Control broadcast programme signal, control write and read systems, related production and broadcasting channel

• US 20050015802A1
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Masson, Jean-Michel
• Application Number:
  US10/494,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015802A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

The invention relates to programs enhanced by applications. It relates, furthermore, to the associated production and broadcasting systems, in particular to interactive digital television. The activation of an interactive application associated with a broadcast program may be done manually in the broadcasting channel. This solution is expensive, lacks accuracy, and the control of the application is managed not by the production channel but the broadcasting channel. The invention therefore proposes to use a broadcasting program signal comprising primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program and secondary data watermarked in the primary data. These secondary data comprise the commands for triggering at least one application such as, in particular, the controlling of one or more broadcasting parameters of said program signal and/or of one or more applications, for example interactive or broadcasting, related to said program signal.

Claims

1. A broadcasting program signal, comprising:

primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program, wherein it comprises secondary data watermarked in the primary data not altering the reproduction of the main content of the primary data, and

secondary data comprise the commands for triggering at least one application related to the main content of the primary data.

2. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said application triggering commands are commands for controlling one or more broadcasting parameters of said program signal and/or of one or more applications related to said program signal.

3. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 2, wherein said broadcasting parameters of said program signal are the number of authorized broadcast and/or the period of validity and/or the desired quality of coding of said program signal.

4. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 3, wherein said broadcasting parameters of one or more applications related to said program signal are a descriptor of said program for tile compilation of an electronic program guide.

5. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said application triggering commands are commands for triggering the broadcasting and/or tile activation of at least one interactive application related to the main content of the primary data.

6. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 5, wherein a triggering command comprises:

an identifier of the interactive application relevant to this triggering command and a code giving the type of triggering to be performed.

7. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 6, wherein the type of triggering code makes it possible to determine whether it is necessary to start or stop the broadcast and/or activate the identified application.

8. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 1, where a triggering command comprises a code for identifying the broadcasting channel for which said command is designated.

21. The broadcasting program signal as claimed in claim 2, wherein said application triggering commands are commands for triggering the broadcasting and/or the activation of at least one interactive application related to the main content of the primary data.

22. The command writing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the program signal generated by said watermarking device is a program signal as claimed in claim 1.

9. A system for writing commands writing secondary data, allowing the triggering of at least one application, in a program signal comprising at least primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program comprising:

a first input e₁ receiving primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program;

a watermarking device receiving the primary data of the first input e₁ and secondary data, and generating a program signal comprising the primary data and the secondary data watermarked in the primary data, said watermarking not altering the reproduction of the main content of the primary data;

an output coupled to the output of the watermarking device;

a second input e₂ receiving predetermined control criteria,

a reproduction and editing device coupled to the first and second inputs e₁ and e₂, said device reproducing the main content of the primary data, which content is received on the first input e₁, and editing on its output at least one secondary datum making it possible to control the triggering of at least one application related to the main content of the primary data, which application is reproduced according to the predetermined control criteria received on this second input e₂.

10. The command writing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the predetermined control criteria are predetermined interactivity criteria,

said reproduction and editing device edits on its output at least one secondary datum making it possible to control the triggering of the broadcasting and/or of the activation of at least one interactive application related to the main content of the primary data, which application is reproduced at this instant according to said predetermined interactivity criteria received on this second input e₂.

11. The command writing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein tho program signal generated by said watermarking device is a program signal as claimed in claim.

12. A production channel comprising in series a system for producing a program signal comprising primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program and a command writing system as claimed in claim 10.

13. A system for reading a command in a program signal comprising primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program and at least one secondary datum watermarked in the primary data comprising:

a first input receiving the program signal,

a watermark reading device, reading the secondary data watermarked in the primary data,

the secondary data comprises commands for triggering at least one application related to the main content of the primary data, and in that

said command reading system comprises an output receiving said application triggering commands.

14. The command reading system as claimed claim 15, wherein the program signal received on its first input is a program signal as claimed in any one of claim.

15. The command reading system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the secondary data comprises commands for triggering the broadcasting and/or the activation of at least one interactive application related to the main content of the primary data, and

said command reading system comprises an output receiving triggering commands synchronized such that the activation and/or the broadcasting of the interactive applications identified by the triggering commands is synchronized with the reproduction of the primary data in which the secondary data associated with these triggering commands are watermarked.

16. The command reading system as claimed in claim 15, which system comprises a synchronization device receiving at least the secondary data and generating synchronized triggering commands.

23. The command reading system as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the secondary data comprises commands for triggering the broadcasting and/or the activation of at least one interactive application related to the main content of the primary data, and

said command reading system comprises an output receiving triggering commands synchronized such that the activation and/or the broadcasting of the interactive applications identified by the triggering commands is synchronized with the reproduction of the primary data in which the secondary data associated with these triggering commands are watermarked.

17. A program broadcasting channel comprising several devices, comprising:

a device for reading a program signal comprising primary data for the reproduction of the passive main content of the program and at least one secondary datum watermarked in the primary data,

a program signal coder coupled to the output of said program signal reading device,

and/or an interactive applications server, a device for broadcasting interactive applications coupled to said interactive applications server,

a multiplexer coupled at least to the output of the program signal coder and/or to the interactive applications broadcasting device,

a command reading system coupled to the output of said program signal reading device and/or to the output of said program signal coder,

a coupling of said command reading system with at least any one of the devices of said broadcasting channel, the triggering commands generated by the command reading system controlling said device of said broadcasting channel, which device is coupled to said command reading system.

18. The program broadcasting channel as claimed in claim 17, wherein said command reading system is coupled to said interactive applications broadcasting device, the triggering commands generated by the command reading system controlling the transmission of the interactive applications originating from said interactive applications server to the multiplexer and/or the transmission to the multiplexer of the order for activation of one or more interactive applications identified by these triggering commands.

19. The program broadcasting channel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the synchronized triggering command for activating the interactive application identified generated by the synchronization device controls the transmission by the interactive applications broadcasting device of the last packet of the interactive application identified to the multiplexer triggering the activation of this interactive application.

20. The program broadcasting channel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the synchronized triggering command for activating the interactive application identified generated by the synchronization device comprises the instant of triggering of the activation of the interactive application identified in the time base of the program, this instant corresponding to the instant of broadcasting the primary data in which the secondary data associated with this triggering command are watermarked.