Multimedia device and method for controlling the same

• US 9,894,402 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yun, Jaesun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US14/955,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 disclosure is disclosed a multimedia device and a method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a multimedia device of providing a menu bar providing at least one of an available channel, an available application or an available content which is accessible thereof, the multimedia device comprises a display for displaying video data, and a controller for controlling the menu bar to display on the displayed video data in response to a first signal from a remote controller, wherein the menu bar includes a first icon and a second icon, wherein the first icon is related to at least one of a preferred channel, a channel viewed over a predetermined time, a channel viewed over a predetermined number, a recommended content, a recommended application or a recommended channel, wherein the second icon corresponds to a specific user, and wherein, when the second icon is selected, the controller further controls the display to display a Graphic User Interface (GUI) related to a function among a plurality of functions of the multimedia device based on history data of the specific user using the multimedia device.

Claims

1. A multimedia device of providing a menu bar providing at least one of an available channel, an available application or an available content which is accessible thereof, the multimedia device comprising:

a display for displaying video data; and

a controller for controlling the menu bar to display on the displayed video data in response to a first signal from a remote controller,

wherein the menu bar includes a first icon and a second icon,

wherein the first icon is related to at least one of a preferred channel, a channel viewed over a predetermined time, a channel viewed over a predetermined number, a recommended content, a recommended application or a recommended channel,

wherein the second icon corresponds to a specific user,

wherein, when the second icon is selected, the controller further controls the display to display a Graphic User Interface (GUI) related to a function among a plurality of functions of the multimedia device based on history data of the specific user using the multimedia device,

wherein the second icon includes a first sub icon for a first user and a second sub icon for a second user, and the first user and the second user are registered in the multimedia device, and

wherein the first sub icon is highlighted in the menu bar or a location of the first sub icon on the menu bar is changed in response to logging-in of the first user.

2. The multimedia device of claim 1, wherein, when it is logged-in by an account of the specific user, the second icon is included in the menu bar, or is displayed in the menu bar before the plurality of icons in the menu bar.

3. The multimedia device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor at least one of a viewing history of an available channel and an available program on the multimedia device, an execution history of an available application on the multimedia device, or an execution history of an available content on the multimedia device, and wherein the controller is further configured to change a configuration of the menu bar according to time based on a result of the monitoring.

4. The multimedia device of claim 3, wherein the configuration of the menu bar is changed according to at least one of a type of one or more icons to be displayed in the menu bar or an order of the one or more icons arranged on the menu bar.

5. The multimedia device of claim 4, wherein, when one or more predetermined icons included in the menu bar are present, the controller further controls the predetermined locations of the one or more icons to be fixed in the menu bar regardless of the result of the monitoring.

6. The multimedia device of claim 1, further comprising a first receiver for receiving metadata of a program, wherein the controller further controls the display to display information of current viewing program of a channel based on the received metadata of the program related to a specific channel, when a pointer corresponding to a movement of the remote controller is located on an icon which corresponds to the specific channel.

7. The multimedia device of claim 6, wherein, when the icon corresponding to the specific channel by the remote controller, the controller further controls the first receiver to switch a current channel to the specific channel in order to receive a broadcasting signal from the switched specific channel, and the display to output video data included in the received broadcasting signal.

8. The multimedia device of claim 1, further comprising a second receiver, wherein the controller further controls the display to display information on a specific content based on the metadata, related to the specific content, received from the second receiver, when a pointer corresponding to a movement of the remote controller is located on an icon which corresponds to the specific content.

9. The multimedia device of claim 8, wherein, when the icon corresponds to a specific channel by the remote controller, the controller further controls the display to display a window including detailed information of the specific content based on the metadata, related to the specific content, received from the second receiver.

10. The multimedia device of claim 1, wherein the menu bar includes indicators for scrolling left or right, and wherein the controller further controls the menu bar to scroll left or right in response to a movement of a pointer, the scrolled menu bar displaying one or more icons which are not the predetermined icons.

11. The multimedia device of claim 1, wherein the controller further controls a memory to store information of an accessed channel, information of an executed application and information of an executed content, wherein, when receiving a second signal from the remote controller, the controller is configured to control the display to display one or more history icons related to at least one of the stored information of an accessed channel, information of an executed application or information of an executed content, and wherein, when receiving a third signal selecting a history icon among the displayed one or more history icons, the controller further controls the display to display an execution screen of any one of a channel, an application or a content related to the selected history icon.

12. The multimedia device of claim 11, wherein the stored information includes time information on stopping the reproduction of the channel, the application and the content, and wherein the displayed execution screen is referred to the time information.

13. The multimedia device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify an object included in the video data displayed via the display,

detect object information on the identified object, and

configure the menu bar based on at least one of a channel, an application or a content, which is related to the detected object information, among available channels, available applications and an available content on the multimedia device.

14. The multimedia device of claim 1, further comprising a third receiver receiving metadata on a specific content which corresponds to the displayed video data, wherein the controller is configured to configure the menu bar based on at least one of a channel, an application or a content, which is related to the received metadata on the specific content, among available channels, available applications and an available content on the multimedia device.

15. The multimedia device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect a command activating a specific function for identifying an object included in the video data displayed via the display,

identify the object in response to the detected command,

detect object information on the identified object,

control the detected object information to display on the video data, and

configure the menu bar based on at least one of a channel, an application or a content, which are related to the detected object information, among available channels, available applications and an available content on the multimedia device.

16. The multimedia device of claim 15, wherein, when any one of the displayed object information is selected, the controller is configured to configure the menu bar based on at least one of a channel, an application or a content, which is related to the selected object information, among available channels, available applications and an available content on the multimedia device.

17. A method of controlling a multimedia device to provide a menu bar which is capable of accessing at least one of an available channel, an available application or an available content, the method comprising:

logging-in the multimedia based on an account of a specific user;

displaying the menu bar corresponding to the account of the logged-in user, wherein the menu bar includes a first icon and a second icon corresponding to the specific user;

monitoring at least one of history data of an available channel and an available program on the multimedia device, an execution history of an available application on the multimedia device, or an execution history of an available content on the multimedia device after logged-in; and

changing a configuration of the displayed menu bar based on a result of the monitoring,

wherein the second icon includes a first sub icon for a first user and a second sub icon for a second user, and the first user and the second user are registered in the multimedia device, and

wherein the first sub icon is highlighted in the menu bar or a location of the first sub icon on the menu bar is changed in response to logging-in of the first user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the menu bar includes icons corresponding to a channel, content and an application, wherein the method further comprises displaying detailed information of a specific channel, a specific content or a specific application, when a pointer corresponding to a movement of the remote controller is located on an icon which corresponds to the specific channel, the specific content, or the specific application.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a specific content;

displaying a screen corresponding to the received specific content;

identifying an object included in the displayed screen;

detecting object information of the identified object; and

changing a configuration of the menu bar based on at least one of a viewing history of an available channel and an available program on the multimedia device, an execution history of an available application on the multimedia device, or an execution history of an available content on the multimedia device.