Multimedia stream incorporating interactive support for multiple types of subscriber terminals

• US 6,578,201 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DIVA Systems Corporation
• Inventors: LaRocca, Tobie J., Yang, Amy, Erickson, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/197,270
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/110, 725/111, 725/112, 725/113, 725/37, 725/135-6, 725/60-61, 725/91, 725/86, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/508, 348/600, 345/25, 345/26, 345/113, 345/327, 345/342, 709/201-203, 709/217, 709/231, 709/140
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2358 for generating different versions, e.g. for different recipient devices
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A multimedia stream incorporating interactive support for multiple types of subscriber terminals. The multimedia stream is created by multiplexing several component streams. The component streams include a video stream, an audio stream, and an interactive data stream. The interactive data stream includes data specific to different types of subscriber terminals multiplexed together.

Claims

1. A multimedia data stream for transmitting a multimedia signal and interactive data to support multiple types of subscriber terminals, the data stream comprising:

a first component stream including a first media signal;

a second component stream including a second media signal, the second component stream being multiplexed with the first component stream;

a third component stream including a first interactive data and a second interactive data, the third component stream being multiplexed with the first and second component streams;

where the first interactive data includes data specific to applets associated with a first type of subscriber terminal; and

where the second interactive data Includes data specific to applets associated with a second type of subscriber terminal.

2. The multimedia data stream of claim 1, wherein:

the data stream comprises data packets;

the first interactive data is identified by a first packet identifier (PID);

the first type of subscriber terminal decodes packets identified by the first PID;

the second interactive data is identified by a second PID; and

the second type of subscriber terminal decodes packets identified by the second PID.

3. The multimedia stream of claim 1, wherein:

the first interactive data comprises screen objects modified specifically for use with the first type of subscriber terminal; and

the second interactive data comprises screen objects modified specifically for use with the second type of subscriber terminal.

4. The multimedia stream of claim 3, wherein:

the first interactive data further comprises control data modified specifically for use with the first type of subscriber terminal; and

the second interactive data further comprises control data modified specifically for use with the second type of subscriber terminal.

5. The multimedia stream of claim 3, wherein modifications to the screen objects include a modification of a bitmap of a screen object.

6. The multimedia stream of claim 3, wherein modifications to the screen objects include a modification to a palette.

7. The multimedia stream of claim 3, wherein modifications to the screen objects include a modification of screen coordinates of a screen object.

8. The multimedia stream of claim 4, wherein modifications to the control data include a modification to a menu selection structure.

9. The multimedia stream of claim 1, wherein the first and second interactive data are pre-generated well before transmission of the multimedia stream.

10. The multimedia stream of claim 1, wherein the first media signal comprises compressed video data and the second media signal comprises audio data.

11. The multimedia stream of claim 1, where the multimedia stream is transmitted to the first and second types of subscriber terminal via a bidirectional transport system.

12. The multimedia stream of claim 11, where the multimedia stream comprises a MPEG transport stream.

13. The multimedia stream of claim 11, wherein:

the first type of subscriber terminal includes a first type of set top terminal; and

the second type of subscriber terminal includes a second type of set top terminal.

14. A method for providing interactive support to multiple types of subscriber terminals, the method comprising:

providing an input file including definitions of generic screen objects and generic control data relating to the screen objects;

providing a first set of applets having a first set of rules including modifications to the screen objects specific to a first type of subscriber terminal;

providing a second set of applets having a second set of rules including modifications to the screen objects specific to a second type of subscriber terminal;

identifying the first set of applets in response to a request by the first type of subscriber terminal;

processing the input file by applying the first set of rules to generate a first output file, the first output file including definitions specific to the first type of subscriber terminal of first modified screen objects and first modified control data relating to the first modified screen objects;

identifying the second set of applets in response to a request by the second type of subscriber terminal; and

processing the input file by applying the second set of rules to generate a second output file, the second output file including definitions specific to the second type of subscriber terminal of second modified screen objects and second modified control data relating to the second modified screen objects.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

multiplexing the first output file, the second output file, and a media stream to create a multiple-subscriber-type transport stream.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the multiple-subscriber-type transport stream to a first subscriber station having the first type of subscriber terminal and to a second subscriber station having the second type of subscriber terminal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

retrieving the media stream and the first output file from the multiple-subscriber-type transport stream by the first subscriber station;

retrieving the media stream and the second output file from the multiple-subscriber-type transport stream by the second subscriber station;

decoding the media stream and the first output file by the first subscriber station; and

decoding the media stream and the second output file by the second subscriber station.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying the media stream and the first modified screen objects on a first display device of the first subscriber station; and

displaying the media stream and the second modified screen objects on a second display device of the second subscriber station.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a first user input by the first subscriber station;

responding to the first user input by the first subscriber station in accordance with the first modified control data;

receiving a second user input by the second subscriber station; and

responding to the second user input by the second subscriber station in accordance with the second modified control data.

20. A system for distributing video data while providing interactive support to multiple types of subscriber terminals, the system comprising:

a source of video data to be distributed to a first subscriber with a first type of subscriber terminal and a second subscriber with a second type of subscriber terminal;

a source of first and second applets including interactive data to be distributed in response to a respective request by the first and second subscribers;

a transport processing multiplexer for multiplexing the video data and the interactive data to generate a transport stream;

where the first and second applets respectively comprise a first interactive data specifically modified for use with the first type of subscriber terminal, and a second interactive data specifically modified for use with the second type of subscriber terminal.