Auxiliary program association table

• US 20040187161A1
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Cao, Adrean T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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

Abstract

A method of identifying programs in a digital video communication system, consistent with certain embodiment of the present invention involve generating an auxiliary program association table (PAT) and an auxiliary program map table (PMT), wherein the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT relate at least one program identifier (PID) to a program. The auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT are packetized and identified using a designated PID. The designated PID is encoded as private descriptor in a network information table (NIT) that is transmitted to the Set-top boxes (STB) over an out of band channel. The STBs have an out of band modem that receives a network information table (NIT). A NIT parser parses the NIT to obtain a designated program identifier (PID) for packets containing an auxiliary program association table (PAT) and an auxiliary program map table (PMT). A demultiplexer extracts packets containing the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT based upon the designated PID to obtain PID values associated with programs for use in decoding and decrypting programs.

Claims

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT to a decoder, and transmitting the NIT to the decoder.

10. A method of obtaining program association information, comprising:

receiving a network information table (NIT);

parsing the NIT to obtain a designated program identifier (PID) for packets containing an auxiliary program association table (PAT) and an auxiliary program map table (PMT); and

extracting the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT to obtain PID values associated with programs.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising sending information from the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT to a decoder.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT are received as inband information.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the designated PID is received as out of band information.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the designated PID is listed in a second descriptor loop of the NIT.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the out of band information is received via a DOCSIS compliant modem.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the parsing the NIT further comprises obtaining other information needed to tune to a transport stream carrying the designated PID.

17. The method according to claim 10, carried out in a television Set-top box.

19. A digital video decoder device, comprising:

a modem that receives a network information table (NIT);

a NIT parser that parses the NIT to obtain a designated program identifier (PID) for packets containing an auxiliary program association table (PAT) and an auxiliary program map table (PMT); and

a demultiplexer that extracts packets containing the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT based upon the designated PID to obtain PID values associated with programs.

1. A method of identifying programs in a digital video communication system, comprising:

generating an auxiliary program association table (PAT) and an auxiliary program map table (PMT), wherein the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT relate at least one program identifier (PID) to a program;

packetizing the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT and identifying packets containing the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT using a designated PID; and

encoding the designated PID as private descriptor in a network information table (NIT).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT are transmitted to the decoder as inband information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the designated PID is transmitted to the decoder as out of band information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the designated PID is listed in a second descriptor loop of the NIT.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the out of band information is transmitted to the decoder via a DOCSIS compliant modem.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the NIT further carries information needed to tune to a transport stream carrying the designated PID.

8. The method according to claim 1, carried out in a cable television system head end.

9. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 1.

18. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 9.

20. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, further comprising a memory for storing the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT.

21. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, further comprising a decoder that decodes video programs identified by PID values stored in the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT.

22. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, wherein the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT are received as inband information.

23. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, wherein the modem comprises an out of band modem.

24. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, wherein the modem comprises a DOCSIS compliant modem, and wherein the NIT is received via the DOCSIS compliant modem.

25. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, wherein the designated PID is listed in a second descriptor loop of the NIT.

26. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, embodied in a television Set-top box.

25-1. The digital video decoder device according to claim 19, wherein the NIT parser further parses the NIT to obtain other information needed to tune to a transport stream carrying the designated PID.

27. A data structure that conveys a program identifier, comprising:

a network information table (NIT); and

a program identifier (PID) forming a part of the NIT, the PID identifying packets that contain an auxiliary program association table used to decode a packetized digital video signal.

28. The data structure according to claim 27, wherein the PID further identifies an auxiliary program map table (PMT) used to decode a packetized digital video signal.

29. The data structure according to claim 27, wherein the PID is located at a second descriptor loop of the NIT.

30. The data structure according to claim 27, conveyed from a content provider to a television device.

31. The data structure according to claim 30, wherein the television device comprises one of a television set and a television set top box.

32. The data structure according to claim 27, wherein the data structure is conveyed from the content provider to the television device using an out of band modem.

33. The data structure according to claim 32, wherein the out of band modem comprises a DOCSIS compliant modem.

34. The data signal according to claim 33, wherein the PID further identifies an auxiliary program map table (PMT) used to decode a packetized digital video signal.

35. The data signal according to claim 33, wherein the PID is located at a second descriptor loop of the NIT.

36. The data signal according to claim 33, transmitted from a content provider to a television device.

37. The data signal according to claim 36, wherein the television device comprises one of a television set and a television set top box.

38. The data signal according to claim 36, wherein the data structure is conveyed from the content provider to the television device using an out of band modem.

39. The data signal according to claim 38, wherein the out of band modem comprises a DOCSIS compliant modem.

33-2. A data signal for use in decoding a digital television signal by conveying a program identifier, comprising a modulated signal carrying:

a network information table (NIT); and

a program identifier (PID) forming a part of the NIT, the PID identifying packets that contain an auxiliary program association table used to decode a packetized digital video signal.

40. A television Set-top box, comprising:

an out of band DOCSIS compliant modem that receives a network information table (NIT);

a NIT parser that parses the NIT to obtain a designated program identifier (PID) for packets containing an auxiliary program association table (PAT) and an auxiliary program map table (PMT), wherein the designated PID is listed in a second descriptor loop of the NIT, and wherein the NIT parser further parses the NIT to obtain other information needed to tune to a transport stream carrying the designated PID;

a demultiplexer that extracts packets from inband transport streams containing the auxiliary PAT and auxiliary PMT based upon the designated PID to obtain PID values associated with programs;

a memory for storing the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT; and

a decoder that decodes video programs identified by PID values stored in the auxiliary PAT and the auxiliary PMT and provides an output signal suitable for driving a television display.