Apparatus, system and method for cooperatively presenting multiple media signals via multiple media outputs

• US 9,230,513 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hagenbuch, Matthew Lloyd, Bowser, Robert A., Locker, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US13/840,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/553, 348/441, 348/725, 348/563, 707/790, 707/803, 707/804
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• 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 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for cooperatively presenting multiple media signals via multiple presentation devices. Disclosed are apparatuses, systems and methods that integrate portions of multiple media signals and cooperatively present the portions via multiple media output devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing machine readable code; and

a processor executing the machine readable code, the machine readable code comprising a media manager, the media manager comprising;

an integration module for integrating one or more portions of a first media signal and a second media signal into an integrated media signal for presentation via one or more media outputs, wherein a media signal comprises an audio portion and a video portion;

a transmission module for cooperatively transmitting the integrated media signal to the one or more of media outputs, each media output receiving a portion of the integrated media signal, wherein different media outputs receive different portions of the integrated media signal; and

a receiver module for receiving configuration parameters for dynamically adjusting integrated portions of the first and second media signals and transmitted portions of the first and second media signals, wherein

dynamically adjusting the integrated portions of the first and second media signals comprises excluding the audio portion of one or more of the first and second media signals from the integrated media signal; and

dynamically adjusting the transmitted portions of the first and second media signals comprises determining a layout of the transmitted portions of the first and second media signals on a display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second media signals originate from different media devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein

the first and second media signals comprise signals originating from a television device and a gaming console;

and

the transmission module cooperatively transmits the integrated media signal to one media output.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the receiver module receives configuration parameters via one of a USB connection, an Ethernet connection, a wireless connection, and a connection with a gesture motion sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining a layout of the transmitted portions of the first and second media signals on a display comprises displaying each media signal based on the order in which the media manager received the media signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining a layout of the transmitted portions of the first and second media signals on a display comprises displaying each media signal based on the priority assigned to the media signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the integrated portions of the first and second media signals comprises integrating a portion of a third media signal into the integrated media signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more of the first and second media signals are encrypted.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there is a one-to-one correlation between the media signals and the media outputs.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein media signals are received via one of HDMI, DisplayPort, RGB video with dual channel audio, Miracast®

, and WiGig®

WDE.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of configuration parameters for determining how a plurality of media signals are presented via one or more media outputs, wherein a media signal comprises an audio portion and a video portion;

receiving a first media signal and a second media signal;

dynamically integrating one or more portions of the first and second media signals into an integrated media signal for cooperative presentation via the one or more media outputs and based on the configuration parameters, the configuration parameters excluding the audio portion of one or more of the first and second media signals from the integrated media signal and determining a layout of each media signal relative to the other media signals on a display.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second media signals originate from different media devices.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein integrating one or more portions of the first and second media signals comprises combining a media signal from a television device and a media signal from a gaming console into one side-by-side integrated media signal.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the cooperative presentation comprises dividing the integrated media signal into one or more portions, and transmitting respective portions to different media outputs.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a third media signal; and

dynamically adjusting the integrated media signal to integrate a portion of the third media signal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein adjusting the integrated media signal comprises overlaying a portion of the third media signal onto a portion of one of the first and second media signals and muting an audio portion of the third media signal.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein adjusting the integrated media signal comprises modifying the integrated media signal to additionally include the third signal in a format selected from the group:

side-by-side, top-bottom, and picture-in-picture.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

before adjusting the one or more media outputs,

receiving additional configuration parameters via communication with a body gesture sensor, wherein the adjusting is based on the additional configuration parameters.

19. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing machine readable code executable by a processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a plurality of configuration parameters for determining how a plurality of media signals are presented via one or more media outputs, wherein a media signal comprises an audio portion and a video portion;

receiving a first media signal and a second media signal; and

dynamically integrating one or more portions of the first and second media signals into an integrated media signal for cooperative presentation via the one or more media outputs and based on the configuration parameters, the configuration parameters excluding the audio portion of one or more of the first and second media signals from the integrated media signal and determining a layout of each media signal relative to the other media signals on a display.

20. The program product of claim 19, further comprising receiving a third media signal, and adjusting one or more integrated media signals dynamically to integrate a portion of the third signal.

21. A system comprising:

a plurality of media devices for generating a plurality of respective media signals;

a plurality of media output devices for cooperatively presenting integrated portions of the media signals; and

a media manager comprising;

an integration module for integrating portions of a plurality of the respective media signals to generate one or more integrated media signals, wherein a media signal comprises an audio portion and a video portion;

a transmission module for transmitting portions of the one or more integrated media signals to the plurality of media outputs; and

a receiver module for receiving configuration parameters to dynamically adjust integrated portions and transmitted portions of the media signals, wherein

dynamically adjusting the integrated portions of the media signals comprises excluding the audio portion of one or more of the media signals from the one or more integrated media signals; and

dynamically adjusting the transmitted portions of the media signals comprises determining a layout of the transmitted portions of the media signals on a display.