Method and apparatus for encoding and formatting data representing a video program to provide multiple overlapping presentations of the video program

• US 5,926,205 A
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Imedia Corp. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krause, Edward A., Shen, Paul, Tom, Adam S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/786,282
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/6, 348/12, 348/13, 348/385, 348/387, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 345/327, 345/328
• US Class Current: 725/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Selective video-on-demand access is provided to a virtually unlimited number of subscribers by partitioning the video program into an ordered sequence of N segments and providing the subscribers concurrent access to each of the N segments. A data stream representative of the video program is partitioned into N subsequences, each representative of one of the N segments. The data of each of the N subsequences is organized as an ordered sequence of elements. The elements of each of the N subsequences are interleaved and the interleaved data stream is continuously transmitted over a video program distribution medium at a rate which renders the data representing each segment concurrently available to any subscriber having a receiver capable of selecting, assembling, and displaying the data of a particular segment.

Claims

1. A method of receiving a repeatedly transmitted data stream comprising the interleaved elements of N subsequences of data, wherein each of the N subsequences corresponds to a different temporal portion of the same video program, each of the N subsequences of data comprising an ordered sequence of elements representative of a contiguous portion of a video program, said method of receiving comprising the steps of:

selecting the elements corresponding to a particular subsequence of data during each repetition of the repeatedly transmitted data stream, wherein adjacent elements in the data stream originate from a different one of the N subsequences;

reconstructing the portion of the video program corresponding to the elements of said selected subsequences; and

concatenating each of said reconstructed portions to form a continuous presentation of the video program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

repeating said steps of selecting, reconstructing, concatenating until the entire program has been presented.

3. A method of receiving a repeatedly transmitted data stream comprising the interleaved elements of N subsequences of data, wherein each of the N subsequences corresponds to a different temporal portion of the same video program, each of the N subsequences of data comprising an ordered sequence of elements representative of a contiguous portion of a video program, said method of receiving comprising the steps of:

selecting the elements corresponding to a particular subsequence of data during each repetition of the transmitted data stream;

reconstructing the portion of the video program corresponding to the elements of said selected subsequences;

concatenating each of said reconstructed portions to form a continuous presentation of the video program; and

repeating said steps of selecting, reconstructing, concatenating until the entire program has been presented;

wherein the repeatedly transmitted data stream includes unique segment identification numbers assigned to each of the N consecutive subsequences in sequentially increasing order, and wherein said step of selecting is performed by selecting the elements of the subsequence corresponding to the lowest segment identification number during the first repetition, and the elements of the subsequence corresponding to the next higher segment identification number during each repetition thereafter.

4. A method of receiving a repeatedly transmitted data stream comprising the interleaved elements of N subsequences of data, wherein each of the N subsequences corresponds to a different temporal portion of the same video program, each of the N subsequences of data comprising an ordered sequence of elements representative of a contiguous portion of a video program, said method of receiving comprising the steps of:

selecting the elements corresponding to a particular subsequence of data during repetition of the transmitted data stream;

reconstructing the portion of the video program corresponding to the elements of said selected subsequences; and

concatenating each of said reconstructed portions to form a continuous presentation of the video program; and

repeating said steps of selecting, reconstructing, concatenating until the entire program has been presented;

wherein the repeatedly transmitted data stream includes unique segment identification numbers assigned to each of the N consecutive subsequences in sequentially increasing order, and wherein each of the assigned segment identification numbers is decremented by one during each subsequent repetition of the data stream, and wherein said step of selecting is performed by selecting the elements of the subsequence corresponding to the same segment identification number during each of said repetitions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the repeatedly transmitted data stream includes a flag to denote the one of N subsequences representative of the first segment of the video program and wherein said step of selecting is performed by selecting the elements of said denoted first subsequence during the first repetition and selecting the elements of the subsequence having the same segment identification number during each repetition thereafter.

6. A method of receiving a repeatedly transmitted data stream comprising the interleaved elements of N subsequences of data, wherein each of the N subsequences corresponds to a different temporal portion of the same video program, each of the N subsequences of data comprising an ordered sequence of elements representative of a contiguous portion of a video program, said method of receiving comprising the steps of:

selecting the elements corresponding to a particular subsequence of data during each repetition of the transmitted data stream;

reconstructing the portion of the video program corresponding to the elements of said selected subsequences; and

concatenating each of said reconstructed portions to form a continuous presentation of the video program;

wherein the repeatedly transmitted data stream includes unique segment identification numbers assigned to each of the N consecutive subsequences in sequentially increasing order, and wherein said step of selecting is performed by selecting the elements of the subsequence corresponding to an arbitrarily specified segment identification number, and wherein said arbitrarily specified segment identification is thereafter increased for the purpose of advancing forward into the video program at a faster than normal rate.

