Display device and display method therefor

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. The device comprises: a plurality of buffers; a display; a communication unit for communicating with a transmission device; a memory; and a processor. The processor controls the display such that, when a multi-view function is selected, pieces of data of a plurality of content sources connected to the transmission device are received and stored in each of the plurality of buffers, and thus a plurality of content screens is displayed on a multi-view screen. The processor transmits a control signal for adjusting a transmission order of data to the transmission device when a buffer having a storage level that is less than a preset reference level is identified from among the plurality of buffers. Therefore, multi-view can be effectively performed.

Description

Display device and display method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device and a display method thereof, and more particularly, to a display device and a display method thereof that receive a plurality of content data and display a plurality of contents on a screen.

[0002] Thanks to the advancement of electronic technology, most households use display devices such as TVs.

[0003] Modern display devices can display content from a variety of sources. For example, various screens can be displayed, including broadcast content received through a set-top box, VOD content received over the Internet, game screens running on game players, and PC screens.

[0004] To utilize content from various sources, a display device must be connected to each content source, which inevitably requires multiple externally exposed cables. Therefore, a technology has been developed that connects multiple content sources to a single transmitter, allowing the transmitter to transmit content from each source to the display device.

[0005] In this situation, the need for a technology capable of efficiently receiving and processing content from multiple content sources through a transmitting device has arisen.

[0006] A display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of buffers, a display, a communication unit for performing communication with a transmitting device, a memory storing at least one command, and a processor for controlling an operation of the display device based on the at least one command. When a multi-view function is selected, the processor receives data of a plurality of contents provided respectively from a plurality of content sources connected to the transmitting device from the transmitting device through the communication unit, stores the data in the plurality of buffers respectively, processes the data stored in the plurality of buffers respectively to generate a plurality of content screens, controls the display to display a multi-view screen including the plurality of content screens, and when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level among the plurality of buffers is identified, transmits a control signal for adjusting a transmission order of data of the plurality of contents to the transmitting device through the communication unit.

[0007] A display method according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of receiving, from a transmitting device connected to a display device, data of a plurality of contents provided from a plurality of content sources connected to the transmitting device, and storing the data in a plurality of buffers, respectively; processing the data stored in the plurality of buffers to generate a plurality of content screens, and displaying a multi-view screen composed of the plurality of content screens; and transmitting, to the transmitting device, a control signal for adjusting a transmission order of data of the plurality of contents when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level is identified among the plurality of buffers.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory readable recording medium storing program code for executing a display method is disclosed. The display method includes the steps of receiving data of a plurality of contents provided respectively from a plurality of content sources from a transmitting device connected to the plurality of content sources and storing the data in a plurality of buffers, respectively processing the data stored in the plurality of buffers to generate a plurality of content screens, respectively displaying the plurality of content screens, and controlling the transmitting device to adjust a transmission order of data of the plurality of contents when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level is identified among the plurality of buffers.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a software structure stored in a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIGS. 5 to 7 are diagrams for explaining a data transmission order adjusted by a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a transmitting device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for adjusting the number of content screens in a multi-view screen according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are flowcharts illustrating a display method of a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] The terms used in the various embodiments of this disclosure have been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of this disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure.

[0019] In this specification, expressions such as “has,” “can have,” “includes,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a feature (e.g., a number, function, operation, or component such as a part), and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0020] The expression "at least one of A and / or B" should be understood to mean either "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0021] As used herein, the expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second,” etc., may describe various components, regardless of order and / or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the components.

[0022] When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with / to” or “connected to” another component (e.g., a second component), it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled to the other component, or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component).

[0023] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprise" or "consist of" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0024] In the present disclosure, a "module" or "part" performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, multiple "modules" or multiple "parts" may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor (not shown), excluding any "modules" or "parts" that need to be implemented as specific hardware.

[0025] In this specification, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device using an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device).

[0026] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] According to FIG. 1, a display device (100) is connected to a transmitting device (200). The transmitting device (200) can be connected to at least one content source. In FIG. 1, the transmitting device (200) is illustrated as being connected to a total of n content sources (10-1 to 10-n). The content sources can be various devices such as a PC, a laptop PC, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a set-top box, a cable, a media player, and a game console.

[0029] The transmission device (200) can transmit data of multiple contents provided by various types of content sources (10-1 to 10-n) to the display device (100).

[0030] The display device (100) can process and display data provided through the transmission device (200) or data received through other sources.

[0031] The display device (100) may be implemented as a TV, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be applied to any device with a display function, such as a smartphone, tablet PC, video wall, LFD (large format display), Digital Signage, DID (Digital Information Display), projector, etc.

[0032]

[0033] *When a user selects one of the content sources connected to the transmitting device (200) and selects one of the contents provided by the content source, the display device (100) transmits a control signal to the transmitting device (200). The transmitting device (200) receives content data from the content source selected by the user according to the control signal and then transmits the data to the display device (100). The display device (100) can receive, reproduce, and output the data transmitted from the transmitting device (200).

[0034] Meanwhile, users can also select the multi-view feature, which displays multiple content screens across the entire screen.

