Abstract:
A method for displaying content on a video display comprising the steps of coupling the video display with an external storage device having content files stored thereon. The content files from the external storage device are then grouped into one or more groups of content files by file type. Each of the groups are associated with a selectable icon, and the grouped content files of a particular type are displayed on the video display responsive to selection of the associated icon.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/535,049 filed Jan. 6, 2004 whose contents are incorporated herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates to graphical interfaces, and particularly methods for implementing graphical menu systems for displaying removable media content—including still images, address book entries, web pages, text messages, audio files, and video files—to consumers.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     In current televisions, TV menus control basic television features such as video mode, picture brightness, color, audio-specific features such as stereo or mono output signals, channel-controls, parental locks, and other television-centric setups. There are satellite TV systems that provide users with customized channel listings using graphical user interfaces. There currently exists no standard television-driven menu system that supports dynamic recognition and display of content stored on removable devices such as memory cards.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, the need remains for an interface that overcomes these drawbacks in the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The current invention describes methods in which TVs with PC card slots or other removable media can display to users the content of the inserted memory device in a graphical, menu-driven manner. The menu-based external media explorer, implemented according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, would group and icon-ize the content of the media based on type and information. This invention extends the TV menu control to recognize and read content of a removable media device such as a memory card. This menu control would not only perform the existing television centric setups, but also would help users explore or browse content from a media outside of the television.  
         [0008]     The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a television with removable external storage media implemented to carry out methods according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a remote control used to implement the current invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a screen shot showing a television function implemented from a first tier graphical menu structure.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a screen shot showing a first and second tier menu hierarchy during a browse of an external media browse.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a screen shot showing selection of one of the second tier menu items (“Still Images”) from the screen shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a screen shot showing a first and third tier menu structure resulting from selection of the second tier menu item from  FIG. 4 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a screen shot showing a first and third tier menu structure resulting from selection of the audio file menu item from  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  contains a block diagram for a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) television capable of operating according to some embodiments of the present invention. Television  100  contains an LCD panel  102  to display visual output to a viewer based on a display signal generated by an LCD panel driver  104 . LCD panel driver  104  accepts a primary digital video signal in CCIR656 format (eight bits per pixel YC b C r , in a “4:2:2” data ratio wherein two C b  and two C r  pixels are supplied for every four luminance pixels) from a digital video/graphics processor  120 .  
         [0017]     A television processor  106  provides basic control functions and viewer input interfaces for television  100 . Television processor  106  receives viewer commands, both from buttons located on the television itself (TV controls) and from a handheld remote control unit (not shown in  FIG. 5 , but like remote  200 ) through the IR Port. Based on the viewer commands, television processor  106  controls an analog tuner/input select section  108 , and also supplies user inputs to a digital video/graphics processor  120  over a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) command channel. Television processor  106  is also capable of generating basic On-Screen Display (OSD) graphics, e.g., indicating which input is selected, the current audio volume setting, etc. Television processor  106  supplies these OSD graphics as a TV OSD signal to LCD panel driver  104  for overlay on the display signal.  
         [0018]     Analog tuner/input select section  108  allows television  100  to switch between various analog (or possibly digital) inputs for both video and audio. Video inputs can include a radio frequency (RF) signal carrying broadcast television, digital television, and/or high-definition television signals, NTSC video, S-Video, and/or RGB component video inputs, although various embodiments may not accept each of these signal types or may accept signals in other formats (such as PAL). The selected video input is converted to a digital data stream, DV In, in CCIR656 format and supplied to a media processor  110 .  
         [0019]     Analog tuner/input select section  108  also selects an audio source, digitizes that source if necessary, and supplies that digitized source as Digital Audio In to an Audio Processor  114  and a multiplexer  130 . The audio source can be selected-independent of the current video source-as the audio channel(s) of a currently tuned RF television signal, stereophonic or monophonic audio connected to television  100  by audio jacks corresponding to a video input, or an internal microphone.  
