Set-top preview program

• US 20020026637A1
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Intellocity USA, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Zenoni, Ian, Markel, Steven O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,213,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for generating a graphics window that is capable of emulating enhanced video from a combined video and interactive content stream. The set-top emulator can randomly access the combined video and interactive content stream to provide an easy manner of randomly accessing portions of the combined video and interactive stream for quality control purposes. Random access allows selective viewing of the enhanced video which saves time. Additionally, the combined video and interactive content stream can be simultaneously viewed as it is being produced to allow immediate feedback to an interactive television producer.

Claims

1. A method of emulating the functions performed by a set-top box to display an enhanced video stream on a computer, said enhanced video stream includes, a combination of video content and interactive content comprising:

generating a layout file that provides time based actions that are applied to said video content and said interactive content;

applying a set of rules to said layout file that produce instructions that emulate the functionality of a set-top box when applied to a browser;

examining said interactive content to select a color that is not being used by said interactive content;

assigning said color as a transparent color;

locating said video content in said enhanced video stream to generate video content location data;

setting portions of said enhanced content corresponding to said video content location data as said transparent color.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

accessing various portions of said layout file in a random fashion to check proper layout of said layout file and make modifications.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising;

publishing said enhanced video stream after said layout file has been checked and modified.

4. A system for emulating the functions of a set-top box to display an enhanced video stream on a computer that includes a combination of video content and interactive content comprising:

interactive television producer code that is capable of generating said enhanced video stream;

a storage device coupled to receive said enhanced video stream from said interactive producer code and store a video file;

emulation code that generates a layout file, applies a set of rules to said layout file that produce instructions that emulate the functionality of a set-top box when applied to a browser, examines interactive content in said layout file to select a color not being used, sets said selected color to be transparent in said interactive content, locates video content in said layout file and generates video content layout data and sets portions of said enhanced content that corresponds to said video content layout data to be transparent.

5. A storage medium containing emulation code that emulates the functions performed by a set-top box to display an enhanced video stream on a computer, said enhanced video stream including a combination of video content and interactive content, said emulation code performing the following functions:

generating a layout file that provides time based actions that are applied to said video content and said interactive content;

applying a set of rules to said layout file that produce instructions that emulate the functionality of a set-top box when applied to a browser;

examining said interactive content to select a color that is not being used by said interactive content;

assigning said color as a transparent color;

locating said video content in said enhanced video stream to generate video content location data;

setting portions of said enhanced content corresponding to said video content location data as said transparent color.