Video playback system and related computer program product for jointly displaying video with multiple screens

• US 9,077,843 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Yu, Siu-Leong, Wei, Shih-Chun, Ma, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles V
• Application Number:
  US13/858,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13336 Combining plural substrates to produce large-area displays, e.g. tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence

Abstract

A video playback system for jointly displaying video with multiple screens, includes multiple portable communication devices each comprises at least one screen; a location detection circuit for dynamically detecting respective portable communication device'"'"'s spatial location and orientation; and a multi-screen display controlling server for dynamically generate multiple partitioned videos respectively corresponding to multiple non-overlap image areas of a target video according to detection results of the location detection circuit. The multi-screen display controlling server respectively transmits the multiple partitioned videos to the multiple portable communication devices. The multi-screen display controlling server controls the multiple portable communication devices to respectively display the multiple partitioned videos on the multiple screens to jointly display at least a portion of a visible area of the target video.

Claims

1. A video playback system for jointly displaying video with multiple screens, comprising:

multiple portable communication devices each comprising at least one of the multiple screens, wherein the multiple portable communication devices comprise a first portable communication device having a first screen, and the first screen is one of the multiple screens;

a location detection circuit, configured to dynamically detect a spatial location and an orientation for each of the multiple portable communication devices; and

a multi-screen display controlling server, configured to operably establish a device group relationship among the multiple portable communication devices, to dynamically generate multiple partitioned videos respectively corresponding to multiple non-overlap image areas of a target video according to detection results of the location detection circuit, and to respectively transmit the multiple partitioned videos to the multiple portable communication devices;

wherein a relative position among the multiple image areas matches with a relative position among the multiple portable communication devices;

wherein the multi-screen display controlling server controls the multiple portable communication devices to respectively display the multiple partitioned videos on the multiple screens to jointly display at least a portion of a visible area of the target video;

wherein when a location or orientation of the first portable communication device changes, the multi-screen display controlling server dynamically generates an adjusted partitioned video according to a new location or orientation of the first portable communication device, and controls the first portable communication device to display the adjusted partitioned video on the first screen;

wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the location of the first portable communication device is changed to change a distance between the first portable communication device and the location detection circuit, the first portable communication device generates a video scaling command; and

wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the multi-screen display controlling server received the video scaling command generated by the first portable communication device, the multi-screen display controlling server dynamically generates multiple adjusted partitioned videos respectively corresponding to the multiple image areas and controls the multiple portable communication devices to respectively display the multiple adjusted partitioned videos on the multiple screens to jointly present executing result of the video scaling command.

2. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the multi-screen display controlling server received a first type control command generated by the first portable communication device, the multi-screen display controlling server transmits the first type control command to other portable communication devices of the multiple portable communication devices, and the multiple portable communication devices control displaying operations of the multiple screens according to the first type control command to jointly present executing result of the first type control command;

wherein the first type control command comprises a fast forward command, a fast backward command, or a pause command.

3. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the first portable communication device received a first type control command inputted from a user, the first portable communication device transmits the first type control command to other portable communication devices of the multiple portable communication devices, and the multiple portable communication devices control displaying operations of the multiple screens according to the first type control command to jointly present executing result of the first type control command;

wherein the first type control command comprises a fast forward command, a fast backward command, or a pause command.

4. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein the multiple portable communication devices further comprise a second portable communication device, and the multiple screens further comprise a second screen arranged on the second portable communication device;

wherein the multi-screen display controlling server adds the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device to a same device group only if a distance between the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device is less than a threshold value.

5. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein the multiple portable communication devices further comprise a second portable communication device, and the multiple screens further comprise a second screen arranged on the second portable communication device;

wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if a location of the second portable communication device is changed to cause a distance between the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device to be greater than a threshold value, the multi-screen display controlling server controls the second portable communication device to stop displaying video.

6. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein the detection results of the location detection circuit are transmitted to the multi-screen display controlling server through at least one of the location detection circuit and the multiple portable communication devices.

7. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein a total area of the multiple image areas is less than a total area of the visible area of the target video.

8. The video playback system of claim 1, wherein a total area of the multiple screens is less than a total area of the visible area of the target video.

9. A computer program product, stored in a non-transitory storage device of a multi-screen display controlling server for jointly displaying video with multiple screens, when executed by a control circuit of the multi-screen display controlling server, enabling the multi-screen display controlling server to perform a multi-screen display controlling operation, the computer program product comprising:

a group setting module, configured to operably establish a device group relationship among multiple portable communication devices each comprising at least one of the multiple screens, wherein the multiple portable communication devices comprise a first portable communication device having a first screen, and the first screen is one of the multiple screens;

a receiving module, configured to dynamically receive detection results of a location detection circuit with respect to a spatial location and an orientation for each of the multiple portable communication devices;

a partitioned video providing module, configured to dynamically generate multiple partitioned videos respectively corresponding to multiple non-overlap image areas of a target video according to detection results of the location detection circuit, and to respectively transmit the multiple partitioned videos to the multiple portable communication devices;

wherein a relative position among the multiple image areas matches with a relative position among the multiple portable communication devices; and

a displaying control module, configured to operably control the multiple portable communication devices to respectively display the multiple partitioned videos on the multiple screens to jointly display at least a portion of a visible area of the target video;

wherein when a location or orientation of the first portable communication device changes, the partitioned video providing module dynamically generates an adjusted partitioned video according to a new location or orientation of the first portable communication device, and the displaying control module controls the first portable communication device to display the adjusted partitioned video on the first screen;

wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the location of the first portable communication device is changed to change a distance between the first portable communication device and the location detection circuit, the receiving module receives a video scaling command generated by the first portable communication device; and

wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the receiving module received the video scaling command generated by the first portable communication device, the partitioned video providing module dynamically generates multiple adjusted partitioned videos respectively corresponding to the multiple image areas, and displaying control module controls the multiple portable communication devices to respectively display the multiple adjusted partitioned videos on the multiple screens to jointly present executing result of the video scaling command.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if the receiving module received a first type control command generated by the first portable communication device, the displaying control module transmits the first type control command to other portable communication devices of the multiple portable communication devices, and the multiple portable communication devices control displaying operations of the multiple screens according to the first type control command to jointly present executing result of the first type control command;

wherein the first type control command comprises a fast forward command, a fast backward command, or a pause command.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the multiple portable communication devices further comprise a second portable communication device, and the multiple screens further comprise a second screen arranged on the second portable communication device;

wherein the group setting module adds the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device to a same device group only if a distance between the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device is less than a threshold value.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the multiple portable communication devices further comprise a second portable communication device, and the multiple screens further comprise a second screen arranged on the second portable communication device;

wherein while the multiple screens display the multiple partitioned videos, if a location of the second portable communication device is changed to cause a distance between the first portable communication device and the second portable communication device to be greater than a threshold value, the displaying control module controls the second portable communication device to stop displaying video.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the receiving module receives the detection results of the location detection circuit through at least one of the location detection circuit and the multiple portable communication devices.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a total area of the multiple image areas is less than a total area of the visible area of the target video.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

a video area partitioning module, configured to operably define the multiple non-overlap image areas in the visible area of the target video according to the detection results of the location detection circuit, so that the relative position among the multiple image areas matches with the relative position among the multiple portable communication devices.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a total area of the multiple screens is less than a total area of the visible area of the target video.