         [0020]     Media processor  110  and digital video/graphics processor  120  provide various digital feature capabilities for television  100 , as will be explained further in the specific embodiments below. In some embodiments, processors  110  and  120  can be TMS320DM270 signal processors, available from Texas Instruments, Inc., Dallas, Tex. Digital video/graphics processor  120  functions as a master processor, and media processor  110  functions as a slave processor. Media processor  110  supplies digital video, either corresponding to DV In or to a decoded media stream from another source, to digital video/graphics processor  120  over a DV transfer bus.  
         [0021]     Media processor  110  performs MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) coding and decoding of digital media streams for television  100 , as instructed by digital video/graphics processor  120 . A 32-bit-wide data bus connects memory  112 , e.g., two 16-bit-wide×1M synchronous DRAM devices connected in parallel, to processor  110 . An audio processor  114  also connects to this data bus to provide audio coding and decoding for media streams handled by media processor  110 .  
         [0022]     Digital video/graphics processor  120  coordinates (and/or implements) many of the digital features of television  100 . A 32-bit-wide data bus connects memory  122 , e.g., two 16-bit-wide×1M synchronous DRAM devices connected in parallel, to processor  120 . A 16-bit-wide system bus connects processor  120  to media processor  110 , an audio processor  124 , flash memory  126 , and removable PCMCIA cards  128 . Flash memory  126  stores boot code, configuration data, executable code, and Java code for graphics applications, etc. PCMCIA cards  128  can provide extended media and/or application capability. Digital video/graphics processor  120  can pass data from the DV Transfer bus to LCD panel driver  104  as is, but processor  120  can also supercede, modify, or superimpose the DV Transfer signal with other content.  
         [0023]     Multiplexer  130  provides audio output to the television amplifier and line outputs (not shown) from one of three sources. The first source is the current Digital Audio In stream from analog tuner/input select section  108 . The second and third sources are the Digital Audio Outputs of audio processors  114  and  124 . These two outputs are tied to the same input of multiplexer  130 , since each audio processor is capable of tri-stating its output when it is not selected. In some embodiments, processors  114  and  124  can be TMS320VC5416 signal processors, available from Texas Instruments, Inc., Dallas, Tex.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows one implementation of a remote control  200  used to implement the invention. The remote control in  FIG. 2  includes many local-function buttons  202 , examples of which are the number keys 0-9, the volume toggle button, the channel toggle button, and the volume mute button. The remote control further has plurality of browsing or cursor-control keys  204  such as up arrow, down arrow, right arrow, left arrow, and the enter key.  
         [0025]     The cursor-control and selection (“enter”) keys are used for the purposes of browsing through the menu structures described in more detail below.  
         [0026]     Each key, when depressed, activates a wireless signal (here an infrared signal) to be transmitted from the remote control. Each button activates a separate wireless signal. The television display wireless receiver interpreter compares the signal with a table of functions and matches the signal received with the function requested. The requested function (e.g. raise or lower volume) is then carried out (as by routing more or less power to the speaker amplifiers). Such functions are well known in the art and not described further.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a screen shot at  300  of a television menu system with a browser control implemented according to a preferred construction of the invention. The menu system shown includes a first tier menu hierarchy displayed along a top row  302  of the television monitor, and a second tier menu hierarchy displayed in a lower display field  304  beneath top row. The first tier menu hierarchy, in a preferred implementation, includes the television-specific functions “video”, “audio”, “channel”, “parent”, and “setup” as well as the invention-specific “browse” menu items.  
