System and Method for Display Format Detection at Set Top Box Device

• US 20090100493A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, Jones, Todd W., Huffman, James
• Application Number:
  US11/873,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• 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 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A set top box (STB) device receives a data stream comprising video content data and meta data. The data stream can include, for example, an H.264-compliant data stream transmitted to the STB device via a packet-switched network, such as an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network. The meta data comprises an indicator of a display format for the video content data. The STB device accesses the indicator from the data stream and processes the video content data to generate a first display data having the first display format. The STB device can include a preset static display format configuration that is overridden by the STB device in response to accessing the indicator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a set top box (STB) device, a data stream comprising video content data and meta data, the meta data comprising a first indicator of a first display format for the video content data;

accessing, at the STB device, the first indicator from the data stream; and

processing, at the STB device in response to accessing the indicator, the video content data to generate a first display data having the first display format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the first display data from the STB device to a display device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stream comprises an H.264-compliant data stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first indicator comprises an indicator of a display resolution for the video content data; and

processing the video content data to generate the first display data comprises configuring a video processing component to implement the display resolution for decoding the video content data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first indicator comprises an indicator of a frame rate for the video content data; and

processing the first video content data to generate the first display data comprises configuring a video processing component to implement the frame rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first indicator is associated with a first portion of the video content data,

the meta data further comprises a second indicator of a second display format, the second indicator associated with a second portion of the video content data;

the method further comprises accessing, at the STB device, the second indicator from the data stream; and

processing the video content data comprises processing the first portion of the video content data to generate the first display data having the first display format in response to accessing the first indicator and processing the second portion of the video content data to generate a second display data having the second display format in response to accessing the second indicator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first display format comprises a first display resolution and the second display format comprises a second display resolution different than the first display resolution.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first display format comprises a first frame rate and the second display format comprises a second frame rate different than the first frame rate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the video content data comprises overriding a predetermined display format set at the STB device in response to accessing the first indicator.

10. A system comprising:

a set top box (STB) device including;

a first interface to receive a data stream comprising video content data and meta data, the meta data comprising an indicator of a first display format for the video content data;

a second interface coupleable to a display device, the second interface to provide a first display data generated based on the video content data;

a video processing component coupled to the first interface and the second interface; and

a controller to;

access the first indicator; and

configure the video processing component to process the video content data to generate the display data having the first display format in response to accessing the first indicator.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the data stream comprises an encoded data stream;

the display format comprises a display resolution;

the video processor comprises a video decoder and a video scaler, the video decoder to decode the video content data to generate decoded video content data and the video scaler to scale the decoded video content data; and

the controller is to configure the video scaler to maintain a display resolution of the decoded video content data as output by the video decoder.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the encoded data stream comprises an H.264-compliant data stream.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the display format comprises a scan format;

the video processor comprises a video decoder and a frame rate converter, the video decoder to decode the video content data to generate decoded video content data and the frame rate converter to convert a frame rate of the decoded video content data; and

the controller is to configure the frame rate converter to maintain a frame rate of the decoded video content data as output by the video decoder.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein

the display format comprises a scan format;

the video processor comprises a video decoder and a frame rate converter, the video decoder to decode the video content data to generate decoded video content data and the frame rate converter to convert a frame rate of the decoded video content data; and

the controller is to configure the frame rate converter to maintain a frame rate of the decoded video content data as output by the video decoder.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the meta data further comprises a second indicator of a second display format, the first indicator associated with a first portion of the video content data and the second indicator associated with a second portion of the video content data;

the second interface is to provide the first display data generated based on the first portion of the video content data and to provide a second display data generated based on the second portion of the video content data; and

the controller further is to;

access the second indicator;

configure the video processing component to process the first portion of the video content data to generate the first display data having the first display format in response to accessing the first indicator; and

configure the video processing component to process the second portion of the video content data to generate the second display data having the second display format in response to accessing the second indicator.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the display device coupled to the second interface of the STB device.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a storage element configured to store a value representative of a predetermined display format; and

wherein the controller is configured to override implementation of the predetermined display format by the video processing component in response to accessing the first indicator.

18. A set top box (STB) device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium embodying a set of instructions, the set of instructions including;

instructions to access an indicator from a data stream received at the STB device, the indicator identifying a display format for video content data of the data stream;

instructions to configure, based on the indicator, a video processing component of the STB device to process the video content data to generate display data having the display format; and

instructions to configure the STB device to provide the display data to a display device.

19. The STB device of claim 18, wherein the data stream comprises an H.264-compliant data stream.

20. The STB device of claim 18, wherein the instructions to configure the video processing component comprise instructions to override implementation of a predetermined display format based on the indicator.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, at a set top box (STB) device, a data stream comprising encoded video content data and an Active Format Descriptor (AFD) value representing a display resolution for the encoded video data;

decoding, at the STB device, the encoded video content data based on the AFD value to generate decoded video data having the display resolution; and

providing the decoded video data for display at a display device connected to the STB device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein decoding the encoded video content data comprises overriding a predetermined display format set at the STB device based on the AFD value.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the data stream comprises an H.264-compliant data stream.