Patent Application
20050102700
The claimed invention relates to media devices and, more particularly, to information handling by media devices.
Media devices have been proposed to communicate with a source/conduit of media information (e.g., a communication channel) and to connect to one or more peripheral devices (e.g., televisions, communication devices, etc.) for which the media information is destined. Media devices may be used to receive media information and route the information to one or more connected peripheral devices. Control devices (e.g., remote controls) associated with the peripheral devices may provide input to the media device to assist in routing desired media information (e.g., television channels) to particular peripheral devices.
Some media devices may include storage to record incoming media information for playback at a later time. Although capable of handling basic recording and playback functions, such media devices may lack the ability to exploit the recorded media information in other ways that may be desirable to users of the devices.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more implementations consistent with the principles of the invention and, together with the description, explain such implementations. In the drawings,
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description illustrates certain implementations and principles, but the scope of the claimed invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents.
Media stream 105 may arrive from a source of media information via a wireless or wired communication link to media device 110. Media stream 105 may include one or more individual streams (e.g., channels) of media information. Sources of media streams 105 may include cable, satellite, or broadcast television providers. Media stream 105 may also originate from a device, such as a video camera, playback device, a video game console, a remote device across a network (e.g., the Internet), or any other source of media information.
Media device 110 may receive media information from media stream 105 and may output the same or different media information to display device 160 under the control of controller 150. Some examples of media devices 110 may include personal video recorders (PVRs), media centers, set-top boxes, and/or general-purpose or special-purpose computing devices.
First tuner 120 may include one or more devices arranged to separate one or more streams of information from media stream 105. First tuner 120 may lock onto and output a first stream of information, such as a television channel or other information, present at a first frequency range in media stream 105. The particular choice of which first stream or channel to be output by first tuner 120 may be made by a user of controller 150 and sent to first tuner 120 via processor 130.
Second tuner 125 also may include one or more devices arranged to separate one or more streams of information from media stream 105. Second tuner 125 may lock onto and output a second stream of information, such as a television channel or other information, present at a second frequency range in media stream 105. The second stream or channel output by second tuner 125 may be determined by controller 150 independently from the first stream or channel output by first tuner 120. Thus, at any time processor 130 may receive two different streams or channels of information that are present in media stream 105.
Processor 130 may interact with memory 140 to process at least one of first and second streams of information from tuners 120 and 125. Processor 130 may also interact with controller 150 to display media information from memory 140 and/or one or more of tuners 120 and 125. Further details of processor 130's interoperation with these other elements of media device 110 will be subsequently provided. Processor 130 may primarily control writing of information to memory 140 and reading of information from memory 140.
In addition, processor 130 may also perform other associated tasks, such as encoding or decoding of media information before and/or after storage in memory 140. For example, processor 130 may convert media information to or from various formats, such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 (from the Moving Picture Experts Group), or any other known or later-developed format. Processor 130 may also control which channels of information in media stream 105 are selected by first and second tuners 120 and 125.
Processor 130 may operate in at least two modes: a normal mode and a monitoring mode. In the normal mode, processor 130 may store media information from first tuner 120 to memory 140, with or without encoding it first. Optionally, processor 130 may pass the media information through to display device 160. In some implementations, processor 130 may read media information to be displayed from memory 140 using a read pointer to the stored media information, rather than passing through media information from tuner 120. Such display of media information from memory 140 allows time-shifting of information from first tuner 120, and facilitates playback functions such as pausing, fast-forwarding, and rewinding the media information from memory 140 via the read pointer.
In the monitoring mode, processor 130 may continue to store information from first tuner 120 to memory 140, but may send media information from second tuner 125 on display device 160. While storing the media information from first tuner 120, processor 130 may monitor such stored information for a predetermined condition, and upon the occurrence of such condition processor 130 may perform an action, such as returning to the normal mode of operation. As one example, processor 130 may enter monitoring mode when a commercial or other undesired content appears in the media information from first tuner 120. Information from second tuner 125 may then be viewed until the commercial from first tuner 120 ends. Upon observance of that condition, processor 130 may automatically return to the normal mode of viewing information from first tuner 120, as will be described in greater detail below.
Memory 140 may include at least a buffer file 142. Memory 140 may include a solid-state, magnetic or optical storage medium, examples of which may include semiconductor-based memory, hard disks, optical disks, etc. Though memory 140 is only illustrated as connected to processor 130 in
Buffer file 142 may include media information from first tuner 120 and/or second tuner 125 that is stored by processor 130. Buffer file 142 may be implemented as a fixed-size buffer or circular file that loops back to its beginning when its end is reached to reduce the possibility of filling up memory 140 with media information. Buffer file 142 may include a time-continuous stream of media information or several discontinuous streams. In the normal mode, processor 130 may read media information from any portion of buffer file 142 using one or more read pointers or similar placeholders to play desired media.
Controller 150 may communicate with media device 110 via a wireless or wired communication link. Controller 150 may include a remote control arranged to control playback of video data via processor 130 and to control display of the video data on display device 160. In addition to controlling the playback during the normal playback mode (e.g., by pausing, rewinding, etc.), controller 150 may also initiate and/or terminate the monitoring. For example, a user may begin the monitoring mode by pressing a “return to show” button after a commercial begins in the media information from first tuner 120.
