Title of Invention

"PROCESS FOR GENERATING FOR DISPLAY ON A DISPLAY DEVICE A REPRESENTATION OF A VIDEO SIGNAL

Abstract This invention relates to a process for generating for display on a display device a representation of a video signal, at least one representation of an application, and a representation of a navigator, the process comprising the steps of; generating a graphics area displaying the representation of the video signal, the at least one representation of an application, and the representation of the navigator; detecting an activation of the navigator, resizing the representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an applications according to a homothetic reduction, in a first mode of operation, and resizing by reducing the representation of the video signal, in a second mode of operation, wherein the area occupied by the at least one representation of an application is the same during said resizing step.
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may to be reduce the size of the video display. However, in this case position and the size of the representation of the applications are no longer complied with relative to that of the representation of the video signal. The representation of the applications may moreover be masked.
To remove the risk of having the representation of applications which are poorly placed or poorly dimensioned, the following solutions exist at present:
The navigator covers the whole of the screen, but in this case user can no longer view on screen the representation of the applications.
When the size and the position of the video signal are modified, a cue comes to the applications to resize the size and the position of their on-screen representation. This assumes the provision of an interface for programming complex applications. This interface must be compatible with the services developed. This solution has flaws. Firstly that of being limited to services which are compatible with the interface for programming applications, next that of making errors in programming. Moreover, certain applications present difficulties in being resized and therefore require additional programming as well as a memory of larger size.
The document Bertram US 5,657,091 discloses the use of video/audio signal streams such as in the past have been distributed by broadcast over radio frequency bands or by cable distribution, or made available from video recorder/player devices such as cassette recorders or video disc players, or made available from direct, live sources such as cameras, game systems or computers. The programs stored in memory devices associated with microcontrollers

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controlling the display to a user are constructed in a language which uses layered statements, each of which can have a description portion, an action portion, and a unique connecting character. This document does not teach that the resizings of, in one part the video signal, and in other part, of the representation of the application are separately executed.
A first object of the invention is to provide a process for a display screen allowing the sharing of the screen area between the representations of the various services and of the navigator and such that the proportions and the positioning of the on-screen representations of the applications relative to the on-screen representation of the video signal are preserved.
A second object of the invention is to provide a device for a display screen such that the representation of the navigator does not mask either the representation of the applications or that of the video signal.

The invention relates to a process and to its device, for dimensionina and positioning on-screen representations of digital video signals, representations of services provided by apprications, and representations of a naviqator on a screen, for example a digital television screen.
¦The technology which enables the user to gain access to interactive services is known in the prior art, in the realm of digital television. These services are either provided by the digital television manufacturer, or by outside companies. The services may be built into the television set or may be transferred from outside, to the television, by means of an application and then subsequently executed. Several services may be used at the same time. An application is a particular use of information technology which makes it possible in particular to offer a service. An application manager is in charge of managing all these services. There is a particular application, referred to as the navigator, commonly provided by the digital television manufacturer which enables the user to drive the various applications and hence to navigate around the services. The navigator and the application manager exhibit tight links. The navigator is commonly activated by means of a remote control furnished with a means of selection. The navigator makes it possible in particular to gain access to the various services such as those for choosing favourite interactions, favourite stations or outside services communicated for example by satellite or by cable, etc.
At present the display screen is shared between the various interactive services and the navigator. When it is activated, the navigator appears on the screen, masking a certain part of the graphics area. The representations of the applications are defined in the applications data, these representations may be located in the part masked by the navigator and may no longer appear. The navigator may also mask a part of the representation of the video signal. One solution

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According to the invention, if the area of the screen for viewing the video signal is reduced by the screen area required for displaying the navigator, the representation of the applications is automatically resized and repositioned as a function of the new area available for the representation on the screen for viewing the video signal and the applications. The user therefore observes a homothetic reduction on the screen of the depiction of the video signal and of the representation of the applications relative to the space occupied on the screen with the video signal in a situation of maximum area of representation. If the user exits the navigator, then the on-screen depiction will represent on the entire area of the screen the representation of the video signal as well as the representation of the applications.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from reading the following description given with reference to the appended/drawings accompanying in which:
Figure 1 represents the display screen when it is dedicated to the video signal and to the graphical representation of the applications.
Figure 2 represents the display screen when the navigator is activated without the area for representing the video signal being resized.
Figure 3 represents the display screen when the navigator is activated, the area for representing the video signal being resized without the graphical representation of the applications being resized or repositioned.
Figure 4 represents the display screen when the navigator is activated, the area for representing the video signal being resized, the on-screen representation of the applications is also resized and repositioned.
Figure 5 represents a functional graphic of the method for repositioning and resizing the on-screen representations.

