Bandwidth-efficient and secure method to combine multiple live events to multiple exhibitors

• US 20030204630A1
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ng, Joseph S.
• Application Number:
  US10/213,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An apparatus and method for combining multiple live events in a bandwidth-efficient and secure manner is disclosed. A typical system includes a plurality of live event sites each producing a live video source for transmission and a live event director system. The live event director system selects one of the plurality of live event sites and synchronizes transmission among the plurality of live event sites so that only the live video source of the selected one of the plurality of live event sites is transmitted for exhibition at a time. The transmission from the selected live event site is compressed and encrypted for broadcast to one or more exhibitors.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of live event sites each producing a live video source for transmission; and

a live event director system for selecting one of the plurality of live event sites and synchronizing transmission among the plurality of live event sites so that only the live video source of the selected one of the plurality of live event sites is transmitted at a time for exhibition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronization is performed using global positioning system (GPS) clocks at the plurality of live event sites and the live event director system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the live event director system communicates commands for synchronizing transmission among the plurality of live event sites over a control link to each of the live event sites.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted live video source is transmitted via satellite broadcast to at least one live exhibition site.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the live video source comprises high definition quality video.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the live video source comprises cinema quality video.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the live video source of each of the plurality of live event sites is compressed to a low resolution video and communicated to the live event director system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the low resolution video is communicated through virtual private network (VPN) connection.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one exhibitor system for receiving the live video transmission from the selected one of the plurality of live event sites.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the exhibitor system includes:

a receiver for receiving and extracting video data from the live video transmission;

data storage for buffering the video data;

a decryption unit for decrypting the video data;

a decompression unit decompressing the video data; and

a display device for displaying the decrypted and decompressed video data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a current frame of the received live video is repeated if there is a gap in the live video transmission.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the live video source is compressed and encrypted at the live event site for transmission to the at least one exhibitor system where the live video source is decrypted and decompressed prior to exhibition.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one decryption key for decrypting the live video source is communicated to the at least one exhibitor system from a network operation center.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the encryption includes transmission encryption and conditional access encryption.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the received live video source is stored and the transmission encryption is decrypted before the live video source is stored and the conditional access encryption is decrypted after the live video source is stored but before the live video source is played.

16. A method comprising the steps of:

producing a live video source at each of a plurality of live event sites; and

selecting one of the plurality of live event sites; and

synchronizing transmission among the plurality of live event sites with a live event director system so that only the live video source of the selected one of the plurality of live event sites is transmitted at a time for exhibition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein synchronization is performed using global positioning system (GPS) clocks at the plurality of live event sites and the live event director system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the live event director system communicates commands for synchronizing transmission among the plurality of live event sites over a control link to each of the live event sites.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmitted live video source is transmitted via satellite broadcast to at least one live exhibition site.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the live video source comprises high definition quality video.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the live video source comprises cinema quality video.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the live video source of each of the plurality of live event sites is compressed to a low resolution video and communicated to the live event director system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the low resolution video is communicated through virtual private network (VPN) connection.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving the live video transmission from the selected one of the plurality of live event sites at at least one exhibitor system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the exhibitor system includes:

a receiver for receiving and extracting video data from the live video transmission;

data storage for buffering the video data;

a decryption unit for decrypting the video data;

a decompression unit decompressing the video data; and

a display device for displaying the decrypted and decompressed video data.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein a current frame of the received live video is repeated if there is a gap in the live video transmission.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the live video source is compressed and encrypted at the live event site for transmission to the at least one exhibitor system where the live video source is decrypted and decompressed prior to exhibition.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one decryption key for decrypting the live video source is communicated to the at least one exhibitor system from a network operation center.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the encryption includes transmission encryption and conditional access encryption.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the received live video source is stored and the transmission encryption is decrypted before the live video source is stored and the conditional access encryption is decrypted after the live video source is stored but before the live video source is played.