Interactive television system and method for simultaneous transmission and rendering of multiple MPEG-encoded video streams

• US 6,931,660 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Kalluri, Rama Murty, Zdepski, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US09/494,067
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.7/173, 725 91- 93, 725/100, 725/105, 725114-116, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 348/565, 348/566, 348/568, 348/588, 370/540, 370/477, 375/316, 375/240.01
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
• 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 21/4312 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 21/4347 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 21/4622 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system and method for the simultaneous transmission and rendition of multiple MPEG-encoded digital video signal streams in an interactive television application are disclosed. Simultaneous transmission and rendition of multiple MPEG-encoded digital video signal streams in an interactive television application generally comprises determining a value for a display position code corresponding to a display position of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams, modifying the value of the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as necessary, and interleaving each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as modified into a single composite video stream. The modifying preferably maintains bit-alignment of the display position code within a byte. The MPEG-encoded video streams are optionally MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 encoded video streams and the display position code is optionally a macroblock address increment variable length codeword and/or at least a byte of a slice startcode.

Claims

1. A method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams, said method comprising:

receiving the multiple MPEG-encoded video streams;

determining a value for a display position code corresponding to a display position of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams;

modifying the value of the display position code of each slice of each of the received MPEG-encoded video streams as necessary; and

interleaving each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as modified into a single composite video stream;

wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment variable length codeword, said macroblock address increment variable length codeword of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams contains 3 bits having a corresponding increment value of one of 2 and 3.

2. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video steams of claim 1,

wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment variable length codeword having a first number of bits and wherein said modifying the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified:

results in a modified macroblock address increment variable length codeword having a modified number of bits, said modified number of bits modulo 8 is equal to said first number of bits modulo 8.

3. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 2, wherein said display position code is at least one of a macroblock address increment variable length codeword and at least a byte of a slice startcode.

4. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 2, wherein the MPEG-encoded video streams are one of MPEG-1 encoded video streams and MPEG-2 encoded video streams.

5. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 1, wherein said modifying includes modifying the value of the macroblock address increment variable length codeword of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified to an increment value of between 22 and 33 inclusive.

6. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 5, wherein said modifying includes modifying the 3 bits of said macroblock address increment variable length codeword as necessary and adding a byte to result in an 11-bit modified macroblock address increment variable length codeword.

7. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 2, wherein said interleaving each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as modified into a single composite video stream is according to the display position code as modified of each slice of each MPEG-encoded video stream.

8. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 1,

wherein said MPEG-encoded video streams are MPEG-1 encoded video streams, and wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment (MBAI) codeword, wherein said modifying the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-1 encoded video streams as necessary includes selectively adding a number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes, said number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes ranging from 0 to 7.

9. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 8, wherein said number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes is determined such that the macroblock address increment codeword maintains bit-alignment of the display position code within a byte.

10. The method for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 8, wherein said macroblock address increment codeword has a first number of bits and wherein said modifying the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified results in a modified maroblock address increment codeword and a predetermined number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes, the modified macroblock address increment codeword and the predetermined number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes combine to having a modified number of bits, said modified number of bits modulo 8 is equal to said first number of bits modulo 8.

11. A system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams, said system comprising:

an interactive decoder adapted to determine a display position code for a display position of each slice of each of a received MPEG-encoded video streams and to modify the display position code of each slice of each of the received MPEG-encoded video streams as necessary, said interactive decoder further adapted to interleave each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as modified into a single composite video stream;

wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment variable length codeword, said macroblock address increment variable length codeword of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams contains 3 bits having a corresponding increment value of one of 2 and 3.

12. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 11,

wherein said display position code includes a first macroblock address increment variable length codeword having a first number of bits and wherein said interactive decoder is further adapted to:

modify the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified to result in a modified macroblock address increment variable length codeword having a modified number of bits, said modified number of bits modulo 8 is equal to said first number of bits modulo 8.

13. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 12, further comprising a broadcast center for broadcasting the multiple MPEG-encoded video streams to said interactive decoder.

14. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 12, wherein said display position code is at least one of a macroblock address increment variable length codeword and at least a byte of a slice startcode.

15. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 12 wherein the MPEG-encoded video streams are one of MPEG-1 encoded video streams and MPEG-2 encoded video streams.

16. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video stream of claim 11, wherein said interactive decoder is further adapted to

modify the value of the display position code to maintain bit-alignment of the display position code within a byte.

17. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 11, wherein said interactive decoder is further adapted to modify the value of the macroblock address increment variable length codeword of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified to have a corresponding increment value of between 22 and 33 inclusive.

18. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 17, wherein said interactive decoder is further adapted to modify the 3 bits of said macroblock address increment variable length codeword as necessary and add a byte to result in an 11-bit modified macroblock address increment variable length codeword.

19. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 12, wherein said interactive decoder is further adapted to interleave each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video steams as modified into a single composite video stream in accordance with the display position code, as modified, of each slice of each MPEG-encoded video stream.

20. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 11,

wherein said MPEG-encoded video streams are MPEG-1 encoded video streams, and wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment (MBAI) codeword, wherein said interactive decoder is adapted to modify the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-1 encoded video streams as necessary by selectively adding a number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes, said number ranging from 0 to 7.

21. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 20, wherein said interactive decoder is adapted to determine said number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes such that the macroblock address increment codeword maintains bit-alignment of the display position code within a byte.

22. The system for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 20, wherein said macroblock address increment codeword has a first number of bits and wherein said interactive decoder is adapted to modify the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified to result in a modified macroblock address increment codeword and a predetermined number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes, the modified macroblock address increment codeword and the predetermined number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes combine to have a modified number of bits, said modified number of bits modulo 8 is equal to said first number of bits modulo 8.

23. An interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams, said decoder comprising:

means for determining a value for a display position code corresponding to a display position of each slice of each of a received MPEG-encoded video streams;

means for modifying the value of the display position code of each slice of each of the received MPEG-encoded video streams as necessary; and

means for interleaving each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as modified into a single composite video stream;

wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment variable length codeword having 3 bits with a corresponding increment value selected from the group consisting of 2 and 3.

24. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 23,

wherein said display position code includes a first macroblock address increment variable length codeword having a first number of bits and wherein said means for modifying the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified generates a modified macroblock address increment variable length codeword having a modified number of bits, said modified number of bits modulo 8 is equal to said first number of bits modulo 8.

25. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 24, wherein said modifying means comprises means for modifying the value of the display position code to maintain bit-alignment of the display position code within a byte.

26. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 24, wherein said display position code is at least one of a macroblock address increment variable length codeword and at least a byte of a slice startcode.

27. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 24, wherein said the MPEG-encoded video streams are one of MPEG-1 encoded video streams and MPEG-2 encoded video streams.

28. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 23, wherein said modifying means includes means for modifying the value of the macroblock address increment variable length codeword of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified to have a corresponding increment value of between 22 and 33 inclusive.

29. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 28, wherein said modifying means includes means for modifying the 3 bits of said macroblock address increment variable length codeword as necessary and adding a byte to result in an 11-bit modified macroblock address increment variable length codeword.

30. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 24, wherein said interleaving means interleaves each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams as modified into a single composite video stream according to the display position code as modified of each slice of each MPEG-encoded video stream.

31. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 23,

wherein said MPEG-encoded video streams are MPEG-1 encoded video streams, wherein said display position code includes a macroblock address increment (MBAI) codeword, and wherein said modifying means modifies the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-1 encoded video streams necessary including selectively adding a number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes, said number from 0 to 7.

32. The interactive decoder for combining multiple-encoded video streams of claim 31, wherein said modifying means determines the number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes such that the macroblock address increment codeword maintains bit-alignment of the display position code within a byte.

33. The interactive decoder for combining multiple MPEG-encoded video streams of claim 31, wherein said macroblock address increment codeword has a first number of bits and wherein said modifying means modifies the display position code of each slice of each of the MPEG-encoded video streams to be modified to result in a modified macroblock address increment codeword and a predetermined number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes, the modified macroblock address increment codeword and the predetermined number of MBAI_—

stuffing codes combine to have a modified number of bits, said modified number of bits modulo 8 is equal to said first number of bits modulo 8.