[0035] When the multi-view function is executed, the display device (100) receives data of multiple contents provided by multiple content sources connected to the transmitting device (200). The display device (100) allocates a buffer for each content source. The display device detects data of each content stored in the multiple buffers in preset size units and reproduces each of the data to generate multiple content screens. The display device displays the multiple content screens at predetermined locations within a single screen according to a preset layout.

[0036] When receiving data from multiple content sources (10-1 to 10-n) through a single transmitting device (200) as shown in FIG. 1, the storage levels of multiple buffers may differ due to various causes such as poor connection between the transmitting device (200) and the display device (100), poor status of the communication network between the transmitting device (200) and the content source, poor status of each content source, etc., or differences in the size of content data, differences in the size of processing units, etc.

[0037] If the buffer's storage level falls below a certain level, the display device (100) may not be able to process the data in the buffer normally. In such cases, conventional display devices had no choice but to repeat the previous scene or temporarily mute the screen. Consequently, this inevitably interfered with the user's viewing of the content screen.

[0038] If the display device (100) of FIG. 1 determines that data is not sufficiently stored in at least one buffer during the multi-view function, it can respond by controlling the operation of various content transmission devices (200) used for the multi-view so that the multi-view can be provided normally.

[0039] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a display device (100).

[0040] According to FIG. 2, the display device (100) includes a communication unit (110), a processor (120), a display (130), a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m), and a memory (150).

[0041] The communication unit (110) is a configuration for performing communication with at least one external device. The communication unit (110) can transmit and receive various signals and data to and from an external device through various wired and wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth, AP-based Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN network), Zigbee, wired / wireless LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), USB (Universal Serial Bus), MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link), AES / EBU (Audio Engineering Society / European Broadcasting Union), optical, coaxial, etc. The communication unit (110) may also include an integrated interface for performing communication with a transmission device (200) connected to a plurality of content sources as shown in FIG. 1.

[0042] The processor (120) is a component for controlling the overall operation of the display device (100). The processor (120) is connected to each component in the display device (100) and can control the operation of each component. The processor (120) may include one or more of a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor, an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), a TCON (Time Controller), a central processing unit (CPU), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an ARM processor, or may be defined by the corresponding term. In addition, the processor (120) may be implemented as a SoC (System on Chip), an LSI (Large Scale Integration) having a built-in processing algorithm, or may be implemented in the form of an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0043] Additionally, the processor (120) may include an artificial intelligence-dedicated processor. If the processor (120) is an artificial intelligence-dedicated processor, it may be designed as a hardware chip, such as an ASIC or FPGA, specialized for processing a specific artificial intelligence model.

[0044] In FIG. 1, the processor (120) and the memory (150) are each depicted as separate components, but the processor (120) and the memory (150) may each be implemented as multiple processors. In addition, at least one processor among the multiple processors may be implemented in an integrated form with the memory.

[0045] The display (130) may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous element or a display including a non-luminous element and a backlight. For example, it may be implemented as various types of displays such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diodes), a micro LED, a Mini LED, a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), a QD (Quantum dot) display, a QLED (Quantum dot light-emitting diodes), etc. The display (130) may also include a driving circuit, a backlight unit, etc., which may be implemented in a form such as an a-si TFT, an LTPS (low temperature poly silicon) TFT, an OTFT (organic TFT), etc.

[0046] The plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) are memories for temporarily storing data. The processor (120) can perform buffering to temporarily store data received through the communication unit (110) in at least one of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m).

[0047] The memory (150) is a configuration for storing various programs, commands, data, etc. used for the operation of the display device (100). The memory (15) may be implemented as at least one of various memories such as DRAM (dynamic RAM), SRAM (static RAM), SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), OTPROM (one time programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable and programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory, hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD).

[0048] In Fig. 2, only one memory (140) is illustrated, but it is not limited thereto, and the memory (140) may be implemented to include multiple memories that each store different types of data or each store data generated at different stages.

[0049] The processor (120) can control the operation of various configurations and configurations not shown above. The processor (120) can perform various functions according to user operations. The user operations may refer to an operation in which a user selects various buttons or a touch screen panel provided on the display device (100), an operation in which a user selects a button on a terminal device such as a remote control or a mobile phone connected to the display device (100) by wire or wirelessly, an operation in which a button on an IR (Infrared Ray) remote control is selected, or an input signal transmitted by such operations. The processor (120) controls the display (130) to display a setting screen including various menus, and can execute the multi-view function when the multi-view function is selected on the setting screen.

[0050] The multi-view function refers to a function that displays multiple content screens simultaneously within a single screen. In the present disclosure, a screen configured to include multiple content screens by executing the multi-view function is referred to as a multi-view screen. On the other hand, when the multi-view function is not executed, the display device (100) basically displays a single content screen. In the present disclosure, this is referred to as a single-view screen. The multi-view function may also be referred to as a multi-view mode, a screen splitting function, etc., and when a single-view screen is displayed, it may be referred to as a single-view mode, a single-screen mode, etc. The display device (100) may execute either the multi-view function or the single-view function according to a user's selection. Alternatively, when the user has not set the multi-view function, the display device (100) may be set to operate in the single-view mode by default.

[0051] When the multi-view function is selected, the processor (120) receives data of multiple contents provided from multiple content sources connected to the transmitting device (200) through the communication unit (110). The processor (120) stores the received data in multiple buffers (140-1 to 140-m).

