The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 07, 1999
Filed:
May. 16, 1997
Arturo A Rodriguez, Norcross, GA (US);
Dean F Jerding, Atlanta, GA (US);
Neilesh R Patel, Duluth, GA (US);
Timothy W Simerly, Cumming, GA (US);
Luis A Rovira, Atlanta, GA (US);
Xin Li, Norcross, GA (US);
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., Norcross, GA (US);
Abstract
A graphical user interface for a videophone in a cable television system allows the user to access the videophone functionalities with an input control device and a television monitor. The user can place a call, receive a call and store/access/call addresses using a remote in conjunction with the graphical user interface display screens. The videophone has several elements including a user interface, a graphics engine, a network interface, a remote control interface, and an output audio/video line connected to a television monitor. The user interface receives and processes control inputs using a microprocessor and the graphics engine generates the display screens using a DSP. Depending on processing requirements, the DSP may implement the user interface rather than the microprocessor. Also, anti-aliasing fonts are used to generate a high quality display. To save processing cycles, the anti-aliasing fonts may be retrieved from a look-up table rather than being generated in real time. The videophone may be implemented as a plug-in device to a set-top box, a standalone unit, or a standalone unit with a set-top box between the monitor and the videophone unit. When implemented with a set-top box the same remote control unit may be used to control the television and videophone functions.