Method and apparatus for creating data carousels

• US 20030154203A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morris, Kirsty, Dobie, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating data carousels including representing an object carousel in XML according to a predefined XML schema, analysing the XML representation of the object carousel with regard to technical standards for data carousels and broadcast systems, creating a representation of a data carousel in XML according to a predefined XML schema and based on the step of analysing and providing data to a carousel according to the XML representation of the data carousel.

Claims

1. A method of creating data carousels including:

representing an object carousel in a structured data format;

analysing the structured data format representation of the object carousel for compatibility with at least one predetermined technical standard;

creating a representation of a data carousel in the structured data format based on the step of analysing; and

providing output data to a carousel according to the structured data format representation of the data carousel.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the technical standards include DSM-CC standards and appropriate standards for broadcast systems.

3. A method according to claim 1 further including:

editing the structured data format representation of the data carousel before providing the data to the carousel so as to optimise the arrangement of data in the carousel.

4. A method according to claim 1 further including:

defining a data format definition for representing object carousels in the structured data format.

5. A method according to claim 1 further including:

defining a data format definition for representing data carousels in the structured data format.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the structured data format is XML.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the steps of analysing and creating are conducted as part of a predefined XSLT algorithm.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the step of analysing further includes determining the sizes of the files of the object carousel and providing in a structured data format the sizes as a look-up table, whereby the XSLT algorithm uses the look up table in the steps of analysing and creating.

17. A computer readable storage medium having recorded thereon code components that, when loaded on a computer and executed, will cause that computer to operate according to claim 1.

18. A computer program having code components that, when loaded on a computer and executed, will cause that computer to operate according to claim 1.

9. An apparatus for creating data carousels, including:

a memory containing a data format definition for representing object carousels in a structured data format;

a memory containing a data format definition for representing data carousels in the structured data format;

a GUI by which a user may create a representation of an object carousel in the structured data format;

a processor for analysing the structured data format representation of the object carousel for compatibility with at least one predetermined technical standard and for creating, on the basis of the analysis, a representation in the structured data format of a data carousel according to the data format definition for the structured data format representing data carousels.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the standards include DSM-CC standards and appropriate standards for broadcast systems.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the GUI allows a user to edit the structured data format representation of the data carousel so as to optimise the arrangement of the data for use as part of a carousel.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 further including:

an output processor for providing data to a carousel according to the structured data format representation of the data carousel.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the structured data format is XML.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the processor analyses the XML representation of an object carousel and creates the XML representation of a data carousel using a predefined XSLT algorithm.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the processor determines the sizes of the files of the object carousel and provides in XML the sizes as a lookup table whereby the XSLT algorithm uses the look-up table.

16. A broadcast system including an apparatus for creating data carousels, the apparatus including:

a memory containing a data format definition for representing object carousels in a structured data format;

a memory containing a data format definition for representing data carousels in the structured data format;

a GUI by which a user may create a representation of an object carousel in the structured data format;

a processor for analysing the structured data format representation of the object carousel for compatibility with at least one predetermined technical standard and for creating, on the basis of the analysis, a representation in the structured data format of a data carousel according to the data format definition for the structured data format representing data carousels.