[0052] The processor (120) processes data stored in a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) to generate a plurality of content screens. The processor (120) controls the display (130) to display a plurality of content screens within the entire screen.

[0053] When executing the multi-view function, the number of content screens to be displayed, the display location, etc. may be set as default and stored in the memory (150). However, this is not necessarily limited to this and may vary depending on the user's settings.

[0054] When the multi-view function is executed, the user can directly select the content source and the content. When the multi-view function is selected, the processor (120) can control the display (130) to display a setting screen for selecting a plurality of content sources (10-1 to 10-n) connected to the transmitting device (200). When one of the plurality of content sources (10-1 to 10-n) is selected, the processor (120) can control the display (130) to display a setting screen for selecting one of the contents available from the selected content source. The user can select the contents on the setting screen. When all of the plurality of contents are selected in this manner, the processor (120) generates a control signal for transmitting the selected contents for each of the selected content sources, and transmits the control signal to the transmitting device (200). The transmitting device (200) can receive and transmit the contents from each content source based on the control signal.

[0055] The above describes the case where the content source and content are directly selected to execute the multi-view function, but it is not necessarily limited to this.

[0056] For example, if the number of multiple content sources (10-1 to 10-n) currently connected to the transmitting device (200) is less than or equal to the number of split screens (i.e., content screens) that can be included in the multi-view screen, the processor (120) can automatically select the multiple content sources (10-1 to 10-n) without a content source selection process. For example, if the multi-view screen is composed of a total of four content screens and the number of content sources connected to the transmitting device (200) is less than or equal to four, the processor (120) can select all content sources connected to the source device (200). On the other hand, if the number of content sources connected to the transmitting device (200) is five or more, the processor (120) can select four content sources in consideration of the connection order between the transmitting device (200) and the content sources, the priority order for each content source, etc., or can select them randomly.

[0057] In addition, the processor (120) may automatically select the content without a content selection process, even when there is content currently being played or broadcast from multiple content sources (10-1 to 10-n), content that was previously viewed but stopped, or when a single content is provided. When the multi-view function is terminated while the processor (120) is performing the multi-view function, the processor (120) may store the types of content that were finally being played and information on the content sources in the memory (150).

[0058] The processor (120) can provide content from external sources connected to the display device (100) itself in addition to the transmitting device (200) as a multi-view screen according to the user's selection, but a description thereof is omitted in this disclosure.

[0059] When a content source and content to be used for executing a multi-view function are selected by a user or automatically, the processor (120) generates information about the content source and content and a control signal for transmitting the content, and transmits the information to the transmitting device (200) through the communication unit (110).

[0060] When a control signal for sending data of multiple content sources is received from the display device (100), the transmitting device (200) receives data of selected content from the selected content sources and then transmits the data to the display device (100).

[0061] The processor (120) stores the received data in a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m), respectively. The processor (120) can allocate the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) to each content source used for the multi-view function. Assignment means designating a buffer in which data provided from one content source will be stored. The processor (120) can sequentially allocate the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) according to the selection order of the content source or the selection order of the content, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and can also be randomly allocated.

[0062] The processor (120) can check the storage status of the buffers (140-1 to 140-m) while executing the multi-view function as described above.

[0063] When the processor (120) identifies a buffer among the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) whose storage level is lower than a preset reference level, the processor (120) can transmit a control signal for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents to the transmission device (200) through the communication unit (11).

[0064] The processor (120) can check the storage status of the buffers (140-1 to 140-m) at preset intervals and compare it with a reference level to identify a buffer in which data is stored below the reference level, but is not necessarily limited thereto. Specifically, the processor (120) can identify the storage level as being below the reference level even when the amount of data that can be processed is not stored in the buffer. In addition, the processor (120) can check the storage status of each buffer (140-1 to 140-m) from time to time when any event occurs. For example, when an event occurs in which a multi-view screen is added, in which at least some of the contents among the multi-view screens are changed, or in which an event occurs in which a user inputs a confirmation command, etc., the processor (120) can compare the storage capacities of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) with the reference level, or can compare the storage capacities of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) with each other.

[0065] The control signal transmitted by the processor (120) to the transmitting device (200) may include information about content or content sources that require priority transmission, and a command to transmit data of the content with priority. Alternatively, the control signal may include priority information for each of the entire contents and a command to transmit the contents according to the priority.

[0066] The processor (120) can perform the above-described operations based on various programs and commands stored in the memory (150).

[0067] Fig. 3 shows an example of a software structure stored in memory (150). According to Fig. 3, a buffer management module (151), a multi-view management module (152), a transmitter management module (153), other applications (154), etc. may be stored in the memory (150).

[0068] The buffer management module (151) is a software module for managing a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) included in the display device (100). The processor (120) executes the buffer management module (151) to write or read data to or from the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) and to check the storage levels of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m).

[0069] The multi-view management module (152) is a software module for configuring a multi-view screen when the multi-view function is selected. When a user selects the multi-view function, the processor (120) can execute the multi-view management module (152) to provide a multi-view screen as described above.

[0070] The transmitter management module (153) is a software module for controlling or managing the transmitter (200). When the transmitter (200) is connected, the processor (120) executes the transmitter management module (153) to transmit and receive various signals and data with the transmitter (200). In addition, the processor (120) can execute various applications (154) stored in the memory (150) to perform various operations.

