Macro-block based content replacement by PID mapping

• US 7,823,174 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L., Pedlow, JR., Leo M., Garrett, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Alfonso
• Application Number:
  US10/822,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/28, 725/32, 725/34, 725/35, 375/240.26, 375/240.27
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23895 involving multiplex stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A method and apparatus for content substitution, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention involves receiving data representing one or more macroblocks of content, the data having at least first and second packet identifiers (PIDs) associated with first and second portions of content. The content having the first PID is placed into a data stream. An initiation flag is received indicating initiation of a PID mapping operation. The substitute macroblocks of content having the second PID is then mapped to the first PID and the mapped content is placed into the data stream. A termination flag is received indicating termination of the PID mapping operation at which point the process returns to placing content having the first PID into the data stream. The content substitution process can be used to replace advertisements, provide multiple plots, multiple endings, multiple views as well as other applications. This abstract should not be considered limiting, since other embodiments may incorporate more, fewer or different elements that those described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method of content substitution, comprising:

receiving data representing video content, the data having a plurality of packet identifiers (PIDs) where a first PID is associated with a stream of original content, where the original content is made up of frames of content with each frame being made up of a plurality of original macroblocks;

where a second PID is associated with substitute content, and where the substitute content comprises one or more substitute macroblocks of content but constitutes less than an entire frame of macroblocks;

initiating processing of the original content having the first PID;

determining that a substitution criterion has been met to replace one or more macroblocks in the at least one frame of original content with one or more macroblocks of substitute content, wherein the replacing modifies at least one frame of the original content by replacement of less than all original macroblocks in a full frame of the original content;

replacing the one or more macroblocks of the original content having the first PID with one or more macroblocks of substitute content having the second PID to produce modified content;

where, the replacing is carried out by selectively switching a controller from a bypass mode to a mode that effects replacement of the substitute macroblocks for the original macroblocks; and

processing the modified content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the controller forms a part of a television Set-top box.

3. The method according to claim 1, carried out in a hardware state machine.

4. The method according to claim 1, carried out in a programmed processor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of receipt of a flag.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of an operator input.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing comprises playing the modified content.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the replacing comprises using private signaling to select the one or more macroblocks of substitute content with the second PID and discarding the one or more macroblocks of original content with the first PID.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the replacing comprises using private signaling to select the one or more macroblocks of substitute content on the second PID while receiving the one or more macroblocks of original content with the first PID.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein replacing is initiated and terminated by private signaling forming part of an adaptation layer of packets in a data stream.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet with the second PID.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet with the first PID.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet that is neither the second nor the first PID.

14. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out the content substitution method according to claim 1.

15. A method of content substitution, comprising:

receiving data representing content, the data having a plurality of packet identifiers (PIDs) where a first PID is associated with a stream of original content, where the original content is made up of frames of content with each frame being made up of a plurality of original macroblocks;

where a second PID is associated with substitute content, and where the substitute content comprises one or more substitute macroblocks of content but constitutes less than an entire frame of macroblocks;

placing the original content having a primary PID into a data stream;

receiving an initiation flag indicating initiation of a PID mapping operation;

at a PID mapper, mapping content having a secondary PID to a primary PID and placing the mapped content into the data stream so as to modify at least one frame of the original content by replacement of less than all original macroblocks in a full frame of the original content;

responsive to the initiation flag, selectively switching a controller from a bypass mode to a mode that effects replacement of the substitute macroblocks for the original macroblocks;

receiving a termination flag indicating termination of the PID mapping operation;

responsive to the termination flag, selectively switching the controller back to the bypass mode; and

continuing to place content having a primary PID into the data stream.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the controller forms a part of a television Set-top box.

17. The method according to claim 15, carried out in a hardware state machine.

18. The method according to claim 15, carried out in a programmed processor.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the initiation flag is indicative that a substitution criterion has been met.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of an operator input.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein private signaling is used to select the macroblock of content with the secondary PID and discarding the macroblock of content with the primary PID.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein substitution is initiated and terminated by private signaling forming part of an adaptation layer of packets in a data stream.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet with the one of the primary PID and the secondary PID.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet that has neither the secondary nor the primary PID.

25. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the content substitution method according to claim 15.