Display device 160 may include a television, monitor, projector, or other device suitable for displaying media information, such as video and audio. Display device 160 may utilize a number of technologies for such displaying, including cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, and/or projection-type technologies. In some implementations, display device 160 may be located proximate media device 110, which may in some implementations sit on top of or adjacent to the display. In other implementations consistent with the principles of the invention, display device 160 may be located remote from media device 110.
Processor 130 may enter the monitoring mode in act 210 in response to a user-driven event, such as button-push on controller 150. For example, the user may push a “return to show” button on controller 150 to initiate the monitoring mode. In other implementations consistent with the principles of the invention, monitoring mode may be automatically entered in act 210. For example, processor 130's default behavior may be to enter monitoring mode whenever processor 130 senses a commercial break or other undesired programming in the media information from first tuner 120. Further, processor 130 may optionally display an indication, such as a graphical overlay, on display device 160 that monitoring mode has been entered.
Processing may continue with processor 130 sending the output of second tuner 125 to display device 160 [act 220]. Processor 130 may initialize the output of second tuner 125 to a certain channel, such as the channel that first tuner 120 is outputting, or second tuner 125 may not be initialized. In such an instance, second tuner 125 may output whatever channel it was last adjusted to, for example, in a prior monitoring mode. While processor 130 is in monitoring mode, any channel change commands from controller 150 may affect second tuner 125, whose output is being passed to display device 160.
By passing the output of second tuner 125 to display device 160, a user may watch a channel other than the one output from first tuner 120 that is being monitored. The channel output by second tuner 125 may be changed as often as desired by controller 150. Further, the channel output by second tuner 125 may be the same as the monitored channel output by first tuner 120 if the user desires to watch the commercial or other programming (e.g., halftime show) on the monitored channel.
In the monitoring mode, processor 130 may continue to store and monitor the media information on the monitored channel from first tuner 120 to memory 140 [act 230]. In conjunction with act 230, processor 130 may also freeze or stop incrementing the read pointer to buffer file 142 at the point at which the monitoring mode was entered. Processor 130 may monitor the stored media information for a desired condition, such as the end of commercial programming on the channel output by first tuner 120. Processor 130 may monitor the media information for the desired condition using one or more of a number of techniques.
Processor 130 may monitor the media information for one or more of: a video break, a change in resolution, a change in volume, a change in color, and/or an elapsed time. For example, a black video frame may be inserted by broadcasters into the media information before the first commercial in a series and after the last commercial in a series. Processor 130 may exploit this black frame, or a similar mechanism that may be intended to aid local stations in finding and inserting local commercials, to determine the end of a string of commercials. Alternately or additionally, processor 130 may detect a change in video resolution or definition. For example, commercials may be in standard definition, while non-commercial programming may be in a higher definition mode. Processor 130 may detect such a change in resolution.
Alternately or additionally, processor 130 may monitor and examine the audio volume of the stored media information from first tuner 120. Processor 130 may differentiate between commercial and non-commercial programming based on an observation that commercials tend to be louder than non-commercial programming. Hence, processor 130 may at least partially base its detection of the end of a commercial on a lower average volume. Alternately or additionally, processor 130 may examine the video stream, using colors and scenes to determine if it's the program or a commercial. Alternately or additionally, processor 130 may monitor how much time has elapsed since entering monitoring mode. Processor 130 may algorithmically exploit the convention that commercials tend to be in 15 or 30 second blocks. Processor 130 may use two or more of the above techniques to detect a desired condition (e.g., the end of a commercial or series of commercials) with a desired level of confidence.
At certain times, processor 130 may determine whether the desired condition of the media information from first tuner 120 has been met [act 240]. If the condition has not occurred, processor 130 may continue to store and monitor media information from first tuner 120 in act 230.
If processor 130 determines that the condition of the monitored media information has been met in act 240, it may discontinue displaying media information from second tuner 125 and may resume displaying information from first tuner 120 via buffer file 142 [act 250]. The read pointer, which may have been frozen/stopped in act 210, may be set to the point at which the condition was met in act 240 (e.g., beyond the commercials or other undesired programming). Output of the media information from first tuner 120 may continue from this point.
After act 250, the monitoring mode may end in some implementations. In other words, the monitoring mode may only persist until the end of the commercials or other undesired programming. In other implementations, however, the monitoring mode may persist when conditions are appropriate. For example, processor 130 may monitor the media information from first tuner 120 when it is displayed for the start of a commercial or other undesired programming. Such monitoring may involve complementary conditions to those used in act 230. If the start of a commercial or other undesired programming is detected, the monitoring mode may resume at act 210.
The foregoing description of one or more implementations consistent with the principles of the invention provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the claimed invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention.
For example, although the monitoring mode has been described in the context of commercials or other undesired programming, processor 130 may monitor the media information from first tuner 120 for any condition at which to exit monitoring and resume display/output. Such conditions may include a change in the type of media information or in the content of the media information, depending on the sophistication of the detection scheme employed by processor 130. Returning to a monitored stream of media information from another stream of media information based on any of a number of conditions is both possible and contemplated.
Also, media device 110 may include other tuners in addition to first tuner 120 and second tuner 125. For example, three or more tuners may be included in media device 110, and two or more of these may be monitored while the media information from one other tuner is output to display device 160.
Moreover, the acts in
No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Variations and modifications may be made to the above-described implementation(s) of the claimed invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
