Abstract:
A method and apparatus for displaying banners on a TV screen is disclosed, which is used in a set-top box connected to a TV set, and the set-top box connects to the network to receive banner information to allow a TV screen to display images carrying the banner information. Therefore, information appliances (IA), such as the set-top box, can profit by displaying banner information on a TV screen bringing set-top box costs down.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying banners on a TV screen and, more particularly, to a set-top box, and the method used in the set-top box for displaying banners on the TV screen.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    Currently, set-top boxes are used with TV sets. Users can use a set-top box to receive the network signal (e.g. signal from internet) through the network interface of the set-top box, receive the TV signal over the tuner of the set-top box, and receive the video or CD-ROM drive signal over the AV terminal of the set-top box. Therefore, users can selectively switch to the TV-mode for watching TV programs, to the network-mode for connecting to the network, or to the AV-mode for watching videos or VCDs. Since the set-top box has computer capabilities, users can directly connect to a network via the set-top box without using a computer. Thus it is also good for promoting information appliances (IA). However, the conventional set-top box is only applied to the process of switching signals among the network signals, the TV signals, or other image signals. System providers or distributors cannot transmit any information, such as advertisements, to customers over set-top boxes to receive profit from advertisement. Therefore, the price of a set-top box is still too high to become popular.  
           [0005]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus for displaying banners on a TV screen that mitigates the aforesaid problems.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for displaying banners on a TV screen so that users can use the set-top box not only for connecting to networks but also for receiving banner information while watching TV programs, videos, or VCDs. By displaying banner information on a TV screen to receive profit, System providers or distributors can reduce the cost of the set-top box to benefit users and facilitate the promotion of the set-top box.  
           [0007]    To achieve the object, the method for displaying banners on a TV screen of the present invention comprises the steps of:  
           [0008]    (A) receiving at least a TV-transmitted image signal, a video-transmitted image signal, or a CD (e.g. VCD, DVD) drive-transmitted image signal;  
           [0009]    (B) processing the image signal to obtain a size-reduced image signal so that the size-reduced image signal displayed on the TV screen is reduced in size, and positioning the size-reduced image signal on the TV screen;  
           [0010]    (C) receiving the banner information via the network;  
           [0011]    (D) processing the banner information to obtain a banner image signal, and positioning the banner image signal on the TV screen; and  
           [0012]    (E) outputting the size-reduced image signal and the banner image signal to the TV set.  
           [0013]    Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing according to the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware architecture of a set-top box according to the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing programs stored in a memory device according to the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the steps required for a set-top box to display banners on a TV screen according to the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing banner image signals displayed on a TV screen according to the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a banner-processing program according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]    With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic drawing according to the present invention. The set-top box  10  is coupled to a TV set  30 . The set-top box  10  can receive the network signals  51 , the TV signals  52 , or other image signals  53  transmitted by an image device coupled to the TV set  30 . The image device could be a video, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD player, or other image devices without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, users can use the TV set  30  to watch TV programs, connect to the network (e.g. internet) to surf websites, or watch other image programs provided by other image devices.  
         [0021]    The hardware architecture of the aforesaid set-top box  10  is shown in FIG. 2. Similar to the hardware architecture of a personal computer, the set-top box  10  comprises a microprocessor  11 , a system bus  111 , a memory device  12  (for example, a hard disk drive, or a memory interface card), a voice-processing unit  13 , and an image-processing unit  14 . A person skilled in the art can easily achieve this hardware architecture, so the details of hardware are not disclosed hereinafter. The hardware architecture of the set-top box  10  is similar to a personal computer with the exception of having an infrared receiver  15 , a network interface  16 , a tuner  17 , an AV terminal  18 , and an input device  19  (for example, a remote controller). The network interface  16  can receive the network signals  51  (for example, the signal transmitted via the internet); the tuner  17  can receive the TV signals  52 ; the AV terminal  18  can receive other image signals  53  such as signals from the video or the CD-ROM drive.  
         [0022]    The software programs stored in the memory device  12  of the present invention is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIG. 3. Similar to the hardware architecture of a personal computer, the memory device  12  of the set-top box  10  basically comprises a system program  121 , and a browser  122 . However the memory device  12  further comprises an image size and position processing program  123 , a banner processing program  124 , and a banner file  125 . The function of the programs or files described above specially designed for the present invention will be mentioned in detail hereafter.  
         [0023]    The set-top box  10  of the present invention connects to the network for receiving banner information so the TV screen  31  displays images carrying banner information. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the steps required for the set-top box  10  to display banners on the TV screen  31 . At the beginning, the set-top box  10  receives the image signal (S 401 ). The image signal may comprise a TV-transmitted image signal, a video-transmitted image signal, a CD (e.g. VCD, DVD) drive-transmitted image signal, or the like. Because the TV screen  31  can display banners, the window of the TV screen  31  is divided into two parts as shown in FIG. 5. One is the image signal window  311  for displaying image signals or network signals  51 , and the other is the banner image signal window  312  for displaying banner image signals  21  and  22 .  
