Television display device and method of operating a television system

0001The present invention relates to a television display device and a method of operating a television system, more particularly to a television display device and system using a television display for displaying television services and an input unit for providing at least one command.

0002It is well known to receive television services and display these on a television display. Devices for receiving broadcast information and producing appropriate display information may be provided integrally with a television display or as a separate unit. In this regard, it is known to display digital television services by means of a Set Top Box in conjunction with a television display.

0003With the increased number of television services available, together with many other functional devices available throughout the home, users are presented with a large number of control functions. There is a problem that, with this large number of control functions, users become confused and cannot take advantage of all of the functions.

0004<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="EP0834798A"><text>EP-A-0834 798</text></patcit> describes an integrated content guide for multiple sources with hyper-text type links to allow for the selection of various programs. The hyper-text links are provided for a transmitted and then stored digital bit stream. This allows for the embedding within the content guide what could be additional commercial information. The embedding may also be as to additional information for other related television or radio shows or the like. Information can be additional television shows, related information or activities on on-line services or automatic telephone ordering of products or services being displayed.

0005<patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="EP0849948A"><text>EP-A-0849 948</text></patcit> describes a method for selecting a program category submenu on a television system using a main menu having a menu cursor and menu options corresponding to program categories and using a remote control with menu select buttons, a cursor movement control, and a go button, the method comprising the steps generating a main menu with menu options corresponding to program category submenus, the menu options being selectable by using a menu cursor; selecting a program category submenu from the main menu comprising the steps of moving the menu cursor to a menu option corresponding to a desired program category submenu using the cursor movement control on the remote control; and depressing the go button on the remote control when the cursor is located at the desired menu option; and wherein the desired program category submenu is additionally selectable at any time by performing the step of depressing one of the menu select buttons, each menu select button corresponding to one of the program category submenus; and generating the selected program category submenu.

0006<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="WO9741690A"><text>WO 97/41690</text></patcit> describes a display system which receives a data stream having successive image frame data in frame regions and Internet Universal Resource Locator (URL) data and association data in data regions between frame regions, and displays on a display monitor successive frames derived from the image frame data. The association date associates one or more image entities in successive frames with one or more URLs, and a viewer, by selecting an associated image entity in the display, causes the system to access the Internet, to connect to a source on the Internet associated with the URL, to download a WEB page from the source, and to display the WEB page in the display. The viewer may interact with the displayed WEB page to access further related information. Entities may be enhanced in the display to indicate association with the hidden URL.

0007<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="WO9853611A"><text>WO 98/53611</text></patcit> describes a television transmitter which transmits additional information in the form of Web pages along with the television signal. The transmission further includes triggers for selectively invoking said Web pages in synchronism with the program. The triggers include a perceptible signal. In response to receiving a trigger, a receiver reproduces said perceptible signal. The user is thus timely alerted about additional information related to the television program when viewing it.

0008It is an object of the present invention to provide systems whereby enhanced control can be achieved, whilst providing a more straightforward interface with the user.

0009The present application provides a television display device as defined in appended claim 1.

0010Similarly the present application provides a method of operating a television system as defined in appended claim 11.

0011In this way, key images may be provided superposed on the television display indicating access to some further data and that data, whatever it is, may be accessed by the user operating a single command button. The key image may be an advertiser's logo, such that operating the command button will give access to the full television advertisement.

0012Preferably, the key image is an animated image and the display section reproduces the animated image.

0013The key image may include animation data relating to its animation.

0014Preferably, after a key file from the memory has been executed by the command section, another key file from the broadcast stream is stored. In this way, a different key file will be available next time an event occurs requiring the display of a key image. This is particularly useful where a selection of advertisements are to be displayed.

0015Preferably, the television display device is DVB-MHP compliant and may be embodied in a television Set Top Box or in an integrated television system including a television display.

0016Using a DVB-MHP compliant device allows the functions of the television display device to be implemented in Java on an MHP API.

0017In this way, a system can easily be adapted to operate the present invention, merely by downloading the appropriate functions as Java applications.