26. A decoder, comprising:

a receiver receiving data that represents content, the data having a plurality of packet identifiers (PIDs) where a first PID is associated with a stream of original content, where the original content is made up of frames of content with each frame being made up of a plurality of original macroblocks;

where a second PID is associated with substitute content, and where the substitute content comprises one or more substitute macroblocks of content but constitutes less than an entire frame of macroblocks;

a content decoder configured to play content having the first PID;

a controller that determines that a substitution criterion has been met to substitute one or more macroblocks of substitute content for one or more macroblocks of original content and switches the decoder from a bypass mode to a mode that effects replacement of the substitute macroblocks for the original macroblocks, wherein substitution of the substitute macroblocks into the original content modifies at least one frame of the original content by replacement of less than all original macroblocks in a full frame of the original content; and

a PID mapper that maps content having the second PID to the first PID so that the content originally having the second PID is played.

27. The decoder according to claim 26, wherein the decoder resides in a television Set-top box.

28. A television set-top box decoder, comprising:

a receiver receiving data that represents content, the data having a plurality of packet identifiers (PIDs) where a first PID is associated with a stream of original content, where the original content is made up of frames of content with each frame being made up of a plurality of original macroblocks;

where a second PID is associated with substitute content, and where the substitute content comprises one or more substitute macroblocks of content but constitutes less than an entire frame of macroblocks;

a content decoder configured to play content having the first PID;

a state machine controller and PID mapper in which the controller determines that a substitution criterion has been met to substitute one or more macroblocks of original content, and the PID mapper maps content having the second PID to the first PID so that the content originally having the second PID is played;

wherein the state machine controller determines that the substitution criterion is met as a result of receipt of a flag forming a part of an adaptation layer of packets in the data received by the receiver, where the adaptation layer is in a packet having one of the first and second PIDs;

wherein the substituting comprises using private signaling to select the one or more macroblocks of content with the secondary PID and discarding the one or more macroblocks of content with the primary PID;

where, the substituting is carried out by selectively switching the state machine controller from a bypass mode to a mode that effects replacement of the substitute macroblocks for the original macroblocks, and wherein the substituting of the substitute macroblocks into the original content modifies at least one frame of the original content by replacement of less than all original macroblocks in a full frame of the original content.

29. A method of content substitution, comprising:

receiving data representing video content, the data having a plurality of packet identifiers (PIDs) where a first PID is associated with a stream of original content, where the original content is made up of frames of content with each frame being made up of a plurality of original macroblocks;

where a second PID is associated with substitute content, and where the substitute content comprises one or more substitute macroblocks of content but constitutes less than an entire frame of macroblocks;

receiving mode data representing a content substitution mode of operation of a controller, where the controller is operative in either a bypass mode or a mode in which content substitution is carried out;

initiating processing of content having the first PID;

determining that a substitution criterion has been met to replace one or more macroblocks in the at least one frame of original content with one or more macroblocks of substitute content;

selecting the mode of operation of the decoder in which content substitution is carried out based on the mode data;

substituting the one or more macroblocks having a second PID for the one or more macroblocks having a first PID, where the substituting of the substitute macroblocks into the original content modifies at least one frame of the original content by replacement of less than all original macroblocks in a full frame of the original content ; and

processing the substituted content.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of receipt of a flag.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of an operator input.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein substituting is initiated and terminated by private signaling forming part of an adaptation layer of packets in a data stream.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the plurality of substitution modes comprise a one to one insertion mode, a multi for one insertion or deletion mode and a one for one substitution mode.

34. A computer readable non-transitory medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the content substitution method according to claim 29.

35. A decoder, comprising:

a receiver receiving data that represents content, the data having a plurality of packet identifiers (PIDs) where a first PID is associated with a stream of original content, where the original content is made up of frames of content with each frame being made up of a plurality of original macroblocks;

where a second PID is associated with substitute content, and where the substitute content comprises one or more substitute macroblocks of content but constitutes less than an entire frame of macroblocks;

the receiver further receiving mode data representing a content substitution mode of operation of a controller, where the content substitution mode represents one of a plurality of content substitution modes;

a content decoder configured to play content having the first PID;

where the controller determines that a substitution criterion has been met to substitute one or more macroblocks of original content, and further selects a content substitution mode of the decoder based on the mode data in which one or more original macroblocks are deleted and replaced with one or more substitute macroblocks, and wherein substitution of the substitute macroblocks into the original content modifies at least one frame of the original content by replacement of less than all original macroblocks in a full frame of the original content; and

a PID mapper that maps content having the second PID to the first PID so that the content originally having the second PID is played.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the plurality of substitution modes comprise a one to one insertion mode, a multi for one insertion or deletion mode and a one for one substitution mode.