Method and System for Providing a Program Guide and Multiple Video Streams Using Slice-Based Encoding

• US 20110314500A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Ludvig, Edward A., Gershtein, Eugene, Edmonds, Jeremy S., Comito, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• 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 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Methods for slice-based encoding of program guides and user interfaces. The program guides include multiple video streams for picture-in-picture and other applications. A method for encoding the program guide includes encoding a first set of slices for each of a plurality of graphics pages; and encoding a second set of slices for each of a plurality of video streams.

The user interfaces are multi-functional and may be used for electronic commerce and other applications. A method of generating the user interface includes encoding a set of slices for each of a plurality of objects, each object being characterized by an identity, at least one attribute, and at least one operation. In one embodiment of this method, the plurality of objects include an electronic commerce object, where the electronic commerce object is attributed with a first hyper text markup language (HTML) page.

A head-end centric system and apparatus for encoding and delivery of realtime and non-realtime content, including: a non-realtime content source for providing non-realtime content; a non-realtime encoder for encoding the non-realtime content into encoded non-realtime content; a realtime content source for providing realtime video and audio content; a realtime encoder for encoding the realtime video and audio content into encoded realtime video and audio; a remultiplexer for repacketizing the encoded non-realtime content and the encoded realtime video and audio into transport packets; and a re-timestamp unit coupled to the remultiplexer for providing timestamps to be applied to the transport packets in order to synchronize the realtime and non-realtime content therein.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a plurality of regions of a first image screen from a plurality of videos, each region generated from one of the plurality of videos;

generating a presentation signal including the first image screen; and

in response to a selection of one of the regions of the first image screen in the presentation signal;

generating a plurality of regions of a second image screen, a first region of the second image screen generated from a graphic, and a second region of the second image screen generated from the video from which the selected region was generated; and

adapting the presentation signal to include a second image screen instead of the first image screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting, from a transport stream, the plurality of videos.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of videos comprises an encoded data stream in a compressed format, the method further comprising:

combining, into a single encoded data stream, the graphic with the video from which the selected region was generated; and

adapting the presentation signal to include the second image screen by decoding the single encoded data stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of videos comprises an encoded data stream in a compressed format, the method further comprising:

combining the plurality of videos into a single encoded data stream; and

generating the presentation signal including the first image screen by decoding the single encoded data stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of videos comprises an encoded data stream in a compressed format that is individually decodable and identified by a different program identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image screen does not include any of the plurality of videos other than the video from which the selected region was generated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second image screen comprises a program guide and the graphic includes program guide listings.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video from which the selected region was generated comprises a current broadcast on a broadcast channel, and the graphic includes information identifying programming available on the broadcast channel.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a transmitter configured to generate a presentation signal for display on a display device;

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

generate a plurality of regions of a first image screen from a plurality of videos, each region generated from one of the plurality of videos;

adapt the presentation signal to include the first image screen;

receive a selection of one of the regions of the first image screen in the presentation signal; and

in response to the selection;

generate a plurality of regions of a second image screen, a first region of the second image screen generated from a graphic, and a second region of the second image screen generated from the video from which the selected region was generated; and

adapt the presentation signal to include a second image screen instead of the first image screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a transport stream; and

extract, from the transport stream, the plurality of videos.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of videos comprises an encoded data stream in a compressed format, and wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

combine, into a single encoded data stream, the graphic with the video from which the selected region was generated; and

adapt the presentation signal to include the second image screen by decoding the single encoded data stream.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of videos comprises an encoded data stream in a compressed format, and wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:

combine the plurality of videos into a single encoded data stream; and

generate the presentation signal by decoding the single encoded data stream.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of videos comprises an encoded data stream in a compressed format that is individually decodable and identified by a different program identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second image screen does not include any of the plurality of videos other than the video from which the selected region was generated.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second image screen comprises a program guide and the graphic includes program guide listings.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the video from which the selected region was generated corresponds to a current broadcast on a broadcast channel, and the graphic includes information identifying programming available on the broadcast channel.

17. A system comprising:

a video processing apparatus including;

one or more video encoders configured to encode each of a plurality of videos into respective compressed format data streams;

a multiplexer configured to combine the compressed format data streams into a transport stream; and

a modulator configured to transmit the transport stream to a terminal over a network; and

a terminal, including;

a demodulator configured to receive the transport stream over the network;

a transmitter configured to generate a presentation signal for display on a display device;

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the terminal to;

demultiplex the compressed format data streams from the transport stream,

generate a plurality of regions of a first image screen from the compressed format data streams, each region generated from one of the compressed format data streams,

adapt the presentation signal to include the first image screen,

receive a selection of one of the regions of the first image screen in the presentation signal, and

in response to the selection;

generate a plurality of regions of a second image screen, a first region of the second image screen generated from a graphic, and a second region of the second image screen generated from the compressed format data stream from which the selected region was generated, and

adapt the presentation signal to include a second image screen instead of the first image screen.

18. The system of claim 17,

wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the terminal to:

generate a single encoded data stream by combining data from the compressed format data streams; and

adapt the presentation signal to include the first image screen by decoding the single encoded data stream; and

wherein the multiplexer in the video processing apparatus is configured to;

arrange, in the transport stream, the data from the compressed format data streams such that the terminal, to generate the single encoded data stream, combines the data in the order the data is demultiplexed from the transport stream.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein each compressed format data stream is individually decodable and identified by a different program identifier.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more encoders in the video processing apparatus are configured to:

reduce the size of each of the plurality of videos to fit the image regions of the first image screen.