Service provider side interactive program guide encoder
First Claim
1. Apparatus for producing a digital bitstream representing an interactive program guide for a digital information distribution system comprising:
- a video compositor for compositing background imagery with at least one video frame sequence to form a background frame sequence;
a plurality of program guide compositors for compositing a plurality of program guide graphics onto said background frame sequence, where a different program guide graphic is composited onto said background frame sequence to form a plurality of program guide frame sequences that represent individual program guide pages;
a plurality of encoders for separately encoding each of said program guide frame sequences to form a plurality of bitstreams;
a multiplexer for multiplexing said plurality of bitstreams into a transport stream; and
a program guide graphics generator for producing said program guide graphics and foreground overlay graphics.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for combining video frame sequences with a video display of an interactive program guide (IPG). The apparatus comprises a plurality of compositors that combine background information, video frame sequences and program guide graphics into a single video frame sequence. The sequence is then digitally encoded to form an MPEG-like bitstream. The same background information and informational video is composited with a different program guide graphic to form another video sequence that is also encoded. A plurality of such sequences are produced with each sequence having a different program guide graphic. Each sequence is encoded and then multiplexed into a transport stream such that all the encoded sequences are transmitted to a subscriber'"'"'s terminal using a single transport stream. As such, the subscriber can transition from one program guide to the next without interruption of the background or video display as the program guide graphic is changed.
196 Citations
18 Claims
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1. Apparatus for producing a digital bitstream representing an interactive program guide for a digital information distribution system comprising:
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a video compositor for compositing background imagery with at least one video frame sequence to form a background frame sequence; a plurality of program guide compositors for compositing a plurality of program guide graphics onto said background frame sequence, where a different program guide graphic is composited onto said background frame sequence to form a plurality of program guide frame sequences that represent individual program guide pages; a plurality of encoders for separately encoding each of said program guide frame sequences to form a plurality of bitstreams; a multiplexer for multiplexing said plurality of bitstreams into a transport stream; and a program guide graphics generator for producing said program guide graphics and foreground overlay graphics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for producing a digital bitstream representing an interactive program guide for a digital information distribution system, comprising:
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compositing background imagery with at least one video frame sequence to form a background frame sequence; compositing a plurality of program guide graphics onto said background frame sequence, where a different program guide graphic is composited onto said background frame sequence to form a plurality of program guide frame sequences that represent individual program guide pages; encoding each of said program guide frame sequences to form a plurality of bitstreams; multiplexing said plurality of bitstreams into a transport stream; and producing said program guide graphics and foreground overlay graphics. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification