Broadcast data access system for multimedia clients in a broadcast network architecture

• US 20030177230A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stalker, Altan J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• 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 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

A broadcast data access system is provided for receiving broadcast data by applications residing on a multimedia client, where the broadcast data is a set of modules on a data carousel that are being broadcast over a broadcast network. The broadcast data access system includes an interest manager configured to store a plurality of interests, such that each interest identifies an available module on the data carousel being requested by an application. The system further includes at least one application having registered an interest for a first module with the interest manager, and a dispatcher distributing the first module to the requesting application by accessing the interest manager.

Claims

1. A broadcast data access system including a plurality of modules, the broadcast data access system for providing non-sequential data blocks indicative of a module from a data carousel to a multimedia client, the multimedia client comprising:

a plurality of requesting applications each for requesting a module;

an interest manager for receiving from at least one of the plurality of requesting applications an interest indicative of the requested module and for storing the interest, wherein the interest includes a first identifier identifying the requested module and a second identifier identifying the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications; and

a dispatcher for receiving the non-sequential data blocks from the data carousel, and for providing the non-sequential data blocks to the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications determined by the first and second identifiers in the interest manager.

2. The broadcast data access system of claim 1, wherein the non-sequential data blocks further include the first identifier identifying the module.

3. The broadcast data access system of claim 2, wherein the dispatcher further allocates an area of memory, and wherein the non-sequential data blocks having the first identifier are stored in the area of memory.

4. The broadcast data access system of claim 3, wherein, when all of the non-sequential data blocks associated with the requested module are stored in the area of memory, the requested module is provided to the at least one of the plurality of requested applications.

5. The broadcast data access system of claim 3, wherein the dispatcher reassembles the non-sequential data blocks associated with the requested module in the area of memory.

6. The broadcast data access system of claim 5, wherein the interest manager removes 5 the first interest after completely reassembling the requested module and providing the requested module to the at least one of the plurality of requested applications.

7. The broadcast data access system of claim 1, wherein each of the non-sequential data blocks includes the first identifier that enables the interest manager to determine if there are multiple interests of the requested module.

8. The broadcast data access system of claim 7, wherein the dispatcher reassembles the non-sequential data blocks associated with the requested module in an area of memory.

9. The broadcast data access system of claim 8, wherein the dispatcher reassembles the non-sequential data blocks according to the first identifier and according to any multiple interests from the at least one of the plurality of requested applications.

10. The broadcast data access system of claim 1, the multimedia client further comprising a dynamic filter for allowing the non-sequential data blocks associated with the requested module to pass through to the dispatcher.

11. The broadcast data access system of claim 10, wherein, subsequent to the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications receiving the requested module, the dynamic filter is removed.

12. The broadcast data access system of claim 1, the multimedia client further comprising a broadcast file system for including a directory of the plurality of modules on the data carousel, wherein each of the plurality of modules including an updated first identifier.

13. The broadcast data access system of claim 12, wherein, when the interest manager receives the interest from the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications, the interest manager verifies the first identifier with the updated first identifier.

14. A broadcast data access system for providing non-sequential data blocks indicative of a module from a data carousel to a multimedia client, the multimedia client comprising:

a plurality of requesting applications each for requesting a module;

an interest manager for receiving from at least one of the plurality of requesting applications an interest indicative of the requested module and for storing the interest, wherein the interest includes a first identifier identifying the requested module and a second identifier for identifying the at least one of the requesting applications; and

a dispatcher for receiving the non-sequential data blocks from the data carousel, for storing the non-sequential data blocks in memory, and, upon completion of the storage of all of the non-sequential data blocks associated with the requested module for providing the module to the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications.

15. The broadcast data access system of claim 14, the multimedia client further comprising a dynamic filter for allowing the non-sequential data blocks having the first identifier to pass through to the dispatcher.

16. The broadcast data access system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of requesting applications each requests a same module signifying a multiple interest for the same module.

17. The broadcast data access system of claim 16, wherein the dispatcher receives an indication from the interest manager signifying the multiple interest, and wherein the dispatcher stores the non-sequential data blocks in memory in accordance with the multiple interest.

18. The broadcast data access system of claim 14, wherein the interest manager removes the interest upon the dispatcher providing the module to the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications.

19. The broadcast data access system of claim 14, the multimedia client further comprising a broadcast file system for including a directory of the plurality of modules on the data carousel, wherein each of the plurality of modules including an updated first identifier.

20. The broadcast data access system of claim 19, wherein, when the interest manager receives the interest from the at least one of the plurality of requesting applications, the interest manager verifies the first identifier with the updated first identifier.