Receiving apparatus and method for processing interruptions in streaming broadcasts

• US 7,748,020 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Tetsu, Mori, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, ALAN H
• Application Number:
  US10/665,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 725/88, 725/102, 725/133, 370/468, 714/751, 709231-235, 369/47, 710/52, 386/1, 386/46, 386/68, 386/69
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10

Abstract

In order to maintain continuity before and after interruption of a streaming broadcast, a receiving apparatus according to the present invention includes: a reception unit which receives data on a stream broadcast; a memory which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the received data on a stream broadcast; a data processing unit which processes the data on a stream broadcast to generate video data for the stream broadcast; a video output unit which outputs the video data to a display apparatus; and a detection unit which detects interruption point data indicating a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted out of the received data on a stream broadcast; when an abnormality is detected, the output of the video data is stopped at a position instructed in the interruption point data detected by the detection unit.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving data on a stream broadcast via a network;

a memory which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the received data on a stream broadcast;

control means for controlling the memory to perform outputting from the memory and storing into the memory the data on a stream broadcast simultaneously so as to conserve a predetermined amount of buffering of the data;

data processing means for processing the data on a stream broadcast stored in the memory to generate video data;

video output means for outputting the video data processed by the data processing means to a display apparatus; and

detection means for detecting interruption point data indicating an interruption position where reproduction of the stream broadcast should be interrupted out of the received data on a stream broadcast;

wherein the interruption point data is incorporated in the data on a stream broadcast relating to scene partitions of a program on the stream broadcast,

wherein the control means (a) monitors abnormality of communication by detecting whether the amount of buffering of the data in the memory gets under a predetermined level, (b) gets from the detection means detected interruption point data when the abnormality of the communication is detected, and (c) controls the data processing means and the video output means to (i) continue the output of the video data from a position at which the abnormality is detected to the interruption position, so as to display on the display apparatus a video image based on the video data, (ii) stop the output of the video data at the interruption position, and (iii) restart the output of the video data from a start position placed preceding the interruption position on the stream broadcast, the start position having been designated in production of the stream broadcast, in response to an amount of buffering of the data in the memory having reached a predetermined amount after stopping the output of the video data.

2. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means further detects an estimated time when the output of the video data can be restarted based upon the amount of data, which is stored in the memory while the output of the video data is stopped, and the communication rate, and then controls the video output means to display information of the estimated time.

3. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means further controls the video output means to output predetermined video data instead of video data according to the data on a stream broadcast after stopping the output of the video data.

4. A receiving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in the case in which an amount of buffering of the data on a stream broadcast stored in the memory has reached a predetermined amount after stopping the output of the video data, the control means further controls the data processing means and the video output means to restart the output of the video data from a position instructed in the interruption point data after the predetermined video data ends.

5. A receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interruption point data is data which designates a position where the stream broadcast should be interrupted after a CM ends and before a program following the CM starts, which are included in the data on a stream broadcast.

6. A receiving method, comprising the steps of:

receiving data on a stream broadcast via a network;

storing the received data on a stream broadcast on a memory;

controlling the memory to perform outputting from the memory and storing into the memory the data on a stream broadcast simultaneously so as to conserve a predetermined amount of buffering of the data;

processing the data on a stream broadcast stored in the memory to generate video data;

outputting the video data processed by the processing step for display; and

detecting interruption point data indicating an interruption position where reproduction of the stream broadcast should be interrupted from the received data on a stream broadcast, wherein the interruption point data is incorporated in the data on a stream broadcast relating to scene partitions of a program on the stream broadcast,

wherein the controlling step (a) monitors abnormality of communication by detecting whether the amount of buffering of the data in the memory gets under a predetermined level, (b) gets from the detecting step detected interruption point data when the abnormality of the communication is detected, and (c) controls the processing and outputting steps to (i) continue output of the video data from a position at which the abnormality is detected to the interruption position, so as to display a video image based on the video data, (ii) stop the output of the video data at the interruption position, and (iii) restart the output of the video data from a start position placed preceding the interruption position on the stream broadcast, the start position having been designated in production of the stream broadcast, in response to an amount of buffering of the data in the memory having reached a predetermined amount after stopping the output of the video data.

7. A receiving apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving data on a stream broadcast via a network;

a memory which is capable of storing a predetermined amount of the received data on a stream broadcast;

a controller for controlling the memory to perform outputting from the memory and storing into the memory the data on a stream broadcast simultaneously so as to conserve a predetermined amount of buffering of the data;

a data processor for processing the data on a stream broadcast stored in the memory to generate video data;

a video output for outputting the video data processed by the data processor to a display apparatus; and

a detector for detecting interruption point data indicating an interruption position where reproduction of the stream broadcast should be interrupted from the received data on a stream broadcast, wherein the interruption point data is incorporated in the data on a stream broadcast relating to scene partitions of a program on the stream broadcast,

wherein the controller (a) monitors abnormality of communication by detecting whether the amount of buffering of the data in the memory gets under a predetermined level, (b) gets from the detector detected interruption point data when the abnormality of the communication is detected, and (c) controls the data processor and the video output to (i) continue the output of the video data from a position at which the abnormality is detected to the interruption position, so as to display on the display apparatus a video image based on the video data, (ii) stop the output of the video data at the interruption position, and (iii) restart the output of the video data from a start position placed preceding the interruption position on the stream broadcast, the start position having been designated in production of the stream broadcast, in response to an amount of buffering of the data in the memory having reached a predetermined amount after stopping the output of the video data.