Method and apparatus for providing information in video transitions

• US 20040012718A1
• Filed: 07/14/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gary E. Sullivan, Kim C. Smith
• Original Assignee: Gary E. Sullivan, Kim C. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Kim C., Sullivan, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/618,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20040012718A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/584
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A video system displays information during transition from a first video source to a second video source. During the transition, an MPEG decoder decodes a transition video signal and provides the decoded transition video signal to a video overlay which overlays the decoded transition video signal onto a display during the transition period. In one embodiment, the transition video may be a commercial video or advertisement such that the advertisement is displayed on the display during the transition. The advertisement may be related to the content of the output of one of the video sources. In the event the MPEG decoder is unavailable to decode the transition video during the transition, the video system is capable of utilizing an alternate decoder to decode the transition video.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing an output to a display in response to an input signal received from a video source, said output providing means including means for buffering the input signal;

means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal; and

means, coupled to said output providing means, for overlaying the decoded video signal decoded by said decoding means onto the display during a transition when said output providing means switches from a first video source to a second video source,

wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of encoded video signals, said apparatus being capable of selecting a specific encoded video signal for decoding and display during the transition based upon said encoded video signal'"'"'s relevance to either a content'"'"'s subject matter displayed by the first video source prior to the transition or a content'"'"'s subject matter selected for display via the second video source following the transition.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller and said buffering means comprising video memory.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means comprising a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller, said buffering means comprising video memory, said decoding means comprising a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard, and said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means being capable of receiving the coded video signal via a network.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an alternate means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal wherein said overlaying means overlays the decoded video signal of said alternate decoding means during the transition when said decoding means is unavailable during the transition.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means being capable of decoding an encoded commercial video signal into a decoded commercial video signal such that said overlaying means overlays the decoded commercial video signal during the transition.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said decoding means being capable of decoding a video signal containing advertisement information into a decoded commercial video signal containing advertisement information such that said overlaying means overlays the decoded video signal containing advertisement information during the transition.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for storing an encoded signal such that the encoded signal is available to be decoded by said decoding means upon an occurrence of the transition.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory capable of storing an encoded signal such that the encoded signal is available to be decoded by said decoding means upon an occurrence of the transition.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a processor for executing a program of instructions that controls the apparatus, said processor being coupled to said output providing means via a bus.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is capable of extending the transition to a predetermined time duration when said output providing means switches from the first video source to the second video source, thereby ensuring that the decoded video signal is capable of being displayed in its entirety.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing an output to a display in response to an input signal received from a video source, said output providing means including means for buffering the input signal;

means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal; and

means, coupled to said output providing means, for overlaying the decoded video signal decoded by said decoding means onto the display during a transition when said output providing means switches from a first video source to a second video source,

wherein said apparatus is capable of extending the transition to a predetermined time duration when said output providing means switches from the first video source to the second video source, thereby ensuring that the decoded video signal is capable of being displayed in its entirety.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller and said buffering means comprising video memory.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said decoding means comprising a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller, said buffering means comprising video memory, said decoding means comprising a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard, and said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said decoding means being capable of receiving the coded video signal via a network.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an alternate means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal wherein said overlaying means overlays the decoded video signal of said alternate decoding means during the transition when said decoding means is unavailable during the transition.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said decoding means being capable of decoding an encoded commercial video signal into a decoded commercial video signal such that said overlaying means overlays the decoded commercial video signal during the transition.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said decoding means being capable of decoding a video signal containing advertisement information into a decoded commercial video signal containing advertisement information such that said overlaying means overlays the decoded video signal containing advertisement information during the transition.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising means for storing an encoded signal such that the encoded signal is available to be decoded by said decoding means upon an occurrence of the transition.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a memory capable of storing an encoded signal such that the encoded signal is available to be decoded by said decoding means upon an occurrence of the transition.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a processor for executing a program of instructions that controls the apparatus, said processor being coupled to said output providing means via a bus.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of encoded video signals, said apparatus being capable of selecting a specific encoded video signal for decoding and display during the transition based upon said encoded video signal'"'"'s relevance to either a content'"'"'s subject matter displayed by the first video source prior to the transition or a content'"'"'s subject matter selected for display via the second video source following the transition.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing an output to a display in response to an input signal received from a video source, said output providing means including means for buffering the input signal, said output providing means comprising a graphics controller and said buffering means comprising video memory;

means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal; and

means, coupled to said output providing means, for overlaying the decoded video signal decoded by said decoding means onto the display during a transition when said output providing means switches from a first video source to a second video source.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, said decoding means comprising a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, said overlaying means comprising a video overlay.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, said decoding means comprising a decoder compliant with an MPEG standard and said overlaying means comprising a video overlay, wherein video data from the video overlay is provided to the display through the graphics controller.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for providing an output to a display in response to an input signal received from a video source, said output providing means including means for buffering the input signal;

means for decoding an encoded video signal into a decoded video signal;

means, coupled to said output providing means, for overlaying the decoded video signal decoded by said decoding means onto the display during a transition when said output providing means switches from a first video source to a second video source; and

a processor for executing a program of instructions that controls the apparatus, said processor being coupled to said output providing means via a bus.

32. A method performed by a video system for providing information in video transitions, comprising:

selecting a video for transition;

receiving the transition video;

storing the transition video;

detecting an occurrence of a video transition from a first video source to a second video source;

if an occurrence of a video transition from a first video source to a second video source is detected, then determining if a first decoder is available; and

if the first decoder is not available, then selecting a second decoder.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising decoding the transition video by the first decoder if the first decoder is available.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising decoding the transition video by the second decoder if the first decoder is not available.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising overlaying the transition video during the video transition from a first video source to a second video source.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving video from the second video source.