[0071] Figure 4 is a drawing for explaining the operation of the display device.

[0072] According to FIG. 4, a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) store data of content provided from content sources assigned to each buffer. The processor (120) reads the data stored in the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) into preset processing units and performs processing on the read data to generate a plurality of content screens.

[0073] FIG. 4 illustrates a case where a multi-view screen (400) including a total of three content screens (410 to 430) is displayed. The processor (120) can check the storage levels (s1, s2, s3) of a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) from time to time or periodically. FIG. 4 illustrates a state where the storage level (s1) of one of the buffers (140-1) has fallen below a reference level. The reference level can be set to be equal to or larger than the size of data required for one decoding and rendering, i.e., the minimum size. If data constituting one image frame is read and processed at a time, the number of data bits (or bytes) constituting the image frame can be the minimum size.

[0074] The processor (120) can check information about the reference level from the memory (150). The reference level may be set equally for multiple buffers (140-1 to 140-m), but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be individually set according to the characteristics of the content source or content allocated to multiple buffers (140-1 to 140-m). For example, the reference level may be set relatively higher for a buffer allocated with content that requires a larger size of data for one-time rendering than other content.

[0075] When a buffer (140-1) whose storage level has fallen below a reference level is identified, the processor (120) generates a control signal for adjusting the transmission order of data of multiple contents and transmits it to a transmitting device via the communication unit (110). The transmission order can be adjusted in various ways. Examples of adjusted transmission orders are described in detail below.

[0076] Figures 5 to 7 are drawings specifically showing examples of methods for adjusting the transmission order.

[0077] According to FIG. 5, the transmitting device (200) transmits data in the order of content 3, content 1, and content 2, and then the order is adjusted at time t1. The processor (120) compares the storage levels of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) and transmits a control signal to the transmitting device (200) through the communication unit (110) to adjust the transmission order from the data of the content source corresponding to the buffer with the lower storage level to the data of the content source corresponding to the buffer with the higher storage level. As in FIG. 4, if the storage level s1 of the first content source (140-1) is the lowest, the storage level s2 of the second content source (140-2) is next, and the storage level s3 of the m-th content source (140-m) is the highest, the processor (120) may generate a control signal to transmit data in the order of content 1, content 2, and content 3.

[0078] FIG. 6 illustrates a case where content 1 is transmitted preferentially for a certain period of time, and then the order is adjusted at time t1 to transmit the content in a certain order. The processor (120) transmits the control signal to the transmitting device (200) through the communication unit (110) so that, based on the difference between the storage level of the identified buffer and the reference level, data of the content to be stored in the identified buffer is preferentially transmitted for a certain period of time, and thereafter, the transmission order is adjusted from data of the content source corresponding to the identified buffer to data of the content sources corresponding to the remaining buffers. FIG. 6 illustrates a state where content 1 is transmitted from time t1 to time t3, and data is transmitted in the order of content 1, content 2, and content 3 from time t3. Although FIG. 6 illustrates that only content 1 is transmitted three times, the section for preferential transmission may be set differently depending on the size of the difference between the storage level and the reference level.

[0079] Figure 7 illustrates another pattern of data transmission order. According to Figure 7, the transmission order is adjusted in the following order from time t1: Content 1, Content 1, Content 2, Content 1, Content 1, Content 2, Content 3. The processor (120) may set the transmission rate of content allocated to a buffer with insufficient storage levels to be higher than the transmission rate of content allocated to other buffers.

[0080] In addition, the processor (120) can generate a control signal to transmit data in various orders or patterns according to the storage status of the buffers and transmit the control signal to the transmitting device (200).

[0081] In the above embodiments, it has been described that the data transmission order is adjusted when the storage level of at least one of the buffers is below the reference level. However, according to another embodiment, the display device may adjust the data transmission order based on the storage status of a plurality of buffers even if the storage level is not below the reference level.

[0082] The processor (120) can compare the storage levels of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) at preset intervals. Even if the storage levels of the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) are all higher than a reference level, if the difference between the storage levels of the plurality of buffers is greater than a certain size, the processor (120) can transmit a control signal for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents to the transmission device (200) through the communication unit (110).

[0083] For example, if the storage level of the first buffer (140-1) is 20% and the storage level of the second buffer (140-2) is 50%, and the reference level is set to 10% and the threshold difference is set to 20%, both the first buffer (140-1) and the second buffer (140-2) are above the reference level, but the difference in the storage levels of the first and second buffers (140-1, 140-2) is 30%, which is above the threshold difference, so the processor (120) adjusts the transmission order of data.

[0084] Even if the storage level of all buffers is higher than the reference level, the processor (120) can adjust the transmission order of data in the same manner as at least one of the various embodiments described above.

[0085] In the above-described example, the processor (120) compares the storage levels of the first buffer (140-1) and the second buffer (140-2), identifies the first buffer (140-1) as the buffer with the lowest storage level, and identifies the second buffer (140-2) as the buffer with the highest storage level. The processor (120) can adjust the data transmission order so that the data of the content source corresponding to the first buffer (140-1) with the lowest storage level can be received first, and the data of the content source corresponding to the second buffer (140-2) with the highest storage level can be received later. In the above embodiments, the case where each of the plurality of content sources provides one content has been described, but at least one of the plurality of content sources may provide multiple contents. The transmission device (200) selectively collects contents of the plurality of content sources and transmits them to the display device (100).

