U.S. patent application number 09/728413 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-07 for method and apparatus for displaying textual or graphic data on the screen of television receivers.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gemstar Development Corporation. Invention is credited to Kwoh, Daniel S..
Application Number | 20010002852 09/728413 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21721824 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010002852 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kwoh, Daniel S. |
June 7, 2001 |
Method and apparatus for displaying textual or graphic data on the
screen of television receivers
Abstract
A local language is pre-stored in permanent memory. Equivalent
data is transmitted in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) to
television receivers. Each equivalent data set comprises a unique
language identifier and a foreign language translation of, or
graphical representative of, the local language pre-stored in
permanent memory. The viewer selects the language to be displayed
from an on screen menu with a remote controller. The selected
equivalent data is retrieved from the VBI and stored in a RAM for
future display. When the microprocessor calls up the text of a
command for display, the equivalent data is substituted for the
local language data so the foreign language version of the command
can be displayed in a seamless manner. If no equivalent data is in
the RAM, the local language pre-stored in permanent memory is
displayed on the television screen in accordance with the normal
operation of the microprocessor.
Inventors: |
Kwoh, Daniel S.; (La
Canada/Flintridge, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE, LLP
350 WEST COLORADO BOULEVARD
SUITE 500
PASADENA
CA
91105
US
|
Assignee: |
Gemstar Development
Corporation
|
Family ID: |
21721824 |
Appl. No.: |
09/728413 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09728413 |
Dec 1, 2000 |
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09029013 |
Apr 26, 1999 |
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6204885 |
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09029013 |
Apr 26, 1999 |
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PCT/US96/18236 |
Nov 13, 1996 |
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60006629 |
Nov 13, 1995 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
348/465 ;
348/468; 348/564; 348/E5.099; 348/E7.034; 348/E9.039 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 7/0884 20130101;
H04N 9/641 20130101; H04N 21/4856 20130101; H04N 5/445
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
348/465 ;
348/468; 348/564 |
International
Class: |
H04N 007/08 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for displaying textual or graphic data on a television
receiver comprising: a memory device at the television receiver in
which data representing local language commands is stored; a
microprocessor electrically coupled to the memory device for
displaying the local language commands stored in the memory device
on the television receiver; a VBI decoder for extracting data from
a VBI of a television signal, wherein the extracted data includes
commands, in one or more foreign languages, corresponding to the
local language commands; and a storage device at the television
receiver for storing the extracted data, wherein the microprocessor
is configured to substitute the commands in one or more foreign
languages for the local language commands for displaying on the
television receiver.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a status bit stored in
the microprocessor for indicating whether the local language
commands or the commands in one or more foreign languages are to be
displayed.
3. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for changing the
status bit by a user.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the extracted data includes
unique language identifiers corresponding to the foreign language
commands.
5. The system of claim 4, further comprising an input device for
transmitting a viewer's choice of the language identifiers to the
microprocessor.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the local language commands have
addresses in the memory device that identify the location on the
television receiver where the commands are to be displayed and the
corresponding foreign language commands have the same addresses in
the storage device.
7. The system of claim 1, in which the storage device is a RAM.
8. The system of claim 1, in which the memory device is a ROM.
9. A method for displaying textual or graphic data on television
receivers comprising the steps of: storing in a memory device at
the television receiver data representing local language commands;
transmitting to a television receiver equivalent data in_a VBI of a
television signal, the equivalent data including a plurality of
translations or graphical representatives, in one or more foreign
languages, of the local language commands; storing the equivalent
data in a storage device at the television receiver; and
configuring a microprocessor to substitute the equivalent data for
the local language commands for displaying on the television
receiver.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:
creating a language menu including a listing of the foreign
languages; and displaying the language menu on the screen.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:
choosing one of the transmitted foreign languages from the language
menu at the television receiver; and displaying foreign language
translation of the commands corresponding to the chosen foreign
language on the screen.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:
attaching to the transmitted equivalent data a plurality of
language identifiers, each being unique to one of the foreign
language translations or graphical data representations; inputting
a choice from among the language identifiers; comparing the
inputted choice with the language identifiers attached to the
equivalent data; and displaying the equivalent date when a match
occurs in the comparing step.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting
comprises inserting the equivalent data into the VBI of television
signal at a head end location.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting
equivalent data also transmits the local language commands and a
local language identifier.
15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of assigning
addresses to the local language commands and the equivalent data
indicating the location on the television receiver where the
commands are to be displayed.
16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of
configuring the microprocessor when a call is made to issue an
address to designate a screen location, retrieve the command
responsive to the status bit and the issued address, and display
the retrieved command.
