Method and apparatus for javaTV xlets for analog broadcast channels

• US 7,873,979 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheppard, William J., Foote, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, AN V
• Application Number:
  US11/010,694
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 725 86-112, 725/61, 725/64, 725/65, 725/67, 725/68, 725/120, 725/121, 725/122, 725/152, 725/25, 725/28, 725/129, 725/47, 725/134, 725/136, 725/132, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 725/135, 725/142, 725/34, 725/62, 725/113, 725/58, 709/219, 709/228, 715/219
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides a method for receiving Java xlets including receiving an analog service identifier and utilizing the analog service identifier to perform a lookup into a lookup structure containing xlet addressing data. Xlet addressing data associated with the analog service identifier is returned and utilized to request an xlet.

Claims

1. A method for receiving Java xlets comprising:

receiving an analog service identifier at a receiver;

utilizing the analog service identifier to perform a lookup into a lookup structure containing addressing data for an xlet application;

returning xlet addressing data associated with the analog service identifier;

utilizing the xlet addressing data to request an xlet from an xlet server; and

receiving the requested xlet from the xlet server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a set-top box.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set-top box comprises a monitor application for performing lookups into a lookup structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lookup structure is a lookup table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the xlet is received utilizing the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the xlet is received over an out of band channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the xlet is received over a TCP/IP channel.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing the xlet at the receiver to provide services associated with the analog service identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing the requested xlet at the receiver in a JavaTV environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the xlet addressing data is a URI.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the xlet addressing data to request an xlet comprises initiating a HTTP request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the xlet server is a web server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested xlet is packaged in a Java archive file format.

14. A method for receiving Java xlets comprising:

receiving an analog service identifier from a service provider comprising encoded addressing data for an xlet application associated with the analog service identifier carried by a vertical blanking interval;

decoding the xlet addressing data;

utilizing the xlet addressing data to request an xlet from an xlet server; and

receiving the requested xlet from the xlet server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising executing the requested xlet at a receiver in a JavaTV environment.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the xlet is received over a TCP/IP channel.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the xlet addressing data is a URI.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the requested xlet is packaged in a Java archive file format.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for receiving Java xlets, comprising:

receiving an analog service identifier at a receiver;

utilizing the analog service identifier to perform a lookup into a lookup structure containing addressing data for an xlet application;

returning xlet addressing data associated with the analog service identifier;

utilizing the xlet addressing data to request an xlet from an xlet server; and

receiving the requested xlet from the xlet server.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the xlet is received over an out of band channel.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the xlet is received over a TCP/IP channel.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the xlet addressing data is a URI.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein utilizing the xlet addressing data to request an xlet comprises initiating a HTTP request.