Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
  • H04N5/44—Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards
  • H04N5/445—Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards for displaying additional information
  • H04N5/45—Picture in picture, e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/436—Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/485—End-user interface for client configuration

Definitions

• Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to providing multiple screens and dynamically configuring the multiple screens, and more particularly, to retrieving a type of the screens and connection relationship therebetween in order to dynamically configure multiple screens that provide a plurality of services on a physical display device.
• TVs digital televisions
• digital set-top boxes provide only one content element on a single physical display device or simultaneously display a main screen and a sub-screen on a single physical display device.
• Content sources include a broadcast service such as a satellite broadcaster, a terrestrial broadcaster, or a cable broadcaster, a storage medium such as digital versatile discs (DVDs), or an external device connected to an input terminal.
• a broadcast service such as a satellite broadcaster, a terrestrial broadcaster, or a cable broadcaster
• a storage medium such as digital versatile discs (DVDs)
• DVDs digital versatile discs
• MHP Mobile Home Platform
• ACAP Advanced Common Application
• OCAP Open Cable Application Platform
• Audio/Video Interoperability (HAVi)-based user interface is adopted.
• HAVi UI Audio/Video Interoperability
• UI user interface
• the present invention apparatus and method for providing multiple screens, wherein a type of screens in a system and connection relationship therebetween is retrieved in order to dynamically configure multiple screens that display a plurality of services on a physical display device.
• an apparatus for providing multiple screens including an operation module generating at least one of screens for displaying a received service, and a retrieval module retrieving a screen on which a predetermined application included in the service is executed among the screens.
• an apparatus for providing multiple screens including an operation module generating logical screens for displaying a received service and a display screen to which the logical screens are mapped, and a retrieval module retrieving all of the logical screens and the display screen generated by the operation module.
• an apparatus for providing multiple screens including an operation module generating logical screens for displaying a received service and a display screen to which the logical screens are mapped, and a retrieval module retrieving the logical screens and the display screen.
• an apparatus for providing multiple screens including a broadcast signal receiving module receiving a service, an operation module generating logical screens and a display screen to which the logical screens are mapped, and a retrieval module retrieving whether a screen displaying the service is the logical screen or the display screen.
• a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens including generating at least one of screens for displaying a received service and retrieving a screen on which a pre- determined application included in the service is executed among the screens.
• a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens including generating logical screens for displaying a received service, generating a display screen to which the logical screens are mapped, and retrieving all of the generated logical screens and the display screen.
• a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens including generating logical screens for displaying a received service, generating a display screen to which the logical screens are mapped, and retrieving the logical screens and the display screen.
• a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens including receiving a service, generating logical screens, generating a display screen to which the logical screens are mapped, and retrieving whether a screen displaying the service is the logical screen or the display screen.
• FIGS. IA to IH are diagrams illustrating configurations of a PiP screen according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention
• FlG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a logical screen and a display screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FIGS. 3 A to 3E are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a screen including a mapper according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating service sources according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FIGS. IA to IH are diagrams illustrating configurations of a PiP screen according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention
• FlG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a logical screen and a display screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FIGS. 3 A to 3E are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a screen including a mapper according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating service sources according to an exemplary embodiment
• FIGS. 8 A and 8B are diagrams each illustrating an attribute 'Display_Area' of a logical screen according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention
• FlG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method of mapping two services to a display screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for providing multiple screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 12 is a diagram illustrating software architecture for providing multiple screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FlG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationships among modules constituting an application programming interface (API) layer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying a plurality of services that are displayed on respective corresponding logical screens on a display screen by the modules illustrated in FlG. 13 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
• FlG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a retrieval module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FIGS. 16A to 16F are diagrams illustrating codes for retrieving screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• FlG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process of exchanging services displayed on the logical screens by individual modules shown in FlG. 13 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer usable or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer usable or computer-readable memory generate an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the function specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
• the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to generate a computer implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
• Each block of the flowchart illustrations may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order. For example, two blocks illustrated in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.
• the term 'service' indicates a group of multimedia contents displayed together, i.e., a group of service components.
• Service components are elements of a service and include a video component, an audio component, and a data component.
• a data component is an application in a service.
• the applications are classified into an unbound application and a service bound application. Since the unbound application has a high priority, the resource is smoothly allocated.
• a monitor application corresponds to a specific unbound application that has the highest priority.
• the service bound application is associated to a transport stream, and allows a lower priority than that of the unbound application.
• the service bound application does not function as a critical system. When a competition for resources occurs, the service bound application has a larger possibility of abandoning the resource allocation than the unbound application.