[0086] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a transmitting device (200) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. According to FIG. 8, the transmitting device (200) includes a plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n), a processor (220), a storage unit (230), and a communication unit (230).

[0087] The transmitting device (200) may be a device for integrated management of content from various content sources. When using the transmitting device (200), a user can view content provided by multiple content sources on a single display device (100) without directly connecting the multiple content sources to the display device (100). The transmitting device (200) may be referred to by various names, such as a source integration device, a media box, or a one-connect box (OC box), but is described as the transmitting device (200) in the present disclosure.

[0088] The transmitting device (200) can receive data in the form of files streaming in real time from various content sources such as a set-top box (STB), a multimedia player such as a Blu-ray or a digital versatile disc (DVD), a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a smart phone, a tablet PC, a web server, cable broadcasting, or terrestrial broadcasting.

[0089] The plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n) are configured for connection with external devices or cables. The plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n) can be connected to a plurality of content sources (140-1 to 140-n), respectively. The plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n) can include various connection interfaces such as an HDMI port, a USB port, a component video connection port, a composite video connection port, a cable connection port, and a LAN port.

[0090] The processor (220) is a component for controlling the operation of the transmitting device (200). The processor (220) stores a plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n) in a storage unit (230) as preset storage units. The processor (220), like the processor (120) used in the above-described display device (100), may be implemented as one or more of various types of processors, and thus specific examples are omitted.

[0091] The processor (220) may select at least one of the plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n) according to a control signal received from the display device (100), receive data, and then store the received data in the storage unit (230). For example, when a control signal for transmitting a TV broadcast signal is received, the processor (220) may select an interface to which a set-top box is connected among the plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n). When a plurality of content sources and content are selected according to the execution of the multi-view function, the processor (220) may select at least one interface to which the selected content source is connected, and receive data of the selected content through the interface. When a server device providing a VOD service is connected through a LAN port among the plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n), the processor (220) may transmit information about the selected content to the server device, receive data of the content, and then store the data in the storage unit (230).

[0092] The processor (230) can detect data stored in the storage unit (230) in preset transmission units, generate a data packet including the detected data, and then transmit the data packet to the display device (100) via the communication unit (240).

[0093] The communication unit (240) is a component for performing communication with the display device (100). For example, the communication unit (240) may include an optical cable that integrates an AV data transmission / reception cable and a power cable. The optical cable is a component for transmitting and receiving information through an optical fiber composed of a core and a clad. When an optical cable is used, the transmission device (200) and the display device (100) may further include a signal conversion unit for converting electrical signals and optical signals to each other. Such a cable may be referred to as an invisible cable or a magic cable, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The communication unit (240) may be composed of a single cable, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may include a minimum number of interfaces. As another example, the communication unit (240) may transmit and receive signals and data wirelessly.

[0094] The storage unit (230) is a configuration that stores various programs, commands, data, etc. used in the transmitter (200). The storage unit (230) can store data received through a plurality of interfaces (210-1 to 210-n) under the control of the processor (220). The storage unit (230) can include at least one buffer and other memories. Since the memory can be implemented as various types of memories, such as the memory (150) of the display device (100) described above, redundant examples are omitted.

[0095] When a control signal for transmitting data of multiple contents is received from the display device (100), the processor (220) can detect data included in the payload portion among data packets transmitted from the multiple content sources (10-1 to 10-n), and then multiplex them to distinguish them into video streams, audio streams, and other data streams. The processor (220) can store each distinguished stream in a corresponding storage area in the storage unit (230). The processor (220) sequentially detects data from the storage unit (230) in a predetermined unit according to a preset transmission order or a transmission order requested by the display device (100), and transmits the data through the communication unit (240). In multi-view mode, the processor (220) can detect multiple video streams by distinguishing them in a predetermined unit (for example, a data unit representing at least one image frame), and then sequentially transmit the detected data. In addition, the processor (220) can also transmit an audio stream included in one of the multiple contents.

[0096] According to an embodiment, the processor (220) may sequentially transmit the decoded video data according to the transmission order described above after decoding the detected data, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and signal processing such as decoding may be implemented to be performed in the display device (100).

[0097] When the processor (220) receives a control signal for adjusting the transmission order from the display device (100) through the communication unit (240), the processor can adjust the transmission order of each data according to the control signal.

[0098] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a detailed configuration of a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] According to FIG. 9, the display device (100) includes a communication unit (110), a processor (120), a display (130), a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m), a memory (150), a video processing unit (160), an audio processing unit (170), and a speaker (180). Among the configurations of FIG. 9, the same parts as those described in FIG. 2 among the operations of the communication unit (110), the processor (120), the display (130), the plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m), and the memory (150) will not be described again.

[0100] The processor (120) controls the video processing unit (160) and the audio processing unit (170) to sequentially detect and process data stored in at least one of a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m).

[0101] The video processing unit (160) can perform various processing operations such as decoding, scaling, and rendering on video data included in each of the plurality of contents.

