Method and apparatus for retrieving data from a broadcast signal

• US 6,772,438 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blackketter, Dean J., Park, Timothy F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELIVEAU, SCOTT E
• Application Number:
  US09/608,339
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/136, 725/109-113, 725/137, 348/461, 348/468
• US Class Current: 725/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcast signal is received that includes a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal. The broadcast signal also includes the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal. The data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal. The system decodes the data encoded in the broadcast signal while ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal. The indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal may include an associated time period during which the data identifier should be ignored. The data identifier is broadcast in scan line twenty-one of a broadcast image. The data associated with the broadcast signal is encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal including a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal, wherein the broadcast signal further includes the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal;

decoding the data encoded in the broadcast signal; and

ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal includes ignoring the data identifier if the data identifier matches another data identifier associated with the indicator.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal includes a time period during which the data identifier should be ignored.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the broadcast signal includes a broadcast image, and wherein the data identifier is broadcast in line twenty-one of the broadcast image.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is encoded in the broadcast signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the broadcast signal includes a broadcast image, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal is encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of the broadcast image.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a television broadcast signal including a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal, the data identifier being broadcast in line twenty-one of a broadcast image, the broadcast signal further including the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of the broadcast image, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal;

decoding the data encoded in the broadcast signal; and

ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal includes an associated time period during which the data identifier should be ignored.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is encoded in the broadcast signal.

10. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 7.

11. A method comprising:

identifying data associated with a television broadcast;

generating a television broadcast signal including a data identifier that identifies the data associated with the television broadcast and including the data associated with the television program, wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal; and

transmitting the television broadcast signal to a plurality of television receivers.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the data identifier is contained in line twenty-one of a broadcast image.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the data identifier identifies a data source which stores the same data that is included in the broadcast signal.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the data that is included in the broadcast signal is contained in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

15. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform the method recited in claim 11.

16. An apparatus comprising a television receiver configured to receive a television broadcast signal including a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal, the broadcast signal further including the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal, wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal, the television receiver further to decode the data encoded in the broadcast signal and to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the television receiver decodes data associated with the broadcast signal from vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal includes an associated time period during which the data identifier should be ignored.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the apparatus is a set top box.

20. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive a broadcast signal including a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal, the broadcast signal further including the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal, and wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal;

decode the data encoded in the broadcast signal; and

ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal.

21. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 20 wherein the data identifier is broadcast in scan line twenty-one of a broadcast image.

22. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 20 wherein the data associated with the broadcast signal is encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.