Combining multiple simultaneous source cinema to multiple exhibitor receivers

• US 20030204850A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chew, Lester A., Ng, Joseph S., Akers, Robyn M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,690,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/63
• 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 simultaneous sources to multiple exhibitor receivers in a secure manner is disclosed. An exemplary system includes a plurality of live event sites each producing and transmitting a live video source. A live event director system is used for receiving and combining each transmitted live video source in an overall transmission and transmitting the overall transmission for exhibition. A network operation center coordinates encryption of the overall transmission at the live event director system and decryption of the overall transmission by at least one authorized exhibitor site. In further embodiments, the live event sites selectively transmit high bandwidth signals to reduce bandwidth usage.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

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

a live event director system for receiving and combining each transmitted live video source in an overall transmission and transmitting the overall transmission for exhibition; and

a network operation center for coordinating encryption of the overall transmission at the live event director system and decryption of the overall transmission by at least one authorized exhibitor site.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the overall transmission is transmitted via satellite broadcast to more than one authorized exhibitor site.

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

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one decryption key for decrypting the overall transmission is communicated to the authorized exhibitors from the network operation center.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one exhibitor system for receiving the overall transmission from the live event director system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the exhibitor system includes:

a receiver for receiving and extracting video data from the received overall 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.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the overall transmission includes file encryption and conditional access encryption.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the conditional access encryption is decrypted before the live video source is stored by authorized exhibitors and the file encryption is decrypted after the live video source is stored but before the overall transmission is played by authorized exhibitors.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the live event director system receives a low bandwidth signal of each video source from the plurality of live event sites and a high bandwidth signal of each video source is selectively transmitted for use in the overall transmission to the at least one authorized exhibitor site.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the live event director system communicates commands for controlling selective transmission to the plurality of live event sites over a control link to each of the live event sites.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the high bandwidth signal of each video source from the plurality of live event sites is selectively transmitted so substantially one high bandwidth signal is received by the live event director system at a time.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the selective transmission of the high bandwidth signal of each video source from the plurality of live event sites is synchronized using clocks at the plurality of live event sites and the live event director system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the live video source of each of the plurality of live event sites is compressed to the low bandwidth signal and communicated to the live event director system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each low bandwidth signal is communicated through a virtual private network (VPN) connection.

15. A method comprising:

producing more than one live video source, each video source being produced at a live event site;

transmitting each live video source from each live event site;

receiving each transmitted live video source at a live event director system;

combining each live video source in an overall transmission with the live event director system;

coordinating with a network operation center encryption of the overall transmission at the live event director system and decryption of the overall transmission by at least one authorized exhibitor site; and

transmitting the overall transmission for exhibition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the overall transmission is transmitted via satellite broadcast to more than one authorized exhibitor site.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the live video source comprises cinema quality video.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one decryption key for decrypting the overall transmission is communicated to the authorized exhibitors from the network operation center.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one exhibitor system receives the overall transmission from the live event director system.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising exhibiting the overall transmission including:

receiving and extracting video data from the received overall transmission at a receiver;

buffering the video data with a data storage device;

decrypting the video data with a decryption unit;

decompressing the video data with a decompression unit; and

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

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the overall transmission includes file encryption and conditional access encryption.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the conditional access encryption is decrypted before the live video source is stored by authorized exhibitors and the conditional access encryption is decrypted after the live video source is stored but before the overall transmission is played by authorized exhibitors.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a low bandwidth signal of each video source at the live event director system from the plurality of live event sites; and

selectively transmitting to the live event director system a high bandwidth signal of each video source for use in the overall transmission to the at least one authorized exhibitor site.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

communicating commands for controlling selective transmission to the plurality of live event sites over a control link to each of the live event sites from the live event director system.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the high bandwidth signal of each video source from the plurality of live event sites is selectively transmitted so substantially one high bandwidth signal is received by the live event director system at a time.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising synchronizing the selective transmission of the high bandwidth signal of each video source from the plurality of live event sites using clocks at the plurality of live event sites and the live event director system.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the live video source of each of the plurality of live event sites is compressed to the low bandwidth signal and communicated to the live event director system.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each low bandwidth signal is communicated through a virtual private network (VPN) connection.