System and method for processing multiple broadcast multimedia streams

• US 8,085,804 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Group, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G., Sleator, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, JUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/683,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 370412-429, 370/385.1, 370/388.2, 370/397.1, 370/398.1, 370/402.1, 370/536, 370/203, 370229-240, 370241-253, 370254-258, 370298-306, 370351-356, 370357-395, 370/395.1, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 370/395.32, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/395.43, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/395.53, 370/395.54, 370/395.6, 370/395.61, 370396-411, 370503-520
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 21/4532 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed including: receiving a broadcast signal containing a set of multiplexed multimedia channels; storing said multiplexed multimedia channels in a temporary storage buffer on a mass storage device; determining a point in said temporary storage buffer to begin demultiplexing and decoding a first channel responsive to a user request to view a particular program on said first channel in its entirety, said point indicating the start of said program on said first channel; and demultiplexing and decoding said first channel of said set of multiplexed multimedia channels from said point within said temporary storage buffer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal at a set top box containing a set of multiplexed multimedia channels, the set top box including a temporary storage buffer on a mass storage device;

storing said multiplexed multimedia channels in the temporary storage buffer on the mass storage device;

if the multiplexed multimedia channels stored on the mass storage device are encrypted, storing a plurality of encryption keys respectively associated with portions of the multimedia channels stored on the mass storage device and timing data associated with the plurality of encryption keys;

determining a point in said temporary storage buffer to begin demultiplexing and decoding a first channel from said multiplexed multimedia channels received at the set top box, said determining being performed responsive to a user request to view a particular program on said first channel, said point indicating the start of said program on said first channel without receiving a user request to return to the beginning of the particular program;

retrieving encryption keys from the mass storage device based upon the point indicating the start of said program; and

demultiplexing and decoding and decrypting said first channel of said set of multiplexed multimedia channels received at the set top box using the retrieved encryption keys, the demultiplexing and decoding and decrypting being performed from said point within said temporary storage buffer.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein each multimedia channel in said set is comprised of packets of multimedia content.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein said packets are identified as containing data for a particular multimedia channel by way of a unique packet identification (“

PID”

) code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said point in said temporary storage buffer comprises:

receiving with said multiplexed multimedia channels an index comprising a pointer to an address within said multiplexed multimedia channels to begin demultiplexing and decoding said first channel in order to view said program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining said point in said temporary storage buffer comprises:

generating, as said multiplexed multimedia channels are received, an index comprising a pointer to an address in said multiplexed multimedia channels to begin demultiplexing and decoding said first channel in order to view said program.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein said buffer is configured to store a specified block of time of said multiplexed multimedia channels.

7. A set top box system comprising:

tuning means to receive a broadcast signal containing a set of multiplexed multimedia channels from a cable or satellite service provider;

storage means to store said multiplexed multimedia channels in a temporary storage buffer on a mass storage device and if the multiplexed multimedia stream is encrypted, to store a plurality of encryption keys associated with the multiplexed multimedia channels and timing data associated with the plurality of encryption keys; and

selection means to select a first channel of said multiplexed multimedia channels in said set stored on said mass storage device responsive to a user request to view multimedia content contained in said first multimedia channel;

playback point determination means for determining a point in said temporary storage buffer to begin demultiplexing and decoding said first multimedia channel responsive to a user request to view a particular program on said first multimedia channel, said point indicating the start of said program on said first multimedia channel without receiving a user request to return to the beginning of the particular program;

selecting an encryption key from among the plurality of encryption keys, the selection being based upon the point determined by playback point determination means; and

demultiplexing and decoding and decryption means to demultiplex and decode and decrypt said first channel from said point within said temporary storage buffer using the selected encryption key and subsequent keys respectively associated with subsequently retrieved portions of the particular program.

8. The system as in claim 7 wherein each multimedia channel is comprised of packets of multimedia content.

9. The system of claim 7, further index generation means to generate, as said multiplexed multimedia channels are received, an index comprising a pointer to an address in said multiplexed multimedia channels to begin demultiplexing and decoding said first channel in order to view said program.

10. The method as in claim 7 wherein said buffer is configured to store a specified block of time of said multiplexed multimedia channels.