         [0028]     To select a menu item from the top tier menu structure, a user would press the cursor control keys  204  on the remote control  200  to browser over to the desired menu item using the right/left cursor control keys. When the cursor is positioned over the menu item, the menu item is highlighted as the “video” menu item is shown in  FIG. 3 . Selection of the item may occur automatically, as when the cursor is positioned over the item, or manually, as when the user positions the cursor over the item and selects the “enter” button on remote control  200 .  FIG. 3  shows in lower screen area  304 , with “video” selected in the top tier menu structure, a second tier menu structure including various video adjustment features such as video mode, picture, brightness, color, hue and sharpness. The user may adjust each of these features by again using the cursor control keys and “enter” button. Such adjustments are well known in the art and not described in detail further here.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows a screen shot at  400  in which the top tier “browse” menu item  406  in row  402  has been selected to reveal a second tier menu structure in field  404  associated with the browse menu item. The second tier menu structure associated with the “browse” top tier menu item includes, in a preferred embodiment, icons with text directed to each of the following categories “Still Images”, “Video Files”, “Web Pages”, “Address Book”, “Audio Files” and “Display Board”. Each icon on the browser client has a handle to the inserted media storage device, such as PCMCIA cards  128  ( FIG. 1 ), and it can read and display the content to the user in a third tier menu structure as described below. As with the  FIG. 3  second tier menu, the media categories represented by the icons shown in field  404  can be selected by moving a cursor over the icon and selecting it as shown in  FIG. 5  with the “Still Images” icon  500  highlighted for selection.  
         [0030]     Multimedia content may be stored on PCMCIA cards  128 , as well as on PCMCIA cards connected to a host computer, or a PCMCIA wired card connected to the computer where such data can be retrieved over a wired connection to the television system  100 .  
         [0031]     Content may be grouped based on the type (extension) of media present. Example: Images with .jpg extension are grouped together and marked as images as understood by the software. The system would recognize a variety of media content such as .jpeg(images), .asf(video), .html(data) and .mp3(audio). Examples of other grouping schemes based on several different criteria are as follows: (1) time; (2) date created; (3) alphabetical listing by file name; (4) user-indicated preference; (5) most recently accessed; or (6) by user habit. These can be set up as per the user through a set up sequence.  
         [0032]     Upon selection of the second tier icon, the content reader client queries the files on the inserted media storage device  128  for the type of files selected by the user. For instance, if as in the  FIG. 5  image the “Still Images” icon  500  is selected by the user, the content reader identifies those files on the storage device that are stored in still image format—such as .jpg, .tiff, or some other potential file type. Files of similar media groups are grouped together and the content list is displayed as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows a screen shot at  600  in which the second tier menu items are shown across a bottom row  602  and the third tier media item list is shown in upper display field  604 . The list is the present example shown is comprised of thumbnail images of each of the still images retrieved from the inserted media storage device  128 . Initially, images (thumbnail part only) are retrieved from memory to display thumbnail of required images on the drive/network. If a user selects to view them on a regular size (slideshow), they are then read from the drive real time and decoded. A Jpeg decoder software residing on graphic processor [ FIG. 1 ]  120  or Media processor  110  to decode the thumbnail from the image files. The preview engine, onscreen display and video interface section of the  120  and  110  processors scales and display the images to the screen. The user chooses to view the images stored on the media device  128  by moving the cursor over to a picture and selecting it. The image viewer client then reads and displays the images for the user. These images could then be enlarged or be used for various other application dependent purposes such as screen savers, printing, etc.  
         [0034]     The image viewer client (software browser) displays decoded images on the TV  102 . Client viewer software is an application with a user interface that allows a viewer to control his media while viewing; that is, select slideshow or music with virtual buttons for show, album, pause, resume, and stop which operate on  120  and  110  processors [ FIG. 1 ].  
         [0035]      FIG. 7  shows at  700  another example of a third tier menu structure list, this time from the “Audio Files” second tier menu item. Instead of thumbnail images, the list is textual in nature. A user would browse down to a desired audio file and select it for play. The user could have audio files on a memory card which he may want to play on his television. The television menu explorer would show the user all the audio files that may be present on the media card. The user could select any from the selection and play it through the television speakers. Play can occur automatically upon selection, or can occur manually as by browsing to and selecting the play button  702  within the upper display field  704 .  
         [0036]     The television system of the present invention includes various application software operating thereon. A media interpreter is software programmed to recognize media extensions and types from files stored in memory systems operative within (such as cards  128 ) the television system  100 , or connected to such a system as over a network connection. These media types can be proprietary or known such as .jpeg, .asf, .mp3. Media recognized by the interpreter allows it to be played on the TV. Accordingly, decoders for the various media types exist on the system that understand and can play these media types.  