• the service bound application includes a conjunction type that operates in conjunction with a stream that is being transported and a non- conjunction type that operates independently from the stream.
• the term 'service context' indicates an object which can control the executing of a service and includes various resources, devices, and execution state information needed for providing a service.
• the term 'physical display device' indicates a physical space which actually displays the content of a service.
• the term 'display screen' indicates a screen actually displayed on a physical display device.
• An arbitrary service may be directly set in the display screen, and the display screen may be displayed on a physical display device.
• at least one logical screen which is mapped to a certain area of the display screen may be displayed on the physical display device.
• the term 'logical screen' indicates a space in which an arbitrary service is displayed.
• a logical screen is a virtual screen before being mapped to a display screen and thus is not displayed on a physical display device.
• the logical screen and the display screen may be a combination of a background still image, a video raster, and a graphic raster.
• the graphic raster may be a combination of text, lines, colors, and images or a mixture of video frames.
• the term 'main service' indicates a service that is selected as a main service through a menu displayed on the physical display device or a remote controller by a user or through an API by an application, and the screen on which the main service is displayed is referred to as a 'main screen'.
• 'Picture-in-Picture service' indicates a service that is selected as a sub-service in the main service through a menu displayed on a physical display device or a remote controller by a user via an API by an application, and the PiP service may be displayed on a picture-in-picture screen (PiP screen) or a main screen.
• the PiP screen includes a screen that occupies a part of another screen as illustrated in FIGS. IA to ID and a screen that is simultaneously displayed with another screen without overlapping the other screen as illustrated in FIGS. IE to IF.
• the PiP screen may include a screen that is displayed on an arbitrary location or area in the physical display device or overlaps another screen, as illustrated in HGS. IG and IH.
• FlG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a logical screen and a display screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• a service may be displayed using logical screens 210, 212, and
• the logical screens 210, 212, and 214 are mapped to display screens 220, 222, and 224 through a mapping block 230.
• the logical screens 210 and 212 are mapped to the display screen 220
• the logical screens 212 and 214 are mapped to the display screen 222
• the logical screens 210, 212, and 214 are mapped to the display screen 224.
• At least one logical screen which displays a service is mapped to an arbitrary area of a display screen.
• the mapping block 230 is a group of various pieces of information needed for mapping a logical screen to a display screen.
• the various pieces of information include coordinate information of a predetermined area on a display screen to which each of a plurality of logical screens is mapped, identification information of the logical screens and the display screen, and information specifying in what order the logical screens are displayed on the display screen.
• the mapping block 230 can change the size of the logical screen so to be allocated in an arbitrary area of the display screen. That is, the mapping block 230 can perform scaling of the logical screen and allocating of the position thereof, and FIGS. 3 A to 3E are diagrams illustrating a configuration of the screen including a mapper as the mapping block.
• the main screen including a combination of a background still image B, a video raster V, and a graphic raster G is mapped to the entire display screen by a mapper with a normal size.
• the PiP screen including only video components is mapped to the entire display screen by the mapper with a reduced size.
• the mapped PiP screen is displayed on the main screen, which is determined depending on a Z value.
• the reference character Z refers to z-order value which will be described later.
• An overlay screen may be combined with the display screen.
• the overlay screen is a specific screen disposed at the outmost side, and may be used when providing a caption function.
• the PiP screen may have only a video component as illustrated in FIG. 3 A, or may have a combination of the background still image B, the video raster V, and the graphic raster G as illustrated in FIG. 3B.
• the main screen including the combination of the background still image B, the video raster V, and the graphic raster G is mapped to the entire display screen by the mapper with a normal size.
• Two PiP screens #1 and #2 having only video component is mapped to an arbitrary area of the display screen by the mapper with a reduced size.
• the mapped PiP screen is disposed on the main screen and the Z value can be constantly maintained.
• the overlay screen may be combined with the display screen.
• the configuration of the screen may have a plurality of PiP screens including only video components as illustrated in FIG. 3C or a plurality of PiP screens including a combination of the background still image B, the video raster V, and the graphic raster G as illustrated in FIG. 3D.
• FIG. 3E Picture-on-picture (POP) screens are illustrated in FIG. 3E. It can be understood that the conventional PiP screen is displayed inside the main screen and the POP screen is displayed outside the main screen.
• the plurality of PiP screens #1 and #2 including a combination of the background still image B, the video raster V, and the graphic raster G are mapped to arbitrary areas of the display screen by the mapper with a reduced size. In this case, the Z value of the mapped POP screens #1 and #2 may be constantly maintained. Further, the overlay screen may be combined with the display screen.
