1. Technical Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates in general to television systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus that allows a television system to synchronize multiple audio and video data streams.
2. Description of the Related Art
As embedded computers in televisions become more capable, it is inevitable that these computers will be called upon to perform a variety of functions that have typically required separate and distinct systems. Whereas the first applications on computers embedded in televisions processed user input in managing TV settings (traditional menu and on-screen display, or OSD), future applications will mimic the much broader base of functionality found in today's personal computers (PCs).
One area in which conventional television systems are currently deficient is the creation and playback of multimedia presentations. Although PCs presently allow a user to create slideshows with digital images, these slideshows are typically intended to be accompanied by a speech or briefing that is performed by a human presenter. Furthermore, in order for many people to conveniently view the slideshow, the PC video output must either be sent as input to a separate projection device or to a television system. The first option is not available to most consumers, since projection devices are not common in most households. The second option is inconvenient because the PC is not typically attached to the television system at all times.
Additional problems are encountered if a musical soundtrack is desired to accompany the slideshow, especially in a household setting. Digital audio editing capability is currently provided by PCs, but synchronizing the soundtrack to the slideshow presentation is a laborious and cumbersome process because the video and audio editing are done in separate applications. Other inconveniences exist because the audio soundtrack must typically be sent to another system for playback but the playback itself is controlled from the PC.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other limitations of the conventional art.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of several preferred embodiments of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Several preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the several views of the drawings. The embodiments described below are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of all embodiments of the invention, rather they are used to help explain and elucidate the inventive concepts embraced by embodiments of the invention. It will be recognized that various modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments described herein yet the modifications will still retain the inventive concepts.
The Wi-Fi router 6 is connected, in turn, to a broadband modem 8, which may be, e.g., a cable modem. Broadband modem 8 provides a connection to a network 10. Network 10 may be, for example, the internet or world wide web. The network 10 may be connected, in turn, to a number of IP Content and Service Providers 12.
In the operating environment illustrated in
The television system 100 may also output content provided from the numerous IP content and service providers 12 by virtue of its connection to the network 8. For example, the user of the personal computer 4 would normally listen to and/or view content from the IP content and service provider 12 with the monitor (not shown) or the speakers (not shown) that are part of the personal computer 4. However, in this operating environment the user may also listen to and/or view the same audio and/or video content received over the network 8 using the display 102 and speakers 150 of the television system 100.
A television processor 106 provides basic control functions and viewer input interfaces for television system 100. Television processor 106 receives viewer commands, both from buttons located on the television itself (TV controls) and from a handheld remote control unit (not shown) through the IR Port. Based on the viewer commands, television processor 106 controls an analog tuner/input selector 108, and also supplies user inputs to a digital video/graphics processor 120 over a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) command channel. Television processor 106 is also capable of generating basic On-Screen Display (OSD) graphics, e.g., graphics that indicate the currently selected input source, the current audio volume setting, etc. Television processor 106 supplies these OSD graphics as a TV OSD signal to LCD panel driver 104 for overlay on the display signal.
Analog tuner/input selector 108 allows television system 100 to switch between various analog (or possibly digital) inputs for both video and audio. Although not shown in
Analog tuner/input selector 108 also selects an audio source, digitizes that source (if necessary) using an internal A/D converter (not shown), and supplies that digitized source as Digital Audio In to an Audio Processor 114 and a multiplexer 130. Digitization of the source may not be necessary if it is already supplied to the analog tuner/input selector 108 in digital form.
The audio source may be selected—independent of the current video source—as the audio channel(s) of a currently tuned RF television signal, stereophonic or monophonic audio connected to television system 100 by audio jacks corresponding to a video input, or an internal microphone. These audio sources are represented in
Media processor 110 and digital video/graphics processor 120 provide various digital feature capabilities for television system 100. In some embodiments, processors 110 and 120 can be TMS320DM270 signal processors, available from Texas Instruments, Inc., Dallas, Tex. Digital video/graphics processor 120 functions as a master processor, and media processor 110 functions as a slave processor. Digital video/graphics processor 120 includes the system manager 121, which will be explained in further detail below. Media processor 110 supplies digital video, either corresponding to DV In or to a decoded media stream from another source, to digital video/graphics processor 120 over a DV transfer bus.