[0102] The audio processing unit (170) can perform various processing operations, such as decoding, noise filtering, and amplification, on audio data included in each of the plurality of contents.

[0103] In multi-view mode, the processor (120) controls the video processing unit (160) to process video data of multiple contents to generate multiple content screens, and controls the audio processing unit (170) to process audio data of one content selected by the user to listen to audio from among the multiple contents to generate an audio signal.

[0104] The display (130) can display multiple content screens generated by the video processing unit (160) under the control of the processor (120), and the speaker (180) can output audio signals generated by the audio processing unit (170) under the control of the processor (120).

[0105] The communication unit (110) may include various communication interfaces such as a broadcast reception module (111), a LAN module (112), a WIFI module (113), a Bluetooth module (114), an HDMI port (115), a USB port (116), and an integrated interface (117).

[0106] The broadcast receiving module (111) is a module for receiving a broadcast signal through a broadcast signal cable or an external antenna. The LAN module (112) is a module that is connected to a web server device, etc., via the Internet. The WIFI module (113) and the Bluetooth module (114) are modules that perform communication with external devices through WIFI and Bluetooth, respectively, and the HDMI port (115) is a module that performs communication with external devices through an HDMI interface. The USB port (116) is a module that is connected to a USB connector and can be connected to various input means, memory sticks, external devices, etc. The integrated interface (117) is a configuration that can be connected to a cable of the transmitting device (100). In FIG. 9, a case where a plurality of communication modules or interfaces (111 to 117) are provided in the communication unit (110) is illustrated, but some configurations may be added or omitted depending on the embodiment, and a plurality of communication interfaces of the same type may be provided.

[0107] In addition, although not illustrated in FIG. 9, at least one more sensor or power supply may be included. In addition, although FIG. 9 illustrates that the video processing unit (160) and the audio processing unit (170) are separate components from the processor (120), depending on the embodiment, some processors may be integrated with at least one of the video processing unit (160) and the audio processing unit (170).

[0108] The above describes the processing operations in the case where the storage level of at least one buffer is low in multi-view mode. However, even in single-view mode, the buffer storage level may be low due to poor connection between devices, poor network performance, communication failure, etc.

[0109] In single-view mode, if the processor (120) determines that the storage level of one buffer storing data of content to be displayed is below a preset reference level, the processor can adjust the processing speed of data stored in the buffer.

[0110] For example, if it is determined that the storage level of the first buffer (140-1) is lower than the reference level, the processor (120) can control the video processing unit (160) to lower the rendering rate of the content screen corresponding to the first buffer (140-1) to 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, etc. The processor (120) can directly adjust the rendering rate (for example, from 1.0 to 0.7) by determining the rendering rate in proportion to the difference between the storage level and the reference level, but is not necessarily limited thereto. That is, the processor (120) can gradually lower the rendering rate to a level such as 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, etc. based on the rendering rate of 1.0, while checking the degree of recovery of the storage level of the first buffer (140-1). If it is confirmed that the storage level of the first buffer (140-1) is increasing while the rendering rate is lowered to 0.9, the processor (120) can control the video processing unit (160) to maintain the rendering rate at 0.9. On the other hand, if it is determined that the storage level of the first buffer (140-1) is lowered further or recovery is slow, the processor (120) can control the video processing unit (160) to gradually lower the rendering rate in the order of 0.8 and 0.7.

[0111] When the storage level changes to a reference level or higher while the processing speed is slowed down, the processor (120) can control the video processing unit (160) to increase the processing speed of data stored in the buffer. For example, the processor (120) can restore the rendering rate to the reference speed of 1.0. Alternatively, for time synchronization, the processor (120) can increase the rendering rate to 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3, which is higher than the reference speed of 1.0, for a certain period of time, and then adjust it back to the original rendering rate.

[0112] The method of adjusting the data processing speed as described above can also be applied in multi-view mode.

[0113] Even after adjusting the transmission order of data, if the storage level of the buffer does not rise above the reference level or the rising speed is slow, the processor (120) may control the video processing unit (160) to slow down the processing speed of data stored in the buffer having a storage level below the reference level. If the storage level later changes to be above the reference level, the processor (120) may control the video processing unit (160) to increase the processing speed of data stored in the buffer. The processing speed adjustment method may be the same as the adjustment method in the single-view mode described above, and thus, a duplicate description is omitted. In the above-described embodiment, a case in which the rendering rate is additionally adjusted after adjusting the transmission order of data in the multi-view mode has been described, but according to another embodiment, the processor (120) may perform processing speed adjustment separately from the data transmission order adjustment.

[0114] The processor (120) may also adjust the number of content screens used for multi-view if the storage level of the buffer is not recovered even after performing the transmission order adjustment operation and the processing speed adjustment operation.

[0115] Figure 10 illustrates an example of adjusting the number of content screens.

[0116] According to FIG. 10, the display device (100) can display a multi-view screen (400). FIG. 10 illustrates a multi-view screen (400) composed of three content screens (410, 420, 430). As described above, the number and layout of the content screens can be set by default or changed according to user settings.