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Figure 1 represents the display screen (1) when it is dedicated to the display of a video signal and to the graphical representation of applications. The screen displays the representation of a clock (2) which constitutes a display application. A second graphical application consists of a thick circle (3) surrounding the representation of a glass. Finally, also appearing on the screen is the representation (4) of a video signal portrayed as a captioned drawing of a chick and a second glass.
Figure 2 represents the display screen (1) when the navigator is activated and displayed on a part of the area for representation of the video signal without resizing this representation. The representation 5 of the navigator appears on the left and lower borders of the screen. In this case, the thick circle (3) is partly concealed and the clock is completely masked.
Figure 3 represents the display screen (1) when the navigator is activated, the representation of the video signal (6) is . resized, the graphical representation of the applications is neither resized nor repositioned. In this example, the clock is no longer visible, it is masked by the representation of the navigator, the circle no longer surrounds the glass, the size of the circle has not varied although the size of the glass has been reduced. There is no longer any causal link between the object in the image and the link for calling up the application corresponding to this object.
Figure 4 represents the display screen (1) with the navigator activated, the area for representing the video signal (6) resized, and when the on-screen representation of the applications (7) (clock and graphical circle) is resized and repositioned.
Figure 5 represents a functional graphic representing implementational means for representing graphics on screen. The navigator (10) generates the display signals (11) required for its representation, the applications (20) are represented by the display

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signals (21) allowing their representation, such as represented in Figure 1. The display signals {11 and 21) are arrays comprising the characteristics making it possible to define the set of points of the respective applications. The video decoder (30) emits a signal (31) which makes it possible to construct the representation of the video signal. When the navigator is activated, it sends an order to the control module (40) . This control module (40) triggers the operation of the module (50) referred to as the repositioner ref or matter embodied in the form of a res ampler. The function of the repositicner reformatter is to reposition and modify the dimensions of the graphics (position along the XY axes, length L and width 1 of the representation according to a technique well known from the prior art). When the navigator (10) is activated, it orders the control module (40) to pass the order to the repositioner reformatter (50) to reposition the coordinates and to resize the format, in terms of width and length, of the representation of the video signal and of the representation of "The applications. A mixer circuit (60) mixes together the representations of the video signal with that of the applications and with that of the naviqator. The signal thus constructed is then displayed on the digital television screen (1) so as to constitute the representation of Figure 4 .
Conversely, when the navigator (10) is deactivated, the control module (40) detects this new state and addresses the instruction to the repositioner reformatter (50) to reposition and to resize the display (31) of the video signal and the representation (21) of the applications. The mixer (60) mixes together the- display of the video signal (31) and the representation of the applications (21). The whole is then displayed on the digital television screen (1) The video display (31) and the representation of the applications (21) are then subjected to the same homotnetic increase of their representation. In a

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particular case the display of the video signal (31) can occupy the entire digital television screen (1).
The invention therefore consists of a process for the representation on a digital television screen of a display comprising the representation of a video signal, the representation of applications, the representation of the navigator characterized in that it comprises a step of detecting the activation of the navigator and a step of resizing the display of the video signal and the representation of the applications according to one and the same homothetic reduction.
The representation process is also characterized in that the area occupied by the display of the representation of the navigator covers the area left vacant by the homothetic reduction.
The process-for-the representation on a digital screen of a display comprising the representation of a video signal, the representation of applications and the representation of a navigator can also be characterized in that it comprises a step of detecting the deactivation of the navigator and a step of resizing the- display of the video signal and the representation of the applications according to one and the same homothetic increase. The process is characterized in that the representation of the video signal and the representation of the applications then occupy the entire digital television screen (1).
The invention also relates to a device for the representation on a digital television screen of a video signal, of applications, of a navigator (10) characterized in that it comprises a control module (40) comprising at least means for detecting the activation of the navigator, a repositioner reformatter (50) , a mixer (60) for mixing the representations of the applications and/or of the video signal with that of the navigator, means in the control module for detecting a modification of the state of activation of the navigator and for ordering; the repositioner reformatter to resize and reposition the representation

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of the applications and/or of the display of the video signal, means (60) for mixing the representations of the applications and/or of the video signal with that of the navigator.
The invention also relates to a device for the representation on a digital television screen of a video signal, and of applications, characterized in that a repositioner reformatter circuit (50) is associated with each representation of the applications (20) and with the display of the video signal (30).
Other modifications within the scope of the person skilled in the art will also form part of the spirit of the invention.

