Generating a personalized video mosaic in a cable services network

• US 20070204302A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Calzone, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for generating a personalized video mosaic from multiple of video sources in a cable television services system. A head end receives a subscriber selection of video sources from multiple video sources broadcast in the television services system and generates a personalized video mosaic from those sources. The head end then transmits the personalized video mosaic to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system. The set-top box executes an application program enabling the subscriber to individually select the video sources which make up the personalized video mosaic and transmits the selections to the head end. The set-top box enables the display of the personalized video mosaic on the broadcast channel in the cable television services network.

Claims

1. A method of generating a personalized video mosaic from a plurality of video sources in a cable television services system, comprising:

receiving, in a cable television services head end, a subscriber selection of multiple video sources from a plurality of video sources broadcast in the cable television services system;

generating, in the cable television services head end, a personalized video mosaic, the personalized video mosaic comprising the subscriber selection of the multiple video sources; and

transmitting the personalized video mosaic to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected multiple video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the personalized video mosaic comprises:

de-multiplexing an input video stream comprising the plurality of video sources;

selecting the multiple video sources comprising the personalized video mosaic from among the plurality of video sources in the input video stream; and

multiplexing the multiple video sources into an output video stream to generate the personalized video mosaic.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein de-multiplexing an input video stream comprising the plurality of video sources comprises de-multiplexing an input video stream including a plurality of video sources compressed into a configurable bit stream corresponding to a configurable bit rate, wherein each of the plurality of compressed video sources is scaled down from an initial format size into a configurable video window.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein multiplexing the multiple video sources into an output video stream to generate the personalized video mosaic comprises multiplexing the plurality of compressed video sources into an output video stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the personalized video mosaic to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected multiple video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system comprises transmitting program audio associated with each of the subscriber selected video sources.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising retransmitting the personalized video mosaic in response to receiving a selection of the multiple video sources from multiple subscribers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, in a cable television services head end, a subscriber selection of multiple video sources from a plurality of video sources broadcast in the cable television services system comprises receiving subscriber profile data including the subscriber selection of multiple video sources.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, in a cable television services head end, a subscriber selection of multiple video sources from a plurality of video sources broadcast in the cable television services system comprises receiving a subscriber selection via one or more of an interactive television (ITV) session enabled via an ITV interface, a web services session wherein a subscriber profile containing one or more subscriber video source selections may be updated, or via a subscriber profile update session via a cable television services system client application operated on a cable services set top box.

9. A system for generating a personalized video mosaic from a plurality of video sources, comprising a head end operative to receive a subscriber selection of multiple video sources from a plurality of video sources broadcast in a cable television services system, generate a personalized video mosaic, the personalized video mosaic comprising the subscriber selection of the multiple video sources, and transmit the personalized video mosaic to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected multiple video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a set-top box operative to receive the personalized video mosaic from the head end and further operative to execute an application program enabling the subscriber to select the multiple video sources comprising the personalized video mosaic for transmission to the head end and display the personalized video mosaic on the broadcast channel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the head end in generating a personalized video mosaic, is operative to:

de-multiplex an input video stream comprising the plurality of video sources;

select the multiple video sources comprising the personalized video mosaic from among the plurality of video sources in the input video stream; and

multiplex the multiple video sources into an output video stream to generate the personalized video mosaic.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the head end in de-multiplexing an input video stream, is operative to de-multiplex an input video stream including a plurality of video sources compressed into a configurable bit stream corresponding to a configurable bit rate, wherein each of the plurality of compressed video sources is scaled down from an initial format size into a configurable video window.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the head end in multiplexing the multiple video sources into an output video stream to generate the personalized video mosaic, is operative to multiplex the plurality of compressed video sources into an output video stream.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the head end is further operative to retransmit the personalized video mosaic in response to receiving a selection of the multiple video sources from multiple subscribers.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the head end in receiving a subscriber selection of multiple video sources from a plurality of video sources broadcast in the cable television services system, is operative to receive subscriber profile data including the subscriber selection of multiple video sources.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the head end in receiving the subscriber selection of multiple video sources from a plurality of video sources, is operative to receive a selection via one or more of an interactive television (ITV) session enabled via an ITV interface, a web services session wherein a subscriber profile containing one or more subscriber video source selections may be updated, or via a subscriber profile update session via a cable television services system client application operated on a cable services set top box.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the head end in transmitting the personalized video mosaic to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected multiple video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system, is operative to transmit program audio associated with each of the subscriber selected video sources.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the head end is further operative to transmit a position of the personalized video mosaic for viewing the personalized video mosaic on the broadcast channel.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the set-top box application program is further operative to receive a selection of one of the subscriber selected video sources and tune to a broadcast channel for displaying the selected video source as a full screen.

20. An apparatus for generating a plurality of video windows for use in a personalized video mosaic comprising a plurality of video sources broadcast in a cable television services system, comprising:

de-multiplexing means for de-multiplexing an input video stream comprising the plurality of video sources;

a transcoder for decoding and decompressing each of the plurality of video sources into a common raw format;

a scalar for scaling the plurality of video sources from a full-screen format into a plurality of configurable sized video windows;

compression means for compressing the plurality of configurable sized video windows into a configurable bit stream at a configurable bit rate;

multiplexing means for multiplexing the plurality of compressed video windows into an output video stream for selecting the personalized video mosaic; and

transmitting means for transmitting program audio associated with each of the plurality of video sources.