Video indexing protocol

• US 6,064,438 A
• Filed: 08/21/1996
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, John David
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/701,038
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/460, 348/461, 348/473, 348/474, 348/906, 348/12, 348/13, 348/463, 348/465, 348/467, 370/71, 370/73, 370/124, 358/142, 358/147
• US Class Current: 348/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/025 Systems for the transmission of digital non-picture data, e.g. of text during the active part of a television frame transmission of digital non-picture data during the vertical blanking interval only H04N7/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0255 Display systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0888 : Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and apparatus for transmitting information with a video signal. At least one client application creates a message to be transmitted to a receiver. The client application transmits the message to a data encoder and the encoder receives the message and other messages from other client applications. The encoder transforms the message and the other messages into packets and multiplexes them into a bitstream to be encoded with a video programming signal. The multiplexing is performed according to priorities assigned to the at least one client application and the other client applications. The encoder transmits the bitstream to a video encoder to transmit the bitstream with the video programming signal in order to be received by a decoder. The decoder can then decode the information from the video signal and transmit the information to at least one decoder client application. The client applications may include: a status application which transmits a status information (e.g. time references) at regular intervals; a program application which transmits descriptive information of the video programming synchronized with the video signal (e.g. program markers and/or program text, such as closed-captions and/or subtitles); and a non-program application. The status application may have a highest priority, the program application has a next highest of priority, and the non-programming signal has a lowest priority.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information with a video signal, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a message to be transmitted to a receiver by a first client application of a plurality of client applications, said message includes an identifier which identifies a type of said message and enables prioritization of data contained in said message;

transmitting said message to a data encoder;

receiving said message and other messages from other client applications;

converting said message and said other messages into packets and multiplexing said packets into a bitstream to be encoded with a video programming signal, said multiplexing being performed according to priorities specified by said identifier contained in said message and other identifiers contained in said other messages; and

sending said bitstream to a video encoder to encode said bitstream with said video programming signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of client applications includes a status application which transmits said message containing status information at regular intervals and synchronized with said video signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of client applications includes a program application which transmits descriptive information of said video programming synchronized with said video signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of client applications includes a non-program application.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of client applications includes a status application which transmits said message containing status information at regular intervals, a program application which transmits descriptive information of said video programming synchronized with said video signal, and a non-program application, wherein said status application has a highest of said priorities, said program application has a next highest of said priorities, and said non-programming signal has a lowest of said priorities.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said descriptive information of said video programming includes one of (i) an indication of an event in said programming, (ii) an indication of a video image which should be stored for reference, (iii) a plurality of captions, (iv) a plurality of sidebars, and (v) text in outline form describing said video programming.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said event includes one of a momentary type of action, a transition, a camera switch, an editing command, and a zoom.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said sidebars include references to related data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said references to related data include a uniform resource locator (URL).

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said references to related data include an OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) link.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein said text in outline form describing said video programming includes headings and subheadings describing said video programming.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein said text in outline form describing said video programming includes headings and subheadings describing segments of said video programming.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein said status information transmitted at regular intervals includes a channel map identifying the packets generated by said client application and said other client applications.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said status information transmitted at regular intervals includes a source identifier, and a current time reference.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said first client application and said second client application are the same.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said bitstream is transmitted by satellite, television live broadcasting, or computer network communication.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprises a step of reconverting said bitstream into a plurality of messages to be sent to a second client application of said plurality of client applications.

18. A method for transmitting data along with a video programming signal corresponding to a video program, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one message, the at least one message including at least one identifier to identify a type of the message and to establish a priority level;

converting the at least one message into a plurality of frames, each frame including at least one packet;

multiplexing the plurality of frames in order to produce a data stream, said multiplexing being performed according to the priority levels associated with the at least one message; and

encoding the data stream to the video programming signal which is synchronized to the video program.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of receiving the at least one message is performed by a video indexing protocol (VIP) encoder.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of transmitting the video programming signal through a communication medium to a VIP decoder.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication medium includes one of a digital transmission, a broadcast, a cablecast and a satellite uplink.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the converting step includes the steps of:

converting the at least one message messages into at least one packet; and

converting each packet into one of the plurality of frames.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein prior to the receiving step, the method includes the steps of:

receiving an information bit stream by each of a plurality of encoders;

encoding at least each information bit stream in accordance with an encoding function of a corresponding encoder to produce the at least one message; and

transmitting the at least one message to the VIP encoder.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the encoding step further includes the step of:

encoding status information including at least one of a time code, a station identification and a channel map.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the encoding step further includes the step of:

encoding program information including a program marker.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the program marker is one of a program identification (ID), a story ID, a segment ID, a section ID, and a commercial ID.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of frames includes a status packet transmitted at a predetermined time interval to synchronize the VIP encoder with the VIP decoder.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of said plurality of frames includes a program packet.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said program packet is one of an event, a video image format, a caption, and a sidebar.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of frames includes a non-program packet.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the non-program packet includes at least one of a stock quotation, sports score, and weather information.

32. A method for transmitting data along with a video programming signal corresponding to a video program, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one message, the at least one message including at least one identifier to identify a type of the message and to establish a priority level;

converting the at least one message into a plurality of frames, each frame including at least one packet;

multiplexing the plurality of frames in order to produce a data stream, said multiplexing being performed according to the priority levels associated with the at least one message; and

encoding the data stream to a vertical blanking interval of the video programming signal.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of receiving the at least one message is performed by a video indexing protocol (VIP) encoder.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of transmitting the video programming signal through a communication medium to a VIP decoder.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the communication medium includes one of a digital transmission, a broadcast, a cablecast and a satellite uplink.

36. An encoding system comprising:

a communication link;

at least one computer system coupled to the communication link, the at least one computer system running a client application to generate a message;

a master encoder coupled to the communication link, the master encoder (i) receiving at least one message from the at least one computer system, the at least one message including an identifier to identify a message type and to establish a priority level, (ii) converting the at least one message into a plurality of frames, each frame including at least one packet, and (iii) multiplexing the plurality of frames in accordance to the priority levels specified by the identifiers contained in the at least one message to produce a data stream; and

a video encoder coupled to the master encoder, the video encoder encoding the data stream into a video programming signal.

37. The encoding system of claim 36, wherein the video programming signal is synchronized with a real-time video program.

38. The encoding system of claim 37, wherein said real-time video program is transmitted by one of a digital transmission, a broadcast, a cablecast, and a satellite uplink.

39. The encoding system of claim 36, wherein the video encoder is a vertical blanking interval (VBI) inserter.

40. The encoding system of claim 39, wherein the data stream is encoded into the vertical blanking interval of the video programming signal.

41. A decoding system comprising:

a video decoder to receive a video programming signal corresponding to a video program and to extract encoded information contained in the video programming signal, the encoded information corresponding to a bit stream formed by multiplexing a plurality of frames in accordance to priority levels specified by identifiers contained in at least one message, each of the identifiers identifying a message type and establishing a priority level, the plurality of frames being converted from the at least one message, each frame including at least one packet;

a communication link;

at least one computer system coupled to the communication link; and

a decoder coupled to the communication link and the video decoder, the decoder receiving the encoded information and separating the at least one message in the encoded information according to the specified priorities into at least one channel readable by the at least one computer system.

42. The decoding system of claim 41, wherein the video programming signal is synchronized with a real-time video program.

43. The decoding system of claim 42, wherein said real-time video program is transmitted by a digital transmission, a broadcast, a cablecast, and a satellite uplink.

44. The decoding system of claim 41, wherein the video decoder is a vertical blanking interval (VBI) decoder.