0018According to the present invention, there is also provided a broadcast system including a carousel of key files for use with the display device.

0019There is also provided code components that, when loaded on a DVB-MHP compliant device and executed will cause that device to operate as described above.

0020There is also provided code components that define one or more control images as described above.

0021The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li><figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref> illustrates a system which can embody the present invention;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref> illustrates a control image on a display;</li><li><figref idref="f0002">Figure 3</figref> illustrates selection of a program on an EPG;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">Figure 4</figref> illustrates selection of a control image on a display;</li><li><figref idref="f0003">Figure 5</figref> illustrates selection of a control image for a particular time on a display;</li><li><figref idref="f0004">Figure 6</figref> illustrates a key image in conjunction with a control image; and</li><li><figref idref="f0005 f0006 f0007 f0008 f0009 f0010 f0011">Figures 7 to 13</figref> illustrate UML diagrams of various objects which may embody the present invention.</li></ul>

0022The present invention may be embodied in an integrated television system in which the television display and all of the various functional units are provided in a single housing. It may also be embodied in a system in which functional components are distributed between different units. However, in the embodiment, illustrated in <figref idref="f0001">Figure 1</figref>, the present invention is embodied in a Set Top Box 2 for use with a television display 4. Control is provided by means of a input unit 6 which is preferably a remote control hand set.

0023As illustrated, the Set Top Box 2 includes a tuner 10 for receiving an RF signal and converting it to a digital bit stream. The present invention may be used with RF signals received by any means, such as terrestrial, cable and satellite. The nature of the tuner 10 will be dependent on the RF signal that needs to be received and, typically, a different component is required for each transmission technology. The digital information stream coming from the tuner 10 is passed to a demultiplexer 12 which splits the different wanted and unwanted components. The required audio and video components are passed to the AV decoder 14 which takes the relevant MPEG comprised AV bit streams from the demultiplexer 12 and decompresses them to (higher bandwidth) TV signals. Finally, the TV encoder 16 produces a signal appropriate for reception by a traditional interlaced TV or monitor.

0024A controller or CPU 18 is provided to control the tuner 10, demultiplexer 12, A/V MPEG decoder 14 and TV encoder 16. Furthermore, operating together with the TV encoder 16 at least, it forms a display section and command section allowing signals to be inserted into the TV signals in order that images may be superposed on the received TV images. In particular, the TV encoder 16 may receive the raw decoded video information from the A/V decoder 14, together with additional audio and video information from the controller 18 and blend the incoming signals together.

0025The controller 18 is preferably composed of a CPU, RAM and a Java DVB-MHP VM (DVB Multimedia Home Platform Virtual Machine). The Java DVB-MHP VM represents an abstraction layer to the hardware and allows a program that is created on a Java compliant machine to be executed on Set Top Boxes of different makes.

0026The illustrated Set Top Box also includes a persistent or back-up memory 20. In most cases, this will be a flash memory, a kind of semiconductor memory which can be programmed and which will retain its contents even if the Set Top Box is not supplied with any power. Other kinds of persistent memory may be RAM with battery back-up or a hard disk drive. This memory merely provides a back-up of any data entered into the system.

0027The control 18 is connected to a remote control interface 22 for interfacing with the input unit 6 and for receiving control commands therefrom.

0028In the illustrated embodiment, an i-Link interface 24 is provided. This is a high speed bus which is sometimes also referred to as IEEE 1394 or FireWire (Apple). It may be used to interconnect peripheral devices, such as other video/audio or computer devices.

0029A modem 26 may also be provided in order to link the controller 18 to a network, such as the Internet. This allows the Set Top Box 2 to receive information other than in the broadcast stream. Furthermore, it provides the Set Top Box with a return channel allowing, for instance, voting and collaborative game applications.

0030During normal use of the Set Top Box 2, a selected television service, such as a particular television program, is displayed on the television display 4. In order that the user may be alerted to a particular event, it is now proposed that a control image is displayed on the television display superposed on the television service currently being viewed. This is illustrated in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 2</figref>.