• the mapping block 230 may be realized by interfaces or functions prepared by various computer program languages to be executed and create or change the relationship between the logical screen and the display screen by using the above information as parameters.
• mapping block 230 may be realized by a hardware which has a mapping function between a logical screen and a display screen.
• services provided by various service sources may be displayed on a display screen, and the display screen may be displayed on a physical display device, as illustrated in FlG. 4.
• service sources which provide broadcast services such as a terrestrial broadcaster 320 and a cable broadcaster 330, service sources which provide services stored in a storage medium such as a personal video recorder (PVR) 340, and service sources (not illustrated in FlG. 4) which provide services via a wired network or a wireless network.
• PVR personal video recorder
• a broadcast receiver 310 receives services from the service sources and generates logical screens displaying each of the received services.
• an arbitrary service is directly set on the display screen to be displayed on a physical display device using a predefined method or a method set by a user or an application. Otherwise, at least one logical screen that is mapped to an arbitrary area on the display screen is displayed on a physical display device 350.
• services provided by the terrestrial broadcaster 320, the cable broadcaster 330, and the PVR are displayed on the physical display device 350.
• the terrestrial broadcaster 320, the cable broadcaster 330, and the PVR 340 are illustrated in FlG. 4 as being service sources, but the present invention is not limited to it. Any type of multimedia content source which provides multimedia contents that can be displayed together can be a service source according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• Services according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be classified into abstract services and non-abstract services, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 A and 5B.
• the abstract services are not services provided by broadcast signals transmitted in real time but services independent of broadcast channels.
• the abstract services include only data components, i.e., applications, without video components and audio components. Examples of the abstract services include services having unbound applications based on the standard.
• non-abstract services are understood as services other than abstract services.
• both abstract services and non-abstract services have independency.
• abstract services may be directly set on the physical display device not through logical screens and non-abstract services may be displayed on the logical screens.
• the logical screens may be mapped to the display screen in which the abstract services are set. Thereafter, the display screen may be output through the physical display device.
• the abstract services can be displayed on the display screen independently of the non-abstract services.
• the abstract services and non-abstract services may be mapped to different logical screens. Thereafter, the logical screens may be mapped to a single display screen. In other words, the abstract services can be displayed on the display screen independently of non-abstract services.
• the logical screen and the display screen may be categorized as being different objects.
• a screen may serve as a logic screen or a display screen according to attribute information of one screen object.
• a screen object is a logical screen or a display screen depends on the 'type' information among screen object attributes.
• the screen object attributes includes 'Type', 'z-Order', 'Display_Area', 'Visibility',
• FIG. 6 illustrates attribute information of a screen object and interfaces for processing the attributes of the screen.
• An attribute 'Type' 510 is for determining a screen type - a logical screen or a display screen.
• An attribute 'z-Order' 520 is for determining in what order a plurality of logical screens are arranged along the z-axis.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a configurations of logical screens on a physical display device for a combination of the values of attributes 'z- Order' of the logical screens.
• first and second logical screens 620 and 630 are respectively mapped to predetermined areas of a display screen 610.
• the first logical screen 620 is displayed on the display screen 610
• the second logical screen 630 is displayed on the display screen partially overlapping the first logical screen 620.
• the display screen 610, the first logical screen 620, and the second logical screen 630 are sequentially arranged in the direction of the z-axis.
• an attribute 'z-Order' of the first logical screen 620 may be set to a value of 1
• an attribute 'z-Order' of the second logical screen 630 may be set to a value of 2.
• the attributes 'z-Order' of the first and second logical screens 620 and 630 may be set to any numbers or characters as long as they can represent a certain order in which the first and second logical screens 620 and 630 are to be arranged along the z-axis.
• An attribute 'Display_Area' 530 is information regarding a display screen area of a logical screen, as to be illustrated in FIGS. 8 A and 8B.
• FlG. 8 A illustrates that a logical screen 710 is mapped to an entire area of the display screen 720
• FlG. 8B illustrates that a logical screen 730 is mapped to a partial area of the display screen 740.
• the attribute 'Display_Area' may include information specifying the two- dimensional coordinates of a predetermined portion of a display screen to which the logical screen is to be mapped or may include information specifying a predetermined location on the display screen and an offset value indicating how much the logical screen deviates from the predetermined location on the display screen.
• An attribute 'Visibility' 540 determines whether a logical screen is to be visibly or invisibly displayed on a display screen. It is possible to make a logical screen appear on or disappear from a display screen by altering the value of the attribute 'Visibility' 530.
