Web television having a two-way communication bus interconnecting a television controller and an internet module

• US 9,241,189 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaughan, Kevin J., Zato, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhong, Jun Fei
• Application Number:
  US10/420,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20030192057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,655 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A web television includes a display, a tuner, an internet module, and a PIP module. The tuner is arranged to select television video for display on the display and to select television audio for display by a speaker of the web television. The internet module is arranged to supply internet video for display on the display and to supply internet audio for display by the speaker of the web television, and the internet video and audio are derived from internet communications between the web television and internet content providers. The PIP module is arranged to provide a PIP area within a main area of the display. The internet video and the television video may be swapped between the PIP area and the main area of the display, and the speaker of the web television may be swapped between the internet audio and the television audio.

Claims

1. A digital receiver comprising:

a tuner arranged to tune to television signals which include television video and television audio;

an internet module arranged to perform internet communications with an internet content provider, wherein the internet communications include internet video and internet audio;

an audio/video switch having a first operating mode and a second operating mode, the first operating mode outputs the television audio and the television video, the second operating mode outputs the internet audio and the internet video;

a PIP module arranged to provide a sub area, wherein the sub area displays the internet video in the first operating mode and the sub area displays the television video in the second operating mode;

an audio processor arranged to process the television audio in the first operating mode and to process the internet audio in the second operating mode;

a video processor arranged to process the television video in the first operating mode and to process the internet video in the second operating mode;

a main controller arranged to control the video output and audio output; and

,

a communication bus arranged to interconnect the internet module and the main controller in order to support two-way communication between the internet module and the main controller, wherein the main controller controls output of the television video in a main area and the internet video in the sub area in the first operating mode and controls the output of the television video in the sub area and the internet video in the main area in the second operating mode and controls output of the television audio in the first operating mode and controls the output of the internet audio in the second operating mode based on a user input.

2. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein internet video in the main area is not covered by the sub area.

3. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein one or more communications between the main controller and the internet module via the communication bus comprises request information whereby the main controller makes a request of the internet module.

4. The digital receiver of claim 3, wherein internet module sends an acknowledgement to the main controller upon receipt of the request information.

5. The digital receiver of claim 3, wherein the internet module sends a status message to the main controller, the status message indicating compliance to the request made by the main controller.

6. The digital receiver of claim 3, wherein the request information is transmitted to the internet module when the internet module fails to acknowledge the one or more communications for more than a predetermined limit of time.