Method for distributing digital TV signal and selection of content
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for distributing a digital multimedia broadcast stream including a main data stream and one or more alternative data streams each providing timely data relating to said main data stream in a single broadcast, said method comprising steps of:
- a. merging said main data stream into a combined broadcast stream at a present time marker;
b. merging at least one alternative data stream into a combined broadcast stream at said present time marker;
c. maintaining a remaining transmission transport capacity by subtracting a transmission transport capacity consumed in merging of said alternative data streams at said present time marker from said remaining transmission transport capacity at said present time marker;
d. if said remaining transmission transport capacity at said present time marker is not available, using an earlier time marker where said remaining transport capacity is available;
e. scheduling the meraina of each said alternative data stream by repeating steps (b) through (d) until all possible alternative data streams have been merged into a combined broadcast stream; and
f. communicating said combined broadcast stream to a user device, whereby timely delivery of each said alternative data stream is guaranteed by said scheduling.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a process in which broadcasters can supplement existing multimedia streams such as video and audio with additional multimedia streams in a coordinated and integrated way, allowing users, after reception of the broadcast stream, to select which sub-stream to use, without requiring an upstream channel to communicate this user preference back to the server or any additional bandwidth to broadcast these additional streams.
176 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A method for distributing a digital multimedia broadcast stream including a main data stream and one or more alternative data streams each providing timely data relating to said main data stream in a single broadcast, said method comprising steps of:
-
a. merging said main data stream into a combined broadcast stream at a present time marker; b. merging at least one alternative data stream into a combined broadcast stream at said present time marker; c. maintaining a remaining transmission transport capacity by subtracting a transmission transport capacity consumed in merging of said alternative data streams at said present time marker from said remaining transmission transport capacity at said present time marker; d. if said remaining transmission transport capacity at said present time marker is not available, using an earlier time marker where said remaining transport capacity is available; e. scheduling the meraina of each said alternative data stream by repeating steps (b) through (d) until all possible alternative data streams have been merged into a combined broadcast stream; and f. communicating said combined broadcast stream to a user device, whereby timely delivery of each said alternative data stream is guaranteed by said scheduling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13)
-
-
7. A computer program device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for distributing a digital multimedia broadcast stream including a main data stream and one or more alternative data streams each providing timely data relating to said main data stream in a single broadcast, said method comprising steps of:
-
a. merging said main data stream into a combined broadcast stream at a present time marker; b. merging at least one alternative data stream into a combined broadcast stream at said present time marker; c. maintaining a remaining transmission transport capacity by subtracting a transmission transport capacity consumed in merging of said alternative data streams at said present time marker from said remaining transmission transport capacity at said present time marker; d. if said remaining transmission transport capacity at said present time marker is not available, using an earlier time marker where said remaining transport capacity is available; e. scheduling the merging of each said alternative data stream by repeating steps (b) through (d) until all possible alternative data streams have been merged into a combined broadcast stream; and f. communicating said combined broadcast stream to a user device, whereby timely delivery of each said alternative data stream is guaranteed by said scheduling. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
-
Specification