WO1999038322A1 - Generateur d'image inseree dans un guide - Google Patents

Generateur d'image inseree dans un guide Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999038322A1
WO1999038322A1 PCT/US1999/001906 US9901906W WO9938322A1 WO 1999038322 A1 WO1999038322 A1 WO 1999038322A1 US 9901906 W US9901906 W US 9901906W WO 9938322 A1 WO9938322 A1 WO 9938322A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
display
generator
picture
television signal
guide
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1999/001906
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Hin K. Tang
Dan O'connor
Henry C. Yuen
Original Assignee
Index Systems, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Index Systems, Inc. filed Critical Index Systems, Inc.
Priority to CA002318867A priority Critical patent/CA2318867C/fr
Priority to EP99904407A priority patent/EP1062807A1/fr
Priority to BR9907745-0A priority patent/BR9907745A/pt
Priority to JP2000529083A priority patent/JP2002503898A/ja
Priority to AU24810/99A priority patent/AU746029B2/en
Publication of WO1999038322A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999038322A1/fr

Links

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
    • H04N5/50—Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/08—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division
    • H04N7/087—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only
    • H04N7/088—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only the inserted signal being digital
    • H04N7/0884—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only the inserted signal being digital for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
    • 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
    • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
    • H04N21/426—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof
    • H04N21/42692—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
    • 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
    • H04N21/431—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
    • H04N21/4312—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
    • H04N21/4316—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
    • 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
    • H04N21/435—Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
    • 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
    • H04N21/44—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
    • H04N21/4402—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
    • H04N21/440263—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
    • 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
    • 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
    • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N9/00—Details of colour television systems
    • H04N9/64—Circuits for processing colour signals
    • 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
    • H04N5/44504—Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
    • 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

