DATA INSERTION APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR USE WITH COMPRESSED AUDIO/VIDEO DATA

• US 20110055860A1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Venugopal, Ramaswamy, Arun
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/48 using compressed domain processing techniques other than decoding, e.g. modification of transform coefficients, variable length coding [VLC] data or run-length data motion estimation in a transform domain H04N19/547; processing of decoded motion vectors H04N19/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• 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 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• 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 21/44 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for performing data insertion in compressed audio/video data streams are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to insert audience measurement data in a compressed media data stream comprises rearranging data in frames of the compressed media data stream to form contiguous sequences of skip bytes at respective locations in the frames of the compressed media data stream, the audience measurement data to be inserted in the compressed media data stream at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes, the contiguous sequences of skip bytes having respective lengths, and inserting different types of audience measurement data at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

Claims

1. A method to insert audience measurement data in a compressed media data stream, the method comprising:

rearranging data in frames of the compressed media data stream to form contiguous sequences of skip bytes at respective locations in the frames of the compressed media data stream, the audience measurement data to be inserted in the compressed media data stream at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes, the contiguous sequences of skip bytes having respective lengths; and

inserting different types of audience measurement data at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein inserting the different types of audience measurement data comprises:

formatting the audience measurement data into payload segments corresponding to the different types of audience measurement data;

inserting a first sequence of the payload segments in a first frame of the compressed media data stream based on a length of a first contiguous sequence of skip bytes in the first frame; and

inserting a second sequence of the payload segments in a second frame of the compressed media data stream based on a length of a second contiguous sequence of skip bytes in the second frame, the length of the second contiguous sequence of skip bytes being different from the length of the first contiguous sequence of skip bytes.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the first sequence of the payload segments includes all of the payload segments, and the second sequence of the payload segments includes a subset of the payload segments.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the second sequence of the payload segments has a different order and a different number of payload segments than the first sequence of the payload segments.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

formatting the audience measurement data into a plurality of payload segments containing the different types of audience measurement data, the plurality of payload segments including a transport identifier segment, a major channel segment, a minor channel segment and a time segment, the audience measurement data further including a first index to represent an ordering of the payload segments and a second index to represent a number of payload segments to be included in a particular frame of the compressed media data stream;

varying the ordering of the payload segments inserted at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream; and

varying the number of the payload segments inserted at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising extracting program and system information protocol data multiplexed with the compressed media data stream to determine the audience measurement data.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising modifying program and system information protocol data multiplexed with the compressed media data stream based on the audience measurement data inserted in the compressed media data stream.

8. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

rearrange data in frames of a compressed media data stream to form contiguous sequences of skip bytes at respective locations in the frames of the compressed media data stream, wherein audience measurement data is to be inserted in the compressed media data stream at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes, the contiguous sequences of skip bytes having respective lengths; and

insert different types of audience measurement data at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

9. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 8 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

format the audience measurement data into payload segments corresponding to the different types of audience measurement data;

insert a first sequence of the payload segments in a first frame of the compressed media data stream based on a length of a first contiguous sequence of skip bytes in the first frame; and

insert a second sequence of the payload segments in a second frame of the compressed media data stream based on a length of a second contiguous sequence of skip bytes in the second frame, the length of the second contiguous sequence of skip bytes being different from the length of the first contiguous sequence of skip bytes.

10. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the first sequence of the payload segments includes all of the payload segments, and the second sequence of the payload segments includes a subset of the payload segments.

11. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the second sequence of the payload segments has a different order and a different number of payload segments than the first sequence of the payload segments.

12. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 8 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

format the audience measurement data into a plurality of payload segments containing the different types of audience measurement data, the plurality of payload segments including a transport identifier segment, a major channel segment, a minor channel segment and a time segment, the audience measurement data further including a first index to represent an ordering of the payload segments and a second index to represent a number of payload segments to be included in a particular frame of the compressed media data stream;

vary the ordering of the payload segments inserted at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream; and

vary the number of the payload segments inserted at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

13. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 8 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to extract program and system information protocol data multiplexed with the compressed media data stream to determine the audience measurement data.

14. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 8 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to modify program and system information protocol data multiplexed with the compressed media data stream based on the audience measurement data inserted in the compressed media data stream.

15. An apparatus to insert audience measurement data in a compressed media data stream, the apparatus comprising:

a data generator to format the audience measurement data into payload segments corresponding to the different types of audience measurement data; and

a data insertion unit to;

rearrange data in frames of a compressed media data stream to form contiguous sequences of skip bytes at respective locations in the frames of the compressed media data stream, the audience measurement data to be inserted in the compressed media data stream at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes, the contiguous sequences of skip bytes having respective lengths; and

insert different payload segments of audience measurement data at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the data insertion unit is to:

insert a first sequence of the payload segments in a first frame of the compressed media data stream based on a length of a first contiguous sequence of skip bytes in the first frame; and

insert a second sequence of the payload segments in a second frame of the compressed media data stream based on a length of a second contiguous sequence of skip bytes in the second frame, the length of the second contiguous sequence of skip bytes being different from the length of the first contiguous sequence of skip bytes.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the first sequence of the payload segments includes all of the payload segments, and the second sequence of the payload segments includes a subset of the payload segments.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein the second sequence of the payload segments has a different order and a different number of payload segments than the first sequence of the payload segments.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the payload segments include a transport identifier segment, a major channel segment, a minor channel segment and a time segment, the audience measurement data further includes a first index to represent an ordering of the payload segments and a second index to represent a number of payload segments to be included in a particular frame of the compressed media data stream, and the data insertion unit is to:

vary the ordering of the payload segments inserted at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream; and

vary the number of the payload segments inserted at the locations of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream based on the respective lengths of the contiguous sequences of skip bytes in the two different frames of the compressed media data stream.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a program information modifier to modify program and system information protocol data multiplexed with the compressed media data stream based on the audience measurement data inserted in the compressed media data stream.