Method and system for television channel group

• US 8,925,010 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2007
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InnoBrilliance, LLC (AppBrilliance, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US11/804,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,782 Days
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• 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 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

Provided is a method and system for displaying video from a plurality of video streams on a display. It includes an input interface for receiving video data from a plurality of video streams and transferring the video data to a frame controller in communication with a television display. The frame controller causes the video data from each of the plurality of different video streams to be displayed in a separate frame on the television display, and each frame occupying an area of the television display separate from an area occupied by any other frame. The frame controller displays a channel group on the television display. The channel group comprises a list of channels sharing at least one common attribute.

Claims

1. A television system comprising:

an input interface for receiving video data from a plurality of video streams and transferring the video data to a frame controller in communication with a television display;

the frame controller causing the video data from each of the plurality of different video streams to be displayed in a separate frame on the television display, each frame occupying an area of the television display separate from an area occupied by any other frame, and at least two of the frames being of different sizes;

the frame controller for receiving a user selection of a channel group comprising a plurality of channels, each channel of the channel group comprising at least one serially-available video stream sharing at least one common attribute;

in response to the user selection, the frame controller further causing display of two or more channels of the channel group, each fully contained within one of the separate frames on the television display;

the frame controller further receiving a user instruction to change the display in a given frame on the television display to a given channel of the channel group, wherein the given channel is not currently displayed on the television display; and

in response to the user instruction, the frame controller further causing the display of the given channel in the given frame.

2. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the input interface receives video data from one or more sources selected from the list including broadcast television, cable television, satellite television, video cassette player (VCR), and digital versatile disk (DVD).

3. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the input interface receives video data in one or more of the following formats:

NTSC, PAL, and HDTV.

4. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the input interface comprises one or more of a coaxial interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), component interface, composite interface, an Ethernet interface, or a wireless network interface.

5. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the frame controller is in communication with the television display through an output interface, the output interface comprising an RF interface, an HDMI interface, an S-video interface, a component interface or a composite interface.

6. The television system according to claim 5, wherein the output interface includes a wireless network.

7. The television system according to claim 6, wherein the wireless network is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) network, or and Ultra-wideband (UWB) network.

8. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is one of sports, news, or movies.

9. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is one of ethnicity, language or culture.

10. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is one of age appropriateness, age preference, or age restricted.

11. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is selected by a user.

12. The television system according to claim 11, wherein the user selects the common attribute from a list of common attributes.

13. The television system according to claim 1, wherein a user provides a key to the frame controller when the user attempts to access the channel group.

14. The television system according to claim 13, wherein the user provides a key to the frame controller when the user attempts to access a displayed channel from the channel group.

15. The television system according to claim 13, wherein the frame controller verifies the key with a multi-channel operator or data network to control access to the displayed channel selected from the channel group.

16. The television system according to claim 1, wherein in response to a second user selection to change the television display to display a second channel group comprising a second plurality of channels, each channel of the second plurality of channels comprising at least one serially-available video stream sharing at least a second common attribute, the frame controller further causing display of two or more channels of the second channel group, each fully contained with the one of the separate frames on the television display.

17. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the channel group comprises a list of the plurality of channels, wherein the frame controller further:

receives a second user selection of a next or a previous channel of the channel group for the given frame;

determines the next or the previous channel on the list; and

causes the display of the next or the previous channel within the given frame.

18. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the frame controller further:

receives a selection of a first frame and a second frame on the television display and a swap operation, the first frame displaying a first channel of the channel group, and the second frame displaying a second channel of the channel group; and

in response, displays the second channel in the first frame and displays the first channel in the second frame.

19. The television system according to claim 18, wherein the frame controller further:

receives the selection of the first frame and the second frame on the television display and the selection of the swap operation, the first frame displaying a first video data from a first video stream received by a first tuner of the frame controller, the second frame displaying a second video data from a second video stream received by a second tuner of the frame controller;

informs the first tuner to transform the first video stream to a resolution of the second frame;

informs the second tuner to transform the second video stream to a resolution of the first frame; and

displays the transformed first video stream in the second frame and the transformed second video stream in the first frame.

20. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the user instruction is received from a mobile computing device.

21. A method of displaying video from a plurality of video streams on a television display, the method comprising:

inputting video data from the plurality of video streams to a frame controller;

causing, by the frame controller, the video data from each of the plurality of video streams to be displayed in a separate frame on the television display, each frame occupying an area of the television display separate from an area occupied by any other frame, and at least two of the frames being of different sizes;

receiving, by the frame controller, a user selection of a channel group comprising a plurality of channels, each channel of the channel group comprising at least one serially-available video stream sharing at least one common attribute;

in response to the user selection, causing, by the frame controller, display of two or more channels of the channel group, each fully contained within one of the separate frames on the television display;

receiving, by the frame controller, a user instruction to change the display in a given frame on the television display to a given channel of the channel group, wherein the given channel is not currently displayed on the television display; and

in response to the user instruction, causing, by the frame controller, the display of the given channel in the given frame.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is one of sports, news, or movies.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is one of ethnicity, language or culture.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is one of age appropriateness, age preference, or age restricted.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the common attribute for the channel group is user-selected.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the user-selected common attribute is selected from a list of common attributes.

27. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

providing a key to the frame controller by a user when the user attempts to access the channel group.

28. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

verifying a key provided by a user with a multi-channel operator or data network by the frame controller to control access to the channel group.

29. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

verifying a key provided by a user with a multi-channel operator or data network by the frame controller to control access to a displayed channel from the channel group.

30. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

in response to a second user selection to change the television display to display a second channel group comprising a second plurality of channels, each channel of the second plurality of channels comprising at least one serially-available video stream sharing at least a second common attribute, displaying two or more channels of the second channel group, each fully contained with the one of the separate frames on the television display.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein the channel group comprises a list of the plurality of channels, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second user selection of a next or a previous channel of the channel group for the given frame;

determining the next or the previous channel on the list and causing the display of the next or the previous channel within the given frame.

32. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, by the frame controller, a selection of a first frame and a second frame on the television display and a swap operation, the first frame displaying a first channel of the channel group, and the second frame displaying a second channel of the channel group; and

in response, displaying, by the frame controller, the second channel in the first frame and displays the first channel in the second frame.

33. The method according claim 32, further comprising:

receiving the selection of the first frame and the second frame on the television display and the selection of the swap operation, the first frame displaying a first video data from a first video stream received by a first tuner of the frame controller, the second frame displaying a second video data from a second video stream received by a second tuner of the frame controller;

informing the first tuner to transform the first video stream to a resolution of the second frame;

informing the second tuner to transform the second video stream to a resolution of the first frame; and

displaying the transformed first video stream in the second frame and the transformed second video stream in the first frame.

34. The method according to claim 21, wherein the user instruction is received from a mobile computing device.