System and method for providing pre-encoded audio content to a television in a communications network
First Claim
1. A method for providing encoded audio content associated with visual source material in a communication network to a decoder associated with a television, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for encoded audio content associated with the visual source material at a content distribution platform in the communication network wherein the request originates through use of a communication device associated with the television;
retrieving the encoded audio content;
determining whether the encoded audio content is in a format that is decodable by the decoder associated with the request;
if the encoded audio content is in a format that is decodable by the decoder associated with the request, combining the encoded audio content and at least a portion of the visual source material to form a multiplexed stream in an encoded multiplexed format that can be decoded by the decoder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing encoded audio content associated with visual source material in a communication network to a communication device associated with a television is disclosed. An interactive session is first established between the communication device and a content distribution platform in the communication network. A processor at the content distribution platform is assigned to the interactive session. The user may then request interactive content wherein the communication device sends a request for content to the content distribution platform and the content distribution platform retrieves the content. The visual source material may be a web page or other visual content. In order to display the web page on the television, the web page is encoded in a format that a decoder associated with the television can decode. For example, the web page may be encoded as an MPEG video stream wherein the decoder can decode an MPEG stream. The content distribution platform, which can be a cable headend, then receives a request for encoded audio content associated with a link in the visual source material wherein the request originates through use of the communication device associated with the television. The content distribution platform retrieves the encoded audio content and determines that the encoded audio content is in a format that can be decoded by the decoder. The content distribution platform then multiplexes the encoded audio content and at least a portion of the visual source material to form a multiplexed stream. The multiplexed stream is in an encoded format that can be decoded by the communication device associated with the television.
87 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for providing encoded audio content associated with visual source material in a communication network to a decoder associated with a television, the method comprising:
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receiving a request for encoded audio content associated with the visual source material at a content distribution platform in the communication network wherein the request originates through use of a communication device associated with the television;
retrieving the encoded audio content;
determining whether the encoded audio content is in a format that is decodable by the decoder associated with the request;
if the encoded audio content is in a format that is decodable by the decoder associated with the request, combining the encoded audio content and at least a portion of the visual source material to form a multiplexed stream in an encoded multiplexed format that can be decoded by the decoder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for providing encoded audio content to a decoder associated with a television, the audio content having an address associated with a link, the link being presented in visual source material, the system comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a request for transmission of the encoded audio content associated with the link in the visual source material and providing the request to a retriever;
a retriever retrieving the encoded audio content associated with the link;
a video encoder for encoding at least a portion of the visual source material into a format that the decoder can decode;
a switcher having associated switching logic determining if the encoded audio content is in a form that is decodable by the decoder;
stream logic for creating a multiplexed data stream based upon the video source material and the encoded audio content that can be decoded by the decoder;
a transmitter for transmitting via a communication network the multiplexed data stream to the communication device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification