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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9602880-B2
Application number	US-201313793336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 29, 2006
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

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 communicatively coupled to end user devices for operation in association with the media device at a user premises to provide a dynamic graphical user interface enabling user access to media from at least one media source and application services from the digital media device, comprising:
at least one interface configured to receive a media signal from a media source for management by the digital media device for ultimate presentation via end user devices including at least one television display and to enable bi-directional communications between the digital media device and the end user devices, wherein the digital media device, which is independent from the media source, is configured to provide application service information from a service provider over a wide area network to the end user devices via the digital media device and a user premises data communications network, wherein the application service information includes notifications of status regarding applications services; and
a processor coupled to the at least one interface, wherein the processor is configured to form a composite signal from the media signal and the application service information from the digital media device, wherein the composite signal comprises a composite image on the at least one television display representing media obtained via the at least one interface and application services provided via the digital media device, and wherein the processor enables dynamic addition or removal of graphical icons in cooperation with the digital media device and the service provider as determined by subscriptions to at least one of media applications, services applications and media sources connected to the digital media device;
wherein the digital media device provides graphical interaction simultaneously with media and service distribution systems via the a dynamic graphical user interface displayed on the at least one television display and input received in the form of a selection signal from a remote control based on the displayed image, wherein graphical interaction via the dynamic graphical user interface includes access to an arrangement of graphical icons displayed on the at least one television display and represent identification of media applications, service applications and media that is selectable to generate the selection signal when highlighted, and wherein the selection signal is transmitted via the user premises data communications network to the digital media device or to the media source to enable the execution of programming embodied on the digital media device to provide at least one of: a service application provided via a user premises data communication network and media from a media source connected to the digital media device via the at least one interface.

2. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interface is configured to receive the media signal from one or more media sources.

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

4. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interface is configured to receive the media signal from a cable television signal source, a satellite television signal source, a television broadcast signal source, an audio signal source, a video playback device, or a game console, or any combination thereof.

5. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the media signal of the composite signal forms a primary image, and the application service information of the composite signal forms a secondary image, wherein the at least one television display is configured to display the secondary image overlaid on or inserted into the primary image to form the composite image.

6. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the application service information of the composite signal forms a primary image, and the at least one media signal forms a secondary image, wherein the at least one television display is configured to display the secondary image overlaid on or inserted into the primary image to form the composite image.

7. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the composite signal further comprises an audio signal from the application service information or the media signal, wherein the audio signal provides audio substantially contemporaneously with the composite image on the at least one television display.

8. The digital media device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to form the audio signal as a composite of audio of the media signal and audio information of the application service information.

9. The digital media device of claim 1 , further comprising a digital storage device coupled via a data communications link with the processor, wherein the digital storage device is configured to record the media signal received by the at least one interface or record the media signal received by the at least one first interface.

10. The digital media device of claim 9 , wherein the digital media device receives a selection signal, wherein the digital media device records the media signal, the application service, or the media signal and the application service upon receipt of the selection signal.

11. The digital media device of claim 10 , wherein the selection signal is a pause media signal or a record signal.

12. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to synchronize the media signal and the application service information to form the composite signal.

13. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to filter at least a portion of the media signal, or the application service information, or the media signal and the application service information to form the composite signal.

14. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the digital media device is further configured to: provide and manage services of one or more endpoint devices including at least one of home automation and security equipment associated with the digital media device; receive status information from the endpoint devices connected to and managed by the digital media device for display by the digital media device on the at least one television display and to provide user selection signals from the digital media device to control the endpoint devices via the digital media device; and enable graphical interaction including the arrangement of at least one set of graphical icons displayed on the viewer also representing at least one endpoint device managed by the digital media device together with the least one of a media application, a service application, and media that is selectable by a user to generate the selection signal when highlighted via the remote control.

15. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the endpoint devices is a security system including video cameras and the digital media device is further configured to provide video from the security system for viewing via the digital media system on the at least one television display.

16. The digital media device of claim 1 , wherein the digital media device is further configured to: provide and manage services of one or more endpoint devices including at least one of health monitoring equipment associated with the digital media device; receive status information from the endpoint devices connected to and managed by the digital media device for display by the digital media device on the at least one television display and to provide

Assignees

• Kip Prod Pl Lp
• Kip Prod P1 Lp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04N21/238

  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

• 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

• H04N21/47217

  for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312) · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• H04N21/43637

  involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth®, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] (arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114) · CPC title