• An attribute 'Associated_Display_Screen' 550 is information regarding display screens associated with a logical screen.
• a logical screen which is not associated with any display screens may not be displayed on a physical display device nor be transmitted to external output devices.
• An attribute 'Associated_Service_Contexts' 560 is information regarding service contexts connected to a logical screen or a display screen. Services set in such service contexts may be displayed on a logical screen or a display screen.
• An attribute 'OutputPort' 570 is information regarding devices by which a display screen is to be output, and such devices include display screens, wired/wireless communication media, and various storage media.
• Interfaces for identifying or altering the values of the attributes illustrated in FlG. 6 may be provided.
• the interfaces may include an interface 'SET' for setting attribute values or connecting a logical screen to a display screen, an interface 'ADD' for adding attribute values or connecting a logical screen to a service, an interface 'GET' for identifying attribute values, and an interface 'REMOVE' for deleting attribute values.
• These interfaces may include processes, functions, procedures, or methods that perform their functions, respectively.
• a method 'getDisplayScreen(void)' returns a display screen associated with the current screen.
• the method 'getDisplayScreen(void)' returns the associated display screen.
• the method 'getDisplayScreen(void)' returns reference information regarding the current screen.
• the method 'getDisplayScreen(void)' returns a value of 'NULL'.
• IUegalStateException' provides a function for mapping the current logical screen to a predetermined area of the associated display screen.
• An instance that is provided as a parameter is of a class 'HScreenRectangle' of a package 'org.havi.ui', and has two-dimensional position information.
• the execution of the methods 'SecurityException' and 'IUegalStateException' may be conducted as an exceptional operation for the method 'setOut- putScreen(HScreen screen)'.
• the method 'IUegalStateException' may be executed when the current screen is a logical screen or when a portion of a display screen associated with a current logical screen cannot change due to the characteristics of a host platform.
• a method 'getOutputArea(void)' returns regional information of a current screen as HScreenRectangle information. If the current screen corresponds to a display screen, the method 'getOutputArea(void)' returns HScreenRectangle information having the same value as HScreenRectangle (0,0,1,1). If the current screen is a logical screen, the method 'getOutputArea(void)' returns information regarding an area on a display screen occupied by the current screen. If the current screen is a logical screen but is not associated with any display screen, the method 'getOutputArea(void)' returns a value 'NULL'.
• FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a process that two services are set on two logical screens to be mapped to a single display screen.
• a first service includes all the three service components, i.e., video, audio, and data components, and a second service includes only video and audio components.
• the present invention does not impose any restrictions on service components, and the first and second services illustrated in FIG. 8 are exemplary.
• the first and second services are displayed on a physical display device in almost the same manner as in the related art. According to the current exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to display a plurality of services on a physical display device independently of one another without imposing any restrictions on the number of services that can be displayed on a single display screen.
• FlG. 10 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing multiple screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• an apparatus 900 for providing multiple screens includes a digital signal processing module 940, an operation module 970, a user/application interface module 950, and a retrieval module 960.
• the apparatus 900 includes a broadcast signal reception module 910, a storage medium 920a, and an external input module 930 as service sources, and includes a physical display device 980, a storage medium 920b, and an external output module 990 as service output media.
• a module means, but is not limited to, a software or hardware component, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which performs certain tasks.
• a module may advantageously be configured to reside on the addressable storage medium and configured to be executed on one or more processors.
• a module may include, by way of example, components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.
• the functionality provided for in the components and modules may be combined into fewer components and modules or further separated into additional components and modules.
• the digital signal processing module 940 receives various information of a service such as a multimedia content, e.g., video information, audio information, or data information, from the broadcast signal reception module 910, the storage medium 920a, or the external input module 930.
• a multimedia content e.g., video information, audio information, or data information
• the broadcast signal reception module 910 receives a satellite, terrestrial, or cable broadcast signal and transmits the received broadcast signal
• the storage medium 920a stores video information, audio information, or data information of a service
• the external input module 930 receives video information, audio information, or data information of a service from an external device such as a network interface module connected to a network.
• the digital signal processing module 940 restores a plurality of services using received service components.
• the restored services include abstract or non-abstract services.
• the phrase 'a plurality of services' refers to two or more services transmitted by the broadcast signal reception module 910 or two or more services respectively transmitted by the broadcast signal reception module 910 and the storage medium 920a.
• the digital signal processing module 940 may restore services according to selection by a user or an application with the aid of the user/application interface module 950.
• the user or the application may select the connection between an arbitrary service and a screen.
• the operation module 970 displays a service restored by the digital signal processing module 940 and then maps a logical screen to a display screen or directly displays the service on the display screen.
