Next generation television receiver

• US 20030135860A1
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV Corp. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Dureau, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• 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

Abstract

A method and mechanism for configuring a receiver as a proxy to transcode data and provide for intercommunication among secondary devices. In one embodiment, a proxy receiver in a viewer'"'"'s home is configured to perform transcoding and other processing to enable use of services by secondary devices which would otherwise not be able to utilize such services. In addition, the proxy receiver may be configured to provide communication between devices which would otherwise not be able to communicate with one another. In one embodiment, the proxy receiver includes a receiver configured to receive programming signals, an I/O interface configured to communicate with a secondary device, and a transcode subsystem. The transcode subsystem is configured to detect received data, determine a target secondary device of the received data, determine a target data format corresponding to the target secondary device, and initiate transcoding of the received data to the target data format. Additionally, the transcode subsystem may be configured to detect an attempted communication from an unregistered secondary device, and either register the device if the data format of the secondary device is supported, or initiate a request for a transcode subunit which supports the data format of the unregistered secondary device if the data format is not supported.

Claims

1. A client for use in a television system, wherein the client is located in a television viewer home and comprises:

a receiver configured to receive a programming signal;

an interface configured to communicate with a secondary device; and

a transcode subsystem coupled to the receiver and the interface, wherein the transcode subsystem is configured to;

detect received data;

determine a target secondary device of the received data;

determine a target data format corresponding to the target secondary device; and

initiate transcoding of the received data to the target data format.

2. The client of claim 1, wherein the transcode subsystem includes a config table configured to associate the secondary device with the target data format.

3. The client of claim 2, wherein the transcode subsystem comprises a control unit configured to access the config table to determine the target data format.

4. The client of claim 1, wherein the transcode subsystem comprises a transcode subunit configured to perform the transcoding.

5. The client of claim 4, wherein the transcode subsystem further comprises a second transcode subunit configured to transcode data to a second data format.

6. The client of claim 2, wherein the transcode subsystem is configured to:

detect an additional secondary device; and

register the additional secondary device.

7. The client of claim 6, wherein registering the additional secondary device comprises storing an entry corresponding to the secondary device in the config table, wherein the entry indicates the corresponding target data format.

8. The client of claim 1, wherein the transcode subsystem is further configured to:

detect a second received data conveyed via the programming signal; and

discard the second received data in response to detecting a target data format of the second received data is not supported.

9. The client of claim 1, wherein the transcode subsystem is further configured to:

detect a communication from an unregistered secondary device; and

register the unregistered secondary device in response to determining the transcode subsystem is configured to support a data format corresponding to the unregistered secondary device.

10. The client of claim 9, wherein the transcode subsystem is further configured to:

convey a request for a transcode subunit corresponding to the data format of the unregistered secondary device, in response to determining the transcode subsystem is not configured to support the data format corresponding to the unregistered secondary device.

11. The client of claim 1, wherein the client comprises a set-top box.

12. The client of claim 1, wherein the client is further configured to:

receive a first request from the secondary device for remote data; and

generate a second request corresponding to said first request, wherein said second request does not include an indication of a data format required by said secondary device.

13. A method for transcoding in a television receiver located in a viewer home, the method comprising:

detecting a received data in a first format;

determining a target secondary device corresponding to the received data;

determining a target data format different from said first format corresponding to the target secondary device; and

transcoding the received data to the target data format.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising accessing a config table to determine the target data format.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting an additional secondary device; and

registering the additional secondary device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein registering the secondary device comprises storing an entry corresponding to the additional secondary device in the config table, wherein the entry indicates a data format corresponding to the additional secondary device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a second received data; and

discarding the second received data in response to determining a target data format of the second received data is not supported.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a communication from an unregistered secondary device; and

registering the unregistered secondary device in response to determining the transcode subsystem is configured to support a data format corresponding to the unregistered secondary device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

conveying a request for a transcode subunit corresponding to the data format of the unregistered secondary device, in response to determining the transcode subsystem is not configured to support the data format corresponding to the unregistered secondary device.

20. A television system comprising:

a first source for conveying a programming signal;

a proxy receiver configured to receive the programming signal, wherein the proxy receiver is located in a viewer home; and

a secondary device coupled to the proxy receiver, wherein said secondary device is configured to utilize data in a first format;

wherein the proxy receiver is configured to;

detect received data in a second format;

determine the secondary device is a target of the received data;

determine a target data format corresponding to the secondary device, wherein said target data format corresponds to said first format; and

initiate transcoding of the received data to the target data format.

21. The television system of claim 20, wherein the proxy receiver is configured to access a config table to determine the target data format.

22. The television system of claim 21, wherein the proxy receiver is configured to:

detect an additional secondary device; and

register the additional secondary device.

23. The television system of claim 22, wherein registering the additional secondary device comprises storing an entry corresponding to the secondary device in the config table, wherein the entry indicates an association between the corresponding target data format and the additional secondary device.

24. The television system of claim 20, wherein the proxy receiver is further configured to:

detect a second received data; and

discard the second received data in response to detecting a target data format of the second received data is not supported by the proxy receiver.

25. The television system of claim 20, wherein the proxy receiver is further configured to:

detect a communication from an unregistered secondary device; and

register the unregistered secondary device in response to determining the proxy receiver is configured to support a data format corresponding to the unregistered secondary device.

26. The television system of claim 25, wherein the proxy receiver is further configured to:

convey a request for a transcode subunit corresponding to the data format of the unregistered secondary device, in response to detecting a communication from an unregistered secondary device and determining the proxy receiver is not configured to support the data format corresponding to the unregistered secondary device.

27. The television system of claim 20, wherein said proxy receiver is configured to:

receive a first request from said secondary device corresponding to said received data;

convey a second request to said first source in response to detecting said first request, wherein said second request does not include an indication of said first format;

wherein said received data is responsive to said second request.