Decimation method for providing pig windows

Abstract

A decimation system and method for providing video data to a PIG window in an EPG environment. In one embodiment, the system includes an EPG system having a picture in guide window, a tuner to generate a video signal, a decoder coupled to the tuner to receive the video signal and generate pixels based on the received signal, a PIG generator coupled to the decoder that performs a real time weighted averaging to select a subset of the pixels; and a display generator to display the subset of the pixels in the PIG window on a monitor.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic program guide (EPG) including a picture in guide (PIG) window comprising: 
 a monitor having a display screen;    a tuner to generate a video signal;    a decoder coupled to the tuner to receive the video signal and generate pixels for each line of a video picture based on the received signal;    a two-line buffer to store pixels for previous two lines of the video picture;    a PIG generator coupled to the decoder to perform in real time weighted averaging to generate a subset of the pixels of the video picture for display in the PIG window, wherein the subset of the pixels are generated based on the stored pixels for previous two lines and a current line of pixels being generated by the decoder; and    a display generator to display the subset of the pixels in the PIG window on the display screen.    
     
     
         2 . The EPG of  claim 1 , wherein the PIG generator performs the real time weighted averaging to select one pixel out of nine pixels for display in the pIG window.  
     
     
         3 . The EPG of  claim 2 , wherein the memory buffers  3  adjacent pixels in a 3×3 sliding window for the current line and the previous two lines, and the PIG generator performs the real time weighted averaging to select one pixel out of the nine pixels from the sliding window.  
     
     
         4 . The EPG of  claim 1 , wherein the PIG generator performs a real time polynomial weighted averaging with binary coefficients.  
     
     
         5 . The EPG of  claim 4 , wherein the PIG generator in real time selects one pixel out of the nine pixels based on a transfer function of (a+2b+c+2d+4e+2f+g+2h+i)/16, wherein a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and i are binary coefficients for the respective pixels in the 3×3 sliding window.  
     
     
         6 . The EPG of  claim 1 , further comprising means for displaying in the PIG window information about a television program.  
     
     
         7 . The EPG of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for displaying television program listings in a first area of the screen;    an input device to selectively mark one of the displayed program listings; and    a controller responsive to the input device for controlling the display generator to display in the PIG window simultaneously with the program listings video clips of the marked program.    
     
     
         8 . The EPG of  claim 7 , wherein the marked program is a currently telecast television program and the video clip is a live telecast of the marked program.  
     
     
         9 . The EPG of  claim 7 , wherein the marked program is a future telecast television program and the video clip is a preview of the marked program.  
     
     
         10 . A television system for receiving a video signal, comprising: 
 a monitor having a display screen;    a plurality of tuners to generate a plurality of video signals that carry video images and program data related to video programs;    a PIG generator coupled to the monitor and the tuners to display a first video image in a PIG window on the screen responsive to a first video signal generated by one of the plurality of tuners, wherein the PIG generator performs a real time weighted averaging to select one pixel out of nine pixels from the first video signal to display the respective video image in the PIG window; and    a controller for coupling the program data to the PIG generator to display the program data in a second area on the screen contemporaneously with the video image displayed in the PIG window.    
     
     
         11 . The television system of  claim 10 , further comprising a memory to buffer pixels corresponding to two previous lines of the generated video signals.  
     
     
         12 . The television system of  claim 10 , wherein the memory buffers pixels for the two previous lines and pixels for a current line in a 3×3 sliding window, and the PIG generator performs the real time weighted averaging to generate one pixel out of the nine pixels in the sliding window.  
     
     
         13 . The EPG system of  claim 12 , wherein the PIG chip in real time selects one pixel out of the nine pixels based on a transfer function of (a+2b+c+2d+4e+2f+g+2h+i)/16, wherein a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and i are binary coefficients for the respective pixels in the 3×3 sliding window.  
     
     
         14 . A method for displaying video data in a picture in guide (PIG) window displayed within an electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising: 
 receiving a video signal;    generating pixels for each line of a video picture based on the received signal;    buffering pixels for previous two lines of the video picture in a two-line buffer;    performing a real time weighted averaging to generate a subset of the pixels of the video picture for display in the PIG window, wherein the subset of the pixels are generated based on the stored pixels for previous two lines and a current line of pixels being generated by the decoder to select a subset of the pixels; and    displaying the subset of the pixels in the PIG window on the monitor.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of buffering comprises buffering  3  adjacent pixels in a 3×3 sliding window for the current line and the previous two lines, and the step of performing a real time weighted averaging comprises performing the real time weighted averaging for selecting one pixel out of the nine pixels in the sliding window.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of performing a real time weighted averaging comprises selecting one pixel out of the nine pixels based on a transfer function of (a+2b+c+2d+4e+2f+g+2h+i)/16, wherein a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and i are binary coefficients for the respective pixels in the 3×3 sliding window.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying in the PIG window information about a television program.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 displaying television program listings in a first area of the screen;    selectively marking one of the displayed program listings; and    controlling the display generator to display in the PIG window simultaneously with the program listings video clips of the marked program.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the marked program is a currently telecast television program and the video clip is a live telecast of the marked program.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the marked program is a future telecast television program and the video clip is a preview of the marked program.