US20050044571A1 - Method and apparatus for displaying HTML and video simultaneously - Google Patents

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) includes a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document. A video image from broadcast data is displayed in a same window with the HTML document.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present application is a continuation application of commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/087,351 filed May 29, 1998, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Displaying HTML and Video Simultaneously” and which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. The Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to the field of entertainment systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for presenting Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) documents with video images on a display to enhance a viewer's viewing experience.
• 2. The Relevant Technology
• The Internet has become an expansive backbone of communication with a vast repository of information. The reason for its popularity is due in large part to the development of the hypertext mark-up language (HTML). HTML has transformed the Internet from the black and white world of text into the vibrant multi-media environment that it is today. HTML is a document-layout and hyperlink-specification language. It defines the syntax and placement of special, embedded directions that instruct a web browser on how to display the contents of the document, including text, images, and other support media. HTML tells a web browser how to make a document interactive through special hypertext links, which connect a document with other documents, as well as with other Internet resources such as FTP and Gopher. HTML is responsible for unifying pictures, sounds, and text in a document allowing programmers to design the rich, multi-media-filled web pages that have propelled the Internet as a new medium for worldwide information exchange and commerce.
• With the current trend in the electronics and computer industry to converge the computer system and more traditional entertainment system components such as the television, it is possible to combine displaying video images from broadcast data with HTML documents. Thus, an improved method and apparatus for displaying an HTML document with a video image is desired.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• A graphical user interface (GUI) according to a first embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The GUI includes a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document. A video image from broadcast data is displayed in a same window with the HTML document.
• A graphical user interface (GUI) according to a second embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The GUI includes a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document. A video image from broadcast data is positioned around the HTML document.
• A graphical user interface (GUI) according to a third embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The GUI includes a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document. A video image from broadcast data is positioned such that it has the appearance of being behind the HTML document.
• A graphical user interface (GUT) according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The GUI includes a video image from broadcast data. A hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document is positioned on the GUI such that the HTML based form has the appearance of covering a section of the video image.
• A method for configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. A hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document is decoded from broadcast data. A video image from the broadcast data is displayed on a display. The HTML document is displayed on the display such that the HTML document has the appearance of covering a portion of the video image.
• A method for configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. A hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document is decoded from broadcast data. A video image from the broadcast data is displayed on a display. The HTML document is displayed on the display such that the HTML document and the video image are in a same window.
• A method for configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. A hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document is decoded from broadcast data. The HTML document is displayed on a display. A video image from the broadcast data is displayed on the display such that the video image has the appearance of being positioned around the HTML document.
• A method for configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. A hyper text mark-up language (HTML) document is decoded from broadcast data. The HTML document is displayed on a display. A video image from the broadcast data is displayed on the display such that the video image has the appearance of being behind the HTML document.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network in which an embodiment of the invention is implemented;
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a client computer system in which an embodiment of the invention is implemented;
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram of modules implementing an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for displaying an HTML document with a video image according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• FIG. 1 illustrates anetwork100 in which an embodiment of the present invention is implemented.Block150 represents the Internet. Blocks130-132 represents server computer systems connected to the Internet150. According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the server computer systems130-132 is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server that stores HTML documents. Each of the server computer system130-132 has an Internet domain name. The server computer systems130-132 include HTML documents that have an URL that includes the document's name, preceded by the hierarchy of directory names in which the document is stored, the Internet domain name of the server that hosts the document, and the software and manner by which the browser and the document's host server communicate to exchange the document.