         [0024]    In order to display image signals received in step S 401  on the image signal window  311 , the set-top box  10  has to process the image signal to obtain a size-reduced image signal (S 402 ) so that the size-reduced image signal displayed on the TV screen  31  is reduced in size. And then the set-top box  10  arranges the position of the size-reduced image signal on the image signal window  311  (S 403 ). As described above, steps S 402  and S 403  are executed by the image size and position-processing program  123  mentioned in FIG. 3.  
         [0025]    The set-top box  10  can also receive the network signals  51  in step S 401 . However, the network signals  51  do not need to be processed to obtain a size-reduced network signal in step S 402  because the network signals  51  can be displayed on the TV screen  31  without being influenced by the size of the window of the TV screen  31 . And then the set-top box  10  arranges the position of the network signals  51  displayed on the image signal window  311  as described in the step S 403 .  
         [0026]    The set-top box  10  receives banner information via the network (S 404 ), wherein the URL (Universal Resource Locator) for obtaining banner information has been predetermined by the set-top box  10 . Therefore, the set-top box  10  can directly hyperlink to the server according to the IP address of the URL to receive banner information, and then saves the banner information in the banner file  125  mentioned in FIG. 3. At this time, the set-top box  10  processes banner information to obtain banner image signals  21  and  22  (S 405 ), and positions the banner image signals  21  and  22  displayed on the TV screen  31  (S 406 ). The banner image signals  21  and  22  are positioned in the banner image signal window  312 . Steps S 405  and S 406  are processed by the banner processing program  124  mentioned in FIG. 3. After processing image signal and banner information, the set-top box  10  outputs the size-reduced image signal to the image signal window  311  and banner image signals  21  and  22  to the banner image signal window  312  respectively (S 407 ).  
         [0027]    With reference to FIG. 6, there is shown a detailed flow chart illustrating the banner-processing program  124 . The situation disclosed in FIG. 4 assumes that the network is connected. However, in reality users may turn on the TV set  30  at first without connecting to the network, or the network fails to connect. So the set-top box  10  has to determine whether the network is initially connected (S 601 ). If the network is successfully connected, the set-top box  10  can download banner information via the network (S 602 ). After downloading banner information, the set-top box  10  stores banner information in the banner file  125  to update the banner file  125  (S 603 ). Further, the set-top box  10  can retrieve the updated banner information from the banner file  125  and process the banner information to produce banner image signals  21  and  22 , and then display banner image signals  21  and  22  on the banner image signal window  312  (S 604 ). Since banner information provided by advertisers would be continuously updated, the set-top box  10  updates banner information after a predetermined elapsed time. The predetermined elapsed time can be one or two hours, or it can be counted in minutes or seconds. When the predetermined elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time (S 605 ), the set-top box  10  will execute the procedure from step S 601  to step S 605 , and the elapsed time is set to zero upon completion of step S 605 . In step S 601 , if the network is not connected, the set-top box  10  could retrieve and receive the previously stored banner information from the banner file  125  (S 606 ). So the set-top box  10  processes the pre-stored banner information stored in the banner file  125  and continuously checks the network condition. After the network is connected, the set-top box  10  can update the banner file  125 .  
         [0028]    With reference to FIG. 5, there is shown a schematic drawing showing banner image signals  21  and  22  displayed on the TV screen  31 . In this embodiment, the size of the image signal window  311  is reduced to 86 percent of the full TV screen  31 . So the TV signals  52  or other image signals  53  displayed on the image signal window  311  are reduced to 86 percent of its original size, and the network signals  51  displayed on the image signal window  311  are 100 percent of its original size. In addition, the size of the image signal window  311  is not limited as described above.  
         [0029]    In this preferred embodiment, the TV screen  31  is divided into two parts, one is on the top side of the TV screen  31  called the banner image signal window  312 , and the other is on the bottom side of the TV screen  31  called the image signal window  311 . Of course the arrangement of the image signal window  311  and the banner image signal window  312  shown on the TV screen  31  are not limited as described above. They can be changed such as the image signal window  311  can appear on the left side of the TV screen  31 , and the banner image signal window  312  can appear on the right hand side of the TV screen  31 , or the like. In addition to banner images  21  and  22 , the banner image signal window  312  further comprises a tool bar  23  enabling users to switch to TV-mode, hyperlink to their home page, browse the previous or next page, or choose other functions designed for satisfying the needs of users. The banner image signals window  312  comprises not only two banner image signals, wherein banner image signals could be GIF, JPG, JPEG, or BMP files. Banner image signals also comprise the URL path for users to hyperlink to the website of the advertiser.  
         [0030]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.