SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTING MULTIPLE PICTURES ON A TELEVISION

• US 20180084214A1
• Filed: 10/09/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoBrilliance, LLC (AppBrilliance, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InnoBrilliance, LLC (AppBrilliance, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Granted Patent: US 10,623,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440272 for performing aspect ratio conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

A device provides multiple video streams from a plurality of video streams to a display. The device includes an input interface, a frame controller, and an output interface. The input interface is configured to receive a plurality of video streams and to transfer the plurality of video streams to the frame controller. The frame controller is configured to generate frame signals including multiple subframe signals corresponding to a video stream of the plurality of video streams. The output interface is configured to output the frame signals to the display. The frame signals are configured to cause video from multiple video streams of the plurality of video streams to be displayed in separate non-overlapping portions on the display.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a plurality of video streams and to provide the plurality of video streams to a frame controller, wherein each video stream of the plurality of video streams corresponds to a video channel of a plurality of video channels;

the frame controller configured to generate a first frame signal including;

a first subframe signal corresponding to a first video stream of the plurality of video streams;

a second subframe signal corresponding to a second video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a third subframe signal corresponding to a third video stream of the plurality of video streams;

an output interface configured to output the first frame signal to a display, wherein the first frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display first video corresponding to the first video stream in a first portion of the display, second video corresponding to the second video stream in a second portion of the display, and third video corresponding to the third video stream in a third portion of the display and to output first audio corresponding to the first video stream, wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the display are non-overlapping, and wherein the first portion is larger than the second portion;

the frame controller further configured to generate a second frame signal responsive to receiving a swap command, the second frame signal including;

a fourth subframe signal corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams;

a fifth subframe signal corresponding to the second video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a sixth subframe signal corresponding to the third video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

the output interface further configured to output the second frame signal to the display, wherein the second frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display video corresponding to the second video stream in the first portion of the display, video corresponding to the first video stream in the second portion of the display, and video corresponding to the third video stream in the third portion of the display and to output second audio corresponding to the second video stream.

2. The device of claim 1, the frame controller including a plurality of tuners, each tuner configured to generate a subframe signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface is configured to receive the plurality of video streams via a coaxial cable.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface is configured to receive the plurality of video streams via an Ethernet cable.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface is configured to receive at least one video stream of the plurality of video streams via a coaxial cable.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the input interface is configured to receive another video stream of the plurality of video streams via a component cable, a composite cable, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable, or via an Internet connection.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the input interface comprises a wireless interface configured to receive the plurality of video streams wirelessly.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first frame signal is further configured cause the display to display each subframe in a corresponding area of the display separate from an area occupied by any other subframe.

9. The device of claim 1, the frame controller further configured to generate a third frame signal responsive to a channel change command, the third frame signal comprising:

a seventh subframe signal corresponding to a fourth video stream of the plurality of video streams;

a eight subframe signal corresponding to the second video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a ninth subframe signal corresponding to the third video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein the third frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display video corresponding to the second video stream in the first portion of the display, video corresponding to the fourth video stream in the second portion of the display, and video corresponding to the third video stream in the third portion of the display and to output third audio corresponding to the fourth video stream.

10. The device of claim 1, the frame controller further configured to generate a third frame signal responsive to a channel change command, the third frame signal comprising:

a seventh subframe signal corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams;

a eight subframe signal corresponding to a fourth video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a ninth subframe signal corresponding to the third video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein the third frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display video corresponding to the fourth video stream in the first portion of the display, video corresponding to the first video stream in the second portion of the display, and video corresponding to the third video stream in the third portion of the display and to output third audio corresponding to the fourth video stream.

11. The device of claim 1, the frame controller further configured to generate a third frame signal responsive to a pause command, the third frame signal comprising:

a seventh subframe signal corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein the seventh subframe contains the same video data as the fourth subframe signal;

an eight subframe signal corresponding to the second video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a ninth subframe signal corresponding to the third video stream of the plurality of video streams, wherein the third frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display video corresponding to the second video stream in the first portion of the display, video corresponding to the first video stream in the second portion of the display, and video corresponding to the third video stream in the third portion of the display and to output third audio corresponding to the second video stream.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store video data of at least one video stream of the plurality of video streams responsive to receiving a record command.

13. The device of claim 1, the frame controller further configured to adjust a size of at least one of the subframes of a third frame signal responsive to one or more inputs.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein a first aspect ratio of the first video comprises a 16×

9 aspect ratio.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first aspect ratio of the first video is the same as an input aspect ratio of the first video stream.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising display, wherein the output interface corresponds to an internal bus of the display.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the display corresponds to a television.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the display corresponds to a mobile display device.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of video streams and to provide the plurality of video streams to a frame controller, wherein each video stream of the plurality of video streams corresponds to a video channel of a plurality of video channels;

generate a first frame signal including;

a first subframe signal corresponding to a first video stream of the plurality of video streams;

a second subframe signal corresponding to a second video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a third subframe signal corresponding to a third video stream of the plurality of video streams;

outputting the first frame signal to a display, wherein the first frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display first video corresponding to the first video stream in a first portion of the display, second video corresponding to the second video stream in a second portion of the display, and third video corresponding to the third video stream in a third portion of the display and to output first audio corresponding to the first video stream, wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the display are non-overlapping, and wherein the first portion is larger than the second portion;

generating a second frame signal responsive to receiving a swap command, the second frame signal including;

a fourth subframe signal corresponding to the first video stream of the plurality of video streams;

a fifth subframe signal corresponding to the second video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

a sixth subframe signal corresponding to the third video stream of the plurality of video streams; and

outputting the second frame signal to the display, wherein the second frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display video corresponding to the second video stream in the first portion of the display, video corresponding to the first video stream in the second portion of the display, and video corresponding to the third video stream in the third portion of the display and to output second audio corresponding to the second video stream.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising outputting a third frame signal to the display responsive to a sound swap command, wherein the third frame signal is configured to cause the display to simultaneously display video corresponding to the second video stream in the first portion of the display, video corresponding to the first video stream in the second portion of the display, and video corresponding to the third video stream in the third portion of the display and to output third audio corresponding to the first video stream.