Font data streaming

• US 20100321393A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monotype Imaging (Monotype Imaging Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Monotype Imaging (Monotype Imaging Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levantovsky, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/467
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• 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 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

Provided is a method for font data streaming for time-based video/audio presentations where content is transmitted in small increments and transmission continues while a previously transmitted portion is viewed or played. Different subsets of characters of the same font are assembled together on a device and previously sent characters are reused for rendering subsequent text strings. Font subsets are created to provide only a minimal number of glyphs for the character set coverage, thereby reducing the redundancy of font data transmission and reducing the total number of characters transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of font data streaming in relation to font data transmissions, the method comprising steps as follows:

subdividing a media stream into data segments, the media stream including character data and font data;

analyzing text content of a data segment to determine any required fonts and an initial character set coverage for that data segment;

for each required font, generating and storing into memory a font subset that comprises only glyphs necessary for the initial character set coverage; and

transmitting the font subset along with the respective data segment to a receiving device;

wherein said steps reduce redundancy in font data transmissions through reducing total number of characters for data transmitted during any given transmission to said receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each data segment represents a unit of data or a collection of multiple different units of data including video, audio, subtitles, and fonts.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing text content of a subsequent data segment to determine required fonts and character set coverage for the subsequent data segment;

for each required font, generating a current font subset that comprises only glyphs necessary for the character set coverage for the subsequent data segment;

comparing the current font subset with any previous font subset and removing from the current font subset those glyphs that have been sent in a previous font subset, to produce a reduced font subset;

storing the reduced font subset into memory; and

transmitting the reduced font subset along with the subsequent data segment to a receiving device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing the previous font subset at the receiving device; and

updating the font subset stored at the receiving device by adding the reduced font subset to the stored previous font subset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stream is transmitted to a plurality of receiving devices that receive the data stream at different times and each device views a complete transmission regardless of a viewing start time by the device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the font subset and the respective data segment are transmitted and stored at a first device and subsequently transmitted and stored at other devices.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the font subsets are stored at a server.

8. A method of font data streaming, the method comprising steps as follows:

subdividing a media stream into data segments, the media stream including character data and font data;

analyzing text content of a data segment to determine required fonts and an initial character set coverage for that data segment;

for each required font, generating and storing into memory a font subset that comprises only glyphs necessary for the initial character set coverage;

transmitting the font subset along with the respective data segment to a receiving device; and

transmitting a subsequent font subset that comprises additional glyphs for character set coverage of a subsequent data segment that has not been previously sent;

wherein said steps reduce redundancy in font data transmissions through reducing total number of characters for data transmitted during any given transmission to said receiving device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said transmitting of said subsequent font subset comprises:

analyzing text content of a subsequent data segment to determine required fonts and character set coverage for the subsequent data segment;

for each required font, generating a current font subset that comprises only glyphs necessary for the character set coverage for the subsequent data segment;

comparing the current font subset with any previous font subset and removing from the current font subset those glyphs that have been sent in a previous font subset, to produce a reduced font subset;

storing the reduced font subset in memory; and

transmitting the reduced font subset along with the subsequent data segment to a receiving device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the previous font subset at the receiving device; and

updating the font subset stored at the receiving device by adding the reduced font subset to the stored previous font subset.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein each font subset and its respective data segment are transmitted and stored at a first device, and subsequently transmitted and stored at other devices.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the font subsets are stored at a server.