17. A method for displaying textual or graphic data on a screen of
a television receiver comprising the steps of: storing in a local
memory at the television receiver a set of commands in a first
language; receiving on a subcarrier of a television signal a set of
the same commands in a second language; storing at the television
receiver the received set of commands in a second language;
selecting one of the sets of commands for display on the screen;
and configuring a microprocessor to display the selected set of
commands on the screen of the television receiver.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving comprises
extracting from a VBI of a television signal a set of the same
commands in a second language.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:
creating a language menu including a listing of the foreign
languages; displaying the language menu on the screen; choosing one
of the transmitted foreign languages from the language menu at the
television receiver; and displaying foreign language translation of
the commands corresponding to the chosen foreign language on the
screen.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of
configuring the microprocessor when a call is made to issue an
address to designate a screen location, retrieve the command
responsive to the status bit and the issued address, and display
the retrieved command.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to displaying textual or graphic data
on a television screen, and more particularly to a method and
apparatus for displaying video cassette recorder (VCR) and/or
television programming or prompting commands in various
languages.
[0002] VCRs generally come equipped with programming commands
pre-stored in the VCR's permanent memory in a local language
format, which are later displayed on a TV screen during programming
operation. For instance, English would be the local language
pre-stored in the VCR's permanent memory for VCRs sold in the
United States. However, if the television viewer programming the
VCR does not read English, it can make the difficult task of
programming a VCR even that much more difficult.
[0003] To facilitate the process for the viewer, VCR commands will
now be displayed in a variety of foreign languages. These foreign
language commands, while not pre-stored in the VCR's permanent
memory, will be brought to the viewer across the television signal
coming into the viewer's home. This invention eliminates the need
to take a VCR back to the manufacturer to have the VCR's permanent
memory replaced each time a different language command set is
desired. Television signals are composed of a program signal, the
portion of the signal that transmits the TV picture, and a vertical
blanking interval (VBI), the portion of the signal that stores
various data types or messages. The VBI will be used to bring the
foreign language VCR commands into the VCR and then stored in the
VCR's temporary memory. The viewer can then select the foreign
language of choice from options displayed on the screen and thus,
program the VCR in his or her native language.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to the invention, foreign language VCR and/or
television commands are transmitted to the viewers home, in the VBI
or via another transmission link. The foreign language commands are
then stored in the temporary memory for later use. Each set of
foreign language commands also contains a unique language
identifier used to create the menu of options available to the
viewer. For example, if Spanish, French, and Chinese foreign
language commands are available in the VBI, the viewer menu would
display these languages as well as English on the TV screen for the
viewer to use to select his or her options.
[0005] During operation, the viewer uses the TV remote control to
select the language of his or her choice from the menu displayed on
the television screen. The language identifiers available are
compared with a user inputted language identifier. The foreign
language commands corresponding to the user inputted language
identifier are stored in the temporary memory for display on the
television screen. If no foreign language command sets are stored,
the local language pre-stored in permanent memory will be displayed
on the television screen.
[0006] Preferably, a microprocessor is programmed to seamlessly
retrieve the commands in the desired language for display on the
television screen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The features of a specific embodiment of the best mode
contemplated of carrying out the invention are illustrated in the
drawings in which
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a microprocessor
controlled television receiver and/or VCR programmed to practice
the invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an diagram representing data transmitting in the
VBI;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a diagram representing equivalent data that
illustrate the operation of the invention; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is a television screen display of a menu for viewer
selection of the language for the commands.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0012] The invention contemplates the transmission of foreign
language translations of a command set, called equivalent data, to
be displayed on the screen of television receivers instead of a
local language version of the command set. The command set can
represent on-screen prompts to guide the viewer in programming a
VCR or performing other VCR and/or television related tasks such as
initial setup or sound or picture adjustment. The transmitted
equivalent data includes a plurality of foreign language
translations of, or graphical data representations of, the local
language and a plurality of language identifiers, each being unique
to one of the foreign language translations or graphical data
representations. The invention is described below in conjunction
with a cable television service, but it can also be used in a
satellite or broadcast television service.
[0013] A host program source and a source of equivalent data at the
headend of a television transmission system are coupled to a
vertical blanking interval (VBI) encoder to insert the equivalent
data into the VBI of the television signal. Alternatively, the
equivalent data could be transmitted on a subcarrier of the
television signal, a telephone connection, or by other known means
for carrying data. Preferably, the equivalent data is repeated
continuously all the time that the source is sending out a
television signal.
[0014] In FIG. 1, the television signal is brought into the
viewer's home at a cable subscriber drop 17. The television signal,
which contains the transmitted equivalent data, is coupled by a
tuner and demodulator 19 to a VBI decoder 30. Decoder 30 strips
from the television signal the equivalent data transmitted in the
VBI, which is then fed to a microprocessor 22. Microprocessor 22
includes temporary storage in the form of a RAM 18. The equivalent
data is stored in RAM 18. The program signal portion of the
television signal is fed to a television screen 21.
