System and Method of Displaying a Video Stream

• US 20130148023A1
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Marc Andrew, Kortum, Philip Ted, Brandt, Jeffrey Lewis
• Granted Patent: US 9,571,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/427 Display on the fly, e.g. simultaneous writing to and reading from decoding memory
• 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 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56

Abstract

A particular method includes receiving a video stream to be displayed on a display device. The method also includes, during a first time period, sending a low resolution version of the video stream to the display device while recovering a full resolution version of the video stream. The method further includes synchronizing the low resolution version of the video stream with the full resolution version of the video stream. The method also includes, during a second time period after the first time period, switching from sending the low resolution version of the video stream to the display device to sending the full resolution version of the video stream to the display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a video stream to be displayed on a display device;

during a first time period, sending a low resolution version of the video stream to the display device while recovering a full resolution version of the video stream;

synchronizing the low resolution version of the video stream with the full resolution version of the video stream; and

during a second time period after the first time period, switching from sending the low resolution version of the video stream to the display device to sending the full resolution version of the video stream to the display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a television.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period has a duration of less than three seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a full resolution audio signal is sent to the display device during the first time period while sending the low resolution version of the video stream to the display device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a video quality of the full resolution version of the video stream is higher than a video quality of the low resolution version of the video stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising temporarily sending a blurred image to the display device while switching from the low resolution version of the video stream to the full resolution version of the video stream.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a channel change request, wherein the first time period begins within one hundred milliseconds after detecting the channel change request.

8. A video stream processing system comprising:

a processor;

an interface that is couplable to a display device; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a video stream to be displayed on the display device;

during a first time period, sending a low resolution version of the video stream via the interface to the display device while recovering a full resolution version of the video stream;

synchronizing the low resolution version of the video stream with the full resolution version of the video stream; and

during a second time period after the first time period, switching from sending the low resolution version of the video stream to the display device to sending the full resolution version of the video stream to the display device.

9. The video stream processing system of claim 8, further comprising a user interface configured to detect a channel change to a requested channel, wherein the video stream is associated with the requested channel.

10. The video stream processing system of claim 9, wherein the first time period begins no more than approximately one hundred milliseconds after detecting the channel change.

11. The video stream processing system of claim 9, wherein the channel change is detected in response to receiving an infrared signal from a remote control device.

12. The video stream processing system of claim 8, wherein the first time period has a duration of less than 3 seconds.

13. The video stream processing system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a blurred image to the display device during an interim period while switching from the low resolution version of the video stream to the full resolution version of the video stream.

14. The video stream processing system of claim 13, wherein the blurred image includes a frame from the video stream.

15. The video stream processing system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a full resolution audio signal to the display device during the first time period while sending the low resolution version of the video stream to the display device.

16. The video stream processing system of claim 8, wherein the display device is a television.

17. A method comprising:

during a first time period, sending a low resolution version of a received video stream to a display device while recovering a full resolution version of the video stream, wherein the first time period begins no more than approximately one hundred milliseconds after a channel change request is detected;

synchronizing the low resolution version of the video stream with the full resolution version of the video stream; and

during a second time period after the first time period, switching from sending the low resolution version of the video stream to the display device to sending the full resolution version of the video stream, wherein a blurred image is sent to the display device during an interim period while switching from the low resolution version of the video stream to the full resolution version of the video stream.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the blurred image includes a frame from the video stream.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first period is less than three seconds.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a full resolution audio signal is sent to the display device during the first time period.