Media processor 110 may perform MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) coding and decoding of digital media streams for television system 100, as instructed by digital video/graphics processor 120. A 32-bit-wide data bus connects memory 112, e.g., two 16-bit-wide×1M synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices connected in parallel, to processor 110. The audio processor 114 is also connected to this data bus to provide audio coding and decoding for media streams handled by media processor 110.
Digital video/graphics processor 120 coordinates (and/or implements) many of the digital features of television system 100. A 32-bit-wide data bus connects memory 122, e.g., two 16-bit-wide×1M synchronous DRAM devices connected in parallel, to processor 120.
Although the embodiments of the invention shown in
A 16-bit-wide system bus connects processor 120 to media processor 110, an audio processor 124, flash memory 126, and removable PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) cards 128. Flash memory 126 stores boot code, configuration data, executable code, and Java code for graphics applications, etc. PCMCIA cards 128 can provide extended media and/or application capability. Digital video/graphics processor 120 can pass data from the DV Transfer bus to the LCD panel driver 104 directly without being changed, but processor 120 can also supercede, modify, or superimpose the DV Transfer signal with other content.
Multiplexer 130 provides audio output to the television amplifier and line outputs (not shown) from one of three sources. The first source is the current Digital Audio In stream from analog tuner/input selector 108. The second and third sources are the Digital Audio Outputs of audio processors 114 and 124. These outputs of audio processors 114 and 124 are tied to the same input of multiplexer 130, since each audio processor is capable of tri-stating its output when it is not selected. In some embodiments, processors 114 and 124 can be TMS320VC5416 signal processors, available from Texas Instruments, Inc., Dallas, Tex.
In the embodiments illustrated in
The system manager 121 and associated graphic user interface, operable on television system 100, functions to present the user with all possible user selectable programs that the user may run, and enable the user to navigate through the programs and select and run their desired program. The user may also sort the program icons so that their favorite program icons are displayed first, allowing quick access to the user's favorite programs.
Embodiments of the invention provide the user with the ability to create, edit, and playback multimedia presentations using a television system such as the television system 100 of
Some embodiments of the invention will now be explained with reference to
The options illustrated in
The selection processes describe above are merely examples and are familiar to most users of television systems. The selection processes described above also frequently reoccur in the description of
With reference to
Depending on the particular slideshow that is eventually selected in the dropdown menu 302, each image box 306 may contain one of the images of the selected slideshow, or one out of all the available images. If there are more images in the selected slideshow than there are image boxes 306 available on the slide selection screen 300, then some embodiments of the invention may also provide options to the user of television system 100 that enable the user to selectively scroll through all of the images.
When the user of television system 100 selects an individual image box 306, the image may be displayed in an enlarged format, such as full-screen, for the user. If an image cannot be displayed in the image box 306, a message may be displayed, such as the one shown in the image box 306 corresponding to numeral 3. The end of the slideshow may also be indicated by a message, such as the one shown in the image box 306 that corresponds to numeral 6.
Selection screen 300 also includes a start option 304 that, when selected, causes the television system 100 to initiate the slideshow indicated by dropdown menu 302. Selection screen 300 also includes a “page forward” option 308 and a “page back” option 310. The numeral “100” associated with the “page forward” option 308 indicates to the user of television system that the button on the TV remote control marked “100” must be pressed to activate the “page forward” function. The triangle symbol associated with the “page forward” option 308 may also remind the user in which direction the “page forward” option 308 serves to move the images in the image boxes 306. The characters “MTS” associated with the “page back” option 310 indicates to the user of the television system that the button on the TV remote control marked “MTS” must be pressed to activate the “page back” function. The triangle symbol associated with the “page back” option 310 may also remind the user in which direction the “page back” option moves the images in image boxes 306. Using the “page back” option 310 and “page forward” option 308, the user of television system 100 may quickly scroll through all the images in a particular slideshow. Alternative embodiments of the invention may use other buttons on the remote control or on the television control panel to implement the “page back” and “page forward” options. Furthermore, alternative embodiments of the invention may have other image manipulation options available.
