Method and apparatus for changing received streaming content channels

• US 20030048808A1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John William Richardson, Thomas Anthony Stahl
• Original Assignee: John William Richardson, Thomas Anthony Stahl
• Inventors: Stahl, Thomas Anthony, Richardson, John William
• Application Number:
  US09/950,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048808A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/487
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed in which a buffer receives a first content stream carrying a content channel signal. The first content stream carries the content channel signal at a rate substantially greater than the streaming content playout rate, for initially loading the buffer. The buffer switches its reception of the content channel signal from the first content stream to a second content stream. The second content stream is at a rate substantially the same as the streaming content playout rate. Generally, this switch occurs when some predefined threshold of the content channel signal is buffered.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a digital signal comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a buffer and at a rate substantially greater than a streaming content playout rate, a first content stream carrying a content channel signal; and

switching from the first content stream to a second content stream carrying the content channel signal, wherein the second content stream is transferred to the buffer substantially at the display rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content channel signal is comprised of streaming video.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content channel signal is comprised of streaming audio data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of switching from the first content stream to the second content stream further comprises the step of:

determining that the buffer is substantially full prior to switching.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of switching from the first content stream to the second content stream further comprises the step of:

determining that the buffer contains a predefined amount of channel content data prior to switching.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second content stream is of the type selected from the group consisting of multicast, broadcast, and asynchronous-transfer-mode point-multipoint.

7. An apparatus for transferring a digital signal comprising:

means for receiving at a buffer, and at a rate substantially greater than a streaming content playout rate, a first content stream carrying a content channel signal; and

means for switching from the first content stream to a second content stream carrying the content channel signal, wherein the second content stream is transferred to the buffer substantially at the display rate.

8. A method for changing from a first digital video channel to a second digital video channel comprising the steps of:

receiving a channel change command;

transferring a first video stream carrying the second digital video channel from a first buffer to at least a second buffer at a rate greater than a display rate;

changing from the first digital video channel to the second digital video channel upon receiving the second digital video channel; and

switching from the first video stream to a second video stream carrying the second digital video channel, wherein the second video stream is transferred to the second buffer at the display rate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second video streams comprise a digital subscriber line signal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of switching from the first video stream to the second video stream further comprises the step determining that the second buffer has been filled to a desirable level prior to switching.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprises the step of loading the first buffer with the first video stream at about the display rate.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of receiving a channel change command further comprises the step of establishing a one-to-one connection between the first buffer and the second buffer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the second video stream is one of multicast, broadcast, and asynchronous-transfer-mode point-multipoint.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the digital video channel is distributed to the second buffer by one of a digital subscriber line, a cable modem and an integrated services digital network.

15. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for changing from a first digital video channel to a second digital video channel, the method steps comprising:

receiving a channel change command;

transferring a first video stream carrying the second digital video channel from a first buffer to at least a second buffer at a rate greater than a display rate;

changing from the first digital video channel to the second digital video channel upon receiving the second digital video channel; and

switching from the first video stream to a second video stream carrying the second digital video channel, wherein the second video stream is transferred to the second buffer at the display rate.

16. An apparatus for changing from a first digital video channel to a second digital video channel comprising:

means for receiving a channel change command;

means for transferring a first video stream carrying the second digital video channel from a first buffer to at least a second buffer at a rate greater than a display rate;

means for changing from the first digital video channel to the second digital video channel upon receiving the second digital video channel; and

means for switching from the first video stream to a second video stream carrying the second digital video channel, wherein the second video stream is transferred to the second buffer at the display rate.