Digital TV Black Border Region Merging for Secondary Content
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital TV systems do not effectively utilize the black border regions for displaying additional information or advertisements without obstructing the primary video content, as they typically maintain symmetrical and insufficiently large borders that cannot be shifted or reused.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that detect and adjust the size of black border regions at the top and bottom of a digital TV screen, merging them to create a larger border for unobtrusive display of advertisements, information, or alerts, which can also be applied to the left or right borders, allowing for the insertion of secondary content without obstructing the primary video.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the black border regions are kept symmetrical and small as in conventional digital TV systems, then the primary video content is not obstructed, but the black border regions are insufficiently large to display additional information or advertisements effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the top and bottom black border regions (or left and right black border regions) into a single larger black border region. This combining of previously separate border areas creates sufficient space for displaying additional information or advertisements while maintaining the non-obtrusive black border characteristic that does not interfere with the primary video content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from the conventional symmetrical black border configuration to an asymmetric configuration where one larger black border region is created by merging two smaller borders. This asymmetric arrangement provides the necessary area for secondary content display while preserving the visual integrity of the primary video content.
2Productivity
If the black border regions are enlarged to display advertisements and additional information, then advertising revenue and information display capability increase, but the black border regions may obstruct the primary video content
Solution Approach 1:
By merging two small black border regions into one larger region, the patent creates sufficient space for effective advertisement and information display (improving productivity) while maintaining the black border's non-intrusive nature that does not obstruct the primary video content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different functions to different parts of the screen: the merged black border region serves for advertisement and information display, while the main video area remains undisturbed. This local differentiation allows the system to achieve both advertising revenue generation and primary content preservation simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If a single larger black border region is created by merging top and bottom borders, then additional information can be displayed unobtrusively at the bottom of the screen, but the symmetrical geometry of the TV screen is altered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately introduces asymmetry by merging the top and bottom black borders (or left and right borders) to create a single larger black border region. This asymmetric configuration enables unobtrusive display of additional information at the bottom (or side) of the screen while accepting the alteration of the screen's symmetrical geometry as a necessary trade-off for improved information display capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus are described including detecting, if any, black border regions surround a received frame of video program content and determining a size of the detected black border regions and if the sum of the determined size of the top and bottom black border regions surrounding the received frame of video program content is greater than a value, copying to a frame buffer, a video decoder buffer having a decoded frame of video program content stored therein and copying a secondary insertion decoder buffer to the frame buffer.