Service provider side interactive program guide encoder
First Claim
1. Apparatus for producing a digital bitstream containing an interactive program guide for a digital information distribution system comprising:
- means for combining, in a frame synchronized manner, background imagery with at least one video sequence and at least one graphic containing program guide information to form a composited frame sequence;
wherein the combining step further comprises;
means for compositing, frame-by-frame, at least one video sequence onto said background imagery to form a background sequence; and
means for compositing a plurality of program guide graphics onto said background sequence, where a different program guide graphic is composited onto said background sequence to form a plurality of program guide frame sequences that represent individual program guide pages; and
means for encoding the composited frame sequence to compress information therein to form a digital bitstream.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for combining video frame sequences with a video display of an interactive program guide (IPG). The apparatus comprises a plurality of compositors that combine background information, video frame sequences and program guide graphics into a single video frame sequence. The sequence is then digitally encoded to form an MPEG-like bitstream. The same background information and informational video is composited with a different program guide graphic to form another video sequence that is also encoded. A plurality of such sequences are produced with each sequence having a different program guide graphic. Each sequence is encoded and then multiplexed into a transport stream such that all the encoded sequences are transmitted to a subscriber'"'"'s terminal using a single transport stream. As such, the subscriber can transition from one program guide to the next without interruption of the background or video display as the program guide graphic is changed.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. Apparatus for producing a digital bitstream containing an interactive program guide for a digital information distribution system comprising:
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means for combining, in a frame synchronized manner, background imagery with at least one video sequence and at least one graphic containing program guide information to form a composited frame sequence;
wherein the combining step further comprises;
means for compositing, frame-by-frame, at least one video sequence onto said background imagery to form a background sequence; and
means for compositing a plurality of program guide graphics onto said background sequence, where a different program guide graphic is composited onto said background sequence to form a plurality of program guide frame sequences that represent individual program guide pages; and
means for encoding the composited frame sequence to compress information therein to form a digital bitstream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for producing a digital bitstream representing an interactive program guide for a digital information distribution system comprising:
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a video compositor for compositing background imagery with at least one video frame sequence to form a background frame sequence;
a plurality of program guide compositors for compositing a plurality of program guide graphics onto said background sequence, where a different program guide graphic is composited onto said background sequence to form a plurality of program guide frame sequences that represent individual program guide pages;
a plurality of encoders for separately encoding each of said program guide frame sequences to form a plurality of bitstreams;
a multiplexer for multiplexing said plurality of bitstreams into a transport stream; and
a program guide graphics generator for producing said program guide graphics and foreground overlay graphics. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification