Method and system for video enhancement transport alteration

• US 8,037,492 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Salo, Daniel, Lash, Todd, Weber, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parra; Omar S
• Application Number:
  US09/954,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20020108128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,681 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/111, 725/112, 725/113, 725/114, 725/116, 725/117, 725/91, 725/93, 725/46
• US Class Current: 725/36
• 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 21/4545 Input to filtering algorithms, e.g. filtering a region of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for selective modification of transport data for enhanced video content. Video transport data is received in a video signal or an external source and a configurable processor uses criteria to selectively modify units of the video transport data. Disclosed criteria included a rule based pattern matching/replacement as well as criteria for denial, acceptance, or modification of particular units of video transport data. The modified video transport data stream created by the processor can be re-encoded in the video signal and provided to an external monitor.

Claims

1. A computer-controlled method of selectively encoding video transport data comprising:

receiving a video signal;

receiving a data stream comprising data corresponding to a trigger used for requesting a first resource available through a data network;

selectively modifying said trigger in said data stream by translating said data of said trigger into data that is used for requesting a resource corresponding to said first resource, wherein said translation occurs in view of a device that will receive said translated trigger as to form a modified data stream and said translation converts location information of said first resource in said trigger into a different uniform resource locator address format used by said device, and further wherein said selective modification is performed such that at least one of;

(i) all triggers are filtered out of said data stream during a first time window, and (ii) all triggers are left unmodified in said data stream during a second time window; and

combining said modified data stream with said video signal, forming an outputted data stream.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said video signal comprises said data stream.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal further comprises closed captioning information.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

extracting said closed caption information from said video signal;

extracting said data stream; and

reencoding said closed captioning information in said video signal in near real-time for retaining synchronization of said closed caption information and said video signal.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal comprises a vertical blanking interval and wherein data stream is encoded in said vertical blanking interval.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded in an MPEG format.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded in a Serial Digital Video format.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said video signal is encoded as a Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language presentation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said device is capable of requesting said corresponding resource.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving said stream of video transport data comprises, receiving a stream of data across said data network from a remote source.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said data network comprises a portion of the Internet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying said data stream comprises:

detecting a first data unit in said data stream;

examining a rule having a condition portion and an action portion, for determining whether said first data unit satisfies said condition portion, and

executing said action portion of said rule for modifying said data stream.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said first data unit comprises a URL.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said first data unit comprises attribute associated with a URL.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said data unit comprises ATVEF Transport B data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said data stream is of an ATVEF Transport B type.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a video signal comprises receiving a first video signal from a first source, the method further comprising:

receiving a second video signal from a different source; and

wherein combining said modified data stream with said video signal, forming said outputted data stream comprises;

combining said modified data stream with said first video signal and with said second video signal.

18. The method of claim 1:

wherein said receiving a video signal comprises receiving a first video signal and a second video signal, wherein each video signal is from a different source;

wherein receiving data stream comprises receiving a first video transport data stream and a second video transport data stream;

wherein selectively modifying said data stream, forming a modified transport data stream comprising

selectively modifying said first and second video transport data streams, respectively forming first and second modified video transport data stream; and

wherein combining said modified data stream with said video signal comprises;

combining said first modified video transport data stream with said first video signal and combining said second modified video transport data stream with said second video signal as to form said outputted data stream.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said video signal comprises a plurality of channel, each of said plurality of channels having associated video transport data in said video transport data stream and wherein selectively modifying said data stream, forming a modified video transport data stream comprises selectively modifying said video transport data stream on a per-channel basis.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein executing said action portion comprises one of:

allowing said first video transport data unit to be encoded in said modified data stream;

preventing said first video transport unit from being encoded in said modified data stream; and

encoding a second video transport data unit in lieu of said first video transport data unit.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing said modified data stream to a remote monitoring client system.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying said data stream comprises inserting an identifier of a video program enhancement, and further comprising:

receiving said video signal at a plurality a receiving locations; and

detecting said identifier one or more of said plurality of receiving locations.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving first information respecting said one or more of said plurality of receiver locations detecting said identifier; and

preparing summary information regarding provision of said video program enhancement responsive to said first information.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively modifying said stream of data comprising inserting an identifier of a video program enhancement obtained from said first resource and further comprising

receiving an HTTP request for said video program enhancement, said HTTP request comprising said identifier;

and

preparing summary information regarding provision of said video program enhancement responsive to said HTTP request.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving an HTTP request for video enhancements, said HTTP request comprising said identifier, and

preparing summary information regarding provision of said video program responsive to said first information and said HTTP request.

26. A computer-controlled enhancement video transport data modification system comprising:

an encoder for encoding a modified video transport data stream in an output video signal;

a video transport data modification processor operatively coupled with said encoder, and an input, said video transport data modification processor configured for receiving a video transport data stream, comprising a trigger which corresponds to data used for requesting a first resource available through a data network, from said input and selectively modifying said video transport data stream for creating said modified video transport data stream by translating said trigger into data that is used for requesting a resource corresponding to said first resource, wherein said modification is performed in view of a device that will receive said modified video transport data stream and said translation converts location information of said first resource in said trigger into a different uniform resource locator address format used by said device, and further wherein said selective modification of said video transport data stream is performed such that at least one of;

(i) all triggers are filtered out of said video transport data stream during a first time window, and (ii) all triggers are left unmodified in said video transport data stream during a second time window.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a decoder for receiving an input video signal, said input video signal comprising said video transport data stream, said decoder configured for extracting said video transport data stream.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein said output video signal comprises a plurality of channels, and wherein said encoder encodes said modified video transport data stream in each of said plurality of channels.

29. The system of claim 26:

wherein said video transport modification processor is configured for selectively modifying first and second video transport data streams respectively associated with said first and second video signals, wherein said first and second video signals are from different sources; and

wherein said encoder is configured for encoding said first video transport data stream in said first video signal and encoding said second video transport data stream in said second video signal.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein said video signal comprises a plurality of channels, each of said plurality of channels having associated video transport data in said video transport data stream and wherein said video transport data modification processor is selectively modifying said video transport data stream of a per-channel basis.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein said video transport data modification processor comprises:

a set of rules, members of said set of rules having a condition portion and an action portion; and

a pattern matching module, said pattern matching module identifying whether a video transport data unit in said video transport data stream matches said condition portions of members of said set of rules.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said video transport data unit comprises a URL corresponding to said first resource.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein said video transport data unit comprises an attribute of a URL corresponding to said first resource.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein said video transport data unit comprises ATVEF Transport B data.

35. The system of claim 26 wherein said encoder encodes identifiers of a video program enhancement and further comprising:

a receiver network, said receiver network is configured for detecting said identifiers in a broadcast of output video signal.

36. The system of claim 26 wherein said encoder encodes identifiers of a video program enhancement and further comprising:

a server system, said server system configured for receiving a request for a resource associated with an identifier in said modified video transport data stream, wherein said request comprises one of said identifiers.

37. The system of claim 31 further comprising a data processing system for generating summary reports responsive to receiving said identifiers.

38. The system of claim 26 further comprising a computer system, said computer system configured for providing a video transport data stream to said input across said data network.

39. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

an output for providing said video transport data stream to said data network; and

a monitoring computer system, said monitoring computer system configured for receiving said modified video transport data stream across said data network.