Methods and systems for rapid channel change within a digital system

• US 20040181813A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Read, Christopher Jensen, Ota, Takaaki, Gunatilake, Priyan Deveka
• Application Number:
  US10/806,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

Methods for providing fast channel change in a digital display system. Spare tuners can be provided for predicting a next channel that may be viewed. These spare tuners may be used to capture information that is used to provide a fast channel change to an accurately predicted next channel. A spare tuner may be a PIP tuner. A three tuner system can be used where multiple tuners are applied to multiple predicted channels. Also, a spare tuner can be used to scan available channels and cache information on a set of channels to provide a fast channel change to a cached channel. The information cached can include program information, e.g., table information. Spare decoders (e.g., virtual decoder) can also be used to predict a next channel and provide fast channel change thereto.

Claims

1. A method for displaying digital content comprising:

using a first tuner to access a first transport stream associated with a first frequency;

displaying in a main picture area of a display screen, a program associated with said first transport stream;

using a second tuner during spare periods to access a second transport stream associated with a second frequency;

decoding digital content from said second transport stream and caching said digital content into a memory buffer; and

upon said first tuner being switched to a new channel associated with said program information stored in said memory buffer, recalling said digital content for use in providing a fast channel change operation to said new channel.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said second tuner is normally dedicated to picture-in-picture rendering on said display screen.

3. A method as described in claim 2 wherein said digital content comprises table information associated with said second transport stream.

4. A method as described in claim 3 wherein said table information is derived from a program association table that is encoded in said second transport stream.

5. A method as described in claim 2 wherein said digital content comprises decoded I frames of said new channel.

6. A method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

using said second tuner to scan through a plurality of frequencies over time to access a plurality of transport streams;

decoding digital content from said plurality of transport streams; and

caching said digital content decoded from said plurality of transport streams in said memory buffer.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said first transport stream and said second transport stream are the same and wherein said first frequency and said second frequency are the same.

8. A method as described in claim 2 wherein said digital content cached to said memory buffer is associated with a channel that is a predicted next channel which is predicted based on previous channel selections.

9. A method for displaying digital content comprising:

using a first tuner to access a first transport stream associated with a first frequency;

displaying in a main picture area of a display screen, a program associated with said first transport stream;

using a second tuner to access a second transport stream associated with a second frequency;

decoding first digital content from said second transport stream and caching said first digital content into a memory buffer;

using a third tuner to access a third transport stream associated with a third frequency;

decoding second digital content from said third transport stream and caching said second digital content into said memory buffer; and

upon a channel change to a new channel associated with said second or third tuner, recalling digital content from said memory buffer for use in providing a fast channel change operation to said new channel.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said second tuner is normally dedicated for picture-in-picture rendering on said display screen.

11. A method as described in claim 9 wherein in response to a channel change to said third tuner, performing the following:

using said third tuner to access said third transport stream;

displaying in said main picture area of said display screen, said new channel associated with said third transport stream;

using said first tuner to access a fourth transport stream associated with a fourth frequency; and

decoding digital content from said fourth transport stream and caching said digital content into said memory buffer.

12. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said digital content comprises decoded I-frames of said new channel.

13. A method as described in claim 12 wherein said digital content further comprises table information associated with said third transport stream.

14. A method as described in claim 9 further comprising:

using said third tuner to scan through a plurality of frequencies over time to access a plurality of transport streams;

decoding digital content from said plurality of transport streams; and

caching said digital content decoded from said plurality of transport streams to said memory buffer.

15. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said second digital content cached to said memory buffer is associated with a channel that is a predicted next channel which is predicted based on previous channel selections.

16. A method as described in claim 15 wherein said first digital content cached to said memory buffer is associated with another channel that is a predicted next channel which is predicted based on previous channel selections.

17. A method for displaying digital content comprising:

using a first tuner to access a first transport stream associated with a first frequency;

displaying in a main picture area of a display screen, a program associated with said first transport stream;

using a second tuner to access a second transport stream associated with a second frequency;

decoding table information from said second transport stream and caching said table information into a memory buffer, said table information comprising program identifications for programs of said second transport stream; and

upon a channel change to a new channel associated with said second transport stream, recalling said table information for use in providing a fast channel change operation to said new channel.

18. A method as described in claim 17 further comprising:

decoding I-frames associated with programs of said second transport stream; and

caching said I-frames to said memory buffer; and

upon said channel change to said new channel, also recalling cached I-frames for use in providing said fast channel change operation to said new channel.

19. A method as described in claim 17 wherein said second tuner is normally dedicated to picture-in-picture rendering on said display screen.

20. A method as described in claim 17 further comprising:

using said second tuner to also scan through a plurality of frequencies over time to access a plurality of transport streams; and

decoding and caching a plurality of table informations from said plurality of transport streams to said memory buffer.

21. A method as described in claim 17 wherein said new channel is a predicted next channel predicted based on prior channel selections.

22. A method as described in claim 17 wherein said first transport stream and said second transport stream are the same.

23. A method for displaying digital content comprising:

using a first tuner and a first decoder to access and decode a first transport stream associated with a first frequency;

displaying in a main picture area of a display screen, a program associated with said first transport stream;

using a second decoder to decode a second program;

upon a channel change to a new channel associated with said second program, using said second decoder to display in said main picture area of said display screen said second program to provide a fast channel operation to said new channel.

24. A method as described in claim 23 wherein said first transport stream comprises said second program.

25. A method as described in claim 23 wherein said second decoder is a spare decoder and wherein said second program is a predicted next program.

26. A method as described in claim 23 wherein said second program is associated with a second transport steam and further comprising:

using a second tuner to access said second transport stream.

27. A method as described in claim 23 further comprising:

using a second tuner and a third decoder to access and decode a second transport stream associated with a second frequency; and

displaying in a picture-in-picture area of a display screen, a program associated with said second transport stream.

28. A method as described in claim 26 further comprising:

using a third tuner and a third decoder to access and decode a third transport stream associated with a third frequency; and

displaying in a picture-in-picture area of a display screen, a program associated with said third transport stream.

29. A method as described in claim 26 wherein said second program is a predicted next program further comprising:

using a third tuner and a third decoder to access and decode a third program wherein said third program is a predicted next program.