected among the plurality of channels being switched comprise:

separating the display unit into a content area and an information area, shrinking the size of the first channel content to fit into the content area and displaying the descriptive information of the plurality of channels being switched in the information area;

receiving a selection command of the descriptive information of the second channel; and

selecting the second channel according to the selection command.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, recording a set of program code, wherein when the set of program code is loaded to a processor, the processor executes the method for providing channel information as recited in claim 1 according to the set of program code.

5. A system for providing channel information adapted for displaying channel information on a display unit comprising:

a command receiving module receiving a channel switching command; and

a process unit connecting the display unit and the command receiving module and determining whether the channel switching command indicates a continuous switching mode or a discrete switching mode starting from a first channel;

wherein if determining the channel switching command indicating the continuous switching mode, the process unit outputs the first channel content continuously to the display unit, separately displays a descriptive information of a plurality of channels being switched until a second channel being selected there-from, while if determining the channel switching command indicating the discrete switching mode or after the selection of the second channel under the continuous mode, the process unit outputs a preview information of the second channel replacing the first channel content to the display unit, simultaneously loads the second channel content and displays the complete second channel content when the loading finished;

wherein the data quantity of the descriptive information is less than the data quantity of the preview information;

wherein the process unit determines the channel switching command being under the continuous switching mode when the channel switching command is a sequential channel up/down switching from the first channel and being an up/down channel switching command satisfying a switching criteria while the process unit determines the channel switching command being under the discrete switching mode when the channel switching command includes a channel number of the second channel or a sequential channel up/down switching from the first channel yet not being the up/down channel switching command satisfying the switching criteria.

6. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, further comprising:

a television signal receiving module connecting the process unit for receiving program content of one or more television channels.

7. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, further comprising:

a network module connecting the process unit for connection to the Internet by the control of the process unit and transmitting remote Internet platform data of at least one channel content.

8. The system for providing channel information according to claim 7, further comprising:

a video buffering unit connecting the process unit and coupling the display unit to temporarily store video streams of the content or information awaiting for loading to the display unit.

9. The system for providing channel information according to claim 6, further comprising:

a network module connecting the process unit for connection to the Internet by the control of the process unit and transmitting remote Internet platform data of at least one channel content.

10. The system for providing channel information according to claim 9, further comprising:

a video buffering unit connecting the process unit and coupling the display unit to temporarily store video streams of the content or information awaiting for loading to the display unit.

11. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, wherein the switching criteria includes an accumulated switching number of times which is more than or equal to a predetermined switching number of times and a calculated switching interval between each of the plurality of channel being switched which is less than or equal to a predetermined switching interval.

12. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, wherein the preview information includes the audio and visual information of the second channel while the descriptive information includes program guide of the plurality of channels being switched.

13. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, wherein the process unit separates the display unit into a content area and an information area, and shrinks the size of the first channel content to fit into the content area and displays the descriptive information of the plurality of channels being switched in the information area when determining the channel switching command indicating the continuous switching mode.

14. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, wherein the process unit receives a selection command of selecting the descriptive information of the second channel among the channels being switched and selects the second channel according to the selection command.

15. The system for providing channel information according to claim 5, wherein the system for providing channel information is embedded in or externally connected to a television system with the display unit.