[0015] A remote controller 23 is coupled to microprocessor 22,
typically by an infrared transmission link. Microprocessor 22
accesses a system memory 24 in which the local language version of
the command set is stored. System memory 24 is typically a ROM or
other nonalterable data storage device. Typically, the local
language version of the command set is loaded into system memory 24
in the factory during the manufacturing process. Microprocessor 22
decides what data is to be displayed, either the local language
stored in system memory 24 or the equivalent data stored in RAM 18.
The data to be displayed is composed by microprocessor 22 in a
video processor 26, in well known fashion, and then sent to
television screen 21 for display.
[0016] FIG. 2 depicts equivalent data 32 carried in the VBI. A
header field 34 designates the beginning of the equivalent data and
controls operation of decoder 30 with clock run in and framing code
information. Following header field 34 are the foreign language
translations or graphical data representatives of the command set
represented by encoded textual data 36a, 36b, . . . , 36n, each of
which is preceded by a unique language identifier field 38a, 38b, .
. . , 38n, respectively. As described below in more detail, the
individual commands preferably each have an address that defines
the location on screen where such command is to be displayed. The
same address is thus used for a given command in each language. The
language identifiers represent foreign language options, for
example French, Spanish, Chinese, etc.
[0017] In operation, the viewer presses a set up key on remote
controller 23 to initiate a set up mode and then keys in his or her
preference of foreign language. Specifically, the viewer selects
the foreign language from an on-screen menu shown in FIG. 4. The
default selection marked with a cursor 50 is the local language,
e.g., English. To select a different language the viewer moves
cursor 50 by operating arrow keys on controller 23 and then
depresses an enter key on controller 23. The corresponding language
identifier is retrieved by microprocessor 22 for comparison with
the language identifiers transmitted in the VBI. When a match is
detected by microprocessor 22, the corresponding language textual
data is "grabbed" from the VBI and downloaded to RAM 18. For
example, if the viewer wishes to select the Spanish language
equivalent data set, he or she moves cursor 50 and enters that
choice into remote controller 23. In such case, microprocessor 22
displays the commands in the selected language. If no equivalent
data set is stored in RAM 18, i.e., if the viewer does not select a
foreign language, microprocessor 22 displays the local language
version of the commands stored in system memory 24.
[0018] Although it is preferable to store only a single foreign
language command set in RAM 18 to minimize the amount of data
storage, all, or at least more than one, of the foreign language
command sets could be downloaded to RAM 18 and the selection of the
desired foreign language for display could be made by the viewer
after the data is downloaded.
[0019] In FIG. 3 there is one equivalent data set for each language
identifier. For example, if the local language commands include
"time, channel, hour, day," the Spanish command set 44 includes
"tiempo, canal, hora, dia," and the French command set 4 is
includes "temps, chaine, heure, jour." The individual commands of
each set also have addresses to designate where they are to be
placed on the screen to create the desired message. For example,
command set 44 has addresses 44a and commands 44b, e.g., "tiempo",
and command set 46 has addresses 46a and commands 46b, e.g.,
"temps". The same address is used for a given command, regardless
of the language, e.g., "001" for tiempo and temps, because the
address identifies the location of the command displayed on the
screen. The same addresses are also used for the local language
command set stored in system memory 24, i.e., "001" for
temperature. In other words, the address of each local language
command in system memory 24 is the same as the address of the
corresponding foreign language command in RAM 18.
[0020] Alternatively, a different address structure could be used
for the local language command set so each television manufacturer
could select its own address structure. In this case, a table is
downloaded to RAM 18 in the VBI after the viewer keys in a
identification code for h/her particular television model and brand
to relate the addresses of the native language to the addresses of
the foreign language.
[0021] Microprocessor 22 is programmed to operate seamlessly
regardless of the language selected by the viewer. A status bit is
stored in microprocessor 22. The status bit is one value i.e.,
binary "1", if a foreign language command set is downloaded to RAM
18, i.e., the downloaded foreign language is to be displayed, and
the status bit is the other value, i.e., binary "0", if no foreign
language command set has been selected, i.e., the local language is
to be displayed. When microprocessor 22 makes a call for a command
in the course of its operation, an address is issued to designate
the screen location of the command. Microprocessor 22 checks the
status bit to determine its value. If the status bit is a binary
"1", the address is routed to RAM 18 to retrieve the foreign
language command to be displayed at the screen location designated
by the address. (If a table is stored in RAM 18. The issued address
is converted by reference to the table to an address that
designates the screen location at which the foreign language
command is to be displayed.) If the status bit is a binary "0", the
address is routed to system memory 24 to retrieve the local
language command to be displayed at the screen location designated
by the address.
[0022] Since not all television receivers come with a local
language stored in system memory 24, all of the equivalent data
sets, including the local language, can be transmitted and stored
in microprocessor RAM 18. In this case. There is no default
language choice and the viewer must make a choice from the menu of
FIG. 4.
[0023] The described embodiments of the invention are only
considered to be preferred and illustrative of the inventive
concept; the scope of the invention is not to be restricted to such
embodiments. Various and numerous other arrangements may be devised
by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of this invention.
* * * * *