# US 5,625,406 A · Unified program guide interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,625,406 A - Document ID: US5625406A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/674,666 - Filed: 1996-07-02 - Granted: 1997-04-29 - Earliest claimed: 1994-12-21 - Assignees: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. - Inventors: Thomas P. Newberry; Timothy W. Saeger; Enrique Rodriguez-Cavazos - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5625406A ## CPC - H04N 21/426: Internal components of the client {; Characteristics thereof} (H04N5/44 takes precedence) - H04N 7/0887: {for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals} - H04N 21/42638: {involving a hybrid front-end, e.g. analog and digital tuners} - H04N 21/42653: {for processing graphics} - H04N 21/4345: {Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream} - H04N 21/435: Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream - H04N 21/47: End-user applications - H04N 5/44504: {Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Analog and digital video signals are each representative of a picture and each may carry program guide information. A demultiplexer has the digital video signal as an input and the program guide information as an output. A demodulator has at least a luminance component of the analog video signal as an input and the program guide information as an output. A microprocessor, a video graphics adapter, the demultiplexer and the demodulator are interconnected by a data bus. Either of the program guide outputs is transferable to the video graphics adapter, which formats a graphics video signal representative of the program guide information. The graphics video signal and a selected one of the video signals are inputs to a multiplexer, which outputs a combined video signal representative of both the program guide information and the picture represented by the selected video signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A program guide interface, comprising: a source of analog and digital video signals, each of which is representative of a picture and each of which may carry program guide information; first multiplexing means for selecting one of said analog and digital video signals for display; respective means for separating said program guide information from each of said analog and digital video signals; a video graphics generator; a microprocessor for routing said separated program guide information to said video graphics generator, said video graphics generator formatting a graphics video signal representative of said program guide information and supplying a control signal; and, second multiplexing means responsive to said control signal for combining said graphics video signal with said one of said analog and digital video signals selected by said first multiplexing means to generate a combined video display including said program guide information and any one of said pictures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein an information signal carrying said program guide information is also available from said source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The interface of claim 2, wherein said microprocessor can also route said program guide information from said information signal to said video graphics generator, for said combined video display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, further comprising means for selecting one of said analog and digital video signals for said combined display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, further comprising a synchronizing signal separator for supplying scan synchronizing information to said video graphics generator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein said means for separating said program guide information comprises a data packet transport stream demultiplexer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein said means for separating said program guide information comprises a demodulator for data transmitted in vertical blanking intervals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, wherein said combining means comprises: a first multiplexer for selecting between said digital and analog signals for display; and, a second multiplexer for selecting between said previously selected one of said digital and analog video signals and said graphics video signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The interface of claim 1, further comprising a video encoder coupled to said video graphics generator and said combining means. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The interface of claim 9, further comprising means for supplying a burst signal to said encoder. ### Claim 11 A program guide interface, comprising: a source of analog and digital video signals, each of which is representative of a picture and each of which may carry program guide information; a demultiplexer having said digital video signal as an input and having said program guide information as a first program guide output; a demodulator having at least a luminance component of said analog video signal as an input and having said program guide information as a second program guide output; a first multiplexer having said digital and analog video signals as inputs and having a selected video signal as an output; and, a video graphics adapter; a microprocessor; a data bus interconnecting said demultiplexer, said demodulator, said video graphics adapter and said microprocessor, any one of said first and second program guide outputs being transferable to said video graphics adapter, said video graphics adapter formatting a graphics video signal representative of said program guide information; and, a second multiplexer having said graphics video signal and said selected video signal as inputs and having a combined output video signal representative of both said program guide information and said picture represented by said selected video signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The interface of claim 11, wherein an information signal carrying said program guide information is also available from said source. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The interface of claim 12, wherein said microprocessor can also route said program guide information from said information signal to said video graphics generator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The interface of claim 11, wherein: said demultiplexer separates data packets from a digital data packet transport stream defining said digital video signal; and, said demodulator separates said program guide information from vertical blanking intervals of said analog video signal. ### Claim 15 A program guide interface, comprising: a source of an analog video signal representative of a first picture and including program guide information transmitted therewith, a digital video signal representative of a second picture and including said program guide information encoded therewith and an information signal including only said program guide information; a first multiplexer for selecting one of said analog and digital video signals as a source for a video display; means for separating said program guide information from each of said analog video signal, said digital video signal and said digital information signal; a video graphics generator; a microprocessor for routing said separated program guide information to said video graphics generator, said video graphics adapter formatting a graphics video signal representative of said program guide information; and, a second multiplexer for combining said graphics video signal with said selected one of said analog and digital video signals to generate a combined video display including one of said first and second pictures and said program guide information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The interface of claim 15, wherein said separating means comprises a digital demultiplexer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The interface of claim 15, wherein said separating means comprises an analog demodulator. ### Claim 18 A program guide interface, comprising: a source of analog and digital video signals, each of which is representative of a picture and each of which may carry program guide information; means for separating said program guide information from at least one of said analog and digital video signals; a video graphics generator; a microprocessor for routing said separated program guide information to said video graphics generator, said video graphics generator formatting a graphics video signal representative of said program guide information; a video encoder for said graphics video signal formatted by said video graphics generator; and, means for combining said encoded graphics video signal with any one of said analog and digital video signals to generate a combined video display including said program guide information and any one of said pictures. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The interface of claim 18, wherein said video encoder comprises an RGB to Y, C encoder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The interface of claim 18, further comprising means for supplying a burst signal to said encoder. ### Claim 21 A program guide interface, comprising: a source of analog and digital video signals, each of which is representative of a picture and each of which may carry program guide information; respective means for separating said program guide information from each of said analog and digital video signals; a video graphics generator; a microprocessor for routing said separated program guide information to said video graphics generator, said video graphics generator formatting a graphics video signal representative of said program guide information; and, means for combining said graphics video signal with either one of said analog and digital video signals to generate a combined video display including said program guide information and any one of said pictures. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The interface of claim 21, wherein said video graphics generator supplies a control signal to said combining means for switching between said graphics video signal and said either one of said analog and digital video signals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The interface of claim 21, wherein an information signal carrying said program guide information is also available from said source; and, said microprocessor can also route said program guide information from said information signal to said video graphics generator, for said combined video display. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The interface of claim 21, further comprising means for selecting one of said analog and digital video signals for said combined display. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The interface of claim 21, wherein said means for separating said program guide information comprises: a data packet transport stream demultiplexer; and, a demodulator for data transmitted in vertical blanking intervals. ### Claim 26 A program guide interface, comprising: a source of analog and digital video signals, each of which is representative of a picture and each of which may carry program guide information; means for separating said program guide information from at least one of said analog and digital video signals; a video graphics generator; a microprocessor for routing said separated program guide information to said video graphics generator, said video graphics generator formatting a graphics video signal representative of said program guide information and supplying a control signal; and, multiplexing means responsive to said control signal for combining said graphics video signal with either one of said analog and digital video signals to generate a combined video display including said program guide information and any one of said pictures. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The interface of claim 23, further comprising means for selecting one of said analog and digital video signals for display, said multiplexing means combining said video graphics signal with said one of said analog and digital signals selected for display.