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

• US 9,277,279 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US12/259,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,681 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/110
• 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 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 arranged to output at least one of the television audio and the internet audio and to output at least one of the television video and the internet video;

a PIP module arranged to provide a sub area, wherein the sub area displays at least one of the television video or the internet video;

an audio processor arranged to process the television audio or the internet audio;

a video processor arranged to process the television video or the internet video;

a main controller arranged to control 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 or output of the television video in the sub area and the internet video in the main area and controls output of the television audio or the internet audio,

wherein one or more communications between the main controller and the internet module via the communication bus include mode information which indicates a status of the digital receiver or a status of the internet module, and

wherein the one or more communications including the mode information are internal communications within the digital receiver.

2. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether the digital receiver is on or off.

3. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating a digital receiver configuration or model.

4. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether the audio output of the digital receiver is supplied with internet audio received by the internet module or television audio received by the tuner.

5. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether a PIP mode is on or off.

6. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether a screen saver mode is on or off.

7. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the internet module sends a response message to the main controller upon receipt of the mode information.

8. The digital receiver of claim 7, wherein the response message is an acknowledgement message.

9. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the main controller requests the internet module to transmit back diagnostic information of the internet module.

10. The digital receiver of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic information comprises a version ID of the internet module.

11. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether a main area of the display is to contain the internet video from the internet module or the television video from the tuner.

12. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether the internet module is active and has been initialized.

13. The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the mode information comprises information indicating whether the internet module is on-line or off-line.