[0117] After adjusting the transmission order as described in the above-described embodiments, the processor (120) can compare the storage levels of a plurality of buffers (140-1 to 140-m) at preset intervals. If a buffer whose storage level falls below a reference level is re-identified, the processor (120) can reduce the number of content screens included in the multi-view screen (400).

[0118] The processor (120) can control the display (130) to display a notification message (440) for adjusting the number of content screens. The notification message (440) can include menus (441, 442, 443) for selecting content to be removed or a content source providing the content. When a user selects a menu, the processor (120) can generate a control signal to stop transmission of the selected content or content source and transmit the control signal to the transmitting device (200) via the communication unit (110). Accordingly, by reducing the number of content, the transmitting device (200) can use the transmission bandwidth more freely, and thus the display device (100) can secure sufficient data for each buffer. Accordingly, the display device (100) can display a multi-view screen without interruption.

[0119] Figure 10 shows a state in which the first content screen (410) among three content screens (410, 420, 430) has been removed.

[0120] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a display method of a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 illustrates the operation of the display device in multi-view mode. The display device receives content data from multiple content sources from a transmitting device and stores them in multiple buffers (S1110).

[0121] The display device processes data stored in multiple buffers to generate multiple content screens and displays a multi-view screen composed of multiple content screens (S1120).

[0122] When a display device identifies a buffer among a plurality of buffers whose storage level is lower than a preset reference level (S1130), the display device can transmit a control signal to the transmitting device for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents (S1140). The transmitting device can preferentially transmit data to be stored in the buffers whose storage level is lower than the reference level according to the control signal. Various examples of adjusting the transmission order have been specifically described in FIGS. 5 to 7 described above, so a redundant description will be omitted. When a buffer whose storage level is lower than the reference level is not identified, the transmitting device can maintain the previous transmission order.

[0123] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a detailed configuration of a display method of a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0124] According to FIG. 12, when the multi-view function is executed (S1210), the display device can receive data of multiple contents by transmitting a control signal to the transmitting device. The display device can store the received data in a buffer allocated for each content (S1215). The display device processes the data stored in each buffer to generate multiple content screens and then displays them (S1220). When the display device identifies a buffer whose storage level falls below a reference level among the multiple buffers (S1225), the display device transmits a control signal to the transmitting device for adjusting the transmission order (S1230). If the condition does not improve even after adjusting the transmission order, the display device adjusts the processing speed for data stored in the buffer with a low storage level (S1240).

[0125] When the multi-view function is not activated, the display device operates in single-view mode by default. In single-view mode, the display device receives data for a single content provided from a single content source from a transmitting device and stores it in a single buffer (S1245). The display device processes the data stored in the buffer and displays a single content screen (S1250).

[0126] If the display device identifies that the storage level is lower than the reference level (S1255), it can adjust the processing speed of data stored in the buffer (S1260).

[0127] In the above, various embodiments have been described individually or in combination with each other, but each embodiment does not necessarily have to be implemented alone, and may be implemented as a single device in whole or in part by combining with at least one other embodiment.

[0128] In addition, the above description assumes that all content sources used in the multi-view function are connected to the transmitting device. However, if the display device is connected to an external source other than the transmitting device and the user selects to use the content provided from that external source for the multi-view function, the display device can also receive data from the content of that external source.

[0129] The various embodiments described above may be implemented as software including instructions stored in a machine-readable storage media that can be read by a machine (e.g., a computer).

[0130] Specifically, a program code or command that sequentially executes the steps of receiving data of multiple contents provided from each of the multiple content sources from a transmitting device connected to the multiple content sources and storing the data in each of the multiple buffers, processing the data stored in each of the multiple buffers to generate multiple content screens, displaying the multiple content screens, and controlling the transmitting device to adjust the transmission order of the data of the multiple contents when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level is identified among the multiple buffers may be stored in a non-transitory readable medium and provided.

[0131] Alternatively, a program code or command that additionally executes a step of slowing down the processing speed of data stored in a buffer among a plurality of buffers whose storage level is lower than a reference level and a step of increasing the processing speed of data stored in the buffer when the storage level changes to be higher than the reference level may be provided together with the non-transitory readable medium.

[0132] Such non-transitory, readable media can be mounted and used in a device capable of recalling instructions stored in the storage medium and performing operations according to the recalled instructions. Accordingly, when a program or instruction stored in the non-transitory, readable media is executed by a processor, the processor can directly, or under the control of the processor, utilize other components to perform the operations described in the various embodiments described above.

[0133] A non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that permanently stores data and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specific examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include CDs, DVDs, hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, and ROMs.

[0134] Instructions may include code generated or executed by a compiler or interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, "non-transitory" means that the storage medium does not contain signals and is tangible, but does not distinguish between whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0135] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method according to the various embodiments described above may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be implemented as a product distributed online through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) in addition to the non-transitory readable recording medium described above. In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a storage medium such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0136] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In the display device, Multiple buffers; display; A communication unit for communicating with a transmitting device; a memory in which at least one instruction is stored; and a processor for controlling the operation of the display device based on at least one command; The above processor, When the multi-view function is selected, data of multiple contents provided from multiple content sources connected to the transmitting device are received from the transmitting device through the communication unit and stored in each of the multiple buffers. Multiple content screens are generated by processing the data stored in the above multiple buffers respectively. Controlling the display to display a multi-view screen including the plurality of content screens; A display device, wherein when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level is identified among the plurality of buffers, a control signal for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents is transmitted to the transmitting device through the communication unit.

