Method and apparatus for improved acquisition and monitoring of event information table sections

• US 20030007095A1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Freimann, Felix
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method for acquiring and storing schedule event information from a cyclical broadcast in an interactive television system comprising a Head end (20), transmission media (32) and a client device such as a set top box (28) and display TV (26). An request queue for particular Event Information Table (EIT) schedule sections (42) is created and serviced in optimal fashion by selecting a section from the EIT request queue with the least acquisition latency based on the current position in the EIT broadcast cycle, the set top box (28) processing speed and the sequence of EIT sections (42) requested.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring event information table (EIT) information in an interactive television system comprising:

monitoring an EIT broadcast at a client device;

requesting acquisition of a first available EIT section from the broadcast at the client device;

acquiring the requested EIT section at an EIT section acquisition filter at the client device; and

requesting acquisition of a second available EIT section at the client device from an EIT sequence table having a shortest acquisition latency.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring an EIT broadcast to determine real time current location in an EIT broadcast cycle.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring the EIT broadcast EIT section headers to determine EIT section broadcast sequence.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

predicting the next available EIT section in the broadcast based on the EIT broadcast sequence.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at a client device, a head end broadcast of an EIT section broadcast sequence in a private table.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

issuing commands from an EIT schedule manager at the client device to a programmable hardware filter at the client device to acquire an EIT section from the EIT broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein an EIT section filter accepts and process multiple EIT section requests.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring EIT section version numbers in the broadcast;

detecting changes of EIT version numbers; and

automatically acquiring and updating an EIT section when its EIT section version number changes.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically acquiring a current EIT section version if the current EIT section version have not already been obtained.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching an EIT section request queue to select a next available EIT section in broadcast.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the selection is based on a current position in the EIT section broadcast, processing time to process a EIT section currently being received and time required to set up a filter to receive another EIT section.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the selection is based on current position in the EIT broadcast cycle, and next available EIT section predicted to follow.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining if a first candidate EIT section request has already started in the broadcast; and

selecting a second candidate EIT section request from the section request queue for acquisition when the first candidate EIT has already started in the broadcast.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

skipping over a requested EIT section in the broadcast to reduce acquisition latency of another requested EIT section.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting up a filter to acquire a selected EIT section and at least one other sequentially broadcast EIT section number.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting up a filter to acquire a requested EIT section and at least one other requested EIT section.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

placing a time stamp and receipt time stamp and byte count to determine duration of the EIT section are used to determine inter-section spacing; and

predict a next available EIT section in the broadcast.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an inter-section spacing between requested EIT sections to predict next available requested section based on client device response time, EIT section broadcast sequence, EIT inter-section spacing and a queue of requested EIT sections.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining an EIT schedule window;

determining if broadcast EIT schedule event belongs in the EIT schedule window; and

acquiring the EIT section for EIT schedule event if EIT schedule event belongs in the EIT window.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

periodically monitoring the EIT broadcast for new events in the EIT window.

36. The medium of claim 1 further comprising:

setting up a filter to acquire a requested EIT section and at least one other requested EIT section.

37. The medium of claim 1 further comprising:

placing a time stamp and receipt time stamp and byte count to determine duration of the EIT section are used to determine inter-section spacing; and

predict a next available EIT section in the broadcast.

21. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for acquiring event information table (EIT) information in an interactive television system comprising:

monitoring an EIT broadcast at a client device;

requesting acquisition of a first available EIT section from the broadcast at the client device;

acquiring the requested EIT section at an EIT section acquisition filter at the client device; and

requesting acquisition of a second available EIT section at the client device from an EIT sequence table having a shortest acquisition latency.

22. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

monitoring an EIT broadcast to determine real time current location in an EIT broadcast cycle.

23. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

monitoring the EIT broadcast EIT section headers to determine EIT section broadcast sequence.

24. The medium of claim 23 further comprising:

predicting the next available EIT section in the broadcast based on the EIT broadcast sequence.

25. The medium of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving at a client device, a head end broadcast of an EIT section broadcast sequence in a private table.

26. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

issuing commands from an EIT schedule manager at the client device to a programmable hardware filter at the client device to acquire an EIT section from the EIT broadcast.

27. The medium of claim 21 wherein an EIT section filter accepts and process multiple EIT section requests.

28. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

monitoring EIT section version numbers in the broadcast;

detecting changes of EIT version numbers; and

automatically acquiring and updating an EIT section when its EIT section version number changes.

29. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

automatically acquiring a current EIT section version if the current EIT section version have not already been obtained.

30. The medium of claim 21, further comprising:

searching an EIT section request queue to select a next available EIT section in broadcast.

31. The medium of claim 30 wherein the selection is based on a current position in the EIT section broadcast, processing time to process a EIT section currently being received and time required to set up a filter to receive another EIT section.

32. The medium of claim 30 wherein the selection is based on current position in the EIT broadcast cycle, and next available EIT section predicted to follow.

33. The medium of claim 32 further comprising:

determining if a first candidate EIT section request has already started in the broadcast; and

selecting a second candidate EIT section request from the section request queue for acquisition when the first candidate EIT has already started in the broadcast.

34. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

skipping over a requested EIT section in the broadcast to reduce acquisition latency of another requested EIT section.

35. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

setting up a filter to acquire a selected EIT section and at least one other sequentially broadcast EIT section number.

38. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

determining an inter-section spacing between requested EIT sections to predict next available requested section based on client device response time, EIT section broadcast sequence, EIT inter-section spacing and a queue of requested EIT sections.

39. The medium of claim 21, further comprising:

defining an EIT schedule window;

determining if broadcast EIT schedule event belongs in the EIT schedule window; and

acquiring the EIT section for EIT schedule event if EIT schedule event belongs in the EIT window.

40. The medium of claim 21 further comprising:

periodically monitoring the EIT broadcast for new events in the EIT window.