Lastly, selection screen 300 includes a create option 312 that, when selected, causes the LCD panel 102 of television system 100 to output a slideshow creation screen, which will be explained further below in conjunction with
In the options shown in
If the user of the television system 100 chose one of the album titles displayed in the audio album menu 316, the digital audio files composing the selected audio album may be displayed. At that point the user of television system 100 could select from among the individual digital audio files composing the selected album or choose to have all songs in the selected album associated with the selected slideshow.
It should be recognized that embodiments of the invention are not limited only to associating music with selected slideshows. Digital audio files may include other sounds that are not considered musical per se, such as human voices, animal calls, bird songs, mechanical noises, sound effects, etc.
The slideshow creation screen 314 also includes a mode option 320, that when selected, toggles between the possible modes of the slideshow presentation. In
The slideshow creation screen 314 also includes a slide delay option 322, that when selected, allows the user of television system 100 to input the amount of time that each individual image in the selected slideshow is displayed on the LCD screen 102.
Also included in the slideshow creation screen 314 is a slide sorting option 324 and a slide viewing option 326. When the slide sorting option 324 is selected, the television system 100 causes the LCD panel 102 to display a slide sorting screen, which will be explained further below in conjunction with
The slide sorting screen 326 allows the user of television system 100 to change the order of appearance of the individual images in the selected slideshow. Once the desired image in the corresponding image box 306 has been selected, the user may manipulate the placement of the selected image with the options illustrated on the right side of slide sorting screen 326. These options include the up option 328, the down option 330, the hide option 332, and the show option 334.
Each time the up option 328 or the down option 330 is chosen, the selected image in the corresponding image box 306 ascends or descends, respectively, by one position in the overall order of images in the selected slideshow. For example, if the user of television system 100 were to select the image in the lower right hand image box 306 (3rd column, 3rd row), sequentially pressing the number 1 on the television remote control or control panel eight times would place the selected image in the upper left hand image box 306 (1st column, 1st row).
The hide option 332 allows the user to prevent the selected image from being displayed in the slideshow presentation. For example, this might be indicated by a shaded triangle in the lower left hand corner of the selected image box 306, as illustrated by region 307 in
Finally, slide sorting screen 326 also includes the back option 336, which, when selected, causes the television system 100 to return to the slideshow creation screen 314 of
Also shown in the LCD screen 102 is a play controller 340. The play controller 340 is overlayed on the slideshow images. The play controller presents a visual reminder to the user of television system 100 of the appropriate touch pad or switch to depress in order to halt playback of the slideshow. For example, the play controller 340 of
Also shown in the LCD screen 102 is a play controller 342. The play controller 342 is overlayed on the slideshow images. In manual mode, the play controller 342 presents a visual reminder to the user of television system 100 of the appropriate touch pad or switch to depress in order to advance to the next image in the slideshow, go back to the previous image in the slideshow, or stop the slideshow presentation. For example, the play controller 342 of
In some embodiments of the invention, the play controller 342 only appears briefly and then disappears until the user of the television system 100 again presses a button or switch on the television remote control or control panel.
The embodiments of
For example, as explained above with reference to
Yet another example of an application that is achievable by embodiments of the invention is a storybook application. Using the inventive concepts explained above in reference to
Many of the specific features shown herein are design choices. The number of signal inputs, PCMCIA cards, media processors, audio processors, and options available to users of example television system 100 all merely presented as examples. Furthermore, the type, arrangement, and design of the various menu options represented in the video output of FIGS. 3-7 are also presented as examples and do not limit the invention. Such minor modifications are encompassed within the embodiments of the invention that are to be defined in the claims.
The preceding embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to “an”, “one”, “another”, or “some” embodiment(s) in several locations, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/535,117, filed on 6 Jan. 2004, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60535117 | Jan 2004 | US |