Image display apparatus and method for operating the same

• US 9,432,739 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jaeuk, Lee, Seunghun
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Rong
• Application Number:
  US13/835,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/482 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

Abstract

A method may be provided for displaying an image display apparatus. Channels may be changed on the image display apparatus based on a user channel change command. A channel change state may be determined, and a determination may be made when a total number of channels satisfies a prescribed criterion. Information regarding recommended content may be displayed when the determined number of channel changes satisfies the prescribed criterion.

Claims

1. A display method of an image display apparatus, the method comprising:

changing channels on the image display apparatus based on a command to channel change;

determining when a total number of changed channels satisfies a prescribed criterion;

displaying information regarding recommended content when the determined total number of channel changes satisfies the prescribed criterion;

playing the recommended content or changing the channel to a broadcast channel of the recommended content when an item of the information regarding the recommended content is selected or a predetermined command is received,

displaying additional information of the recommended content in at least a part of a display when an item of the information regarding the recommended content is selected or a predetermined command is received from a remote controller; and

wherein the displaying of the information includes stopping additional channel change in a state in which the information regarding the recommended content is displayed,

wherein the additional information includes a category tab menu including a plurality of categories, a plurality of recommended content items included in a selected category and menu items,

wherein the displayed information regarding the recommended content is displayed in a first area of a screen while displaying at least one image of a channel in a second area of the screen,

and the method further comprising;

receiving a command to change a channel while the information regarding the recommended content is displayed in a window in the first area; and

in response to receiving the command, changing the information in the window in the first area to information regarding other recommended content while maintaining the image of the channel displayed in the second area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining includes determining the total number of channel changes and a holding time of a changed channel.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed criterion relates to a holding time of a changed channel being less than a prescribed reference time.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the prescribed criterion relates to the total number of channel changes and having the holding time of the changed channel be less than the prescribed reference time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed criterion relates to channels that are changed at least a prescribed number of times.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recommended content is based on a viewing history of the image display apparatus.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recommended content is based on previously stored favorite channels.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recommended content is provided from a content provider.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recommended content is based on content popularity list information.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying the information regarding the recommended content includes displaying information regarding the recommended content in a window while simultaneously displaying an image of the changed channel.

11. An image display apparatus comprising:

a display;

a user input interface to receive a command to change channel; and

a controller to change channels on the display based on the channel change command, and the controller to further determine when a total number of channel changes satisfies a prescribed criteria,

wherein the controller controls the display to display information regarding recommended content on the display when the total number of channel changes satisfies the prescribed criterion, to display additional information of the recommended content in at least a part of the display when an item of the information regarding the recommended content is selected or a predetermined command is received from a remote controller, and the controller to play the recommended content or to change the channel to a broadcast channel of the recommended content when an item of the information regarding the recommended content is selected or a predetermined command is received, and

wherein the display of information includes stopping additional channel change in a state in which the information regarding the recommended content is displayed,

wherein the additional information includes a category tab menu including a plurality of categories, a plurality of recommended content items included in a selected category and menu items,

wherein the display displays information regarding the recommended content in a first area while the display displays at least an image of a channel in a second area,

wherein the apparatus receives a command to change a channel while the information regarding the recommended content is displayed in a window in the first area, and in response to receiving the command to change the channel, the controller changes the information in the window in the first area to information regarding other recommended content while maintaining the channel displayed in the second area.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller determines the total number of channel changes and a holding time of a changed channel.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the prescribed criterion relates to a holding time of a changed channel being less than a prescribed reference time.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the prescribed criterion relates to the total number of channel changes and having the holding time of the changed channel be less than the prescribed reference time.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the prescribed criterion relates to channels that are changed at least a prescribed number of times.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recommended content is based on a viewing history of the image display apparatus.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recommended content is based on a previously stored favorite channel.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recommended content is provided from a content provider.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recommended content is determined based on content popularity list information received through a network interface.

20. A display method of an image display apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving an input to channel change;

changing channels on the image display apparatus based on the received input;

determining when a total number of received inputs is at least a prescribed number;

when the determined number of received inputs is at least the prescribed number, displaying, in a pop-up window for a predetermined time, information regarding recommended content while simultaneously displaying an image, wherein the displaying of the information includes stopping additional channel change in a state in which the information regarding the recommended content is displayed;

receiving a selection of at least one of the displayed recommended content;

in response to receiving the selection, playing the recommended content; and

displaying additional information of the recommended content in at least a part of a display when an item of the information regarding the recommended content is selected or a predetermined command is received from a remote controller;

wherein the additional information includes a category tab menu including a plurality of categories, a plurality of recommended content items included in a selected category and menu items, wherein the displayed information regarding the recommended content is displayed in a first area of a screen while displaying at least one image of a channel in a second area of the screen,

and the method further comprising;

receiving a command to change a channel while the information regarding the recommended content is displayed in a window in the first area; and

in response to receiving the command, changing the information in the window in the first area to information regarding other recommended content while maintaining the image of the channel displayed in the second area.