Transmission system

• US 6,757,305 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Montie, Edwin A., Soepenberg, Gerrit H., Tol, Ronald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/329,392
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 711/113, 711/118, 725/39, 725/136, 725/138, 725/142, 725/140, 725/139, 725/134, 725/100, 725/89, 725/131, 370/536, 370/532, 370/535
• US Class Current: 370/536
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• 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 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65

Abstract

The transmission system comprises a transmitter (10) and a receiver (14). The transmitter (10) can transmit a number of multiplex signals (12) to the receiver (14). The receiver (14) comprises storage means (20) for storing data sections included in the multiplex signals (12) in dependence on information present in the multiplex signals (12). The information for the complete set of multiplex signals (12) is contained in a single information section in at least one of the multiplex signals (12).

Claims

1. A transmission system for transmitting a multiplex signal from a transmitter to a receiver, said receiver comprising:

a memory for storing data sections included in the multiplex signal in dependence on caching priority information present in the multiplex signal,

wherein the caching priority information for the multiplex signal is contained in a single information section and prioritizes which data sections are to be cached.

2. A transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission system is embodied so as to transmit at least one further multiplex signal from the transmitter to the receiver, whereby the information section also contains caching priority information for the further multiplex signal.

10. A transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the single information section comprises a digital video broadcasting service information table.

11. A transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores data sections of an interactive application included in the multiplex signal.

3. A transmitter for transmitting a plurality of multiplex signals, the transmitter comprising:

an insertion device for inserting in the multiplex signals at least one an information section carrying caching priority information about the multiplex signals for prioritizing which data sections in the multiplex signals are to be cached; and

an assembler for assembling the information for the plurality of multiplex signals into a single information section.

12. A transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the single information section comprises a digital video broadcasting service information table.

13. A transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the multiplex signals include at least one interactive application, and wherein the insertion device, inserts in the multiplex signals at least one information section carrying caching priority information about the at least one interactive application.

4. A receiver for receiving a multiplex signal, said receiver comprising:

a storage device for storing data sections included in the multiplex signal in dependence on caching priority information present in the multiplex signal,

wherein the caching priority information for the multiplex signal is contained in a single information section and prioritizes which data sections are to be cached.

5. A receiver according to claim 4, wherein the receiver is embodied so as to receive at least one further multiplex signal, whereby the information section also contains caching priority information for the further multiplex signal.

14. A receiver according to claim 4, wherein the single information section comprises a digital video broadcasting service information table.

6. A storage device for storing data sections included in a multiplex signal, the storage device being configured to store the data sections in dependence on caching priority information present in the multiplex signal, wherein the information for the multiplex signal is contained in a single information section and prioritizes which data sections are to be cached.

7. A storage device according to claim 6, wherein the storage device is configured to store data sections included in at least one further multiplex signal, whereby the information section also contains caching priority information for the further multiplex signal.

15. A storage device according to claim 6, wherein the single information section comprises a digital video broadcasting service information table.

8. A multiplex signal comprising:

data sections for a plurality of applications;

storage information for said data sections, said storage information including caching priority information for said applications,

wherein the storage information for the multiplex signal is contained in a single information section and wherein the caching priority information prioritizes which applications are to be cached.

9. A multiplex signal according to claim 8, wherein the information section also contains the storage information for a further multiplex signal.

16. A multiplex signal according to claim 8, wherein the single information section comprises a digital video broadcasting service information table.

17. A method of retrieving information from a transport stream, said transport stream including at least one interactive application, the method comprising:

receiving said transport stream;

storing caching priority information of said at least one interactive application; and

caching a portion of said transport stream having a priority of at least a minimum caching priority.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein storing caching priority information of said at least one interactive application stores only portions of said transport stream having a priority of at least the minimum caching priority.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the transport stream includes a digital video broadcasting service information table, said caching priority information being contained in said information table.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

pre-fetching caching priority information of a future interactive application to be received; and

storing said caching priority information of the future interactive application to be received.