System and method for generating screen pointing information in a television

• US 9,110,517 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Seshadri, Nambirajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khalid, Omer
• Application Number:
  US12/774,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20110063521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0308 comprising a plurality of distinctive and separately oriented light emitters or reflectors associated to the pointing device, e.g. remote cursor controller with distinct and separately oriented LEDs at the tip whose radiations are captured by a photo-detector associated to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0386 for light pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 : Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• 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 21/4524 : involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 : using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• 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 21/47805 : Electronic banking banking in general G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 : Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A system and method, in a television, for generating screen pointing information, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Claims

1. A method, in a television having a screen, for generating screen pointing information, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first sensor, a first energy signal generated by a device external to the television pointing to a location on the screen;

receiving, from the first sensor, a first sensor information, the sensor information comprises a first pattern corresponding to an intensity of the first energy signal received at the first sensor;

receiving, by a second sensor, a second energy signal generated by the device;

receiving, from the second sensor, a second sensor information, the second sensor information comprises a second pattern corresponding to an intensity of the second energy signal received at the second sensor;

processing, by a processor, the first sensor information and the second sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing, based on an intersection of the first pattern and the second pattern; and

generating information indicative of said determined location on the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising, in the television, outputting on the screen a visual indication of said determined location on the screen.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising, in the television, overlaying the visual indication on a television program being presented on the screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are passive sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are active sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising, in the television, performing a calibration procedure with the first and second energy signals to determine a location of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the first sensor information and the second sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing comprises interpolating between the respective intensities of the first and second signals.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the first sensor information and the second sensor information to determine a location of the device based on a temporal difference in the first and second energy signals.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are integrated into audio speakers of the television.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are integrated into the screen of the television.

8. A television that generates screen pointing information, the television having a screen, the television comprising:

at least one processor operable to, at least;

receive sensor information from a plurality of sensors, the sensor information being output by the sensors in response to receipt of an energy signal from a device, the sensor information being related to a location on the screen to which the device is pointing based on a phase difference in the energy signal detected by the sensors;

process said received sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing based on identification of a sensor from the plurality of sensors that receives highest intensity of the energy signal; and

generate information indicative of said determined location on the screen.

9. The television of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is operable to output on the screen a visual indication of said determined location on the screen.

10. The television of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is operable to overlay the visual indication on a television program being presented on the screen.

11. The television of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors is a plurality of passive sensors.

12. The television of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors is a plurality of active sensors.

13. The television of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is operable to process said received sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing by, at least in part, operating to interpolate between intensities of the signal received by each respective sensor from the plurality of sensors.

17. The television of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises an array of antenna elements integrated between pixels of the screen.

18. The television of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises an array of antenna elements integrated behind pixels of the screen.

19. The television of claim 8, wherein a block of pixels corresponds to an array of photo diodes integrated into the screen.

23. The television of claim 8, wherein the sensor that receives the highest intensity of the energy signal is a highest-intensity sensor, and the at least one processor is further operable to:

process the sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing based on identification of a closed figure pattern of the energy signal received by the highest-intensity sensor, wherein the closed figure pattern surrounds said highest-intensity sensor.

24. The television of claim 23, wherein the closed figure pattern surrounding the highest-intensity sensor is a first closed figure, and the at least one processor is further operable to process the sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing based on:

identification of another sensor from the plurality of sensors that receives second highest intensity of the energy signal, the another sensor being a second-highest-intensity sensor;

identification of a second closed figure pattern of the energy signal received by the second-highest-intensity sensor, wherein the second closed figure pattern surrounds said second-highest-intensity sensor; and

determination of an intersection of the first closed figure and the second closed figure.

25. The television of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors are integrated into audio speakers of the television.

14. A method, in a television having a screen, for generating screen pointing information, the method comprising:

in the television;

receiving a plurality of energy signals in a plurality of sensors;

receiving sensor information from the plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors being integrated into a transparent screen overlay, the sensor information being related to a location on the screen to which a device is pointing;

processing said received sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing wherein the location is determined based on sensor information from a sensor group that is identified from among the plurality of sensors, the sensor group being identified in response to each sensor in the identified group receiving at least a threshold amount of energy from the plurality of energy signals; and

generating information indicative of said determined location on the screen.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein processing said received sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing comprises selecting a sensor from the identified group of sensors corresponding to a strongest energy signal from the received plurality of energy signals.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein processing said received sensor information to determine said location on the screen to which the device is pointing comprises interpolating among locations of the sensors in the identified group of sensors.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing a non-linear splining among the sensor group to determine the location.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the identified group of sensors comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor receives a first intensity of energy and the second sensor receives a second intensity of energy, and said location on the screen is determined based on a ratio of the first intensity and the second intensity.