Method and apparatus for broadcasting, viewing, reserving and/or delayed viewing of digital television programs

• US 7,340,762 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yeong-Taeg
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/810,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,545 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725/61, 725/89, 725133-134, 725141-142, 725151-153, 715/105, 715/500.1, 715/721
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for a digital television service where a Preview Program is transmitted along with associated Broadcast Scheduling Information (BSI) so that a viewer can easily reserve an associated Main Program for later viewing and/or recording. Different formats are provided for coding an MPEG-2 digital television signal which incorporate the Preview Program along with the associated Broadcast Scheduling Information (BSI) for the associated Main Program. Different functional architectures for Associated Digital Television Receivers (ADTVR) are also described which allow viewers to reserve the Main Programs for later viewing and/or recording. In the preferred embodiments, an RSVP Icon is simultaneously displayed with the Preview Program to inform the viewer that they may utilize the service of the preferred embodiments to easily reserve a related Main Program for later viewing and/or recording. The preferred Associated Digital Television Receivers (ADTVR) either (i) download an RSVP Icon within the MPEG-2 signal transmitted by the broadcaster, or (ii) generate its own RSVP Icon for display.

Claims

1. A receiver for a digital video service network, the receiver comprising:

means for receiving a digital television signal broadcast by a broadcaster over a transmission channel, the digital television signal including a Preview Program for a Main Program and Broadcasting Schedule Information for the Main Program;

means for decoding the digital television signal;

means for providing an output signal reflective of the Preview Program for display; and

means for selecting an item of the Main Program corresponding to a current segment of the Preview Program from the Broadcasting Schedule Information based on user instructions while the user is watching the current segment of the Preview Program,

wherein when the Preview Program is being broadcast over the transmission channel, the Broadcast Schedule Information is broadcast along with the Preview Program in the digital television signal such that the Broadcasting Schedule Information is received by said means for receiving a digital television signal simultaneously with the Preview Program,

wherein the means for selecting the Main Program comprises an icon simultaneously displayed with the current segment of the Preview Program indicating to the user a capability of receiving the user instructions to reserve the corresponding item of the Main Program.

2. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising means for demodulating the received digital television signal and extracting bit streams describing the digital television signal.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the means for decoding the digital television signal comprises a Transport Stream (TS) demultiplexer for generating a signal corresponding to the Preview Program.

4. The receiver of claim 3, wherein the TS demultiplexer is also configured to output the Broadcasting Schedule Information.

5. The receiver of claim 3, further comprising means for downloading the Broadcasting Schedule Information while the current segment of the Preview Program is being decoded and displayed, wherein the Broadcasting Schedule Information includes information describing the corresponding item of the Main Program, including a channel number and a start time.

6. The receiver of claim 5, further comprising a Schedule Queue, the Schedule Queue receiving at least the start time of the Broadcasting Schedule Information, the start time being compared with a system clock to determine when to have control signals sent to instruct the receiver to process the selected item of the Main Program.

7. The receiver of claim 6, further comprising means for notifying the user that the start time is approaching and requesting an instruction as to whether the user desires that the selected item of the Main Program be recorded or displayed.

8. The receiver of claim 7, wherein the means for notifying the user provides an instruction to record if the viewef user does not input any instruction within a predetermined time.

9. The receiver of claim 6, further comprising means for comparing the start time with a system clock, and then sending control signals to instruct the receiver to display the selected item of the Main Program at the start time.

10. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising a System and Schedule Manager for controlling the means for decoding the digital television signal, the System and Schedule Manager further directing a data stream flow ef-data from the digital television signal.

11. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising a Digital Storage Device for receiving, storing and replaying data corresponding the Main Program, the Main Program being related to the Preview Program and the Main Program being described by the Broadcasting Schedule Information.

12. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising Application decoders for decoding audio and video coded bit streams of the Preview Program and the Main Program, the Application decoders sending an Audio output signal for transducing into sound and a decoded video signal for processing and display on a digital television.

13. The receiver of claim 12, further comprising means for generating the icon to overlay the video output of the decoded video signal during display on the digital television.

14. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the Broadcasting Schedule Information is delivered to the means for receiving a digital television signal simultaneously with the Preview Program.

15. A method for providing MPEG-2 digital television signals, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a Preview Program, the Preview Program relating to a Main Program;

providing Broadcasting Schedule Information relating to the Main Program;

coding the Preview Program into an MPEG-2 signal;

embedding the Broadcasting Schedule Information into the MPEG-2 signal such that the Broadcasting Schedule Information will be received by a digital television receiver while the Preview Program is being decoded by the digital television receiver; and

selecting an item of the Main Program corresponding to a current segment of the Preview Program from the Broadcasting Schedule Information based on user instructions when an icon is simultaneously displayed with the current segment of the Preview Program indicating to the user a capability of reserving the item of the Main Program corresponding to the current segment of the Preview Program,

wherein the Broadcast Schedule Information is broadcast along with the Preview Program and received by said digital television receiver simultaneously with the Preview Program.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of coding the icon into the MPEG-2 signal.

17. An MPEG-2 digital television signal, comprising:

a Preview Program coded within the MPEG-2 signal, the Preview Program relating to a Main Program;

Broadcasting Schedule Information embedded within the MPEG-2 signal, the Broadcasting Schedule Information relating to the Main Program; and

the Broadcasting Schedule Information being embedded into the MPEG-2 signal such that the Broadcasting Schedule Information will be received by a digital television receiver while the Preview Program is being decoded by the digital television receiver,

wherein the Broadcast Schedule Information is broadcast along with the Preview Program and recieved simultaneously with the Preview Program; and

wherein an item of the Main Program is selectable from the Broadcasting Schedule Information based on user instructions when the user sees an icon simultaneously displayed with a current segment of the Preview Program corresponding to the item of the Main Program.

18. The MPEG-2 signal of claim 17, further comprising the icon coded into the MPEG-2 signal, the icon informing the viewer that the MPEG-2 signal includes both the Preview Program and the Broadcasting Schedule Information.

19. A method of displaying an MPEG-2 digital television signal including a Preview Program and Broadcasting Schedule Information related to a Main Program, comprising the steps of:

displaying the Preview Program coded within the MPEG-2 signal, the Preview Program corresponding to an related item in the Main Program of choice for the viewer; and

receiving ordering information embedded within the MPEG-2 signal simultaneously with the display of a current segment of the Preview Program, the ordering information relating to the item of choice, and the ordering information allowing a viewer to select the item based on an icon simultaneously displayed with the Preview Program,

wherein the Broadcast Schedule Information is broadcast along with the Preview Program and received simultaneously with the Preview Program.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of providing the icon to a viewer to inform the viewer that they are receiving both the Preview Program and the ordering information.