         [0037]     A new media discovery client operates on television system  100  when the system is connected to a storage device (card or PC over network) and new media is added. The client recognizes this new media insertion and updates its listing. Example of new media being added to the card can be image captured using the software residing on the TV with a video capture program residing on the TV. New media can be added to the networked PC by using its drives (e.g. PCMCIA).  
         [0038]     A content reader client, operative on the television system a text and image parser. As content can be obtained from a variety of resources, content needs to a read (parsed) and re-displayed in a reasonable format and screen resolution to make it easier for the viewer to browse through the data. The content reader may be compatible with a variety of source such as html, doc, pdf, email etc.  
         [0039]     Once the media is discovered, interpreted and read into right screen format, the system use the preview engine to effect content display. On screen display (OSD) of the content is operated by processor ( 120 / 110   FIG. 1 ) to display the content properly on the system  100 .  
         [0040]     Other media clients operative on the television system  100  include an image viewer client, an audio player, a video player, an address book content display client, and an email or web page display client.  
         [0041]     The image viewer client operates as a photo browser for the system. This is a user application which allows user to select slideshow, select music to go with slide show, select album, pause, play, stop and resume. User interfaces may vary.  
         [0042]     The audio player client operates as an audio browser for the system. This is a user application that allows the user to select music, view/select from a playlist of content and read about singer and/or album, group. The player allows a user to pause, play, stop, resume, fast-forward, rewind responsive to user actions on the remote control  200 .  
         [0043]     The video player operates as a video browser for the system. This user application allows a user to select video, view a playlist, pause, resume, jump to live, Fast-forward, rewind, stop and play responsive to user actions on the remote control  200 .  
         [0044]     The address book content display client operates as an address content book browser. The application interface allows a user to add, edit, remove, and view content stored either on the PC card or over the network. This Address book may interface and be compatible with known address books such as Outlook using means known in the art.  
         [0045]     The email/webpage display client operates as an email and webpage browser. The application allows users to view and write emails and display webpages. Content for these shall be obtained from a remotely connected PC. Operation of the email and web browser client can be effected by using a keyboard interface to the TV and/or remote control with qwerty (keys) associated with the number pad.  
         [0046]     Some applications may be associated with certain pre-set buttons on the remote control  200 . Two examples of these are record button  206  and the still image capture button  208 . Pressing the record button  206  causes the video signal from media processor  110 , such as a television station to which the television system  100  is currently tuned using tuner  108 , to be recorded on PCMCIA cards  128  for storage and later playback. This is useful for immediate recording where the viewer is watching television, for instance, and an important moment appears only briefly on the screen. Ordinarily it would require several steps to cause recording, for which the delay may cause the viewer to miss the event. One button recording is thus a useful feature of the invention.  
         [0047]     Pressing the capture button  208  causes the current video image from media processor to be captured on PCMCIA cards  128  for storage and later playback in a manner similar to the video images described above. The captured still images would be stored in an appropriate file format, such as .jpg, and ordered within certain media categories for later playback.  
         [0048]     The present implementation loads a JPEG Encoder program onto the MP processor  110  and encodes a JPEG of the current live TV. This means if we are already time shifted, we will end up losing the time-shift and jumping to Live TV to capture the image (the image will be from the live TV.)  
         [0049]     An alternate potential embodiment would freeze the frame and save it to a buffer, load the JPEG encoder onto the DVGP processor  120  while continuing to encode MPGE4 on the MP processor  110 . Once encoding was complete the MPEG4 decoder could be loaded back onto the processor  120  and decoding of the MPEG4 stream would resume from the frozen frame.  
         [0050]     Data is captured using still image (.jpg) or moving image (MPEG4) formats on storage medium such as cards  128  and grouped for selection and playback using the user interface described above.  
         [0051]     Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention could be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. We claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims.