A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A PRIVATE MOSAIC

• US 20150319473A1
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.), Eyal Farkash, Ilan Bauminger
• Inventors: FARKASH, Eyal, BAUMINGER, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 10,148,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440227 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video

Abstract

A method implemented on a broadcast headend system for providing video data for a privately defined channel selection mosaic includes defining at least one base layer channel from among a group of video channels, where the group of video channels includes candidate channels for selection as private mosaic preview channels, defining at least one other channel from among the group as an enhanced layer channel, defining at least one data block in at least one depending frame of the at least one enhanced layer channel as depending on at least one similar data block in at least one base frame of the base layer channel, encoding broadcast data from the group of video channels as an encoded group of video channels, where the at least one depending block is encoded as a function of the at least one similar data block, and transmitting the encoded group of video channels to at least one private mosaic user for assembly of the privately defined channel selection mosaic.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a broadcast headend system for providing video data for a privately defined channel selection mosaic, the method comprising:

defining at least one base layer channel from among a group of video channels, wherein said group of video channels includes candidate channels for selection as private mosaic preview channels;

defining at least one other channel from among said group as an enhanced layer channel;

defining at least one data block in at least one depending frame of said at least one enhanced layer channel as depending on at least one similar data block in at least one base frame of said base layer channel;

encoding broadcast data from said group of video channels as an encoded group of video channels, wherein said at least one depending block is encoded as a function of said at least one similar data block; and

transmitting said encoded group of video channels to at least one private mosaic user for assembly of said privately defined channel selection mosaic.

2. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising grouping said group of video channels based on viewing profiles as indicated by statistical analysis of viewing statistics.

3. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising grouping said group of video channels based on similarity of video data broadcast on said video channels.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said group of video channels is definable by at least manual input.

5. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

scaling said broadcast data as required for said private mosaic.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said transmitting is via at least one of a satellite, cable or an IP connection.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said encoding is performed with multi-view video compression (MVC).

22. The system according to claim 1 wherein said encoding comprises using hierarchal synchronized video encoding to encode multiple sequences into a single video stream

23. The system according to claim 1 wherein said decoding encoded dependent layer data comprises decoding multiple sequences of hierarchal synchronized video encoding from a single video stream.

7. (canceled)

9. A method for displaying a private channel selection mosaic on a video playing device, the method comprising:

tuning to a transmission comprising encoded base layer data for at least one base layer mosaic video channel, wherein said base layer mosaic video channel is selected for said private channel selection mosaic;

receiving said transmission;

decoding said encoded base layer data to produce at least one base layer video stream;

decoding encoded dependent layer data as a function of said decoded base layer data to produce at least one dependent layer video stream, wherein said encoded dependent layer data is associated with at least one dependent layer mosaic video channel selected for said private channel selection mosaic, and said dependent layer mosaic video channel is defined as dependent on said base layer mosaic video channel; and

displaying at least said base layer video stream and said at least one dependent layer video stream as said private channel selection mosaic.

10. The method according to claim 9 and also comprising:

tuning to a transmission comprising said encoded dependent layer data.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein said displaying comprises:

formatting said base layer video stream and dependent layer video stream in accordance with at least user preferences for said private channel selection mosaic, wherein said user preferences are at least one of desired resolution, size, or location of said video streams in said private channel section mosaic.

12. The method according to claim 11 and also comprising:

enabling a user to define said user preferences.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein said encoded base layer data and encoded dependent layer data is compressed with multi-view video compression (MVC).

13. (canceled)

15. A private mosaic generation system implemented on a computing device, the system comprising:

a mosaic compressor unit operative to produce an encoded group of candidate channels for selection as private mosaic preview channels, wherein at least one of said group of candidate channels is defined as a base channel, and at least one of said group of candidate channels is defined as an enhanced channel depending on said base channel, wherein at least one data block from said enhanced channel is encoded as a function of a data block from said base channel; and

a transmitter operative to transmit said encoded group of video channels to at least one private mosaic user for assembly of said privately defined channel selection mosaic.

16. The system according to claim 15 and also comprising a dependency determining unit operative to determine which of said group of candidate channels is to be defined as said base channel and which of said group of candidate channels is to be defined as said enhanced channel depending on said base channel.

17. The system according to claim 15 wherein said mosaic compressor unit comprises:

a service ID router operative to route said group of candidate channels for encoding from a data stream of broadcast data;

a resolution setup module operative to setup a desired resolution for each of said group of candidate channels and to tune and scale associated videos in accordance with a desired resolution; and

at least one video encoder operative to encode said group of candidate channels.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein said at least one video encoder is operative to encode using MVC encoding.

19. The system according to claim 15 wherein said transmitter is operative to transmit via at least one of satellite, cable or an IP connection.

24. The system according to claim 15 wherein said computing device is part of a broadcast headend.

20-21. -21. (canceled)