Method, apparatus, and system for overlapping enhancement control

• US 20020108128A1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Weber, Jay, Salo, Daniel, Lash, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/148
• 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 21/4545 Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for selective modification of transport data for enhanced video content. Video transport data is received in a video signal or an external source and a configurable processor uses criteria to selectively modify units of the video transport data. Disclosed criteria included a rule based pattern matching/replacement as well as criteria for denial, acceptance, or modification of particular units of video transport data. The modified video transport data stream created by the processor can be re-encoded in the video signal and provided to an external monitor.

Claims

1. A computer-controlled method of selectively encoding video transport data comprising:

receiving a video signal;

receiving a video transport data stream;

selectively modifying said video transport data stream, forming a modified video transport data stream;

combining said modified video transport data stream with said video signal, forming an output video signal; and

providing said output video signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said video signal comprises said video transport data stream.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal further comprises closed captioning information.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

extracting said closed caption information from said video signal;

extracting said video transport data stream; and

reencoding said closed caption information in said video signal in near real-time for retaining synchronization of said closed caption information and said video signal.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal comprises a vertical blanking interval and wherein said video transport data is encoded in said vertical blanking interval.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded in an MPEG format.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded in a Serial Digital Video format.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded as a Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language presentation.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded as a streaming media type.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving said stream of video transport data comprises, receiving a stream of video transport data across a data network from a remote source.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said data network comprises a portion of the internet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying said video transport data stream comprises:

detecting a first video transport data unit in said video transport data stream;

examining a rule having a condition portion and an action portion, for determining whether said first video transport data unit satisfies said condition portion, and

executing said action portion of said rule for modifying said video transport data stream.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said first video transport data unit comprises a URL.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said first video transport data unit comprises attribute associated with a URL.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said first video transport data unit comprises ATVEF Transport B data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said video transport data stream is of an ATVEF Transport B type.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a video signal comprises receiving a first video signal, the method further comprising:

receiving a second video signal; and

wherein combining said modified video transport data stream with said video signal, forming an output video signal comprises;

combining said modified video transport data stream with said first video signal and with said second video signal.

18. The method of claim 1:

wherein receiving a video signal comprises receiving a first video signal and a second video signal;

wherein receiving a video transport data stream comprises receiving a first video transport data stream and a second video transport data stream;

wherein selectively modifying said video transport data stream, forming a modified transport data stream comprises;

selectively modifying said first and second video transport data streams, respectively forming first and second modified video transport data streams; and

wherein combining said modified video transport data stream with said video signal comprises;

combining said first modified video transport data stream with said first video signal and combining said second modified video transport data stream with said second video signal.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said video signal comprises a plurality of channels, each of said plurality of channels having associated video transport data in said video transport data stream and wherein selectively modifying said video transport data stream, forming a modified video transport data stream comprises selectively modifying said video transport data stream on a per-channel basis.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein executing said action portion comprises one of:

allowing said first video transport data unit to be encoded in said modified video transport data stream;

preventing said first video transport data unit from being encoded in said modified video transport data stream; and

encoding a second video transport data unit in lieu of said first video transport data unit.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing said modified video transport data stream to a remote monitoring client system.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying said video transport data stream comprises inserting an identifier of a video program enhancement, and further comprising:

receiving said video signal at a plurality of receiver locations; and

detecting said identifier one or more of said plurality of receiver locations.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving first information respecting said one or more of said plurality of receiver locations detecting said identifier; and

preparing summary information regarding provision of said video program enhancement responsive to said first information.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying said stream of video transport data comprises inserting an identifier of a video program enhancement and further comprising:

receiving an HTTP request for video program enhancement, said HTTP request comprising said identifier; and

preparing summary information regarding provision of said video program enhancement responsive to said HTTP request.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a decoder for receiving an input video signal, said input video signal comprising said video transport data stream, said decoder configured for extracting said video transport data stream.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein said output video signal comprises a plurality of channels, and wherein said encoder encodes said modified video transport data stream in each of said plurality of channels.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein said video signal comprises a plurality of channels, each of said plurality of channels having associated video transport data in said video transport data stream and wherein said video transport data modification processor is configured for selectively modifying said video transport data stream on a per-channel basis.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein said video transport data modification processor comprises:

a set of rules, members of said set of rules having a condition portion and an action portion; and

a pattern matching module, said pattern matching module identifying whether a video transport data unit in said video transport data stream matches said condition portions of members of said set of rules.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said video transport data unit comprises a URL.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein said video transport data unit comprises an attribute of a URL.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein said video transport data unit comprises ATVEF Transport B data.

35. The system of claim 26 wherein said encoder encodes identifiers of a video program enhancement and further comprising:

a receiver network, said receiver network configured for detecting said identifiers in a broadcast of output video signal.

36. The system of claim 26 wherein said encoder encodes identifiers of a video program enhancement and further comprising:

an server system, said server system configured for receiving a requests for a resource associated with an identifier in said modified video transport data stream, wherein said request comprises one of said identifiers.

37. The system of claims 31 or 35 further comprising a data processing system for generating summary reports responsive to receiving said identifiers.

38. The system of claim 26 further comprising a computer system, said computer system configured for providing an video transport data stream to said input across a data network.

39. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

an output for providing said video transport data stream to a data network; and

a monitoring computer system, said monitoring computer system configured for receiving said modified video transport data stream across said data network.

25. The method of 22 further comprising:

receiving an HTTP request for video enhancements, said HTTP request comprising said identifier; and

preparing summary information regarding provision of said video program responsive to said first information and said HTTP request.

26. A computer-controlled enhanced video transport data modification system comprising:

a input for receiving a video transport data stream;

an encoder for encoding a modified video transport data stream in an output video signal;

a video transport data modification processor operatively coupled with said encoder, and said input, said video transport data modification processor configured for receiving a video transport data stream from said input and selectively modifying said video transport data stream for creating said modified video transport data stream, and providing said modified video transport data stream to said encoder.

29. The system of claim 26:

wherein said video transport modification processor is configured for selectively modifying first and second video transport data streams respectively associated with said first and second video signals; and

wherein said encoder is configured for encoding said first video transport data stream in said first video signal and encoding said second video transport data stream in said second video signal.