Apparatus and method for managing signals provided to multiple display devices
AssigneeThomson Licensing
InventorsDouglas Paul STRACHOTA, Brian William Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and user interface for providing operational status for multiple communication networks is described. The embodiments include receiving a request to change a program being provided on a first device in the plurality of devices, determining if the requested change requires changing the program provided to at least one second device in the plurality of devices, and outputting or displaying a list of programs currently provided to a subset of the plurality of devices if the requested change requires changing the program to the at least one second device, the subset of devices including the first device and the at least one second device.
Claims23
A method for controlling content being provided to a plurality of devices, the method comprising:
- receiving a request to change a program being provided on a first device in the plurality of devices;
- determining if the requested change requires changing the program provided to at least one second device in the plurality of devices;
- and
- outputting a list of programs currently provided to a subset of the plurality of devices if the requested change requires changing the program to the at least one second device, the subset of devices including the first device and the at least one second device.
An apparatus for controlling content being provided to a plurality of devices, the method comprising:
- means for receiving a request to change a program being provided on a first device in the plurality of devices;
- means for determining if the requested change requires changing the program provided to at least one second device in the plurality of devices;
- and
- means for outputting a list of programs currently provided to a subset of the plurality of devices if the requested change requires changing the program to the at least one second device, the subset of devices including the first device and the at least one second device.
A method comprising the steps of:
- displaying a first plurality of visual elements associated with programs that are available for display on a set of video display devices;
- displaying a second plurality of visual elements associated with the set of video display devices, each of the visual elements including an indication of a current program displayed on each of the set of display devices;
- receiving a request to change the current program to a new program displayed on one of the set of video display devices;
- determining if the request requires changing the current program to the new program displayed on at least one additional video display device in the set of video display devices;
- and
- displaying a third plurality of visual elements associated with a subset of video display devices from the set of video display devices if it is determined that the request changes the current program on at least one additional video display device, the subset including all video display devices that require changing the current program to the new program.
An apparatus for controlling content being provided to a plurality of devices, the apparatus comprising:
- an input circuit that receives a request to change a program being provided on a first device in the plurality of devices;
- a controller coupled to the input circuit, the controller determining if the requested change requires changing the program provided to at least one second device in the plurality of devices;
- and
- a video display coupled to the controller, the video display displaying a list of programs provided to a subset of the plurality of devices if the requested change requires changing the program to the at least one second device, the subset of devices including the first device and the at least one second device, the list showing the programs currently provided to each of the subsets of the plurality of devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.