Method for implementing split-screen viewing of television programs, set-top box, and television system

• US 9,456,169 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Weiwei, Shi, Linan, Tang, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US14/434,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 348/565, 348/564, 348/563, 348/553, 348/569, 348/580, 348/581, 348/585, 348/588, 348/598, 348/684, 348/731, 348/734, 345/660, 345/667, 345/173, 725/110, 725/111, 715/717, 715/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A method for implementing split-screen viewing of television, a set-top box and a television system are provided, wherein the method includes: a set-top box receiving a play control signal sent by a remote control terminal, generating a split-screen control signal according to the play control signal, and sending the split-screen control signal to a television terminal; the television terminal implementing split-screen playing of two or more than two programs according to the split-screen control signal. The abovementioned technical scheme can solve the problem in the prior art that, the television terminal can play a single program at a time, resulting in a poor user experience.

Claims

1. A method for implementing split-screen viewing of television, comprising:

a set-top box receiving a play control signal sent by a remote control terminal;

the set-top box generating a split-screen control signal according to the play control signal;

the set-top box sending the split-screen control signal to a television terminal, wherein the split-screen control signal is used for controlling the television terminal to implement split-screen playing of two or more than two programs;

wherein, the play control signal is an indication signal of adding broadcast programs, an indication signal of reducing broadcast programs, and/or a split-screen mode selection signal; and

the set-top box generating a split-screen control signal according to the play control signal comprises;

the set-top box calculating a total number of programs which currently need to be played at the same time according to the indication signal of adding broadcast programs or the indication signal of reducing broadcast programs, matching a corresponding split-screen mode according to the total number of programs and a pre-established mapping relationship between the total number of programs played at the same time and a split-screen mode comprising a longitudinal split-screen mode, a horizontal split-screen mode and/or a picture-in-picture (PiP) split-screen mode; and

/or, the set-top box matching a corresponding split-screen mode according to the split-screen mode selection signal and a pre-established mapping relationship between the split-screen mode selection signal and the split-screen mode comprising a longitudinal split-screen mode, a horizontal split-screen mode and/or a picture-in-picture (PiP) split-screen mode;

the set-top box generating a corresponding split-screen control signal according to the matched split-screen mode.

2. The method for implementing split-screen viewing of television of claim 1, further comprising:

the set-top box receiving a split-screen mode operation signal sent by the remote control terminal, and performing corresponding operations according to the split-screen mode operation signal, wherein the operations comprise one or more of creating, adding, deleting and updating a split-screen mode.

3. The method for implementing split-screen viewing of television of claim 1, wherein the set-top box receiving the play control signal sent by the remote control terminal comprises:

the set-top box receiving a play control signal in a WIFI data format sent by the remote control terminal via a WIFI communication way, and converting the received play control signal in the WIFI data format into a standard data format supported by a television system.

11. The method for implementing split-screen viewing of television of claim 1, wherein the set-top box receiving the play control signal sent by the remote control terminal comprises:

the set-top box receiving a play control signal in a WIFI data format sent by the remote control terminal via a WIFI communication way, and converting the received play control signal in the WIFI data format into a standard data format supported by a television system.

12. The method for implementing split-screen viewing of television of claim 2, wherein the set-top box receiving the play control signal sent by the remote control terminal comprises:

the set-top box receiving a play control signal in a WIFI data format sent by the remote control terminal via a WIFI communication way, and converting the received play control signal in the WIFI data format into a standard data format supported by a television system.

