Method for real-time insertion of auxiliary data packets into DSS bitstream in the presence of one or more service channels

• US 7,154,916 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soloff, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US10/007,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20030021166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/528, 370/538, 370/490, 370/487, 370/486, 370/537, 370/468, 370/524, 270/252, 375/240.26, 348/512, 348/473, 725/63
• US Class Current: 370/528
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An apparatus and method that allows for the automatic, real-time insertion of auxiliary data packets into a single or multi-channel bitstream in a satellite television broadcast system. Computer readable instructions stored in a storage medium provides iterative steps necessary to detect the presence of a data packet within the data bitstream, establish a bitstream data packet counter for storing values representing the number of the data packets encountered in the data bitstream, set the bitstream data packet counter to an initial value, increment the bitstream data packet counter, determine which channel bitstream the detected data packet is associated with and identify the channel as an operative channel bitstream, establish an operative channel data packet counter for the operative channel bitstream for storing values representing the number of the data packets encountered in the operative channel bitstream, set the operative channel data packet counter to an initial value, increment the operative channel data packet counter, determine a channel bit rate for the operative channel bitstream, determine a data packet spacing value for the operative channel bitstream, and if the value of the operative channel data packet counter is a multiple of the data packet spacing value for the operative channel bitstream then insert the data packet within the operative channel bitstream.

Claims

1. A method for real time insertion of auxiliary data packets into a single or multiple service channel broadcast comprising the steps of:

reading a data bitstream having a data bitstream aggregate bit rate;

detecting data packets with the data bitstream;

counting data packets present within said data bitstream;

reading a header associated with each data packet in order to determine a channel for each detected data packet;

identifying at least one operative channel for the detected data packets;

counting a number of data packets associated with each operative channel;

determining a channel bit rate for each operative channel bitstream by multiplying said aggregate bit rate by a ratio of the number of data packets for each respective operative channel and a total number of data packets for the data bitstream;

determining a data packet insertion period for the insertion of an auxiliary data packet in a respective operative channel bitstream, where the insertion period is the number of data bits that transmit between the insertion of said auxiliary data packets; and

inserting said auxiliary data packet within each respective operative channel bitstream based on said packet insertion period and channel bit rate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data bitstream is comprised of video and/or audio television signals.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said auxiliary data packets function as data packet placeholders.

2. A method far real time insertion of auxiliary data packets into a single or multiple service channel satellite television broadcast comprising the steps of:

detecting a data bitstream having a data bitstream aggregate bit rate;

establishing a bitstream data packet counter for storing values representing a number of data packets encountered in said data bitstream;

while said bitstream is being detected, iteratively performing the following steps (a)–

(h);

(a) detecting said data packets within said data bitstream;

(b) incrementing said bitstream data packet counter for each data packet encountered;

(c) reading a header associated with each data packet in order to determine a channel for each detected data packet and identifying at least one operative channel for the detected data packets;

(d) if not already established, establishing an operative channel data packet counter for each operative channel bitstream in order to count a number of said data packets detected in each respective operative channel bitstream;

(e) incrementing each operative channel data packet counter;

(f) determining a channel bit rate for each operative channel bitstream;

(g) determining a data packet insertion period for each respective operative channel bitstream, where the insertion period is the number of data bits that transmit between the insertion of said auxiliary data packets; and

(h) if the value of any respective operative channel data packet counter is a multiple of said data packet insertion period for said respective operative channel bitstream then inserting an auxiliary data packet within said respective operative channel bitstream.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of determining a channel bit rate for each respective operative channel bitstream comprises the steps of multiplying said aggregate bit rate by a ratio of the number of data packets for each respective operative channel and a total number of data packets for the data bitstream.

6. A computer program stored in a computer readable medium, embodying instructions to perform real time insertion of auxiliary data packets into a single or multiple service channel satellite television broadcast, the instructions comprising the steps of:

detecting a data bitstream having a data bitstream aggregate bit rate;

establishing a bitstream data packet counter for storing values representing a number of data packets encountered in said data bitstream;

while said bitstream is being detected, iteratively performing the following steps (a)–

(h);

(a) detecting said data packets within said data bitstream;

(b) incrementing said bitstream data packet counter for each data packet encountered;

(c) reading a header associated with each data packet in order to determine a channel for each detected data packet and identifying at least one operative channel for the detected data packets;

(d) if not already established establishing an operative channel data packet counter for each operative channel bitstream in order to count a number of said data packets detected in each respective operative channel bitstream;

(e) incrementing each operative channel data packet counter;

(f) determining a channel bit rate for each operative channel bitstream;

(g) determining a data packet insertion period for each respective operative channel bitstream, where the insertion period is the number of data bits that transmit between the insertion of said auxiliary data packets; and

(h) if the value of any respective operative channel data packet counter is a multiple of said data packet insertion period for said respective operative channel bitstream then inserting said an auxiliary data packet within said respective operative channel bitstream.

7. The computer program of claim 6 wherein said step of determining a channel bit rate for each respective operative channel bitstream comprises the steps of multiplying said aggregate bit rate by a ratio of the number of data packets for each respective operative channel and a total number of data packets for the data bitstream.

8. The computer program of claim 6 wherein said data bitstream is comprised of video and/or audio television signals.

9. The computer program of claim 6 wherein said auxiliary data packets function as data packet placeholders.