Transport stream encapsulated trick modes

• US 7,941,823 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARRY, CHRISTOPHER L
• Application Number:
  US11/735,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 725/88
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams

Abstract

A representation of an audiovisual asset is obtained and is processed to obtain at least one normal playback video elementary stream, (optionally, at least one audio elementary stream), and at least one trick mode video elementary stream. A transport stream is formed from the at least one normal playback video elementary stream, the at least one audio elementary stream (where present), and the at least one trick mode video elementary stream, with the at least one trick mode video elementary stream encapsulated in the transport stream. Streaming of the transport stream within a network is facilitated, for example, to a VOD server (for de-encapsulation), and in some approaches, to a set-top box.

Claims

1. A method of propagating an audiovisual asset, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a representation of said audiovisual asset;

processing said representation of said audiovisual asset to obtain at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset;

forming a single program transport stream from said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset by multiplexing said at least one normal playback video elementary stream and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream together into a designated frequency band, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset being encapsulated in said single program transport stream, said at least one normal playback video elementary stream having a normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream having a trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code;

facilitating streaming of said single program transport stream within a network; and

using said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing step further comprises processing said representation to obtain at least one audio elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, and wherein said forming step further comprises forming said single program transport stream from said at least one audio elementary stream of said audiovisual asset.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said representation comprises an analog representation and wherein said processing comprises digital video compression.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said compression is performed in accordance with an MPEG-2 standard.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said compression is performed in accordance with one of an MPEG-4, AVC, and H.264 standard.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said representation comprises a digital representation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said digital representation comprises a digitally compressed representation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said digitally compressed representation is encoded at a variable bit rate and wherein said processing comprises at least re-encoding at a constant bit rate.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said audiovisual asset is obtained by an acquisition/staging processor in a broadband communications system head end.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said streaming comprises at least facilitating sending said single program transport stream to a video-on-demand server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said using of said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream comprises de-encapsulating said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, said de-encapsulating being performed by said video-on-demand server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset comprises encapsulated trick mode files and wherein said de-encapsulating comprises tagging said files.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said de-encapsulating is performed to obtain at least one trick mode file, further comprising the additional step of playing said trick mode file, from said video-on-demand server, at a set-top box, responsive to a trick mode request from a user of said box.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the additional step of facilitating sending said single program transport stream to a set-top box.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said using of said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream comprises, responsive to a trick mode request from a user of said box, decoding, with said box, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset instead of said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of forming said single program transport stream further comprises inserting at least one of an indication and a blank area in a region of said transport stream for which trick modes are to be suppressed.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one trick mode video stream of said audiovisual asset comprises a first trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, said processing step further comprises processing to obtain at least a second trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, and said second trick mode elementary stream of said audiovisual asset corresponds to a different playback speed than said first trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein said streaming comprises at least streaming from a satellite to at least one terrestrial processor.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein said streaming comprises at least streaming over a broadband communications network.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein said streaming comprises at least streaming within a head end of a broadband communications network.

21. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said processing and forming steps is performed by an encoding house.

22. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said processing and forming steps is performed within an uplink facility of a satellite company.

23. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of said processing and forming steps is performed by an MPEG encoder in a head end of a broadband communications network.

24. An apparatus for propagating an audiovisual asset, said apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to said memory, said processor being operative to;

obtain a representation of said audiovisual asset;

process said representation of said audiovisual asset to obtain at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset;

form a single program transport stream from said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset by multiplexing said at least one normal playback video elementary stream and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream together into a designated frequency band, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset being encapsulated in said single program transport stream, said at least one normal playback video elementary stream having a normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream having a trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code; and

facilitate streaming of said single program transport stream within a network for subsequent distinguishing of said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream using said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said processor is further operative to process said representation to obtain at least one audio elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, and to form said single program transport stream from said at least one audio elementary stream of said audiovisual asset.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor comprises an acquisition/staging processor in a broadband communications system head end.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said processor is operative to facilitate sending said single program transport stream to a video-on-demand server.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a video-on-demand server, wherein said processor is operative to facilitate sending said transport stream to said video-on-demand server and wherein said video-on-demand server is configured to de-encapsulate said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, using said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said at least one trick mode video elementary, stream of said audiovisual asset comprises encapsulated trick mode files and wherein said video-on-demand server de-encapsulates said at least one trick mode video elementary stream by tagging said files.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said video-on-demand server is configured to de-encapsulate said at least one trick mode video elementary stream to obtain at least one trick mode file, and to facilitate playing said trick mode file, from said video-on-demand server, at a set-top box, responsive to a trick mode request from a user of said box.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said processor is operative to facilitate sending said single program transport stream to a set-top box.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a set-top box, wherein said processor is operative to facilitate sending said single program transport stream to said set-top box, and wherein said set-top box is configured to decode said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset instead of said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, responsive to a trick mode request from a user of said box, using said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor is further operative to insert at least one of an indication and a blank area in a region of said single program transport stream for which trick modes are to be suppressed.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said at least one trick mode video stream of said audiovisual asset comprises a first trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, and wherein said processor is further operative to process said representation to obtain at least a second trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, and said second trick mode elementary stream of said audiovisual asset corresponds to a different playback speed than said first trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor is further operative to facilitate streaming from a satellite to at least one terrestrial location.

36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor is further operative to facilitate streaming over a broadband communications network.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor is further operative to facilitate streaming within a head end of a broadband communications network.

38. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor is located at an encoding house.

39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor is located at an uplink facility of a satellite company.

40. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor comprises an MPEG encoder in a head end of a broadband communications network.

41. An apparatus for propagating an audiovisual asset, said apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a representation of said audiovisual asset;

means for processing said representation of said audiovisual asset to obtain at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset;

means for forming a single program transport stream from said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset by multiplexing said at least one normal playback video elementary stream and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream together into a designated frequency band, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset being encapsulated in said single program transport stream, said at least one normal playback video elementary stream having a normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream having a trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code;

means for facilitating streaming of said single program transport stream within a network; and

means for using said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream.

42. A method of providing trick modes in a video-on-demand system, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a representation of an audiovisual asset;

processing said representation of said audiovisual asset to obtain at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset;

forming a single program transport stream from said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset by multiplexing said at least one normal playback video elementary stream and said at least one trick mode video elementary stream together into a designated frequency band, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset being encapsulated in said single program transport stream, said at least one normal playback video elementary stream having a normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream having a trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code

streaming said single program transport stream within a network; and

providing said trick modes based on said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset encapsulated in said single program transport stream, said normal playback video elementary stream packet identifier code and said trick mode video elementary stream packet identifier code being used to distinguish said at least one normal playback video elementary stream from said at least one trick mode video elementary stream.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said providing comprises:

de-encapsulating said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset, said de-encapsulating being performed by a video-on-demand server to obtain at least one trick mode file; and

playing said trick mode file, from said video-on-demand server, at a set-top box, responsive to a trick mode request from a user of said box.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said providing comprises:

facilitating sending said single program transport stream to a set-top box; and

responsive to a trick mode request from a user of said box, decoding, with said box, said at least one trick mode video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset instead of said at least one normal playback video elementary stream of said audiovisual asset.