• Block110 represents a client computer system. Theclient computer system110 is a convergent computer system that allows a user to view both video images from broadcast data and data from computer system, such as HTML documents, off of a single display device.
• Block160 represents a broadcast data source. The broadcast operates to transmit broadcast data to theclient computer system100. The broadcast data may include video, audio, HTML or other type of data. Broadcast data may be transmitted from thebroadcast data source160 to the client computer system via a cable broadcast, satellite broadcast, very high frequency (VHF) or ultra high frequency (UHF) communication from an aerial antenna, or using other transmission techniques.
• According to an embodiment of thenetwork100, thebroadcast data source160 delivers HTML documents to theclient computer system110 with the broadcast data. The HTML documents may be encoded as HTML code in a line of the vertical blanking interval or encoded elsewhere in the broadcast data.
• Block120 represents a data center. Thedata center120 is connected to theInternet150 and operates to facilitate a connection between theclient computer system110 and theInternet150 such that theclient computer system110 may access the HTML documents stored in the server computer systems130-132. Data is passed between theclient computer system110 and the server computer systems130-132 through thedata center120. Theclient computer system110 interfaces thedata center120 via anintermediate connection140. According to one embodiment of the present invention, theintermediate connection140 may be a direct telephone connection to thedata center120. According to a second embodiment of the present invention, theintermediate connection140 may be an indirect connection to thedata center120 via a direct telephone connection to a Post Office Protocol (POP) server that interfaces thedata center120.
• Referring toFIG. 2, a client computer system upon which an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented is shown as110. Theclient computer system110 comprises aprocessor201 that processes digital data. Theprocessor201 may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor implementing a combination of instruction sets, a microcontroller, or other processor device. Theprocessor201 may be a single processor device or a plurality of processing devices. Theprocessor201 is coupled to abus220 which transmits data signals between theprocessor201 and other components in thecomputer system110. Thebus220 may be a single bus or a plurality of buses.
• Amain memory202 is coupled to thebus220 and may comprise a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a static random access memory (SRAM) device, or other memory devices. Themain memory202 stores information or other intermediate data executed by theprocessor201. Theclient computer system110 also comprises a read only memory (ROM) and/or otherstatic storage device203 coupled to thebus220 that stores information and instructions for theprocessor201.
• Adata storage device204 is coupled to thebus220 and stores information and instructions. Thedata storage device204 may be a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM device, a flash memory device or other mass storage device. Anetwork interface205 is coupled to thebus220. Thenetwork interface205 operates to connect theclient computer system110 to the network100 (shown inFIG. 1). According to an embodiment of the present invention, thenetwork interface205 is a modem that connects theclient computer system110 to the intermediate connection140 (shown inFIG. 1).
• Aninput device207, including alphanumeric and other keys, is typically coupled to thebus220 for communicating information and command selections to theprocessor201. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention theinput device207 is not directly coupled to thebus220, but interfaces with the computer system200 via infra-red coded signals transmitted from the input device to a infra-red receiver in the computer system (not shown). In still an alternate embodiment of the present invention, theinput device207 is a remote control unit having keys that select characters or command selections on the display device.
• Asmart card interface208 is coupled to thebus220. According to an embodiment of the present invention, thesmart card interface208 may operate to read or write to a smart card. Thesmart card interface208 includes asensor209 that detects when a smart card has been inserted in thesmart card interface208. Thesmart card interface208 may be used to communicate with a contact or contactless smart card.
• Theclient computer system110 includes atuner209. Thetuner209 operates to receive broadcast data from thebroadcast data source160. Thetuner209 may include a cable tuner, a satellite tuner; a VHF/UHF tuner, or other broadcast data receiving devices. Thetuner209 is coupled to avideo decoder210. In an embodiment of theclient computer system110 where thetuner209 receives analog broadcast data, thevideo decoder210 operates to decode the twenty-first line of the VBI in analog broadcast data into closed captioning data in ASCII text and digitizes the analog broadcast data. In an embodiment of theclient computer system110 where thetuner209 receives digital broadcast data, thevideo decoder210 operates to retrieve a channel in the digital broadcast that contains the closed captioning data. Closed captioning data is transmitted simultaneously with a program and provides a textual script of the dialog in the program in real-time.