0031To produce the control image, the controller 18 provides the appropriate display information to the TV encoder 16 such that the control image appears on the television display 4.

0032The control image only appears for a short predetermined period, for instance of the order of 3 seconds. The control image may be a static image at one position on the television display. However, preferably, the control image is able to move around the area of the display and, preferably, the control image itself may be animated. Furthermore, the control "image" may actually include two or more images at different positions on the display. The control image may also be accompanied by sounds.

0033By providing a number of control images, a user can select one of the images which, in his or her view, best indicates an associated event. Thus, having selected a particular control image, when that control image appears on the television display 4, the user is reminded of the event for which he or she selected that control image. All of the various control images may be stored as control images files in the memory 20.

0034Control images should be large enough to be recognised immediately, but small enough not to disturb the normal program or television service. They are chosen by the user so as to have some meaning to the user so that, when a particular control image appears on the television display, it has a definite meaning to that user.

0035Preferably, the selection of control images can be changed. A user may acquire and/or download additional or different control images. Alternatively, the system might allow the user to create new control images. Hence, in this way, users are able to have control images which best indicate to them the associated event.

0036In order to provide greater interest, the control images may, as mentioned above, be animated and move about the display 4. For instance, an image of a train may move across the bottom of the display, whereas an image of a ball may bounce across the bottom of the display. Thus, the control image files include position information, which may be related to animation data, which the controller 18 uses to provide appropriate information to the TV encoder 16 so as to show the image moving over the television display 4 appropriately. The control images may also be associated with sounds appropriate for their images, i.e. the sounds of a train or a ball bouncing for the examples given above.

0037The control images can be associated with any desired event detectable by the controller 18. Hence, the control unit 18 might detect a preselected event indicated by a signal in the broadcast stream, over the i-Link or from the modem.

0038Control image may be activated by any event that can be detected by the Set Top Box. Valid events include: <ol id="ol0001" compact="compact" ol-style=""><li>1) button presses on the remote control,</li><li>2) service information events, i.e. events that are described in the DVB-SI tables, eg. the start or ending of a program,</li><li>3) stream events as described by DVB, eg. a change in the score over football game on another channel,</li><li>4) time events;</li><li>5) system events, eg. warnings or failure messages like "VCR end of tape" or "i-Link communication problem".</li></ol>

0039According to established standards, such as DVB, television broadcast services include data indicating certain information, for instance the start times, of television programs. Furthermore, it is possible to display on the television display 4 an electronic program guide or EPG. This is illustrated in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 3</figref>.

0040Having selected a particular program, starting at a particular time on a particular day on a particular channel, it is then possible to assign a control image to the event of that program starting. Preferably, having chosen a particular program and as illustrated in <figref idref="f0003">Figure 4</figref>, the user is presented with a window in which he or she can scroll through the various control images stored in the memory 20. Having assigned a particular control image, at the start of the selected program, the controller 18 will cause that control image to be displayed on the television display 4. In this way, the user will be reminded of the start of the selected program.

0041Apart from individually assigning a control image to a particular television program, standards exist whereby programs are categorised, for instance sport, gardening, films. Therefore, a user can assign a control image an action to a particular category of television program. Similarly, it is also possible for the system itself to build up a profile of a viewer's habits, such that it produces a control image based on the type of programs in which the viewer has previously shown interest.

0042It may be that the user only requires a reminder. In this respect, the event may merely be a time. For example, as illustrated by <figref idref="f0003">Figure 5</figref>, the user may select a particular time at which he or she is expected to make a telephone call. This might be signified by a control image showing a telephone.

0043According to the present invention, however, the system also allows an action to be initiated.

0044Having selected a control image for association with a particular event, the system allows the user to select an associated action. In this way, appearance of a control image not only signifies a preselected event, but also signifies an action which the user might wish to initiate upon occurrence of that event. So that the user does not have to carry out the action, a single predetermined control button is provided on the input unit 6 for initiating such actions. Thus, during the predetermined period in which the control image is displayed on the television display 4 so as to signify a particular event, operation of the control button on the input unit 6 will cause the associated action to be initiated. A record of what action is associated with what event is stored by the controller 18 and memory 20 such that the user need only consider using a single control button.