• the operation module 940 may include a service processing module 972 or an output module 974.
• the service processing module 972 generates one or more logical screens to display the services restored by the digital signal processing module 940.
• the output module 974 maps a plurality of logical screens generated by the service processing module 972 to the display screen.
• the mapping of the logical screens to the display screen may be conducted using a predefined method or a method set by the user with the aid of the user/application interface module 950.
• a service restored by the digital signal processing module 940 may not be processed by the service processing module 972. Instead, a service restored by the digital signal processing module 972 may be directly mapped to a certain portion of a display screen generated by the output module 974.
• a display screen provided by the output module 974 may be displayed on the physical display device 980 or may be stored in the storage medium 920b.
• Examples of the storage medium 920b include computer readable floppy discs, hard discs, CD- ROM. DVD, DVD-ROM, BD (Blu-ray Disc), and semiconductor memories.
• a display screen provided by the output module 974 may be transmitted to an external device connected to a network via the external output module 990.
• the output module 974 may include a plurality of output ports via which a display screen can be provided.
• a display screen can be provided via an output port set in advance as a default or an output port chosen by the user with the aid of the user/application interface module 950.
• the retrieval module 960 retrieves the type of screens in the system and the connection relationship therebetween. Such retrieval is classified into four types, for example, a first retrieval process that retrieves a screen on which an application included in the received service is being executed, among at least one of screens, a second retrieval process that retrieves all of logical screens and display screens generated in the system, a third retrieval process that retrieves a logical screen that displays the received service and a display screen to which the logical screen is mapped, a fourth retrieval process that retrieves that a screen displaying the received service is a logical screen or a display screen.
• a first retrieval process that retrieves a screen on which an application included in the received service is being executed, among at least one of screens
• a second retrieval process that retrieves all of logical screens and display screens generated in the system
• a third retrieval process that retrieves a logical screen that displays the received service and a display screen to which the logical screen is mapped
• a fourth retrieval process that retrieves
• a screen to be retrieved through the first to fourth retrieval processes may be a logical screen or a display screen.
• the retrieval module 960 can retrieve a setting type of a screen on which an application is executed.
• the setting type includes at least one of a single screen type, an overlay screen type, a PiP screen type, an overlay PiP screen type, a Picture-on-Picture (PoP) screen type, an overlay PoP screen type, and a general screen type other than the above screens.
• a screen on which an application is executed corresponds to a display screen.
• the single screen coexists with at least one of overlay screens.
• the screen on which an application is executed corresponds to a logical screen that is mapped to an entire area of the display screen, and at least one of non-overlay logical screen that is mapped to the display screen, but does not correspond to an overlay screen.
• the PiP screen coexists with at least one of overlay screens.
• the screen on which an application is executed corresponds to a combination of at least two non-overlay logical screens that are mapped to an entire area of the display screen, but does not correspond to an overlay screen.
• the PoP screen coexists with at least one of overlay screens.
• the retrieval module 960 can perform retrieval only on a logical screen and a display screen only when an authority is given to an application referring to the authority range of the application.
• the authority range of the application is empowered by a service provider, and the retrieval module 960 retrieves only some screens that are included in the authority range of the application among sc reens created by the operation module 970. Meanwhile, when there is no authority empowered by a service provider, the retrieval module 960 can all of logical screens and display screens.
• the retrieval module 960 can retrieve a position and a size of the executing logical screen on the display screen, and an overlay relationship between the executing logical screen and another logical screen on the display screen.
• the position of the executing logical screen includes a plane coordinate on the display screen and an order 'Z-order' that is an order on a Z-axis.
• the retrieval module 960 can retrieve a service context of the retrieved screen.
• the retrieval module 96 retrieves according to a control command input by a user or a control command of an application supplied from a service provider. Retrieval by the control command of the application means a retrieval that is performed by the retrieval module 960 according to a currently transferred application or a previously stored application.
• the user or the application can choose one of a plurality of services or restore desired services using the user/application interface module 950. Also, the user can choose one of a plurality of display screens using the user/application interface module 950. In order to perform the above operations, the user/application interface module 950 may use a result retrieved by the retrieval module 960.
• FlG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• video information, audio information, and data information constituting a multimedia content are transmitted in a predetermined format, for example, an MPEG stream format.
• an apparatus for providing a service such as a multimedia content service receives video information, audio information, and data information and restores a service based on the video information, the audio in formation, and the data information.
• the service restored in operation SlOlO may be selected or previously determined by a user or an application.
• the user may use a menu displayed on the display device or a remote controller to select the connections between an arbitrary screen and a screen.