• Avideo decoder interface212 is coupled to thevideo decoder210. Thevideo decoder interface212 operates as a serial interface to retrieve the closed captioning data from thevideo decoder210. A video in direct memory access (DMA)engine211 is also coupled to thevideo decoder210. The video inDMA engine211 operates to coordinate movement of the digitized broadcast data from thevideo decoder210 to components in theclient computer system110 via thebus220. The video inDMA engine211 allows the digitized broadcast data to be transmitted to components in theclient computer system110 at a fast rate without requiring intervention from theprocessor201.
• A video outDMA engine213 is coupled to thebus220. The video outDMA engine213 operates to coordinate movement of the digitized broadcast data from components in theclient computer system110 to avideo encoder214. The digitized broadcast data may include modification or additions made to it from the components in theclient computer system110 such as theprocessor201. The video outDMA engine213 allows the digitized broadcast data to be transmitted from components in theclient computer system110 to thevideo encoder214 at a fast rate without requiring intervention from theprocessor201. Thevideo encoder214 is coupled to the video outDMA engine213. Thevideo encoder214 operates to format the digitized broadcast data into a form that can be viewed by a display device. According to an embodiment of the present invention where the display device is configured to view analog broadcast data, thevideo encoder214 operates to format the digitized broadcast data into an analog format.
• Adisplay device controller215 is coupled to thevideo encoder214. The display device controller206 allows coupling of a display device to theclient computer system110 and operates to interface the display device to theclient computer system110. The display device controller206 can be, for example, a monochrome display adapter (MDA) card, a color graphics adapter (CGA) card, or other display device controller. The display device (not shown) can be a television set, a computer monitor, a flat panel display or other display device. The display device receives broadcast data from thevideo encoder214 through the display device controller206 and displays the information and data to the user of theclient computer system110.
• The present invention is related to the use of theclient computer system110 to display HTML documents with video images. According to one embodiment, displaying HTML documents with video images is performed by theclient computer system110 in response to theprocessor201 executing sequences of instructions contained inmain memory202 orROM203. Such instructions may be read intomemory202 from another computer-readable medium, such asdata storage device204, or from another source via thenetwork interface205 or from thetuner209. Execution of the sequences of instructions causes theprocessor201 to display HTML documents with video images, as will be described hereafter. In an alternative embodiment high-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing modules300 implementing an embodiment of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the modules are implemented by software and reside inmain memory202 as sequences of instructions. It should be appreciated that the modules may also be implemented by hardware as components coupled to thebus220 or a combination of both hardware and software.
• Block310 represents abroadcast data retriever310. Thebroadcast data retriever310 operates to interface with thebus220 and to coordinate movement of the digitized broadcast data from thevideo decoder210 with the video inDMA engine211. Thebroadcast data retriever310 receives the digitized broadcast data from the video inDMA engine211 and separates the digitized broadcast data containing a video image from broadcast data carrying other information. In one embodiment, the other information is broadcasted on the VBI.
• Block320 represents a VBI decoder. TheVBI decoder320 is coupled to thebroadcast data retriever310 and receives the digitized VBI from thebroadcast data retriever310. TheVBI decoder320 operates to decode the digitized VBI into HTML code. It should be appreciated that the HTML code may be decoded elsewhere in the broadcast data.
• Block330 represents an HTML processor. TheHTML processor330 is coupled to the VBI decoder and receives the HTML code from theVBI decoder320. TheHTML processor330 interprets the HTML code and generates a viewable HTML document from the HTML code. The viewable HTML document may include for example an HTML form having selectable multimedia identifiers. According to an embodiment of the present invention, theHTML processor330 may be a web browser.
• Block340 represents agraphics processor340. Thegraphics processor340 is coupled to theHTML processor330 and thebroadcast data retriever310 and receives the viewable HTML document from theHTML processor330 and broadcast data containing a video image from thebroadcast data retriever310. Thegraphics processor340 operates to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes both the HTML document and the video image. According to a first embodiment of the present invention, thegraphics processor340 generates a GUI that includes a HTML document and a video image from broadcast data positioned around the HTML document. According a second embodiment of the present invention, thegraphics processor340 generates a GUI that includes a HTML document and a video image from broadcast data positioned such that it has the appearance of being behind the HTML document. According to a third embodiment of the present invention, thegraphics processor340 generates a GUI that includes a video image from broadcast data and a HTML document positioned on the GUI such that the HTML document has the appearance of covering a section of the video image.
• Thebroadcast data retriever310,VBI decoder320, theHTML processor330, and thegraphics processor340 may be implemented by any known circuitry or technique. According to an embodiment of the present invention, thebroadcast data retriever310,VBI decoder320, theHTML processor330, and thegraphics processor340 all reside in a single semiconductor substrate.
• FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary GUI as it appears on a screen of adisplay410 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. TheGUI400 includes a video image from broadcast data. Thevideo image400 from the broadcast data is displayed such that it spans the entire length and width of the screen of thedisplay410. According to this embodiment of theGUI400, the video image from the broadcast data includes an image of two sportscasters sitting behind anews desk420 and achart421 directly above the two sportscasters that includes statistics about a sporting event. AnHTML document430 is positioned on theGUI400 such that it has the appearance of covering a section of the video image and the video image from the broadcast data is positioned such that it has the appearance of being behind theHTML document430. TheHTML document430 includes afirst multimedia identifier431 and asecond multimedia identifier432 that are selectable to deliver data to a remote computer system such as server computer systems130-132 (shown inFIG. 1). The first and second multimedia identifiers may be, for example, hyperlinks to HTML documents on a remote computer system that compile data for a survey. By displaying theHTML document430 and the video image in a single window, the scale of the video image is maximized on the display460.
• FIG. 5 illustrates anexemplary GUI500 as it appears on a screen of adisplay510 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. TheGUI500 includes a video image from broadcast data. The video image from the broadcast data is displayed such that it spans the entire length and width of thedisplay510. According to this embodiment of theGUI500, the video image from the broadcast data includes an image of anactor520 from a television show. AnHTML document530 is positioned on theGUI500 such that it has the appearance of covering a section of the video image and the video image from the broadcast data is positioned such that it has the appearance of being behind theHTML document530. TheHTML document530 includes afirst multimedia identifier531 and asecond multimedia identifier532 that are selectable to deliver data from a remote computer system such as server computer systems130-132 (shown inFIG. 1). The first and second multimedia identifiers may be, for example, hyperlinks to HTML documents on a remote server relating to information about the television show or profiles of the actor of the television show.
• FIG. 6 illustrates anexemplary GUI600 as displayed on adisplay610 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. TheGUI600 includes a video image from broadcast data. The video image from the broadcast data is displayed such that it spans the entire length and width of the screen of thedisplay610. According to this embodiment of theGUI600, the video image from the broadcast data includes an image of afirst actor620 and an image of asecond actor621 from a television show. An HTML document encoded with the broadcast data defines an area surrounding thefirst actor620 and thesecond actor621 as a input device-sensitive region or a “hot spot” on theGUI600. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hot spot is highlighted to indicate its presence. It should be appreciated that the hot spot may be transparent. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when apointer630 from an input device207 (shown inFIG. 2) points to the hot spot,text640 appears next to the hot spot indicating what information will be presented when the hot spot is selected by theinput device207. The text may include for example merchandise information regarding items used in the television program. The hot spots may be hyperlinks to HTML documents on a remote computer system such as server computer systems130-132 (shown inFIG. 1) that include the information.
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for displaying a HTML document with a video image according to an embodiment of the present invention. Atstep701, HTML code is decoded from broadcast data. The broadcast data may be for example broadcast data originating from a broadcast data source that includes a television program. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the HTML code is decoded from a VBI of the broadcast data using a VBI decoder. According to an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the HTML code is decoded elsewhere from the broadcast data.
• Atstep702, a video image from the broadcast data is displayed on a display. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the video image is displayed substantially over the entire display such that the video image spans the entire length and width of the display.
• Atstep703, the HTML code is interpreted to generate an HTML document. According to the present invention, the HTML code may be interpreted using a web browser.
• Atstep704, the HTML document is displayed on the display with the video image. According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the HTML document and the video image are displayed on the same window. By displaying the video image and the HTML document on a single window, the video image may be displayed without reducing its scale. According to a second embodiment of the present invention, the video image is positioned around the HTML document. According to a third embodiment of the present invention, the video image is positioned such that it has the appearance of being behind the HTML document. According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the HTML document is displayed with the video image such that the HTML document has the appearance of covering a portion of the video image.
• In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with references to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. The specification and the drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims (13)