0045Upon seeing a particular control image, the user will know that the pre-associated action will be initiated automatically upon depressing the control button of the input unit 6. The associated actions may be anything under the control of the controller 18. Thus, the control 18 could change the channel being viewed on the television display 4, could operate a video recorder or such like or could transmit signals via the modem 26. By way of example, having set an event as the start of a particular television program, the action could be to change channels to the appropriate channel for that program or to start operation of a video recorder to record that program.

0046It is envisaged that usually the action will not be taken unless the control button of the input unit 6 is depressed during the predetermined period in which the control image is displayed. However, it is also possible to arrange actions such that they will take place automatically unless the control button of the input unit 6 is depressed during the predetermined period in which the control image is displayed.

0047The control image should appear for long enough to get the attention of the viewer and for the viewer to have an opportunity to operate the control button of the input unit 6. However, it should not be so long as to disturb the normal viewing. It is possible for the system to allow the viewer to select the period for which control images should be displayed.

0048Another use of control images is as follows. At the end of a television program, the broadcaster may inform the audience of another program. This might be unrelated or might be the next part of the same series of programs. The broadcaster can broadcast precise information about the particular event, thereby easily allowing the viewer to associate a control image and action with that event.

0049In addition to displaying control images, the system may also display key images. These will be discussed below.

0050The broadcast services received by the Set Top Box 2 may include a carousel of key files. These key files should include key images, together with other data for execution. Typically, the other data would relate to audio/video sequences for display on the television display 4.

0051During use, the Set Top Box downloads at least one key file from the carousel and, under the control of the controller 18 stores it in a cache memory. In this way, whenever the Set Top Box wishes to access a key file including the key image and associated executable data, it is immediately available from the cache memory and need not be downloaded.

0052Events can be preselected by the user or by the broadcaster. In response to these events, for instance the start of a particular television program or the start of a replay in a sports program, the control 18 retrieves the key image from memory and passes appropriate display information to the TV encoder 16 such that the key image is displayed on the television display 4 superposed on the television service currently being viewed.

0053The key image may be a static image or may be animated. It may also move across the television display. It should be large enough to be recognised immediately, but small enough not to disturb the normal program. As with the control images, the key images may have associated sounds.

0054The key image is displayed for a predetermined period only. However, if the control 18 detects that a key command has been received from the input unit 6, it causes the key file to be executed. Typically, as mentioned above, the key file includes an audio/video sequence for display on the television display 4. Therefore, the controller 18 provides the TV encoder 18 with the appropriate information to display the audio/video sequence on the display 4. In this respect, the audio/video sequence may be encoded and, the controller 18 may also make use of the A/V decoder 14. The audio/video sequence can be displayed on only a part of the television display 4, with the current broadcast service being displayed in the remainder of the television display 4. However, preferably, the audio/video sequence replaces the current broadcast service until the end of the sequence is reached.

0055After a key image has been displayed, whether or not the associated file is executed, the file is deleted and a new key file downloaded from the broadcast carousel.

0056In this way, whenever a preselected event occurs, the controller 18 causes a key image to be displayed on the television display, thereby allowing the viewer to access the associated executable file by means of only a single control button on the input unit 6. The key images and key files are changed for each consecutive event. The selection of key files from the carousel can be random or in sequence. Alternatively, the controller 18 may build up a profile of the taste of the viewer and select key files according to that profile.

0057The use of key images is particularly advantageous in conjunction with the control images discussed above. In particular, it is proposed that, whenever a control image is displayed on the television display 4 in response to a preselected event, it is displayed together with a key image. This is illustrated in <figref idref="f0004">Figure 6</figref>. The control images and key images are similar in nature, for instance size. Furthermore, as is clear from the above, they may be static, moving and/or animated.

