Encoding optimization techniques for encoding program grid section of server-centric interactive programming guide

• US 7,254,824 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sedna Patent Services LLC
• Inventors: Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Ludvig, Edward A., Comito, John P., Yocom, Harold P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma; Johnny
• Application Number:
  US09/583,388
• Time in Patent Office: 2,625 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 43, 725/44, 725/54, 375/555, 375/547
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234336 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive program guide (IPG) may include a program grid section and a multimedia section. The program grid section typically contains program information organized in a grid with a time axis and a channel axis. The multimedia section may include video for advertisement, previews, and other purposes. Such an IPG may be rendered and encoded at a server and distributed to client terminals in the form of compressed bit streams.

For certain IPGs, the program grid section may comprise alternating stripes of background with different shades (lighter/darker) or different colors. Typically, the alternating background stripes may be used to visually separate text information into timeslots or channels.

Blank areas of the background may be “skip” encoded to “save” a portion of the bit rate. Meanwhile, the quantizer stepsize for encoding that section may be lowered so as to utilize the saved bits to improve the viewing quality of the program grid section. Additionally or alternatively, the quantization matrix for encoding the program grid section may be optimized for encoding text (rather than being, for example, a standard quantization matrix).

Encoding may be performed on the program grid section such that encoded macroblocks do not cross a border between two stripes. In other words, each encoded macroblock in the program grid section may be within a single stripe. Additionally or alternatively, low-pass frequency filtering may be applied on the background stripes. Such low-pass filtering reduces visual defects due to ringing from edges between stripes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

dividing an information section of a user interface into a plurality of macroblocks, the user interface including the information section and a display section, the information section including a plurality of background stripes that visually separate text information into channels, the macroblocks not crossing any border between two adjacent background stripes;

forward transforming each macroblock to generate a transformed image;

quantizing the transformed image to generate a quantized image; and

encoding the quantized image to generate an encoded image of each macroblock.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

low-pass filtering the transformed image; and

encoding a blank background for the display section by skip encoding, when subsequent values of the display section do not change from corresponding intra-coded values at a predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the low-pass filtering reduces visual defects from encoding of the background stripes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein lossless encoding is applied to the quantized image.

5. A method, comprising:

dividing an information section of a user interface into a plurality of macroblocks, the user interface including the information section and a display section, the information section including a plurality of background stripes that visually separate text information into timeslots, the macroblocks not crossing any border between two adjacent background stripes;

forward transforming each macroblock to generate a transformed image;

quantizing the transformed image to generate a quantized image; and

encoding the quantized image to generate an encoded image of each macroblock.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

low-pass filtering the transformed image; and

encoding a blank background for the display section by skip encoding, when subsequent values of the display section do not change from corresponding intra-coded values at a predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the low-pass filtering reduces visual defects from encoding of the background stripes.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein lossless encoding is applied to the quantized image.