Dynamic determination of presentation of multiple video cells in an on-screen display

• US 20070214478A1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Matthew, Camacho, Edgar, Dean, Jon, Shurgot, Mark, Feldstein, David, Shanks, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A mosaic video channel displayed on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time. A mosaic video channel in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds, a cursor, which can be moved between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that the user can then directly select a video program associated with the selected video cell, and a receiver, coupled to the monitor and receiving the plurality of video feeds and mosaic video channel, wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that when at least one of the video cells is selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with that video cell.

Claims

1. A mosaic video channel displayed on a monitor, with a plurality of individual video feeds being presented at a given time, comprising:

a plurality of video cells presenting at least video information, each video cell associated with one of the plurality of individual video feeds;

a cursor, which is moveable between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that when a video program associated with the selected video cell is selected, the characteristic of the selected video cell is presented by the monitor; and

a receiver, coupled to the monitor and receiving the plurality of video feeds and mosaic video channel, wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that when at least one of the video cells is selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with the selected video cell.

2. The mosaic video channel of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mosaic video channels.

3. The mosaic video channel of claim 2, wherein the receiver is granted access to a subset of the plurality of mosaic video channels at a time.

4. The mosaic video channel of claim 3, wherein the receiver is granted access to only one of the mosaic video channels at a time.

5. The mosaic video channel of claim 4, wherein the receiver is granted access to a specific mosaic video channel in the plurality of video channels based on a geographic location of the receiver.

6. The mosaic video channel of claim 5, wherein the specific mosaic channel access is based on a blackout rule.

7. The mosaic video channel of claim 6, wherein the blackout rule is based on airing of a program on a network affiliate that is received by the receiver.

8. An apparatus for displaying a mosaic video channel, the mosaic video channel having a plurality of video cells being presented at a given time, comprising:

a broadcast delivery system, comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

a monitor, coupled to the receiver, for selectively displaying the mosaic video channel, each video cell associated with one of a plurality of individual video feeds; and

a cursor, displayed on the monitor, which is movable between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that when a video program associated with the selected video cell is selected, the characteristic of the selected video cell is presented;

wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that when at least one of the video cells is selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with the selected video cell.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the broadcast delivery system is a satellite television delivery system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of mosaic video channels.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiver is granted access to a subset of the plurality of mosaic video channels at a time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the receiver is granted access to only one of the mosaic video channels at a time.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the receiver is granted access to a specific mosaic video channel in the plurality of video channels based on a geographic location of the receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the specific mosaic channel access is based on a blackout rule.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the blackout rule is based on airing of a program on a network affiliate that is received by the receiver.

16. A system for selectively displaying a video cell within a mosaic video channel having a plurality of video cells, comprising:

a broadcast delivery system, comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

a monitor, coupled to the receiver, for selectively displaying the mosaic video channel, each video cell associated with one of a plurality of individual video feeds; and

a cursor, displayed on the monitor, which is movable between the plurality of video cells, for selecting at least one characteristic associated with a selected video cell, such that when a video program associated with the selected video cell is selected, the characteristic of the selected video cell is presented;

wherein a blackout criteria is dynamically programmed into the receiver such that when at least one of the video cells is selected by the cursor, the receiver tunes to a channel other than the individual video feed associated with the selected video cell.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the broadcast delivery system is a satellite television delivery system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the blackout criteria grants access to a specific video cell within the mosaic video channel based on a geographic location of the receiver.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the blackout criteria grants access to a specific video cell within the mosaic video channel based on a blackout rule.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the blackout criteria grants access to a specific video cell within the mosaic video channel based on an airing of a program on a network affiliate that is received by the receiver.