High definition media storage structure and playback mechanism

• US 7,203,955 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Video Express LP
• Inventors: Mercier, Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F.
• Application Number:
  US11/017,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 725/94, 725/31, 725/141, 725/153, 386/94, 386/83, 386/68, 386/98, 386125-126
• US Class Current: 725/141
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00289 wherein the key is stored as a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2579 HD-DVDs [high definition DVDs]; AODs [advanced optical discs]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

An apparatus and method for storing and playing high definition content is disclosed. This invention provides a mechanism for storing and playing back high definition content on a medium such as DVD optical disc. One aspect of the invention is that elementary streams may be multiplexed and processed in a high definition media player instead of at authoring time. Another aspect of the invention is that it provides for extended real-time features such as inserting watermarks into the content stream, decrypting selected sections of the content stream, and performing trick playback display modes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for playing high definition content comprising:

(a) a high definition media player for receiving multiplexed high definition content from a media source, said multiplexed high definition content and timestamps contained in data packets;

(b) a content processor for processing said multiplexed high definition content into transport packets; and

(c) an HDTV comprising;

(1) a decrypter;

(2) a demultiplexer;

(3) a watermark buffer for receiving watermark data;

(4) a video buffer for receiving video data; and

(5) a watermark inserter for inserting watermarks into the video data, determined by the video data and watermark data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data packets are contained in sectors.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including a transport packet modulator for modulating said transport packets.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data packets comprise at least one of:

(a) watermark data;

(b) video data;

(c) audio data;

(d) executable data; and

(e) process data.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein preselected blocks of said data packets are encrypted.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said media source is an optical disc.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said sectors are DVD sectors, and said content processor generates an ATSC transport system.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said watermark data includes at least one of:

(a) a watermark identifier;

(b) an offset;

(c) a presentation time stamp;

(d) original data; and

(e) size data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said video data includes at least one of the following:

(a) a start code; and

(b) a watermark identifier.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said content processor further includes a trick mode generator.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said trick mode generator can create a slow motion effect by inserting empty predictive frames into a video elementary stream between picture frames, wherein the rate of said slow motion effect is determined by the quality of predictive frames instead.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said trick mode generator can create a pause effect by inserting into a video elementary stream a multitude of predictive frames.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said trick mode processor can create a fast forward playback effect by inserting forwardly sequenced Intra-coded picture frames interspersed with empty predictive frames into a transport packet stream, wherein the rate of said fast forward motion effect is determined by the quantity of Intra-coded picture frames and predictive frames.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said trick mode processor can create a rewind playback effect by inserting reverse sequenced Intra-coded picture frames interspersed with empty predictive frames into a transport packet stream, wherein the rate of said rewind playback effect is determined by the quantity of Intra-coded picture frames and predictive frames.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said trick mode processor can create a playback effect by inserting Intra-coded picture frames interspersed with frames into a transport packet stream.

16. A method for playing multiplexed high definition content comprising:

(a) receiving multiplexed high definition content from a media source, said multiplexed high definition content and timestamps contained in data packets;

(b) processing said multiplexed high definition content into transport packets; and

(c) outputting said transport packets to an HDTV, said HDTV comprising;

(1) a decrypter;

(2) a demultiplexer;

(3) a watermark buffer for receiving watermark data;

(4) a video buffer for receiving video data; and

(5) a watermark inserter for inserting watermarks into the video data, determined by the video data and watermark data.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said data packets are contained in sectors.

18. The method according to claim 16, further including the steps of:

(a) modulating said transport packets; and

(b) outputting said modulated transport packets.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of receiving said multiplexed high definition content from a media sources comprises reading content from an optical disc.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said optical disc is a DVD and said step of reading content from an optical disc further comprises reading DVD sectors from said optical disc.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of processing said multiplexed high definition content into transport packets further includes generating a slow motion effect by inserting empty predictive frames into a video elementary stream between picture frames, wherein the rate of said slow motion effect is determined by the quantity of predictive frames inserted.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of processing said multiplexed high definition content into transport packets further includes generating a fast forward playback effect by inserting forwardly sequenced Intra-coded picture frames interspersed with empty predictive frames into a transport packet stream, wherein the rate of fast forward motion effect is determined by the quantity of Intra-coded picture frames and predictive frames.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of processing said multiplexed high definition content into transport packets further includes generating a rewind playback effect by inserting reverse sequenced Intra-coded picture frames interspersed with empty predictive frames into a transport packet stream, wherein the rate of said fast forward motion effect is determined by the quantity of Intra-coded picture frames and predictive frames.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of processing said multiplexed high definition content into transport packets further includes creating a playback effect by inserting Intra-coded picture frames interspersed with frames into a transport packet stream.