Abstract: A display device including a communication function for performing wireless communication of data with each of a plurality of devices, and a display function for displaying and outputting information. First, reception quality of each device is obtained (S 100). Next, based on the reception quality of each device, average reception quality of each room in which each device is placed is obtained (S 101). Next, based on the average reception quality of each room, the size of an image indicating each room is obtained (S 102), and based on the obtained size, the image indicating each room is illustrated on a display screen (S 103). Next, based on the reception quality of each device, the size of an image indicating each device with respect to each room is obtained (S 104), and based on the obtained size, the image indicating each device is illustrated on the display screen (S103).
Abstract: A home server including a contents storage unit storing contents, a control unit acquiring first section information from an information supply apparatus, a generating unit generating second section information, and a section information storage unit storing pieces of first and second section information by correlating them with contents. The information supply apparatus including a storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of first section information corresponding to a plurality of contents, and an extracting unit extracting pieces of first section information corresponding to the contents stored in the contents storage unit from the storage unit and supplying the extracted pieces of first section information to the home server.
Abstract: A method for selecting a broadcast program is conducive for worldwide or global use. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of receiving a first user input representing a first digit associated with the broadcast program, storing first data representing the first digit within one of a first predetermined time interval for a first region and a second predetermined time interval for a second region, and processing the first data for selecting the broadcast program.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 7, 2004
Date of Patent:
July 20, 2010
Assignee:
Thomson Licensing
Inventors:
Rajeev Madhukar Sahasrabudhe, Herve Dartigues, Jacques Mingot
Abstract: Screen for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array of irregular cells, which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells, if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen as the cursor moved from a cell of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 7, 2004
Date of Patent:
June 29, 2010
Assignee:
Starsight Telecast, Inc.
Inventors:
Patrick Young, John H Roop, Michael W Faber
Abstract: The present invention is described by an electronic program guide with a calendar tool, and a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving the electronic program guide. The apparatus includes a transmission station and a plurality of receiver stations. The transmission station creates program guide data that is in an “object” format. The transmission station combines the program guide objects with digital audio and video television signals, and transmits an output stream to the plurality of receiver stations. Each of the plurality of receiver stations stores electronic program guide objects. Using data from the electronic program guide objects, the plurality of receiver stations generate a listing of television program representations, and a calendar image separate from and adjacent to the plurality of television program representations.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 4, 2004
Date of Patent:
June 15, 2010
Assignee:
The DIRECTV Group, Inc.
Inventors:
Craig A. Finseth, Philip E. Hsiao, Jeffrey A. Brown
Abstract: A method and system provides interfaces, data structures and events for representing a “sink” of multimedia data to interact with objects in a multimedia system to control multimedia objects. The interfaces and data structures enable efficient management for media objects that must interface directly with each other. One embodiment is directed to providing a common interface and a single API to a plurality of media objects. In an embodiment, the API is a control layer that isolates the media objects from each other and provides a single point of control, allowing media objects to be added or removed without affecting any other media objects. The control layer allows users to become familiar with only one API instead of many thereby facilitating the tasks of programming and documentation.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 27, 2003
Date of Patent:
May 25, 2010
Assignee:
Microsoft Corporation
Inventors:
Kirt Debique, Rebecca C. Weiss, Robin C. B. Speed, James H. Dooley, IV, Alexandre Grigorovitch, Eduardo P. Oliveira
Abstract: A home gateway apparatus receives a request for desired contents from a program selection terminal storing a program guide at a home. When an IP packet addressed to a home network from the Internet is retrieved, it is checked whether the retrieved IP packet includes the desired contents, a reception of which is being requested. When the IP packet includes the desired contents, such contents are delivered to a TV apparatus via IEEE1394 network. When the IP packet does not include such contents, the IP packet is forwarded to other destination terminals in the home network.
Abstract: A television (TV) with a language selection function and an associated control method is provided which allows a user to select a desired display language regardless of a language in which programming is broadcast. The TV includes a network interface which allows a control unit of the TV to transmit pertinent character information extracted from the broadcast signal to an appropriate translation site through a network interface unit and a translation relay site server. The character information is then translated at the translation site, synched with the corresponding audio information, and relayed back to the control unit for output through the TV. In this manner, character information included in a broadcast signal may be quickly and accurately translated into a language selected by a user and output on a display portion of the TV.
Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.
Abstract: An EPG contents collection and recommendation system includes an EPG database of identifications of available programs. A program information acquisition module applies text classification to detailed descriptions of the available programs. An EPG recommendation module recommends an available program to a user based on the text classification. Preferably, EPG contents are collected from publicly available TV websites and parsed into a uniform format. For example, contents are vectorized, and a Maximum Entropy technique is applied. Also, user interaction with the EPG database is used to form a user profile database. Further, classifiers are trained based on contents of the user profile database, and these classifiers are used to recommend EPG contents to the user.
Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.
Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.