Method and apparatus for successive refinement of broadcasted video frames

• US 5,886,733 A
• Filed: 05/17/1996
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA), Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation), Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Zdepski, Joel Walter, Delpuch, Alain Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/649,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 348/13, 348/17, 348/12, 348/3, 348/461, 348/473, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/906, 348/423, 348/426, 348/429, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/6.1
• US Class Current: 725/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

An apparatus for successive refinement of video frames, and methods of operating the same result in reduced latency for downloading the video frames. The apparatus for transmitting video frames comprises a plurality of video frames encoded to provide a plurality of program modules. A first program module provides a first video frame. A second program module provides an enhancement to the first video frame. A cataloging resource which provides scheduling requests for transmission of the plurality of program modules requests the first program module and the second program module for transmission. An output driver which transmits program modules receives the scheduling requests from the cataloging resource for the first program module and the second program module and selects the first program module and the second program module for transmission to produce a higher quality first video frame.

Claims

1. A method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames to a catalog application in an interactive TV system comprising the steps:

encoding the plurality of video frames to provide a plurality of program modules;

organizing the plurality of program modules to provide a plurality of video frames;

selecting a first program module to provide a first video frame;

transmitting the first program module in series with the first program module to broadcast the first video frame;

selecting a second program module to provide an enhancement to the first video frame less frequently than the first program module;

transmitting the second program module to broadcast the enhancement to the first video frame; and

enhancing the first video frame to provide a higher quality first video frame.

2. The method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames according to claim 1 further comprising the step scheduling a series of program modules for transmission.

3. The method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames according to claim 2 further comprising the step encoding the series of program modules for transmission.

4. The method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames according to claim 2 further comprising the step repeatedly transmitting the series of program modules at predetermined intervals.

5. The method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames according to claim 4, wherein the step repeatedly transmitting the series of program modules includes transmitting the first program module.

6. The method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames according to claim 5, wherein the step transmitting the second program module occurs less frequently than the step transmitting the first program module.

7. The method of broadcasting a plurality of video frames according to claim 1, wherein the step transmitting the first program module produces a low quality first video frame.

8. A broadcasting apparatus for transmitting video frames to a catalog application in an interactive TV system comprising:

a plurality of video frames encoded to provide a plurality of program modules;

a first program module which provides a first video frame;

a second program module which provides an enhancement to the first video frame;

a cataloging resource which provides scheduling requests for transmission of the plurality of program modules requests the first program module and the second program module for transmission; and

an output driver which transmits program modules receives the scheduling requests from the cataloging resource for the first program module and the second program module and selects the first program module more frequently than the second program module for transmission in series to produce a higher quality first video frame.

9. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cataloging resource requests the first program module for transmission more frequently than the second program module.

10. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the output driver transmits the first program module providing the first video frame more frequently than the second program module providing the high quality first video frame.

11. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the cataloging resource requests the first program module and the plurality of program modules for transmission; and

the output driver transmits the first program module and the plurality of program modules to provide the first video frame and the plurality of video frames.

12. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the cataloging resource repeatedly requests the first program module and the plurality of program modules at a first predetermined interval for transmission; and

the output driver repeatedly transmits the first program module and the plurality of program modules at the first predetermined interval to provide the first video frame and the plurality of video frames.

13. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the cataloging resource requests the first program module, the second program module, and a plurality of program modules for transmission; and

the output driver transmits the first program module, and the second program module, and the plurality of program modules to provide the higher quality first video frame and the plurality of video frames.

14. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the cataloging resource repeatedly requests the first program module, and the second program module, and a plurality of program modules at a second predetermined interval for transmission; and

the output driver repeatedly transmits the first program module, and the second program module, and the plurality of program modules at the second predetermined interval to provide a plurality of video frames.

15. The broadcasting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first program module provides a low quality first video frame.

16. A broadcasting system for transmitting video frames to a catalog application in an interactive TV network comprising:

a first program module encoded to provide a first video frame;

a second program module encoded to provide an enhancement to the first video frame;

a cataloging resource which schedules requests for transmission of the first program module and the second program module;

a satellite driver which receives requests from the cataloging resource and selects the first program module and the second program module for transmission; and

a satellite transmitter which transmits in series and more frequently the first program module than the second program module to provide a first video frame and an enhancement to the first video frame to produce a higher quality first video frame.

17. The broadcasting system according to claim 16 further comprising a plurality of program modules encoded to provide a plurality of video frames and wherein:

the cataloging resource schedules the first program module and the plurality of program modules for transmission;

the satellite driver selects the first program module and the plurality of program modules; and

the satellite transmitter transmits the first program module and the plurality of program modules to provide the first video frame and the plurality of video frames.

18. The broadcasting system according to claim 17 wherein:

the cataloging resource repeatedly schedules, the satellite driver repeatedly selects, and the satellite transmitter repeatedly transmits the first program module and the plurality of program modules to repeatedly broadcast at a first predetermined interval the first video frame and the plurality of video frames.

19. The broadcasting system according to claim 17 wherein:

the cataloging resource schedules the second program module for transmission;

the satellite driver selects the second program module; and

the satellite transmitter transmits the second program module to provide the high quality first video frame.

20. The broadcasting system according to claim 19, wherein:

the cataloging resource repeatedly schedules, the satellite driver repeatedly selects, and the satellite transmitter repeatedly transmits the first program module, the second program module, and the plurality of program modules to repeatedly broadcast at a second predetermined interval the high quality first video frame and the plurality of video frames.

21. The broadcasting system according to claim 19 wherein:

the cataloging resource requests the first program module more frequently than the second program module;

the satellite driver selects the first program module more frequently than the second program module; and

the satellite transmitter transmits the first program module more frequently than the second program module to broadcast more first video frames.