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We Claim
1. Process for generating for display on a display device a representation of a
video signal, at feast one representation of an application, and a
representation of a navigator, the process comprising the steps of:
generating a graphics area displaying the representation of the video signal, the at least one representation of an application, and the representation of the navigator;
detecting an activation of the navigator,
resizing the representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an applications according to a homothetic reduction, in a first mode of operation, and
resizing by reducing the representation of the video signal, in a second mode of operation, wherein the area occupied by the at least one representation of an application is the same during said resizing step.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the representation of the navigator
occupies the area left vacant by the homothetic reduction of the
representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an
application in the first mode of operation and the representation of the
navigator occupies the area left vacant by the resized representation of the
representation of the video signal in the second mode of operation.

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3. Process for generating for a display device a representation of a video signal,
at least one representation of an applications, and a representation of a
navigator, the process comprising the steps of:
detecting a deactivation of the navigator,
resizing the representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an application according to a homothetic increase, in a first mode of operation, and
resizing by expanding the representation of the video signal, in a second mode of operation, wherein the area occupied by the at least one representation of an application is the same during said resizing step.
4. Process according to claim 3, wherein the representation of the video signal
and the at least one representation of the applications occupy the entire
graphics area.
5. A device for generating for display a representation of a video signal, at least
one representation of an application, and a representation of a navigator
comprising:
a control module comprising
a means for detecting the activation of the navigator,
a means for detecting a modification in a state of activation of the navigator


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a repositioning reformatter for resizing the representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an application that operates in view of the means for detecting a modification in the state of activation of the navigator by resizing the representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an application in a first mode of operation and resizing the representation of the video signal leaving unaffected the at feast one representation of an application in a second mode of operation
a mixer for mixing the representation of the video signal and the representation of the at least one representation of an application, and the representation of the navigator.
6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the repositioner reformatter circuit is associated with at least one representation of an application.
This invention relates to a process for generating for display on a display device a representation of a video signal, at least one representation of an application, and a representation of a navigator, the process comprising the steps of; generating a graphics area displaying the representation of the video signal, the at least one representation of an application, and the representation of the navigator; detecting an activation of the navigator, resizing the representation of the video signal and the at least one representation of an applications according to a homothetic reduction, in a first mode of operation, and resizing by reducing the representation of the video signal, in a second mode of operation, wherein the area occupied by the at least one representation of an application is the same during said resizing step.

Documents:

00681-cal-2000-abstract.pdf

00681-cal-2000-claims.pdf

00681-cal-2000-correspondence.pdf

00681-cal-2000-description(complete).pdf

00681-cal-2000-drawings.pdf

00681-cal-2000-form-1.pdf

00681-cal-2000-form-18.pdf

00681-cal-2000-form-2.pdf

00681-cal-2000-form-26.pdf

00681-cal-2000-form-3.pdf

00681-cal-2000-form-5.pdf

00681-cal-2000-letters patent.pdf

00681-cal-2000-priority document.pdf

681-CAL-2000-FORM-27.pdf

681-CAL-2000-FORM-27_1.pdf


Patent Number 206428
Indian Patent Application Number 681/CAL/2000
PG Journal Number 17/2007
Publication Date 27-Apr-2007
Grant Date 27-Apr-2007
Date of Filing 14-Dec-2000
Name of Patentee THOMSON MULTIMEDIA,
Applicant Address 46 QUAI A.LE GALLO, F-92100 BOULOGNE BILLANCOURT,
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 CROCITTI VALERIE 5 RUE DE PENTHIEVRE, F-35230 SAINT ARMEL,
2 HOUEIX PIERRE 42 SQUARE DE LA FORSE AUX MOINES , F-35510 CESSON SEVIGNE
3 LANDRY CAROLINE LA TOUCHE SUR ROCHE F-35510 CESSON-SEVIGNE
PCT International Classification Number G 09 G 1/16
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 9916745 1999-12-30 France