Touch screen video switching system

• US 8,547,414 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Legrand AV Inc. (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: New Vad, LLC (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Sheeley, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/027,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/420, 345/207, 348/14.03, 348/14.11, 348/47, 348/143, 348/157, 348/584, 348/722, 348/333.02, 455/41.3, 455/420, 455/413, 463/42, 463/20, 463/34, 705/41, 715/719, 715/723, 725/32, 725/61, 725/146, 701/450
• US Class Current: 348/14.03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

The present invention is a video production and control system that uses a touch screen display and user interface, managed by a controller, for video switching. The system is used to select Preview and Program video feeds from a set of video input feeds. The video source configuration for some of the feeds may have been selected using touch screen video source control technology. Over time, the user can use the touch screen controls to switch which feeds are then designated as the Preview and Program feeds. The evolving Program signal is sent to a Program output connection for consumers of the Program, possibly after some reformatting. The current Program feed may be promoted from the current Preview feed. User controls determine the type of transition, such as cut or crossfade, that will apply to a transition from Preview to Program.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a) a plurality of video source interfaces, each of the video source interfaces including a respective video feed connection, each video feed connection receiving a video feed;

b) a touch screen, which displays

(i) video feed windows, each video feed window showing the content of a corresponding video feed,

(ii) a Program window, showing content from a first video feed, selected from the plurality of video source interfaces as a Program feed, and

(iii) a Preview window, showing content from a second video feed, selected from the plurality of video source interfaces as a Preview feed;

c) a video Program output interface, through which the content of the first video feed is transmitted; and

d) a controller, which

(i) receives touch events from the touch screen,

(ii) upon interpreting a touch event as requesting that a given video feed become the Preview feed, selects the given feed as the Preview feed and displays content from the given feed in the Preview window, and

(iii) upon interpreting a touch event as requesting that the Preview feed become the Program feed (A) selects the second feed as the Program feed, (B) displays content from the second feed in the Program window, and (C) transmits the content of the second feed through the video Program output interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller, upon interpreting a touch event as requesting the Preview feed become the Program feed, transitions the content shown in the Program window from the first video feed to the second video feed according to a transition mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller, upon interpreting a touch event as a choosing a transition mode, saves the transition mode in storage for subsequent transitions.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transition mode is cut, fade, crossfade, or wipe.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller interprets a touch that is sensed in a video feed window as requesting that the corresponding video feed become the Preview feed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller interprets a touch that is sensed in the Preview window as requesting that the corresponding video feed become the Program feed.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller interprets a touch that is sensed in the Program window as requesting that the video feed corresponding to the Preview feed become the Program feed.

8. A method, comprising:

a) receiving a plurality of video feeds;

b) displaying the content of each video feed in a corresponding video feed window on a touch screen;

c) selecting a first video feed as a Program feed;

d) displaying the content of the Program feed in a Program feed window on the touch screen;

e) selecting a second video feed as a Preview feed;

f) displaying the content of the Preview feed in a Preview feed window on the touch screen;

g) transmitting the content of the Program feed through a Program output connection;

h) interpreting a touch event from the touch screen as a request to select a third video feed as the Preview feed; and

i) selecting the third video feed as the Preview feed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a touch event indicating a touch of a given video feed window is interpreted as a request to select the corresponding video feed as the Preview feed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a touch event indicating a touch of the Program window is interpreted as a request to designate the video feed selected as the Preview feed to become the Program feed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a touch event indicating a touch of the Preview window is interpreted as a request to designate the video feed selected as the Preview feed to become the Program feed.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a touch event indicating a touch of a take touch control is interpreted as a request to designate the video feed selected as the Preview feed to become the Program feed.

13. A method, comprising:

a) receiving a plurality of video feeds;

b) displaying the content of each video feed in a corresponding video feed window on a touch screen;

c) selecting a first video feed as a Program feed;

d) displaying the content of the Program feed in a Program feed window on the touch screen;

e) selecting a second video feed as a Preview feed;

f) displaying the content of the Preview feed in a Preview feed window on the touch screen;

g) transmitting the content of the Program feed through a Program output connection;

h) interpreting a touch event from the touch screen as a request to select the Preview feed to become the Program feed; and

i) designating the video feed selected as the Preview feed to be the Program feed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

j) designating the video feed selected as the Program feed to be the Preview feed.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

j) transitioning the content of the Program feed window to the content of the Preview feed using a saved transition mode.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

k) interpreting a touch screen event as a request to set the transition mode to a particular type; and

l) storing the particular type as the transition mode for subsequent transitions.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a) a touch screen;

b) a set of video source interfaces, each video source interface including a video feed connection;

c) a Program output connection; and

d) a controller, which

(i) displays the content of video feeds from the video feed connections in respective windows on the touch screen,

(ii) displays the content of one of the video feeds in a Program window as a Program feed, and transmits the content of the Program feed through the Program output connection,

(iii) displays the content of one of the video feeds in a Preview window as a Preview feed,

(iv) interprets certain types of touch screen event as requests, respectively, to

(A) promote the current Preview feed to become the Program feed, or

(B) select one of the video feeds to become the Preview feed, and

(v) upon receiving a touch screen event, executes the respective request.