Display inserts, overlays, and graphical user interfaces for multimedia systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10069643-B2
Application number	US-201615360700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2006
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A disclosed digital media device operational at user premises to receive media signals from a media source for presentation via endpoint devices such as a television display. The digital media device can include gateway and digital media management functionality and can be referred to as a gateway and digital media device. The device offers application services obtained over a wide area network and a user premises network. The digital media device may form a composite signal from the media signal and application service information, for example, for a composite audio and/or video signal for television type presentation to the user. The digital media device may receive a selection signal based on the presentation, for transmission to the application service provider device or to the media source. The media device also offers a GUI presenting a moveable arrangement of icons for selectively accessing application services.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A digital media device at a user premises for providing a dynamic graphical user interface for display by a television display, the digital media device comprising:
at least one interface configured to receive media for presentation via the television display and configured to communicate with a gateway device and a plurality of digital devices at the user premises, wherein the gateway device is configured to provide, via a network, access to one or more application services;
memory that locally stores one or more media applications, wherein the media applications include
a first media application associated with media available from a first service provider, the first media application being configured to establish bidirectional communication with the first service provider, and
a second media application associated with media available from a second service provider, the second media application being configured to establish bidirectional communication with the second service provider;

at least one processor coupled to the memory and the at least one interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide
a first composite signal for displaying a composite image on the television display, wherein the composite image represents
media obtained and/or accessible via the at least one interface and
the one or more application services, the first media application, and/or the second media application provided via the gateway device, and

a second composite signal for displaying, via the television display, user selectable icons that represent at least one of
respective digital devices at the user premises and/or media available from the respective digital devices, or
streamable video media available and/or obtained from at least one of the first service provider or second service provider,

wherein the digital media device is configured to provide graphical interaction with one or more distribution systems via a graphical user interface displayed on the television display, wherein the graphical interaction, via the graphical user interface, includes access to the user selectable icons displayed by the television display; and
wherein one or more of the user selectable icons, when selected, are configured to generate a respective image corresponding to the selected user selectable icon, and wherein the processor is configured to cause the television display to display the respective image overlaid on or inserted into the composite image to form a separate composite image.

2. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the user input device includes a remote control configured to communicate with the digital media device.

3. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the digital media device is configured to dynamically add or dynamically remove one or more of the icons based on at least one subscription.

4. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the gateway device is independent from a media source, and wherein the at least one interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with the gateway device and/or the media source.

5. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interface is configured to receive one or more media signals from one or more analog video sources and/or one or more digital video sources.

6. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the digital media device is configured to provide peer-to-peer communication.

7. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interface includes one or more USB interfaces, local area network interfaces, wireless network interfaces, HDMI interfaces, component video interfaces, composite video interfaces, S-video interfaces, digital audio interfaces, or combination thereof.

8. A digital media device, comprising:
at least one interface configured to receive media data for presentation on a television display and to enable bi-directional communications with (i) a media delivery device to receive application service data via a communication network at a user premises, and (ii) a plurality of digital devices at the user premises; and
memory that locally stores one or more media applications, wherein the media applications include at least
a first media application associated with media from a first service provider, the first media application being configured to establish bidirectional communication with the first service provider, and
a second media application associated with media from a second service provider, the second media application being configured to establish bidirectional communication with the second service provider; and

at least one processor in communication with the memory and the at least one interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide
a first signal for displaying, via the television display, a composite image that represents at least one of (a) media obtained and/or accessible via the at least one interface, (b) the first media application, or (c) the second media application, and
one or more second signals for displaying, via the television display, one or more icons that represent respective digital devices at the user premises and media available and/or obtained from at least one of the first service provider or second service provider,

wherein the digital media device is configured to communicate with the television display to provide graphical interaction with a distribution system via a dynamic graphical user interface displayed on the television display and, wherein the graphical interaction via the dynamic graphical user interface includes access to graphical interface elements that are user-selectable, displayed by the television display and associated with the one or more media applications, and
wherein the one or more of the icons are selectable to cause a respective image corresponding to the selected icon to be displayed by the television display, wherein the respective image is overlaid on or inserted into the composite image to form another composite image.

9. The digital media device claim 8 , wherein the digital media device is further configured to communicate with an input received in the form of a selection signal based on a user selecting one or more of the graphical interface elements displayed by the television display.

10. The digital media device claim 8 , wherein the graphical interface elements are selectable to control programming provided by the digital media device.

11. The digital media device claim 8 , wherein the at least one interface includes:
a first interface configured to receive the media data from at least one media source; and
a second interface configured to communicate with the media delivery device, wherein the media delivery device is configured to provide the one or more media applications and provide access to the media available from the first and second service providers.

12. The digital media device claim 8 , wherein the graphical interface elements represent media displayable by the television display via the digital media device.

13. A method comprising:
receiving, via at least one interface, media data for presentation on a television;
establishing, via a user network at a user premises, bi-directional communication with a media delivery device and a plurality of digital devices at the user premises;
receiving application service data via the user network, wherein the application service data includes notifications of status regarding at least one application service provided by the media delivery device;
storing one or more media applications on a digital media device, wherein the media appli

Assignees

• Kip Prod P1 Lp

Inventors

• Ansari Amir
• Cowgill George A
• Nicholls Leon E
• Raissyan Atousa
• Ramayya Jude P
• Masina Ramprakash
• Mcquarters Alvin R

Classifications

• H04N21/2402

  Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876) · CPC title

• H04N21/238

  Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams {(hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)} · CPC title

• H04L63/10

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title

• H04L65/102

  Gateways (arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways, H04L12/66) · CPC title

• H04N21/4882

  for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders (arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895) · CPC title