Method and device for processing video stream in digital video broadcasting systems

• US 20080155586A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yuan, Yu, Yang, Yu Dong, Lin, Guo Hui, Zhou, You
• Application Number:
  US12/001,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

The invention provides a novel method for enhancing user experiences, especially when changing channels, in digital video broadcasting systems. The invention provides a mechanism to show a low resolution version of the contents immediately after the channel change, and then automatically switch to the high resolution content once the new GOP is started, thus the user will not see blank screen during the waiting period.

Claims

1. A method for processing content stream in digital video broadcasting system, comprising the steps of:

receiving, in response to a user selection of a broadcast channel, a content stream comprising a high resolution content stream and a low resolution content stream corresponding to the selected channel, wherein the respective high resolution content stream and low resolution content stream is comprised of at least one Group Of Pictures (GOP) structure;

detecting the start of the high resolution content stream; and

, in response to detection,

decoding and displaying the high resolution content stream in response to the detection of the start of the high resolution content stream;

otherwise, decoding and displaying the low resolution content stream.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the GOP structure of the low resolution content stream is smaller than the size of the GOP structure of the high resolution content stream.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to the receiving channel selection, stopping the decoding of a content stream associated with a last selected channel.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high resolution content stream and the low resolution content stream are synchronous in the time domain.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said decoding and displaying the low resolution content stream further comprises:

zooming the low resolution content stream to an identical size of the high resolution content stream.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high resolution content stream is encrypted and the method further comprises:

decrypting said high resolution content stream before detecting the start of the high resolution content stream.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying multiple low resolution pictures on the screen at the same time.

8. A method for processing content stream in digital video broadcasting system, comprising the steps of

encoding the content stream to form high resolution content stream, said high resolution content stream comprising at least one Group Of Pictures (GOP) structure;

encoding the content stream to form low resolution content stream, said low resolution content stream comprising multiple GOP structures, wherein the size of the GOP of the low resolution content stream is smaller than that of the high resolution content stream; and

,

multiplexing said high resolution content stream and said low resolution content stream for transmission over a communication channel as a digital video stream associated with a channel.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of encrypting said high resolution content stream.

10. An apparatus for processing digital video signals comprising.

means for receiving, in response to a user selection of a broadcast channel, a content stream comprising high resolution content stream and low resolution content stream corresponding to the selected channel, wherein the high resolution content stream and low resolution content stream is respectively comprised of at least one Group Of Pictures (GOP) structure;

means for detecting the start of the high resolution content stream; and

means for decoding and displaying the high resolution content stream in response to the detection of the start of the high resolution content stream;

otherwise, decoding and displaying the low resolution content stream.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a size of the GOP structure of the low resolution content stream is smaller than a size of the GOP structure of the high resolution content stream.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in response to receiving a channel selection from the user, the decoding and displaying means stopping the decoding of content stream associated with a last selected.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the high resolution content stream and the low resolution content stream are synchronous in the time domain.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the decoding and displaying means further comprises means for zooming the low resolution content stream to to an identical size of the high resolution content stream.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the high resolution content stream is encrypted, said apparatus further comprising:

means for decrypting said high resolution content stream.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for displaying multiple low resolution pictures on the screen at the same time.

17. An apparatus for processing content stream in digital video broadcasting system comprising:

first encoder device for encoding the content stream to form a high resolution content stream, said high resolution content stream comprising at least one Group Of Pictures (GOP) structure;

second encoder device for encoding the content stream to form a low resolution content stream, said low resolution content stream comprising multiple GOP structures, a size of the GOP structure of the low resolution content stream being smaller than that of the high resolution content stream; and

,

multiplexing device for communicating said high resolution content stream and said low resolution content stream for transmission over a communication channel as a digital content stream.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for encrypting the high resolution content stream.

19. A computer program product said computer program product comprising computer readable medium with computer readable code stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, will implement the method steps comprising:

receiving, in response to a user selection of a broadcast channel, a content stream comprising a high resolution content stream and a low resolution content stream corresponding to the selected channel, wherein the respective high resolution content stream and low resolution content stream is comprised of at least one Group Of Pictures (GOP) structure;

detecting the start of the high resolution content stream; and

, in response to detection,

decoding and displaying the high resolution content stream in response to the detection of the start of the high resolution content stream;

otherwise, decoding and displaying the low resolution content stream.