11. The method as in claim 7 wherein said buffer is configured to store a specified amount of multimedia content.

12. A system for processing a plurality of multimedia channels comprising:

a tuner to receive a broadcast signal at a specified frequency and convert said broadcast signal to a baseband signal;

a demodulator to demodulate said baseband signal to produce a plurality of multiplexed multimedia channels;

a mass storage device for storing said set of multiplexed multimedia channels and for storing a plurality of encryption keys respectively associated with segments of the multiplexed multimedia channels;

selection logic for selecting one of said multiplexed multimedia channels stored on said mass storage device to render on a display responsive to a user command and for determining a point in said set of multimedia channels to begin demultiplexing said selected multimedia channels responsive to a user request to view a particular program within said selected multimedia channel, said point indicating the start of said program without receiving a user request to return to the beginning of the particular program;

a secure micro component operable to select an encryption key from the plurality of encryption keys based on the selected point in the selected multimedia channel; and

a multi-channel PID filter module to demultiplex said selected multimedia channel prior to decrypting and rendering said selected multimedia channel on said display from said beginning point.

13. The system as in claim 12 wherein each of said multimedia channels are logically separated into a series of programs.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein said multi-channel PID filter continues to store a first program on a first multimedia channel of said set of multiplexed multimedia channels as long as said first program on said first multimedia channel is being broadcast by a cable or satellite provider.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein said first program is deleted from said mass storage device when said cable or satellite provider stops broadcasting said first program.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein said multi-channel PID filter begins storing a second program of said first multimedia channel to said mass storage device responsive to said cable or satellite provider transmitting said second program.

17. The system as in claim 14 wherein, responsive to a user request to view said first program on said first multimedia channel, said selection logic selects said first program to be decoded and rendered on said display from the start of said first program.

18. The system as in claim 12 further comprising:

a long term storage buffer configured on said mass storage device for recording one or more of said multimedia channels for an indefinite period of time responsive to a user request to record said one or more programs.

19. The system as in claim 12 further comprising:

a graphical user interface displaying a list of program entries from which a user may select, said program entries corresponding to one or more entire programs transmitted within said set of multiplexed multimedia channels.

20. The system as in claim 19 wherein said graphical user interface further comprises selection regions associated with each of said program entries and wherein, responsive to a user selection of one or more of said selection regions, said programs associated with said selection regions are stored in a long term storage buffer configured on said mass storage device.

21. The system as in claim 19 wherein said program entries include a video portion for displaying a video relating to said one or more programs.

22. The system as in claim 21 wherein said program entries further include an information portion for displaying information related to said one or more programs.

23. The system as in claim 22 wherein said information portion is comprised of one or more uniform resource locators (“

URLs”

).

24. The system as in claim 21 wherein said program entries are grouped into one or more categories.

25. The system of claim 12, wherein said selection logic is further to receive with said set of multiplexed multimedia channels an index comprising a pointer to an address in said set of multiplexed multimedia channels to begin demultiplexing and decoding said first multimedia channel in order to view said program.

26. The system of claim 12, further comprising index generation logic to generate, as said multiplexed multimedia channels are received, an index comprising a pointer to an address in said multiplexed multimedia channels to begin demultiplexing and decoding said first multimedia channel in order to view said program.

27. A set top box system comprising:

a wideband tuner to receive two or more groups of multiplexed multimedia channels at a plurality of specified frequency ranges;

a wideband demodulator to demodulate said two or more groups of multiplexed multimedia channels;

a mass storage device to store said two or more groups of multiplexed multimedia channels including a plurality of encryption keys respectively associated with segments of the two or more groups of multiplexed multimedia channels;

a wideband multi-channel PID filter module to filter certain multimedia channels from said two or more groups of multimedia channels; and

selection logic for selecting one or more of said filtered multimedia channels to render on a display, wherein said selection logic is further to determine a point in said mass storage device to begin decoding a first channel responsive to a user request to view a particular program on said first channel, said point indicating the start of said program on said first channel without receiving a user request to return to the beginning of the particular program;

a secure micro component operable to select an encryption key from among the plurality of encryption keys based upon a segment of the particular program identified by the selection logic.

28. The system as in claim 27 wherein a first channel of said filtered channels is logically separated into a series of programs.

29. The system as in claim 28 wherein said wideband multi-channel PID filter continues to store a first program of said first channel to said mass storage device as long as said first program in said first channel is being broadcast by a cable or satellite provider.

30. The system as in claim 29 wherein said first program is deleted from said mass storage device when said cable or satellite provider stops broadcasting said first program.

31. The system as in claim 30 wherein said wideband multi-channel PID filter begins storing a second program to said mass storage device responsive to said cable or satellite provider transmitting said second program.

32. The system as in claim 29 wherein, responsive to a user request to view said first program, said selection logic selects said first program to be decoded and rendered on said display from the start of said first program.

33. The system as in claim 28 further comprising:

a long term storage buffer configured on said mass storage device for recording one or more programs for an indefinite period of time responsive to a user request to record said one or more programs.

34. The system as in claim 27 wherein said two or more groups of multiplexed multimedia channels comprise all channels broadcast by a cable or satellite provider.