SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN ACTIVE VIDEO ELECTRONIC PROGRAMMING GUIDE

• US 20100333143A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vidyo Incorporated (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Delta Vidyo, Inc.
• Inventors: Civanlar, Mehmet Reha, Shalom, Tal, Shapiro, Ofer
• Granted Patent: US 8,429,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques for transmission and preparation for display of real-time audio-visual content of a plurality of TV programs over electronic communications network channels and display of the audio-visual signals as a part of a TV Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) are disclosed herein. In particular, the use of video coded using a layered codec, and stored in a layered format, allows a properly configured system to present to an end user a live preview of multiple TV channels, along with EPG information (e.g., the channel, time, title and genre of video content, a list of programs scheduled in the future, as well as the ability to, for example, set parental controls, order pay-per-view programs, to search for programs based on theme or category, and to set recordings for the future when combined with a recording system), on his/her TV screen, without taking significantly more resources (e.g., in terms of bandwidth, system complexity) than the traditional digital TV transmission.

Claims

1. An Active Video Electronic Programming Guide (AVEPG) system comprising:

a. at least one server, configured to generate audio-visual content for at least one channel, in real-time from content currently broadcasted; and

b. at least one client, operatively coupled to one or more of the servers to receive the generated audio-visual content therefrom, and configured to present to a user at least one Mini Browsing Window (MBW) showing the received at least one channel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one channel is coded in a base layer and enhancement layer format.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one MBW shows the base layer of at least one channel coded in a base layer and enhancement layer format.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least of one server comprises an AVEPG control logic server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one client comprises an AVEPG control logic client.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the AVEPG control logic server communicates with the AVEPG control logic client.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication is based on HTTP.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one channel is an audio-visual stream that is based on RTP.

9. An AVEPG server, configured to generate audio-visual content for at least one channel, in real-time from content currently broadcasted, in a base layer and enhancement layer format.

10. The AVEPG server of claim 9, comprising at least one of:

a. a video extractor configured for extracting encoded audio-visual signals from a video database; and

b. an EPG database for storing metadata related to the audio-visual signals.

11. The AVEPG server of claim 10, further comprising a video database.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the video database stores at least one program in a base layer and enhancement layer format.

13. The AVEPG server of claim 9, comprising a layered transcoder.

14. The AVEPG server of claim 9, comprising a layered encoder configured to encode audio-visual signals representing live content from a camera.

15. The AVEPG server of claim 14, wherein the audio-visual signals are coded in a base layer and enhancement layer format.

16. The AVEPG server of claim 9, comprising an AVEPG control logic server.

17. The AVEPG server of claim 10, wherein the AVEPG control logic server controls the video extractor.

18. The AVEPG server of claim 13, wherein the AVEPG control logic server controls the layered transcoder.

19. The AVEPG server of claim 14, wherein the AVEPG control logic server controls the layered encoder.

20. The AVEPG server of claim 16, wherein the AVEPG control logic server receives messages from at least one client.

21. The video extractor of claim 10, wherein the video extractor extracts at least one set of layers for display in an MBW, and a different set of layers for display in the main window.

22. The server of claim 9, wherein the server is distributed over a plurality of physical server computers.

23. An AVEPG enabled client, the client comprising:

a. a graphical user interface for receiving user input, wherein the graphical user interface is accessed through a video display;

b. an AVEPG control logic client, for generating a plurality of control messages; and

c. a display manager, operatively coupled to the graphical user interface and to the AVEG control logic client, for communicating user input from the graphical user interface to the AVEPG control logic client and controlling the video display.

24. The AVEPG enabled client of claim 23, wherein the graphical user interface is controlled through an input device.

25. A method for producing a customized display of audio-visual content for at least one channel in an Active Video Electronic Programming Guide (AVEPG) system, comprising:

a. processing one or more user inputs;

b. determining whether the user has access rights to view the at least one channel;

c. sending a plurality of control messages in response to the one or more user inputs;

d. generating audio-visual content for the at least one channel in real-time from content currently being broadcasted

e. receiving, in response to the one or more control messages, audio-visual content for the at least one channel, wherein the audio-visual content of the at least one channel comprises video content coded in a base layer and enhancement layer format;

f. displaying the at the least one channel in at least one multi-browser window (MBW) using at least the base layers of the channel; and

g. generating metadata related to the at least one channel.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the receiving, in response to the one or more control messages, audio-visual content for the at least one channel, wherein the audio-visual content of the at least one channel further comprises audio content.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the generating metadata comprises generating information available from the service provider.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the generating metadata comprises generating locally stored information.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more user inputs comprise a request for viewing audio-visual content for at least one channel in MBWs.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a local database.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a live feed.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a digital video storage interface.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a remote video database.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more user inputs comprise a request for viewing the at least one channel available at a period in time other than the current time, and wherein displaying the at least one channel further comprises displaying the at least one channel in the at least one MBW using only base layers of the at least one channel, and wherein the at least one MBW displays the at least one channel available at the period in time other than the current time.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a local database.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a live feed.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a digital video storage interface.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a remote video database.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more user inputs comprise a request for skimming a video program displayed in a selected MBW, and wherein displaying the least one channel comprises displaying at least one chapter of the video program.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a local database.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a live feed.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a digital video storage interface.

43. The method of claim 39, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a remote video database.

44. One or more computer readable media for performing a method for producing a customized display of audio-visual content for at least one channel in an Active Video Electronic Programming Guide (AVEPG) system, comprising:

a. processing one or more user inputs;

b. determining whether the user has access rights to view the at least one channel;

c. sending a plurality of control messages in response to the one or more user inputs;

d. generating audio-visual content for the at least one channel in real-time from content currently being broadcasted

e. receiving, in response to the one or more control messages, audio-visual content for the at least one channel, wherein the audio-visual content of the at least one channel comprises video content coded in a base layer and enhancement layer format;

f. displaying the at the least one channel in at least one multi-browser window (MBW) using at least the base layers of the channel; and

g. generating metadata related to the at least one channel.

45. The computer readable media of claim 44, wherein the receiving, in response to the one or more control messages, audio-visual content for the at least one channel, wherein the audio-visual content of the at least one channel further comprises audio content.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the generating metadata comprises generating information available from the service provider.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the generating metadata comprises generating locally stored information.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the one or more user inputs comprise a request for viewing audio-visual content for at least one channel in MBWs.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a local database.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a live feed.

51. The method of claim 45, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a digital video storage interface.

52. The method of claim 45, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a remote video database.

53. The method of claim 44, wherein the one or more user inputs comprise a request for viewing the at least one channel available at a period in time other than the current time, and wherein displaying the at least one channel further comprises displaying the at least one channel in the at least one MBW using only base layers of the at least one channel, and wherein the at least one MBW displays the at least one channel available at the period in time other than the current time.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a local database.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a live feed.

56. The method of claim 53, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a digital video storage interface.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a remote video database.

58. The method of claim 44, wherein the one or more user inputs comprise a request for skimming a video program displayed in a selected MBW, and wherein displaying the least one channel comprises displaying at least one chapter of the video program.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a local database.

60. The method of claim 58, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a live feed.

61. The method of claim 58, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a digital video storage interface.

62. The method of claim 58, further comprising extracting the audio-visual content from a remote video database.