0058The provision of key images is particularly useful for providing television advertisements. In particular, whenever a preselected event occurs such that a preselected control image appears on the television display 4, the controller 18 will cause the key image of a key file held in cache memory to be displayed together with the control image. The key image will be some image identifying a particular advertisement or product, for instance an image of a can of a particular drinks manufacturer or the logo of a particular car manufacturer. The viewer then has to consider only two control buttons on the input unit 6. By pressing one button, the preselected action for the control image will be executed, for instance changing channels. By pressing the other button, the key file will be executed so that, for instance, the full audio/video sequence from an advertiser will be displayed on the television display 4.

0059Preferably, the control images and key images are arranged so as to interact in a pleasing manner.

0060Preferably, at least the position of the key image should be determined by the control image, in particular from positioning data in the control image file. Hence, a control image can cause the key image to be displayed adjacent to it in some way. Also, movement of the images can also be controlled by the control image. For instance, if a viewer selects an image of a canon to remind him or her of a military program, the control image of the canon could control the associated key image to move across the screen as if fired from the cannon.

0061In order that the relative positions of the control image and key image can be properly controlled, it is proposed that the control image should define a locator position within the key image. The locator position can be anywhere within the key image, though typically, it is most likely to be at its centre, at the centre of one of its sides or at its corners. In this way, the control image can control the position of the key image by defining the position of the locator position on the television display. Thus, for instance, where the control image is a small figure throwing an object, the locator position would be defined at the bottom of the key image so that the figure could throw and catch the key image from its bottom. In this respect, it is also possible for the locator position to be defined dynamically. In other words, the locator position may be changed during the animation in order to enhance the animation.

0062Where a key image is to be displayed with a control image, it may be necessary to ensure that their characteristics are similar, particularly if any form of interaction is to take place. Hence, preferably, before any display takes place, some negotiation is conducted between the control image and the key image.

0063Negotiations may include setting the locator position as mentioned above. They may also include comparing the number of frames in the animation cycle, comparing the total duration of the animation cycles, comparing the aspect ratio of the images, determining whether or not the animations are cyclic and comparing the image frame rate (i.e. the time between consecutive frames) for the animated images. It is also possible that the negotiations may consider the orientations of the images.

0064In general, where a particular aspect of a control image is not important, it may consider changing that characteristic, for instance dropping one of the frames from its total cycle. However, in general, it is considered that the control images control the key images and, therefore, the key images are modified so as to conform to the control images.

0065The broadcast stream may contain a number of carousels of key files. In particular, each television service or program may have an associated carousel. Thus, if a viewer has selected the start of a program on a particular channel for the event, the controller 18 will download at least one key file for that particular program. In this way, when the control image appears and grabs a key image, the key image will be appropriate to the selected event. When this is used for advertising, it means that the key image can represent an advertisement for the sponsors of the selected program. This might be of particular importance where a sports program provides broadcast data indicating the start of replays so that a viewer may be alerted to any replays whilst watching another channel. In this case, sponsors of the sports program will want their key files and key images to be presented to the viewer whenever a control image indicates that a replay is taking place in the sports program of the other channel.

0066It is possible for the key file carousel of the broadcast stream also to include control images. These control images could be downloaded by the Set Top Box so as to increase the selection available to the viewer.

0067It is proposed that the control images and key images should each take up less than approximately 5% of the surface of the television display. In some systems, it could be arranged that the user can choose the size of the control images. However, preferably, the key images should then automatically be adjusted to have a corresponding size.

0068New key images are broadcast at a frequency that depends on the current programs, the available bandwidth and the time of day. This may vary, for example, between 1 and 20 per minute.

0069When a control image selects a key image or at least when the control 18 downloads key images, the choice of key images may be based on a combination of a viewer's profile, the current channel and a control images choice.

0070The viewer's profile may be built up by the controller 18 by monitoring the channels tuned to by the viewer, the key images opened by the viewer and any Java applications launched by the viewer. The controller 18 could also maintain different profiles linked to different viewers, eg. members of the family. However, in this case, the individual viewer would have to identify himself.