Definitions

  • An electronic program guide provides a television viewer with updatable television schedule information in the form of an on-screen graphical display.
  • the EPG may provide scheduling information for current and future broadcast programs as well as summaries of television program content for a particular program.
  • a PIG display includes a real-time video image of a tuned television program displayed in a small window inset in a larger graphic guide.
  • the PIG display provides many options to the viewer. The viewer may continue to view the television program s/he was watching before entering the guide while browsing through the television scheduling information in the guide. Alternatively, the program displayed in the PIG window may change to correspond to a selected channel in the guide as the viewer cursors through program listings in the guide. The viewer may also pull up the PIG display to find out more information about the program s/he is currently watching, such as start/stop time or a program synopsis, while continuing to view the program in the inset PIG window.
  • the PIP generator uses two video signals to create a big background picture and a small inset picture.
  • the small picture is generated by decimating a subordinate video signal, e.g., by writing one out of every three pixels on one out of every three lines into a video
  • the high speed switch must operate at the scan line frequency of the display monitor.
  • a picture-in-guide generator has an output adapted to drive a display monitor and an input adapted to receive a television signal.
  • a display generator feeds drive signals to the output in synchronism with the display monitor.
  • EPG information is extracted from the television signal and stored in memory. The pixel size of the television signal is reduced.
  • the reduced pixel size television signal is stored in memory.
  • the EPG data and the television signal are retrieved from memory and stored in the display generator.
  • the EPG data and the television signal are fed from the display generator to the output in a continuous data stream ordered to produce a picture-in-guide display on the monitor.
  • the picture-in-guide generator is implemented on a single integrated circuit chip.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a program guide display in a picture-in-guide (PIG) format
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic of a PIG generator according to one embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the Y U V components of a standard color bar video signal.
  • a picture-in-graphics (PIG) generator for producing a PIG display on a television screen or computer monitor.
  • PIG picture-in-graphics
  • the first type is a full- screen video display comprising a real-time image of a broadcast television program.
  • the second type, a PIG display includes background graphics and a real-time video image in a small inset window.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a PIG display 10 of an electronic program guide (EPG) comprising a graphics portion 12 and a picture window 14.
  • the picture window 14, hereafter referred to as the PIG window contains a video image of the television program displayed in the fullscreen video display, but in reduced size, generally reduced by a factor of three in both width and height, i.e., 1/9 the size of the screen.
  • Another possible screen for display in a PIG system is a full-screen graphics display.
  • the components necessary to generate a PIG display 10 are provided on a single chip to be incorporated into televisions, VCR's, stand-alone units, satellite receivers or the like.
  • the overall package size can be reduced as well as the overall gate count and bus interface size of that chip.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic of the components of a preferred embodiment of the invention provided on a single chip 21. These include a microprocessor 22, a memory controller or direct memory access (DMA) device 24, a random access memory (RAM) 26, synchronization regenerating (synch) circuitry 28, analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) and clamping circuitry 30, a PIG window generator 32, a display generator 34, and digital-to- analog conversion (DAC) circuitry 36.
  • DMA direct memory access
  • RAM random access memory
  • ADC analog-to-digital conversion
  • DAC digital-to- analog conversion
  • the microprocessor 22 receives raw text data, e.g., EPG data, from a data source and stores the raw text data in the RAM 26.
  • EPG data may be embedded in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the television signal received by television tuner 50 and extracted by a VBI decoder/slicer 37.
  • the RAM 26 has a storage capacity of 4Mbit or greater, and includes a data RAM 31 for storing text data and video RAM (VRAM) 31 for storing video data, as well as free space for use as working space 35 between the data RAM 31 and VRAM 33, as shown in FIG. 3.
  • the microprocessor 22 organizes data storage in the RAM 26 and can assign addresses for both text data and video data.
  • the microprocessor 22 is relatively slow compared to the video processing hardware, e.g., the PIG window generator 32 and display generator 34. Accordingly, the microprocessor 22 generally processes only addressing data and text data, and not video data.
  • the microprocessor is in two-way communication with the DMA 24.
  • the microprocessor 22 communicates with the DMA 24 to access the RAM 26 via both a data bus and an address bus.
  • the microprocessor 22, the PIG window generator 32, and the display generator 34 each access the RAM through the DMA 24.
  • the DMA 24 is a multiplexing and arbitrating circuit that facilitates sharing of the RAM 26 by switching access between the three components in turn.
  • the DMA 24 includes buffer memories to temporarily store data input from out-of-turn components between access cycles.
  • the DMA 24 stores text data and video data in the correct address in the RAM 26 and then retrieves the appropriate data from a selected address from the RAM when needed.
  • the video portion of the input video from the tuner 50 is converted to a Y U V analog video signal by chrominance processor 52 in the television.
  • This is an intermediate signal conversion commonly used in television systems between the input video and RGB signal displayed on the cathode ray tube (CRT) 62.
  • FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate the Y U V components 54, 56, 58, respectively, of a standard color bar video signal.
  • Component 54 is the luminance (Y) signal with a horizontal sync pulse 55.
  • Component 56 is the chrom-signal (-V).
  • Component 58 is the back porch region of the chroma-signal (-U) for video clamping.
  • Each component of the signal is converted to a digital form by the ADC/clamp circuitry 30, illustrated in more detail in FIG. 5.
  • the clamping portion of the ADC/clamping circuitry 30 reduces distortion in the signal due to, for example, low frequency noise and dc bounce when switching the signal.
  • the display generator 34 includes a graphics generator which formats fonts for the text to be displayed, icons, color and highlighting, and background graphics for the graphics portion 12 of the PIG display 10.
  • the graphics data is routed to the address mapping circuitry 40 which, in cooperation with the DMA 24, stores the video data in address sites in the VRAM 33 corresponding to pixel coordinates on the screen.
  • the microprocessor 22 accesses the appropriate text data for that display from the raw text data in the data RAM 31.
  • the microprocessor 22 configures the text data for display and
  • the display generator 34 in cooperation with the address mapping circuitry 40 and synch circuitry 28, accesses the pre-organized contents of the VRAM to create an image for display on the screen of the CRT 62.
  • the data for each pixel to be displayed on the screen is stored in the VRAM 33 with an address corresponding to the x- and y-coordinate of that pixel on the screen.
  • the display generator 34 accesses the appropriate data from the VRAM 33 for each pixel in sequence as determined by the pixel clock 38 using the synch signals from the synch circuitry 28.
  • This synch signal is generated by the synch circuitry 28 from the h- and v-synch signals in the input video.
  • the display generator 34 converts the digital Y U V signals for each pixel and outputs them to the DAC circuitry 36 in a continuous data stream in proper order to produce a picture-in-guide display similar to that shown in FIG. 1 on the screen of CRT 62.
  • the DAC circuitry converts the data to analog Y U V video signals. These analog Y U V video signals are then converted to analog RGB signals by RGB conversion circuitry 60 in the television prior to being displayed on the screen of the CRT 62.
  • RAM 30 is located "off chip" where it is connected by a data bus to DMA 24.
  • Tuner 50, chrominance processor 52, RGB converter 60, CRT 62, and viewer commands 70 are part of the television apparatus.
  • these components serve the dual function of helping to display the television signal in conventionally in a full screen format and to display the picture-in-guide format.
  • the other components are unique to the picture-in-guide format.
  • the design of the PIG circuitry according to the present invention on a single chip 21 provides a more economical package with a reduced size and gate count.
  • the invention reduces overall gate count by requiring only a single gate array for each of the microprocessor 22, synch circuitry 28, DAC circuitry 36, and DMA 24, instead of two gate arrays for each of these components on separate PIP and EPG chips as used in known television systems to generate a PIG display.
  • display generator 34 feeds both picture information and EPG information to CRT 62 under the control of pixel clock 38 and synch circuitry 28 in a continuous stream of data.
  • a video (i.e., moving picture) image is created in an EPG display without a high speed switch.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Controls And Circuits For Display Device (AREA)
  • Studio Circuits (AREA)
  • Endoscopes (AREA)
  • Television Systems (AREA)