4. A set-top box, comprising a signal receiving module, a signal processing module and a signal sending module, wherein

the signal receiving module is used to receive a play control signal sent by a remote control terminal;

the signal processing module is used to generate a split-screen control signal according to the play control signal;

the signal sending module is used to send the split-screen control signal to a television terminal, wherein the split-screen control signal is used for controlling the television terminal to implement split-screen playing of two or more than two programs;

wherein the signal processing module comprises a split-screen mode matching module, a storage module and a split-screen control signal generating module, wherein;

the storage module is used to pre-store at least one split-screen mode, a mapping relationship between a total number of programs played at the same time and the split-screen mode comprising a longitudinal split-screen mode, a horizontal split-screen mode and/or a picture-in-picture (PiP) split-screen mode, and/or a mapping relationship between a split-screen mode selection signal and the split-screen mode comprising a longitudinal split-screen mode, a horizontal split-screen mode and/or a picture-in-picture (PiP) split-screen mode;

the split-screen mode matching module is used to calculate a total number of programs which currently need to be played at the same time according to an indication signal of adding broadcast programs or an indication signal of reducing broadcast programs, and match a corresponding split-screen mode according to the total number of programs and the mapping relationship in the storage module; and

/or, match a corresponding split-screen mode according to the split-screen mode selection signal and the mapping relationship in the storage module;

the split-screen control signal generating module is used to generate a split-screen control signal corresponding to the matched split-screen mode.

5. The set-top box of claim 4, wherein the set-top box further comprises a split-screen mode setting module which is used to perform corresponding operations according to a split-screen mode operation signal, which is sent by the remote control terminal, received by the signal receiving module, wherein the operations comprise one or more of creating, adding, deleting and updating a split-screen mode.

6. The set-top box of claim 4, wherein the signal receiving module comprises a WIFI communicating module and a data format processing module;

wherein

the WIFI communicating module is used to receive a signal in a WIFI data format sent by the remote control terminal;

the data format processing module is used to convert the received signal in the WIFI data format into a standard data format supported by a television system.

13. The set-top box of claim 5, wherein the signal receiving module comprises a WIFI communicating module and a data format processing module;

wherein

the WIFI communicating module is used to receive a signal in a WIFI data format sent by the remote control terminal;

the data format processing module is used to convert the received signal in the WIFI data format into a standard data format supported by a television system.

7. A television system, comprising:

a television terminal; and

a set-top box, comprising a signal receiving module, a signal processing module and a signal sending module, wherein

the signal receiving module is used to receive a play control signal sent by a remote control terminal;

the signal processing module is used to generate a split-screen control signal according to the play control signal;

the signal sending module is used to send the split-screen control signal to the television terminal, wherein the split-screen control signal is used for controlling the television terminal to implement split-screen playing of two or more than two programs;

wherein the signal processing module comprises a split-screen mode matching module, a storage module and a split-screen control signal generating module, wherein;

the storage module is used to pre-store at least one split-screen mode, a mapping relationship between a total number of programs played at the same time and the split-screen mode comprising a longitudinal split-screen mode, a horizontal split-screen mode and/or a picture-in-picture (PiP) split-screen mode, and/or a mapping relationship between a split-screen mode selection signal and the split-screen mode comprising a longitudinal split-screen mode, a horizontal split-screen mode and/or a picture-in-picture (PiP) split-screen mode;

the split-screen mode matching module is used to calculate a total number of programs which currently need to be played at the same time according to an indication signal of adding broadcast programs or an indication signal of reducing broadcast programs, and match a corresponding split-screen mode according to the total number of programs and the mapping relationship in the storage module; and

/or, match a corresponding split-screen mode according to the split-screen mode selection signal and the mapping relationship in the storage module;

the split-screen control signal generating module is used to generate a split-screen control signal corresponding to the matched split-screen mode; and

wherein the television terminal is used to implement split-screen playing of two or more than two programs according to a split-screen control signal sent by the set-top box.

8. The television system of claim 7, wherein the television system further comprises a remote control terminal, and the remote control terminal is used to send a play control signal and/or a split-screen mode operation signal to the set-top box, and the split-screen mode operation signal comprises one or more of signals of creating, adding, deleting and updating a split-screen mode.

9. The television system of claim 8, wherein the remote control terminal obtains a remote control application program for operating the set-top box through a network-downloading way.

10. The television system of claim 8, wherein the remote control terminal is a mobile terminal.