0071The choice can be made on the basis of the current channel, since some key images may fit better to the current program than others.

0072It is preferred that any key image will be associated with any control image. However, since some combinations may look better than others, it is possible for the system to allow key images to be chosen partly at the preference of the control image.

0073The combination of control image and key image appears on the screen for a short time. Control images, together with the key images, disappear after a few seconds (typically between 1 and 5). This duration may be configured by the viewer. During this period, the viewer may interact with it using the input unit or remote control device 6. As explained above, there are at least two valid interactions, each of them being triggered by a dedicated button on the remote control.

0074For example, a green button may instruct the control image to execute an associated action. To each event or event type, the viewer may have associated a single action. If so, the remote control's green button will trigger this action. Valid actions might include an instruction to the TV set or Set Top Box for instance to tune to a given service, to a video channel or Java application or to power off or mute the TV set. Other actions might include instructions to any device that is connected over the I-Link, eg. if the event is the start on another channel of a program the viewer is interested in, the action may be to start recording that program. Other actions might include the registration of a future event to be notified. If, for example, the event that triggered the control action is a message from the broadcaster indicating that the current program stops and will be resumed next week at the same time, the action could be to ask for a control image to notify the viewer when that program resumes. That new control image will have an associated action to tune to the corresponding channel.

0075The second dedicated button may be a red button for "opening" the key image. When the viewer presses the red button while a control image and key image are on the screen, the associated file may be executed. It may use all of the Set Top Box resources, eg. to tune to a commercial (short video/audio), start some animation (possibly full screen) or user return channel to notify the advertiser that the viewer is interested in his advertisement.

0076It is also possible to provide a third button, for instance an "info" button. The info button instructs the control image to display a message on the screen. This message explains the meaning of the control image's appearance. Although this interaction is possible whenever a control image appears on the screen, the viewer would only occasionally use this possibility, because, with most of the control images, he would remember the associated event and would not need any additional information. Preferably, if information is displayed on the screen, the viewer can remove it by pressing the info button a second time.

0077The system as described above, can be installed permanently into a Set Top Box. However, it is also applicable to any DVB-MHP compliant device. Thus, the necessary system may be downloaded as a series of applications, such as Java applications. Thus, the controller 18 operates as a Java virtual machine. The DVB-MHP (Digital Video Broadcast-Multimedia Home Platform) provides a standard abstraction API for Set Top Boxes.

0078Both the control images and the key images are then implemented as Java objects. Each of them can then implement an interface that is used to synchronise location, size and speed of animation.

0079The viewer may associate the control image of his choice to particular events with the help of different Java applications. Although different Java applications may allow the viewer to subscribe to the same events or event types, at least a following range of applications are considered: <ol id="ol0002" compact="compact" ol-style=""><li>1) set up and configuration applications; these applications allow the viewer to configure the TV's resources (tuner, contrast, etc). They also allow him to set up preferences about events and control images; the viewer can enable or disable the notification of some event types (eg. system events) and associate control images of his or her choice,</li><li>2) clock/alarm applications; these applications allow the viewer to set an alarm to single time points (eg. on the 17 October at 20.00) or recurring time points (eg. every Friday at 22.25),</li><li>3) electronic program guides (E.P.G.),</li><li>4) event notifications (control image appearances); the action associated to a control image may be to be a subscription to another event.</li></ol>

0080At all times the viewer may start a Java application to display all subscriptions, i.e. selected events. With this application, he can delete a subscription or change the associated control image. Both the viewer profiles and the list of subscriptions or selected events may be exported to and edited by another device (eg. using the I-Link or a memory stick). The objects of the overall system are illustrated in <figref idref="f0005">Figure 7</figref>. The objects for notification, events, adlets, selected events, event watchers and MPEG-2 streams are illustrated respectively in <figref idref="f0006 f0007 f0008 f0009 f0010 f0011">Figures 8 to 13</figref> as ULL diagrams.