2. In paragraph 1, The above processor, A display device, which transmits the control signal to the transmitting device through the communication unit so as to adjust the transmission order from data of the content source corresponding to the identified buffer to data of the content source corresponding to the remaining buffers, after preferentially transmitting data of the content to be stored in the identified buffer for a certain period of time based on the difference between the storage level of the identified buffer and the reference level.

3. In paragraph 1, The above processor, A display device, which transmits to the transmitting device through the communication unit the control signal to adjust the transmission order from data of a content source corresponding to a buffer with a lower storage level to data of a content source corresponding to a buffer with a higher storage level by comparing the storage levels of the plurality of buffers.

4. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Slowing down the processing speed of data stored in a buffer among the above plurality of buffers whose storage level is lower than the reference level, A display device that increases the processing speed of data stored in the buffer when the storage level changes to be higher than the reference level.

5. In paragraph 1, The above processor, In single view mode, data of content provided from one of the plurality of content sources is received from the transmitting device through the communication unit, and is stored in one of the plurality of buffers for processing. If the storage level of the above buffer is identified as being lower than the reference level, the processing speed of the data stored in the above buffer is slowed down, A display device that increases the processing speed of data stored in the buffer when the storage level changes to be higher than the reference level.

6. In paragraph 1, The above processor, A display device that compares the storage level of each of the plurality of buffers with the reference level at preset intervals, and identifies a buffer in which the storage level falls below the reference level.

7. In paragraph 1, The above processor, A display device, wherein after the transmission order is adjusted, the storage level of each of the plurality of buffers is compared with the reference level at preset intervals, and when a buffer among the plurality of buffers whose storage level falls below the reference level is re-identified, the number of the plurality of content screens included in the multi-view screen is reduced according to the multi-view function.

8. In paragraph 1, The above processor, A display device that compares the storage levels of the plurality of buffers at preset intervals, and transmits a control signal for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents to the transmitting device through the communication unit if the difference between the storage levels of the plurality of buffers is greater than or equal to a certain size, even if the storage levels of the plurality of buffers are all equal to or higher than the reference level.

9. In paragraph 1, The above processor, A display device, which compares the storage levels of the plurality of buffers at preset intervals, and if the storage levels of the plurality of buffers are all higher than the reference level but the difference between the storage levels of the plurality of buffers is greater than a certain size, transmits the control signal to the transmitting device through the communication unit to adjust the transmission order from data of the content source corresponding to the buffer with the lowest storage level among the plurality of buffers to data of the content source corresponding to the buffer with the highest storage level.

10. A display method of a display device including multiple buffers, A step of receiving data of a plurality of contents provided from a plurality of content sources respectively connected to the transmitting device from a transmitting device connected to the display device, and storing the data in each of the plurality of buffers; A step of generating a plurality of content screens by processing each of the data stored in the plurality of buffers, and displaying a multi-view screen composed of the plurality of content screens; A display method, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to the transmitting device for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level is identified among the plurality of buffers; 11. In paragraph 10, The step of transmitting a control signal to the transmitting device for adjusting the transmission order of data of the above plurality of contents is: A step of identifying the difference between the storage level of the identified buffer and the reference level; A display method, comprising: a step of transmitting, to the transmitting device, the control signal to adjust the transmission order from data of the content source corresponding to the identified buffer to data of the content source corresponding to the remaining buffers, after first transmitting the data of the content to be stored in the identified buffer for a predetermined period of time based on the above difference; 12. In paragraph 10, The step of transmitting a control signal to the transmitting device for adjusting the transmission order of data of the above plurality of contents is: A step of comparing the storage levels of the above plurality of buffers; A display method, comprising: a step of transmitting, to the transmitting device, the control signal for adjusting the transmission order from data of a content source corresponding to a buffer having a low storage level to data of a content source corresponding to a buffer having a high storage level.

13. In paragraph 10, A step of slowing down the processing speed of data stored in a buffer among the plurality of buffers whose storage level is lower than the reference level; and A display method further comprising: a step of increasing the processing speed of data stored in the buffer when the storage level changes to be higher than the reference level.

14. In paragraph 10, When the single view mode is initiated, a step of receiving data of content provided from one of the plurality of content sources from the transmitting device and storing the data in one of the plurality of buffers and processing the data; If the storage level of the above buffer is identified as being lower than the reference level, a step of slowing down the processing speed of data stored in the above buffer; and A display method further comprising: a step of increasing the processing speed of data stored in the buffer when the storage level changes to be higher than the reference level.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor of a display device, cause the display device to perform an operation, wherein the operation is: A step of receiving data of a plurality of contents provided from a plurality of content sources respectively connected to the transmitting device from a transmitting device connected to the display device, and storing the data in each of the plurality of buffers; A step of generating a plurality of content screens by processing each of the data stored in the plurality of buffers, and displaying a multi-view screen composed of the plurality of content screens; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising: a step of transmitting a control signal to the transmitting device for adjusting the transmission order of data of the plurality of contents when a buffer having a storage level lower than a preset reference level is identified among the plurality of buffers;

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