• the application may select the connections using an API.
• data information includes application information regarding application for a service, and this application information includes signal information indicating whether the application can be executed on a PiP screen.
• the application information include an application information table (AIT) based on the MHP standard and an extended application information table (XAIT) based on the OCAP standard.
• the signal information may be added to the application information.
• the restored service is set such that it can be displayed on a logical screen.
• the logical screen is mapped to a display screen.
• the display screen is provided to the user using a display screen, a storage medium, or a network.
• the retrieval module 960 retrieves the created screens.
• the retrieval done by the retrieval module 960 includes the first to fourth retrieval processes, which may be performed by a control command by a user or application input through the user/application interface module 950.
• the detailed description of the retrieval process was provide above with reference to FlG. 10.
• the restored service is illustrated in FlG. 11 as being displayed on a physical display device via a logical screen. However, the restored service may be directly displayed on a physical display device without passing through the logical screen.
• the PiP service is realized in two modes. In the first mode, only video component for PiP service selected on the main screen is provided without creating a separate logical screen for PiP service, that is, PiP screen.
• FlG. 11 illustrates a method of mapping only one service to a display screen for simplicity. However, a plurality of services may be mapped to a display screen with or without passing through a plurality of logical screens. [129] When a display screen is provided to the user in this manner, the user can perform a plurality of services.
• FlG. 12 is a diagram illustrating software architecture for providing multiple screens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [131] Referring to FlG. 12, software architecture 1100 includes a device driver layer
• the device driver layer 1110 receives service components from various multimedia content sources and decodes the received service components. Examples of the received service components include video information, audio information, and data information.
• the API layer 1120 generates a logical screen and a display screen and maps a service, the logical screen, and the display screen to one another.
• the application layer 1130 provides a user interface so that a user can dynamically configure a logical screen which displays a service or transmits a user command to the
• the API layer 1120 so that the API layer 1120 can execute the user command.
• the application layer 1130 can operate through a currently transferred application or a previously stored application and the screen retrieval operation can be performed by the application layer 1130.
• the user enables the device driver layer 1110 with the aid of the application layer
• the device driver layer 1110 may include a plurality of output ports which can provide a display screen.
• API layer 1120 may include the plurality of output ports.
• the API layer 1120 may include a plurality of software modules, e.g., a multiscreen manager module ' MultiScreenManager ' 1210, a multiscreen context module ' Multi- ScreenContext' 1230, a multiscreen context listener module ' MultiScreenCon- textListener' 1250, and a multiscreen context event module ' MultiScreenContextEvent' 1240, as illustrated in HG. 13.
• a multiscreen manager module ' MultiScreenManager ' 1210 e.g., a multiscreen context module ' Multi- ScreenContext' 1230, a multiscreen context listener module ' MultiScreenCon- textListener' 1250, and a multiscreen context event module ' MultiScreenContextEvent' 1240, as illustrated in HG. 13.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 manages the multiscreen context module
• the multiscreen context module 1230 is an interface object associated with a screen object 1220 and determines whether the screen object 1220 is to become a logical screen or a display screen according to an interface operation performed by the multiscreen context module 1230.
• Various attributes such as the attributes 510 through 570 illustrated in FlG. 6 may be set in the multiscreen context module 1230.
• the multiscreen context module 1230 can provide the functions 'SET', 'ADD', 'GET', and 'REMOVE' described above with reference to FIG. 6.
• the multiscreen context event module 1240 serves as an event class announcing that the attribute information of the screen object 1220 has been changed
• the multiscreen context listener module 1250 serves as a listener interface object which can be realized in a predetermined application class which attempts to receive an event prompted by the multiscreen context event module 1240.
• An application 1260 is a module which is driven on the application layer 1130.
• the application 1260 allows the user to choose a desired service and to freely arrange a plurality of logical screens on a display screen.
• the application 1260 transmits various commands which allow the user to dynamically configure and manage logical screens to the multiscreen manager module 1210, and the multiscreen manager module 1210 controls operations corresponding to the various commands to be executed through the multiscreen context module 1230.
• the multiscreen context module 1230 is associated with the screen object 1220 and manages the attribute information of the screen object 1220 illustrated in FIG. 6. In order to manage the attribute information of the screen object 1220, the multiscreen context module 1230 may include a variety of functions or methods.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 may receive service components provided by various service sources from the device driver layer 1110 and perform operations to display the received service components on a logical screen or a display screen.
• the application retrieves the screens using the retrieval module 960, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 15.
• FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying a plurality of services displayed on respective corresponding logical screens by the modules illustrated in FlG. 13 on a display screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 generates a display screen and a number of logical screens corresponding to the number of services to be performed.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 connects the logical screens to respective corresponding services received from the device driver layer 1110.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 may call a method 'addServiceContext' for each of the logical screens by setting service context objects of the received services as parameters for the logical screens services.
• the method 'addServiceContext' connects a logical screen to a service and may be provided by the multiscreen context module 1230.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 connects the logical screens to the display screen.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 may call a method 'setDisplayScreen' for each of the logical screens by setting a display screen object to which the logical screens are connected as a parameter.
• the method 'setDisplayScreen' connects a logical screen to a display screen and may be provided by the multiscreen context module 1230.
• a method 'setDisplayScreen' may be set to 'public void setDisplayScreen (HScreen screen) throws SecurityException, Illegal StateException', and this method allows an instance 'HScreen' that is provided as a parameter to be associated with the current logical screen.
• the instance 'HScreen' is preferably a display screen.
• a parameter of the method 'setDisplayScreen(HScreen screen)' may include a value of 'NULL'. In this case, when the method 'setDisplayScreen(HScreen screen)' is executed without exception handling, the current logical screen is no longer associated with the display screen.
• the method 'IllegalStateException' may be executed when a current screen is a logical screen or when a portion of a display screen associated with a current logical screen cannot change due to the characteristics of a host platform.
• FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a retrieval module 960 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and the retrieval module 960 performs the first to fourth retrieval processes 1510, 1520, 1503, and 1540.
• the retrieval module 960 may call a method 'getScreenConfiguration'.
• the method 'getScreenConfiguration' returns an instance for a setting type of the current active screen, and is supplied by a class 'MultiScreenConfiguration' .
• the method 'getScreenConfiguration' can be represented by a format
• the retrieval module 960 may call the method 'getScreenConfigurationType'.
• the method 'getScreenConfigurationType' returns the setting type of the current active screen, and is supplied by an interface 'MultiScreenConfiguration'.
• the method 'getScreenConfigurationType' may be represented by a format 'public MultiScreenConfiguration getScreenConfiguration() throws java.lang.SecurityException, and return MultiScreenConfiguration that is an instance for the setting type of the current active screen.
• the retrieval module 960 can call the method 'getGreenConfigrrationType'.
• the method 'getScreenConfigurationType' returns the setting type of the current active screen, and is provided by an interface 'MultiScreenConfigration'
• the method 'getScreenConfigurationType' may be represented by a format 'int getScreenConfigurationType() 1. ⁇ return SCREEN_CONFIGURATION_NON_PIP,
• SCREEN_CONF1GURA ⁇ ON_GENERAL ⁇ returns the setting type of the current active screen to an integer that is a data type of this method.
• the above format corresponds to a single screen type, an overlay screen type, a PiP screen type, an overlay PiP screen type, a PoP screen type, an overlay PoP screen type, and a general screen type.
• FlG. 16A is a diagram illustrating a code for retrieving a setting type of the screen, and the code is for retrieving whether the setting type of the current active screen is PiP or POP.
• the retrieval module 960 regards the setting type as a PiP type, and when the code is SCREEN_CONFIGURA ⁇ ON_POP and
• the retrieval module 960 regards the setting type as a PoP type, otherwise, he retrieval module 960 regards the setting type as neither a PoP type nor a PiP type.
• the retrieval module 960 may call a method 'getScreens'.
• the method 'getScreens' returns all of screens generated in the device, and the data format is a class 'HScreen' of a package 'org.havi.ui'. That is, the method 'getScreens' returns all of Hscreen instances generated in the device.
• FIG. 16B is a diagram illustrating a code for retrieving instances of all of the screens generated in the device, the code retrieves the setting type of the screen using a retrieved instance. That is, an instance 'screen' of accessible screen that is returned by the method 'getScreens' is extracted, and then the setting types of the respective screens are sequentially retrieved.
• the retrieval module 960 calls a method Org.havi.ui.HScreen.getDefaultHScreen'.
• the method 'getDefaultHScreen' is used to retrieve a single screen.
• the application confirms a screen to which the application belongs using a 'getDefaultHScreen' API.
• the retrieval module 960 can call the method 'getDisplay Screen'.
• the method 'getDisplayScreen' returns a display screen connected to the logical screen, the data format is a class 'HScreen' and is provided by an interface 'MultiScreenContext'.
• the method 'getDisplayScreen' returns a reference address for the display screen. If the called 'HScreen' is a logical screen and the logical screen is connected to the display screen, the method returns a reference address of the display screen. Meanwhile, if the called 'HScreen' is a logical screen but is not associated with a display screen, the method 'getDisplayScreen' returns a value 'NULL'.
