Method and apparatus for delivering and displaying information for a multi-layer user interface

• US 8,443,387 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Comito, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huerta, Alexander Q
• Application Number:
  US11/762,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Techniques for transmitting multiple “slices” of information for a particular location of a user interface, which can be used to present more information to a viewer for a limited-size viewing area. Multiple slices can be associated with a particular slice location of a user interface. In a first slice delivery and presentation scheme, multiple slices for a particular location of an interactive program guide (IPG) page are transmitted from the head-end at different times, and the slices can be appropriately time stamped for presentation at the designated times. In a second scheme, multiple slices are concurrently transmitted for a particular location of an IPG page, and one of the multiple slices can be selected for processing and display. In a third scheme, one slice is transmitted for each slice location, and additional slices can be transmitted for a particular location upon receiving a request from the terminal.

Claims

1. A method for providing information for a user interface having included therein a plurality of regions, the method comprising:

defining a guide region of the user interface using a plurality of slice locations, wherein each slice location corresponds to a respective area and location in the guide region and has a length defined by a predetermined number of contiguous macroblocks in a horizontal row;

associating a plurality of guide slices for each of at least one slice location in the guide region, each of the guide slices comprising the predetermined number of contiguous macroblocks of guide data;

independently encoding each guide slice of guide data for each slice location in the guide region; and

transmitting the encoded guide slices associated with each slice location in the guide region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating one guide slice for each slice location in the guide region not associated with a plurality of guide slices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets of guide slices are transmitted for the plurality of slice locations in the guide region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of sets of guide slices are transmitted via time division multiplexing.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein one set of guide slices is transmitted for each group of pictures (GOP).

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

time-stamping each set of guide slices for presentation at a designated time.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one set of guide slices comprises a partial set of guide slices in the guide region.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of sets of guide slices are transmitted with a common packet identifier (PID).

9. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of sets of guide slices is transmitted with a respective packet identifier (PID).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting includes

continually transmitting a first set of guide slices for the plurality of slice locations in the guide region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting further includes transmitting one or more additional guide slices at a designated time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more additional guide slices are transmitted in response to a received request for the additional guide slices.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the guide slices transmitted for the guide region are intra-coded.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmitted guide slice includes a header indicative of a start location and a stop location for the guide slice.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmitted guide slice includes a guide listing for a particular channel in the user interface.

16. A method for providing information for a user interface, comprising:

defining a plurality of slice locations for at least a portion of the user interface, wherein each slice location corresponds to a respective area and location in the user interface and has a length defined by a predetermined number of contiguous macroblocks in a horizontal row;

associating a plurality of slices for each of at least one slice location in the user interface, each of the slices comprising the predetermined number of contiguous macroblocks of data;

independently encoding each slice of data for each slice location in the user interface; and

transmitting the encoded slices associated with each slice location in the user interface;

wherein the one or more encoded slices for each slice location includes guide data for an interactive program guide.

17. A terminal configured to provide a user interface having includes therein a plurality of regions, comprising:

a demodulator operative to receive and demodulate a modulated signal to provide a transport stream;

a transport de-multiplexer coupled to the demodulator and operative to receive and process the transport stream to provide a sequence of packets for a plurality of slices for a guide region of the user interface, wherein each slice is designated for presentation at a particular slice location in the guide region and has a length defined by a predetermined number of contiguous macroblocks in a horizontal row, and wherein multiple slices are transmitted for each of at least one slice location in the guide region, each of the guide slices comprising the predetermined number of contiguous macroblocks of guide data; and

at least one video decoder coupled to the transport de-multiplexer and operative to receive and independently decode the sequence of packets of each slice to form the guide region of the user interface.

18. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising:

a controller operative to receive a user selection for a particular slice location in the guide region and to direct the transport de-multiplexer to retrieve, from the transport stream, packets for an additional slice associated with the selected slice location, and

wherein the at least one video decoder is further operative to decode the retrieved packets for the additional slice to form an updated user interface having included therein the additional slice.