Video and digital multimedia aggregator content coding and formatting

• US 20030025832A1
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Swart, William D., McCoskey, John S., Asmussen, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/81 Monomedia components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A video and digital multimedia aggregator includes a content decoder, coder (codec) and formatter. The codec formatter receives coding and formatting requests that characterize input source content and desired output target content. Data conveyed about the source and target content may include parameters such as physical and/or logical addresses, coding and compression parameters, format descriptions, content size, description of auxiliary services, and other metadata elements that may be required for coding and formatting.

Claims

1. A method for formatting and coding content for storage and delivery, comprising:

receiving a coding and formatting request;

analyzing parameters contained in the coding and formatting request;

configuring a formatting codec using the analyzed parameters;

decoding, formatting, and coding target content using the configured formatting codec, whereby coded target output content is produced; and

routing the coded target output content to one or more target addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing auxiliary services, comprising;

analyzing auxiliary services processing requests in the coding and formatting request,

configuring one or more auxiliary services processes to generate requested auxiliary services, and

outputting the requested auxiliary services, wherein the outputted auxiliary services are combined with the coded target output content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising parsing the requested auxiliary services and time code data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising synchronizing auxiliary service time code data and content time code data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary services comprise one or more of closed captioning, descriptive video narration, alternative language audio, content rating, critical review information, device control and commands, future content schedules, advertising, targeted advertising, text and data services, interactive services, and content metadata.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein auxiliary services are combined with requested source content, further comprising:

separating the auxiliary services from the requested source content;

processing the separated auxiliary services; and

combining selected separated auxiliary services with the coded target output content.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the requested auxiliary services are separate from the requested content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising polling formatting and coding resources, wherein available formatting and coding resources are identified.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading target content routing address information; and

configuring one or more target content routers based on the address information.

10. An apparatus that decodes, formats, and codes content for storage and delivery, comprising:

means for receiving a coding and formatting request;

means for analyzing parameters contained in the coding and formatting request;

means for decoding, formatting and coding target content;

means for configuring the means for decoding, formatting and coding target content; and

means for routing coded target output content to one or more target addresses.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for processing auxiliary services, comprising:

means for analyzing auxiliary service requests in the coding and formatting request;

means for configuring one or more auxiliary services processing means to supply the requested auxiliary services; and

means for outputting the requested auxiliary services, whereby the outputted auxiliary services are combined with the coded target output content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for parsing auxiliary services and auxiliary service time code data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for synchronizing the auxiliary service time code data and content time code data.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, whereby auxiliary services are combined with requested source content, further comprising:

means for separating the auxiliary services from the requested source content;

means for processing the separated auxiliary service; and

means for combining selected separated auxiliary services with the coded target output content.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the requested auxiliary services are separate from the requested content, further comprising:

means for formatting and coding the requested auxiliary services; and

means for combining the requested formatted and coded auxiliary services and the coded target output content.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the auxiliary services comprise one or more of closed captioning, descriptive video narration, alternative language audio, content rating, critical review information, device control and commands, future content schedules, advertising, targeted advertising, text and data services, interactive services, and content metadata.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for polling formatting and coding means, wherein available formatting and coding means are identified.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for ready target content routing address information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for configuring one or more means for routing target content based on the address information.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the parameter contained in the coding and formatting request comprise one or more of a physical address, a logical address, coding parameters, compression parameters, format description, content size, description of auxiliary services, and metadata elements.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for applying forward error correction coding to target output content.

22. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the target addresses include one or more of an aggregator local storage and a user terminal.