7. A method of receiving a repeatedly transmitted data stream comprising the interleaved elements of N subsequences of data, wherein each of the N subsequences corresponds to a different temporal portion of the same video program, each of the N subsequences of data comprising an ordered sequence of elements representative of a contiguous portion of a video program, said method of receiving comprising the steps of:

selecting the elements corresponding to a particular subsequence of data during each repetition of the transmitted data stream;

reconstructing the portion of the video program corresponding to the elements of said selected subsequences; and

concatenating each of said reconstructed portions to form a continuous presentation of the video program;

wherein the repeatedly transmitted data stream includes unique segment identification numbers assigned to each of the N consecutive subsequences in sequentially increasing order, and wherein said step of selecting is performed by selecting the elements of the subsequence corresponding to an arbitrarily specified segment identification number, and wherein said arbitrarily specified segment identification is thereafter decreased for the purpose of advancing backwards into the video program.

8. An apparatus for formatting and distributing overlapping presentations of the same video program comprising:

partitioning logic for receiving a data stream comprising an ordered sequence of data representative of the video program, said partitioning logic for segmenting said data stream into N data segments each made up of a plurality of data elements;

interleaving logic in communication with said partitioning logic for interleaving the data elements of the N data segments to produce an interleaved data stream so that adjacent elements in the interleaved data stream originate from different data segments in non-interleaved form; and

transmitting logic for repeatedly transmitting the interleaved data stream over a video program distribution medium for a predetermined period of time to at least one receiver that is capable of reassembling the data segments in non-interleaved form.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising digital encoding logic for compressing said data stream, said digital encoding logic coupled to provide said data stream to said partitioning logic in a compressed state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a storage device coupled to receive and store said interleaved data stream for subsequent distribution.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a video server system coupled to access said interleaved data stream from said storage device, said video server system including signal transmission circuitry for repeatedly broadcasting said interleaved data stream over a video program distribution network for a predetermined period of time.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of N digital encoders, each coupled to receive and encode one of said N data segments and responsive to feedback from a transmission channel by which said interleaved data stream is statistically multiplexed and transmitted.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said interleaving logic further includes means for assigning a unique segment identifier for each of the N data segments and means for inserting said segment identifiers into the interleaved data stream.

13. An apparatus for formatting and distributing overlapping presentations of the same video program comprising:

partitioning logic for receiving a data stream comprising an ordered sequence of data representative of the video program, said partitioning logic for segmenting said data stream into N data segments each made up of a plurality of data elements;

interleaving logic in communication with said partitioning logic for interleaving the data elements of the N data segments to produce an interleaved data stream; and

digital encoding logic for compressing said data stream, said digital encoding logic coupled to provide said data stream to said partitioning logic in a compressed state;

a storage device coupled to receive and store said interleaved data stream for subsequent distribution to at least one receiver that is capable of reassembling the data segments in non-interleaved form; and

a plurality of N digital encoders, each coupled to receive and encode one of said N data segments and responsive to feedback from the transmission channel wherein said interleaved data stream is statistically multiplexed;

a packet multiplexer coupled to receive compressed data segment information from said N digital encoders for generating an interleaved output stream; and

a channel buffer coupled to buffer said interleaved output stream and to provide said feedback to said digital encoders.

14. An apparatus for formatting and distributing overlapping presentations of the same video program comprising:

partitioning logic for receiving a data stream comprising an ordered sequence of data representative of the video program, said partitioning logic for segmenting said data stream into N data segments each made up of a plurality of data elements;

interleaving logic in communication with said partitioning logic for interleaving the data elements of the N data segments to produce an interleaved data stream; and

digital encoding logic for compressing said data stream, said digital encoding logic coupled to provide said data stream to said partitioning logic in a compressed state;

a storage device coupled to receive and store said interleaved data stream for subsequent distribution to at least one receiver that is capable of reassembling the data segments in non-interleaved form; and

at least a second storage device, said interleaving logic including logic for splitting said interleaved data stream between said storage devices.

16. A receiver for receiving a repeatedly transmitted data stream comprising interleaved elements of N data segments, each of the N data segments comprising a sequence of elements representative of portions of the same video program, said receiver comprising:

data selection circuitry for receiving from the data stream the elements corresponding to a particular segment of data during each repetition of the repeatedly transmitted data stream;

video translation circuitry coupled to receive the selected elements for reconstructing the portion of the video program corresponding to the elements of the selected segment; and

presentation circuitry for concatenating reconstructed portions of the selected segment for continuous presentation of said video programs;

wherein adjacent elements in the data stream originate from different data segments.

17. The receiver of the claim 16 wherein said data stream comprises compressed data, said receiver further comprising a decoder for decoding said compressed data stream.

18. The receiver of claim 17 further comprising user control circuitry for instructing said data selection circuitry which data segments to receive, responsive to controls provided by a user.

19. The receiver of claim 18 wherein said user control circuitry comprises a remote control device.

20. The receiver of claim 17 wherein said data selection circuitry is responsive to segment identification information included in the transmitted data stream for identifying said N data segments.