• FIG. 16C is a diagram illustrating a code for retrieving a screen to which an application belongs, the code retrieves a display screen after determining whether the screen to which the application belongs is a logical screen or a display screen.
• a default screen 'screen' is extracted using the method 'getDefaultHscreen', and is applied to a method 'getScreenType', thereby confirming whether the screen is a logical screen or a display screen. And then, the method 'getDisplayScreen' returns the display screen on the basis of the result.
• the retrieval method 960 calls the method 'getScreenType', a method 'getDisplayArea', a method 'getZOrder', and a method 'getServiceContexts'.
• the method 'getScreenType' retrieves whether the screen is a logical screen or a display screen, the data format is an integer, and returns a value 'SCREEN . TYPE . DISPLAY' or 'SCREEN_TYPE_LOGICAL'.
• 'HScreen' is connected to 'VideoOutputPort' and is mapped to a video raster generated by the 'VideoOutputPort, the format of the 'HScreen' becomes 'SCREEN . TYPE . DISPLAY'. In this case, the 'HScreen' is referred to display 'HScreen'.
• the value 'SCREEN-TYPE-LOGICAL' indicates a logical screen.
• the format of the 'HScreen' becomes 'SCREEN-TYPE-LOGICAL'.
• the 'HScreen' is referred to logical 'HScreen'.
• the logical 'HScreen' may be connected to the display 'HScreen'.
• 'HScreen' is not connected to the display 'HScreen', a visible and audible service may not be generated by a 'ServiceContext' connected to the logical 'HScreen'.
• FIG. 16D is a diagram illustrating a code for retrieving a type of a screen to which an application belongs, the code retrieves whether the screen is a logical screen or a display screen using a method 'getScreenType'.
• the method ' getDisplayArea ' returns the coordinate of the logical screen mapped to the display screen, and the data type is a class 'org.havi.ui.HScreenRectangle'.
• the method ' getDisplayArea' returns an extend of 'HScreen'. If the type of 'HScreen' is 'SCREEN-TYPE-DISPLAY', the method returns ⁇ ScreenRectangle(O,O,l,l). If the type of 'HScreen' is ' SCREEN-TYPE-LOGICAL' and the 'HScreen' is connected to the output 'HScreen', the method returns an area allocated to the logical 'HScreen'. Further, the type of 'HScreen' is ' SCREEN-TYPE-LOGICAL' and the 'HScreen' is not connected to the output 'HScreen', the method returns a value of 'NULL'.
• FIG. 16E is a diagram illustrating a code for retrieving a position on the display screen and the size of a logical screen to which an application belongs, the code retrieves the position and the size of the screen using the method 'getDisplayArea'.
• the method 'getDisplayArea' returns a z-order of the logical mapped to the display screen, and the data type is an integer. If the 'HScreen' is a display 'HScreen', the method 'getZOrder' returns a value 'z-order' of 0. If the 'HScreen' is a logical 'HScreen', the method 'getZOrder' returns a value 'z-order' of 1 or more.
• the method 'getServiceContexts' returns a group of service contexts connected to the 'HScreen', and the data format is a class 'java.tv.service.selection.ServiceContext'.
• FlG. 16F is a diagram illustrating a code for retrieving service contexts of a screen to which an application belongs, the code retrieves the service contexts of the screen a method 'getServiceContexts'.
• FlG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process of exchanging services displayed on the logical screens by individual modules shown in FlG. 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
• the multiscreen manager module 1210 temporarily terminates a service to be exchanged between two logical screens.
• service information regarding a service connected to logical services is exchanged between the logical services, thereby obtaining the effect of exchanging a main screen and a sub-screen.
• service information regarding a service connected to logical services is exchanged between the logical services, thereby obtaining the effect of exchanging a main screen and a sub-screen.
• operation S 1430 occurrence of an event in which the connection between the service and the two logical screens has been changed is generated. Thereafter, in operation S 1440, the multiscreen context event module 1240 transmits the event to the multiscreen context listener module 1250, and a service newly connected to the two logical screens begins to be performed.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
• Digital Computer Display Output (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=37727535

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2006
  • 2006-08-04 CA CA002616257A patent/CA2616257A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-08-04 WO PCT/KR2006/003083 patent/WO2007018385A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-08-04 EP EP06823626A patent/EP1935174A4/de not_active Ceased
  • 2006-08-04 MX MX2008001483A patent/MX2008001483A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2006-08-04 JP JP2008524905A patent/JP2009503605A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events