1. (Cancelled)

2. In a system including a client that receives broadcast data from a broadcast data source, and wherein a document is encoded in the broadcast data, a method for displaying the broadcast data and the encoded document together for purposes of simultaneous viewing, the method comprising:

displaying video images of the broadcast data in a video window of a display device, the video images spanning an entire length and width of the video window;

decoding the document that is encoded in the broadcast data, the encoded document including a multimedia identifier that can be selected by a user to deliver additional information for display with the displayed video images and within the same video window as the displayed video images;

converting the decoded document into a viewable document format; and

upon receiving input selecting the multimedia identifier, displaying the viewable decoded document and the identified additional information in the same video window as the displayed video images.

3. A method as defined inclaim 2, wherein the document is a hyper text markup language document and the multimedia identifier is selectable to deliver data to a remote computer system.

4. A method as defined inclaim 2, wherein each video image spans an entire width and length of the display device.

5. A method as recited inclaim 2, wherein each video image from the broadcast data comprises a video image from a television program.

6. In a system including a client that receives broadcast data from a broadcast data source, and wherein a document is encoded in the broadcast data, a computer program product for implementing a method for displaying the broadcast data and the encoded document together for purposes of simultaneous viewing, the method comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method, the method comprising:

displaying video images of the broadcast data in a video window of a display device, the video images spanning an entire length and width of the video window;

decoding the document that is encoded in the broadcast data, the encoded document including a multimedia identifier that can be selected by a user to deliver additional information for display with the displayed video images and within the same video window as the displayed video images;

converting the decoded document into a viewable document format; and

upon receiving input selecting the multimedia identifier, displaying the viewable decoded document and the identified additional information in the same video window as the displayed video images.

7. The computer program product ofclaim 6, wherein the document is a hyper text markup language document and the multimedia identifier is selectable to deliver data to a remote computer system.

8. The computer program product ofclaim 6, wherein each video image from the broadcast data comprises a video image from a television program.

9. In a system that receives broadcast data from a broadcast data source that encodes a document, a computer program product for implementing a method for displaying both the broadcast data and the document while connecting with one or more remote servers and displaying additional documents retrieved from the one or more remote servers, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method, the method comprising:

displaying video images of the broadcast data in a video window of a display device;

decoding the document that is encoded in the broadcast data, the encoded document including one or more links that identify additional information that can be accessed in additional documents by a user when the one or more links are selected by the user, the one or more links being displayed with the video images in the video window;

converting the decoded document into a viewable document, the viewable document including the one or more links that can be selected by a user;

processing the viewable document with the broadcast data such that some of the video images of the broadcast data are simultaneously displayed with the viewable document in the same window as the displayed video images, the viewable document being independent of any particular video image of the broadcast data;

retrieving the additional documents from the one or more remote servers when one of the one or more displayed links is selected; and

displaying the additional documents in the same video window as each video image of the broadcast data.

10. The computer program product ofclaim 9, wherein each video image spans an entire length and width of a display.

11. The computer program product ofclaim 9, wherein the document is a hyper text markup language document that includes a multimedia identifier that is selectable to deliver data to a remote computer system.

12. The computer program product ofclaim 9, wherein the document includes a multimedia identifier that is selectable to deliver data to be displayed in the same video window as each video image of the broadcast data.

13. The computer program product ofclaim 9, wherein each video image from the broadcast data comprises a video image from a television program.

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