Abstract

Un générateur (21) d'image insérée dans le guide comprend une sortie destinée à commande un moniteur (62) de visualisation et une entrée prévue pour recevoir un signal de télévision. Un générateur (34) d'affichage envoie des signaux de commande à la sortie en même temps que le moniteur (62) de visualisation. Des informations de guide électronique de programme (GEP) sont extraites du signal de télévision et stockées dans une mémoire (26). La taille des pixel du signal de télévision est réduite puis stockée dans la mémoire (26). Les données GEP et le signal de télévision sont récupérés dans la mémoire (26) puis stockés dans le générateur (34) d'affichage. Les données GEP et le signal de télévision sont envoyés du générateur (34) d'affichage à la sortie dans un flux de données continu prévu pour produire sur le moniteur (62) un affichage (10) d'image insérée dans le guide. De préférence, le générateur (21) d'image insérée dans le guide est réalisé sur une seule puce à circuits intégrés.
PCT/US1999/001906 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 Generateur d'image inseree dans un guide WO1999038322A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002318867A CA2318867C (fr) 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 Generateur d'image inseree dans un guide
EP99904407A EP1062807A1 (fr) 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 Generateur d'image inseree dans un guide
BR9907745-0A BR9907745A (pt) 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 Gerador de imagem no guia
JP2000529083A JP2002503898A (ja) 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 ガイド内画像生成器
AU24810/99A AU746029B2 (en) 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 Picture-in-guide generator

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US7242898P 1998-01-26 1998-01-26
US60/072,428 1998-01-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999038322A1 true WO1999038322A1 (fr) 1999-07-29

Family

ID=22107486

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1999/001906 WO1999038322A1 (fr) 1998-01-26 1999-01-26 Generateur d'image inseree dans un guide

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1062807A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2002503898A (fr)
KR (1) KR100376171B1 (fr)
CN (1) CN1299554A (fr)
AU (1) AU746029B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR9907745A (fr)
CA (1) CA2318867C (fr)
WO (1) WO1999038322A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6397386B1 (en) 1999-03-31 2002-05-28 Index Systems, Inc. Decimation method for providing pig windows

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5809204A (en) * 1988-07-15 1998-09-15 Starsight Telecast, Inc. User interface for television schedule system
US5828419A (en) * 1996-02-29 1998-10-27 Hughes Electronics Method and apparatus for generating television program guides utilizing icons

Family Cites Families (9)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6239794B1 (en) * 1994-08-31 2001-05-29 E Guide, Inc. Method and system for simultaneously displaying a television program and information about the program
JP3460198B2 (ja) * 1994-04-07 2003-10-27 株式会社東芝 テレビジョン受信機及び番組情報表示方法
JPH07307896A (ja) * 1994-05-11 1995-11-21 Nec Corp 画像データ合成装置
JPH0879651A (ja) * 1994-09-01 1996-03-22 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd 映像再生装置
US5559550A (en) * 1995-03-01 1996-09-24 Gemstar Development Corporation Apparatus and methods for synchronizing a clock to a network clock
JP3698273B2 (ja) * 1995-07-20 2005-09-21 ソニー株式会社 電子番組ガイド伝送装置および方法、電子番組ガイド受信装置および方法、並びに電子番組ガイド送受信システムおよび方法
US5737030A (en) * 1995-10-16 1998-04-07 Lg Electronics Inc. Electronic program guide device
KR100206769B1 (ko) * 1995-12-21 1999-07-01 구자홍 방송시스템의 전자프로그램 안내용 디코더
KR970057454A (ko) * 1995-12-29 1997-07-31 구자홍 서비스 프로그램 가이드 시스템

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5809204A (en) * 1988-07-15 1998-09-15 Starsight Telecast, Inc. User interface for television schedule system
US5828419A (en) * 1996-02-29 1998-10-27 Hughes Electronics Method and apparatus for generating television program guides utilizing icons

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6397386B1 (en) 1999-03-31 2002-05-28 Index Systems, Inc. Decimation method for providing pig windows

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1062807A1 (fr) 2000-12-27
AU2481099A (en) 1999-08-09
CA2318867C (fr) 2002-06-25
CN1299554A (zh) 2001-06-13
KR100376171B1 (ko) 2003-03-15
CA2318867A1 (fr) 1999-07-29
KR20010040419A (ko) 2001-05-15
JP2002503898A (ja) 2002-02-05
BR9907745A (pt) 2001-09-04
AU746029B2 (en) 2002-04-11

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