Method and device for providing downloaded objects to an application

• US 7,003,783 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Service Centre Europe N.V. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Service Centre Europe N.V. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Skaringer, Lars, Thiery, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US10/052,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 717/170, 717/168, 717/178, 719/315, 719/332, 725/132, 725/140, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 725/152, 725/92, 725/115, 725/142, 715/749, 348/135, 348/169, 707/203
• US Class Current: 719/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and 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 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• 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
• 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 21/8402 involving a version number, e.g. version number of EPG data arrangements for version control in computers G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and device for providing downloaded objects to an application including downloading from a received transport stream a module containing an object requested by an application, storing the downloaded module, monitoring whether the stored module is the current version, when the application requests an object of a stored module and the stored module is a current version, providing the application with the object from the stored module, and when the application requests an object of a stored module and the stored module is not a current version, copying only the objects of the stored module still in use by the application, downloading the current version of the stored module and overwriting the stored module with the downloaded current version of the stored module.

Claims

1. A television system for providing downloaded objects to an application, the device including:

an object layer interface for downloading from a received transport stream a module containing at least one object requested by an application;

a module memory for storing downloaded module;

a controller for monitoring whether the module in the module memory is a current version;

wherein

when the application requests an object contained in a stored module and the stored module is a current version, the object layer interface provides the application with the object from the module memory and,

when the application requests an object contained in a stored module and the stored module is not a current version, the object layer interface downloads the current version of the module and overwrites the module stored in the module memory; and

an object cache for storing objects, wherein

when the application requests an object contained in a stored module and the stored module is not the current version, the controller copies into the object cache only the objects of the stored module still in use by the application before the object layer interface overwrites the stored module with the current version of the stored module.

2. A television system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is responsive to information in the transport stream regarding the current versions of the modules transmitted in the transport stream.

3. A television system according to claim 1 wherein the controller monitors whether modules are the current version according to the specifications for MHP platforms.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the objects are DSM-CC objects and the modules are DSM-CC modules.

5. A television system according to claim 4 wherein the objects are copied from the module memory to the object cache by copying the corresponding BIOP messages.

6. A television system according to claim 1 further including at least one filter for filtering from the transport stream packets of a module to be downloaded.

7. A television system according to claim 1 wherein the device is a MHP compliant.

8. A computer method of providing downloaded objects to an application, the method including:

downloading from a received transport stream a module containing one object including an object requested by an application;

storing the downloaded module;

monitoring whether the stored module is the current version;

providing the application with the object from a stored module when the application requests an object of a stored module and the stored module is a current version; and

copying only the objects of the stored module still in use by the application, downloading the current version of the stored module and overwriting the stored module with the downloaded current version of the stored module when the application requests an object of a stored module and the stored module is not a current version.

9. A computer program, stored in a tangible storage medium for providing downloaded objects to an application, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

download from a received transport stream a module containing at least one object including an object requested by an application;

store the downloaded module;

monitor whether the stored module is the current version;

provide the application with the object from a stored module when the application requests an object of a stored module and the stored module is a current version; and

copy only the objects of the stored module still in use by the application, download the current version of the stored module and overwrite the stored module with the downloaded current version of the stored module when the application requests an object of a stored module and the stored module is not a current version.