Patent ID: 8863187

Claim:
A television system, comprising: an input interface for receiving video data from a plurality of video streams and transferring the video data to a frame controller in communication with a television display, wherein each of the plurality of video streams correspond to a different television channel; the frame controller causing the video data from each of the plurality of different video streams to be simultaneously displayed in corresponding separate, non-overlapping frames on the television display, each frame occupying an area of the television display separate from an area occupied by any other frame, wherein the non-overlapping frames comprise at least: a first frame displaying a corresponding first video stream and having a first height and a first width in proportion to the first video stream's aspect ratio, a second frame smaller in size than the first frame, the second frame displaying a corresponding second video stream different from the first video stream and having a second height and a second width in proportion to the second video stream's aspect ratio, and a third frame smaller in size than the first frame, the third frame displaying a corresponding third video stream different from the first and second video streams and having a third height and a third width in proportion to the third video stream's aspect ratio, wherein the third video stream's aspect ratio is different from the second video stream's aspect ratio, wherein the first frame is at least 50% larger in area than the second frame or the third frame; the frame controller receiving a request to swap the video streams displayed in the first frame and the second frame; and in response to receiving the request to swap, the frame controller: causing the first video stream to be displayed in the second frame, wherein the first video stream is displayed in the second frame having the second height and the second width, and causing the second video stream to be displayed in the first frame, wherein the second video stream is displayed in the first frame having the first height and the first width.