System and method for providing private in-band data to digital set-top boxes in a broadcast environment

• US 20030219081A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: ACTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Sheehan, Patrick M., Cristofalo, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• 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

The present invention involves a system, apparatus, and method for providing private in-band data to digital set-top boxes in a broadcast environment. In one example, a digital set-top box conforming to the present invention includes one or more programmatic identifiers, such as a manufactures identification, a product identification, and software application identifications. On a channel and at a time, the set-top box receives a broadcast transmission of in-band update data, such as profile data or software code, with matching identifiers. Upon receipt of the broadcast transmission having matching identifiers, the in-band update data is stored in a memory of the set-top box or the appropriate application is modified.

Claims

1. A method for receiving update data at a broadcast receiver having at least one data receiving parameter comprising:

receiving a broadcast transmission including at least one broadcast receiver identifier and data;

determining whether the at least one broadcast receiver identifier is associated with the at least one data receiving parameter of the broadcast receiver; and

storing the data in the broadcast receiver as a function of the at least one broadcast receiver identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast transmission comprises at least one data packet including the at least one digital broadcast receiver identifier and the data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one broadcast receiver identifier comprises a table identification to identify the data packet as including the data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one broadcast receiver identifier comprises a manufacturer identification.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one broadcast receiver identifier comprises a product identification.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one broadcast receiver identifier comprises a broadcast receiver identification.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one broadcast receiver identifier comprises:

means for identifying the digital broadcast receiver intended to receive the data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast transmission comprises at least one update identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one update identifier comprises an application identifier.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one update identifier comprises a data type identifier.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one update identifier comprises:

means for identifying a processing element of the digital broadcast receiver to update with the data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the data comprises executable code.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the data comprises profile data.

14. A computer readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, perform the method of claim 1.

15. A method for receiving data at a broadcast receiver having at least one memory location comprising:

providing for establishing at least one data receiving parameter in the broadcast receiver;

initiating data receipt as a function of the at least one data receiving parameter;

determining if the data is intended for the broadcast receiver; and

storing the data in the at least one memory location of the broadcast receiver.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one data receiving parameter in the broadcast receiver comprises a time for receiving the data.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one data receiving parameter in the broadcast receiver comprises a channel to receive the data.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the operation of initiating data receipt as a function of the at least one data receiving parameter comprises initiating data receipt at the time to receive the data.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the operation of initiating data receipt as a function of the at least one data receiving parameter comprises tuning the broadcast receiver to the channel to receive the data.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the data comprises a data packet having a header and a payload.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation of determining if the data is intended for the digital broadcast receiver comprises determining if the header includes a manufacture identification corresponding with the broadcast receiver.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising determining if the header includes a product identification corresponding with the digital broadcast receiver.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining if the header includes a specific broadcast receiver identification corresponding with the digital broadcast receiver.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the payload comprises update software.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the payload comprises executable code.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the payload comprises profile data.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation of storing the data in the broadcast receiver comprises:

determining if the header includes an application identifier; and

updating an application in the digital broadcast receiver as a function of the application identifier.

28. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation of storing the data in the broadcast receiver comprises:

determining if the payload includes profile data;

determining the at least one memory location to store the profile data; and

storing the profile data in the least one memory location.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the operation of determining the at least one memory location to store the profile data comprises:

determining a starting memory address of the at least one memory location;

determining a data length of the profile data; and

storing the profile data in the at least one memory location as a function of the starting memory address and the data length.

30. A computer readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, perform the method of claim 15.

31. A method for receiving data at a digital broadcast receiver comprising:

step for receiving a broadcast transmission;

step for determining whether the received broadcast transmission is intended for the digital broadcast receiver; and

step for storing the data in the broadcast receiver.

32. A digital broadcast receiver comprising:

means for receiving a broadcast transmission including at least one data packet;

means for determining whether the received broadcast transmission is intended for the digital broadcast receiver; and

means for storing the at least one data packet in the broadcast receiver.

33. A method for providing data to a digital broadcast receiver comprising:

allocating a broadcast time to transmitting the data to the broadcast receiver;

allocating a broadcast channel to transmitting the data to the broadcast receiver;

receiving the data;

causing the data to be broadcast to the digital broadcast receiver at the broadcast time on the broadcast channel; and

wherein the data includes at least one digital broadcast receiver identifier and at least one update identifier.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the at least one digital broadcast receiver identifier includes a digital broadcast receiver manufacture identification.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the at least one digital broadcast receiver identifier includes a product identification.

36. The method of claim 33 herein the at least one update identifier includes an application identifier.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the at least one update identifier includes a data type identifier.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the data includes update software.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein the data includes executable code.

40. The method of claim 33 wherein the data includes profile data.

41. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

charging a fee for causing the data to be broadcast to the digital broadcast receiver at the broadcast time on the broadcast channel.