Method and device for transmitting data units of a data stream

• US 20010021999A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tellique Kommunikationstechnik GmbH
• Original Assignee: Tellique Kommunikationstechnik GmbH
• Inventors: Seifert, Nils
• Application Number:
  US09/774,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for transmitting a data stream, especially a multimedia data stream, from at least one transmitting facility to at least one receiving facility. In this method, the data stream is split into data units. At successive times, in each case at least a part of the data units is transmitted in such a manner that the at least one receiving facility can begin complete reception of the data stream at any of the successive times.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data units of a data stream, especially a multimedia data stream, from at least one transmitting facility to at least one receiving facility E_j (j≧

1), in which method;

n data sets (n≧

2) are sent with the aid of the at least one transmitting facility,

the sending of a first data set M₁ of the n data sets begins at a time t₁,

the first data set M₁ comprises all data units of the data stream,

the sending of at least one further data set M_k (2≧

k≧

n) of the n data sets begins at a time t_k (2≧

k≧

n),

the at least one further data set M_k comprises at least one part of the data units of the data stream, and

the n data sets are sent in such a manner that in the at least one receiving facility E_j, a reproduction of the data units of the data stream as predetermined time sequence of information, especially picture and/or sound information, can be begun at a starting time t_k^A=t_k+0 (θ

>

0) and ended at an ending time t_k^E=t_k^A+Δ

t, where θ

is a period characteristic of the transmission of individual data units of the data stream from the at least one transmitting facility to the at least one receiving facility E_j and/or processing of individual data units of the data stream and Δ

t is a period characteristic of the reproduction of all data units of the data stream as the predetermined time sequence of information,

wherein the at least one further data set M_k (2≦

k≦

n) is formed from selected data units of the data stream for which an earlier transmission is begun at least once by the at least one transmitting facility in a time interval between a time t<sub>k−

1</sub> and the time t_k (2≦

k≦

n), a time interval (t<sub>k−

1</sub>−

t_k) being smaller than Δ

t for at least two of successive times t_k and t_k+1 (1≦

k≦

n).

2. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein an input of a user of the at least one receiving facility E_j for establishing the time t₁ and/or the time t_k (2≦

k≦

n) is electronically detected, the input being transmitted to the at least one transmitting facility via a return data channel formed between the at least one transmitting facility and the at least one receiving facility E_m.

3. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the time t₁ and/or the times t_k (2≦

k≦

n) are predetermined at the transmitting end.

4. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein an essentially equal time interval is formed in each case between the times t_k−

1 and t_k (2≦

k≦

n).

5. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the data stream comprises x data units D_x (x=1,2, . . . ), the transmitting between the at least one transmitting facility and the at least one receiving facility E_j (j>

1) is performed over a predetermined period which is divided into time intervals Δ

t_y (y=1,2, . . . ), an mth data unit D_m (1≦

m≦

x) being transmitted within each mth time interval Δ

t_m.

6. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the data stream comprises x data units D_x (x=1,2, . . . ), the transmitting between the at least one transmitting facility and the at least one receiving facility E_j (j≧

1) is performed over a predetermined period which is divided into time intervals Δ

t_y (y=1,2, . . . ), the sending of an mth data unit D_m (1≦

m≦

x) being begun within each (1+p·

m)-th time interval Δ

t_1+pm (p≧

0) and extending over m time intervals Δ

t_1+pm+ . . . +Δ

t_m+pm.

7. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein the datastream comprises x data units D_x (x=1,2, . . . ), the transmitting between the at least one transmitting facility and the at least one receiving facility E_j (j≧

1) is performed over a predetermined period which is divided into time intervals Δ

t_y (y=1,2, . . . ), all mth data units D_m (1≦

m≦

x) being sent in each mth time interval Δ

t_m when m=2^p (p=0, 1, 2, 3, . . . ) and all hth data units D_h (1<

h≦

x), for which 2^k<

h<

2^z+1 (z≧

0), exactly once between the 2^zth time interval and the 2^z+1th time interval.

8. The method according to

claim 5

, wherein the data units D_x of the data stream of a total data stream are comprised of data units D_x* (x*=v+x;

v≧

1), where v is a number of data units D_x* of the total data stream which are conveyed to the at least one receiving facility E_j before the time t₁ so that the following holds true when the mth data unit D_m is sent;

9. The method according to

claim 6

, wherein the data units D_x of the data stream of a total data stream are comprised of data units D_x* (x*=v+x;

v≧

1), where v is a number of data units D_x* of the total data stream which are conveyed to the at least one receiving facility E_j before the time t₁ so that the following holds true when the mth data unit D_m is sent;

10. The method according to

claim 7

, wherein the data units D_x of the data stream of a total data stream are comprised of data units D_x* (x*=v+x;

v≧

1), where v is a number of data units D_x* of the total data stream which are conveyed to the at least one receiving facility E_j before the time t₁ so that the following holds true when the mth data unit D_m is sent;

11. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein a data unit D^E_x (x=1,2, . . . ) of the data stream which is received by the at least one receiving facility E_j is reproduced with the aid of replay means at a replay time t^W_x (x=1,2, . . . ) within the predetermined time sequence of information items, an mth data unit D_m of the data stream being sent in such a manner that an mth received data unit D^E_m (1≦

m≦

x) comprising the transmitted mth data unit D_m is received by the at least one receiver facility E_j closely in time to a replay time t^W_m.

12. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein a data unit D^E_x (x=1,2, . . . ) of the data stream which is received by the at least one receiving facility E_j is reproduced with the aid of replay means at a replay time t^W_x (x=1,2, . . . ) within a predetermined time sequence of information items, an mth received data unit D^E_m (1≦

m≦

x) received at a receiving time t_E being

a) transferred to the replay means when t_E=t^W_m−

ε

(ε

>

0), where ε

is a characteristic time for transferring the mth received data unit D^E_m to the replay means and/or a conversion of the mth received data unit D^E_m for reproduction;

or

b) stored in storage means of the at least one receiving facility E_j if t_E<

t^W_m−

ε and

the mth received data unit D^E_m is not yet stored in the storage means;

or

c) discarded if t_E>

t^W_m−

ε

or the mth received data unit D^E_m is already stored in the storage means.

13. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein a data unit D^E_x (x1,2, . . . ) of the data stream which is received by the at least one receiving facility E_j is reproduced with the aid of replay means at a replay time t^W_x (x=1,2, . . . ) within a predetermined time sequence of information items, an mth received data unit D^E_m (1≦

m≦

x) received at a receiving time t_E being

a) transferred to the replay means when t_E=t^W_m−

ε

(ε

≧

0), where ε

is a characteristic time for transferring the mth received data unit D^E_m to the replay means and/or a conversion of the mth received data unit D^E_m for reproduction;

or

b) stored in storage means of the at least one receiving facility E_j if (t_E<

(t^W_m−

ε

)<

(t_E+Δ

t_Mem)) and the mth received data unit D^E_m is not yet stored in the storage means, where Δ

t_Mem is a characteristic period for the reproduction of a part of the received data units D^E_x and the storage capacity of the storage means is limited to the part of the received data units;

or

c) discarded if t_E>

t^W_m−

ε

or the mth received data unit D Em is already stored in the storage means.

14. The method according to

claim 1

, wherein a data stream is at least partially transmitted as encrypted data stream.

15. The method according to

claim 14

, wherein the first data set M₁ and the at least one further data set M_k (2≦

k≦

n) of the n data sets are transmitted in such a manner that during the reproduction of the data units in the at least one receiving facility E_j, data units which are transmitted unencrypted are reproduced for a predetermined starting period after the starting time t_k^A=t_k+θ

(θ

>

0).

16. Transmitting device for transmitting data units of a data stream, especially a multimedia data stream, to at least one receiving facility E_j (j≧

1), comprising transmitting means for transmitting the data units and control means for controlling the transmitting means, in such a manner that the data units of the data stream can be transmitted from at least one transmitting facility to at least one receiving facility E_j (j≧

1), in which method;

n data sets (n≧

2) are sent with the aid of the at least one transmitting facility,

the sending of a first data set M₁ of the n data sets begins at a time t₁,

the first data set M₁ comprises all data units of the data stream,

the sending of at least one further data set M_k (2≦

k≦

n) of the n data sets begins at a time t_k (2≦

k≦

n),

the at least one further data set Mk comprises at least one part of the data units of the data stream, and

the n data sets are sent in such a manner that in the at least one receiving facility E_j, a reproduction of the data units of the data stream as predetermined time sequence of information, especially picture and/or sound information, can be begun at a starting time t_k^A=t_k+θ

(θ

>

0) and ended at an ending time t_k^E=t_k^A+Δ

t, where θ

is a period characteristic of the transmission of individual data units of the data stream from the at least one transmitting facility to the at least one receiving facility E_j and/or processing of individual data units of the data stream and Δ

t is a period characteristic of the reproduction of all data units of the data stream as the predetermined time sequence of information,

wherein the at least one further data set M_k (2≦

k≦

n) is formed from selected data units of the data stream for which an earlier transmission is begun at least once by the at least one transmitting facility in a time interval between a time t<sub>k−

1</sub> and the time t_k (2≦

k≦

n), a time interval (t<sub>k−

1</sub>−

t_k) being smaller than Δ

t for at least two of successive times t_k and t_k+1 (1≦

k≦

n).

17. The transmitting device according to

claim 16

, wherein the transmitting means comprise at least two transmitters for transmitting the data units, the two transmitters being controllable with the aid of the control device in such a manner that a part of the data stream can be sent via one of the at least two transmitters and another part of the data stream can be sent via another one of the at least two transmitters.

18. The transmitting device according to

claim 17

, wherein the one part of the data stream comprises at least one data unit D_b (b <

x) of the x data units D_x (x=1,2,3, . . . ) and the other part of the data stream comprises data units D₁, . . . , D<sub>b−

1</sub>, D_b+1, . . . , D_x of the x data units D_x.