Caption data delivery apparatus and methods

• US 8,566,887 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles, Gould, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBO, NICHOLAS T
• Application Number:
  US11/298,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,874 Days
• Field of Search: 725/94
• US Class Current: 725/94
• 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for efficiently and flexibly providing caption data (e.g., closed captioning) to subscribers of a content-based network, such as for example Internet protocol television (IPTV) subscribers. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a server performing real-time extraction and encapsulation of caption data, transport of caption data to client devices over the network, and use of one or more applications running on the client devices to decode and display the caption data consistent with the multimedia (audio/video) content with which it is associated. In one variant, instant messaging (IM) infrastructure is used to authenticate clients and receive and display the caption data via a separate transport process. Server and client-side apparatus adapted for caption data receipt, decoding and display are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for distribution of multimedia content and associated closed-caption data over a packet-switched network, said system comprising:

a content source adapted to generate said multimedia content comprising associated closed-caption data;

a caption data server;

a streaming server;

a headend apparatus configured to receive said multimedia content from said content source and provide said multimedia content to said caption data server and to said streaming server, said caption data server configured to extract said caption data from said multimedia content and said streaming server configured to format said multimedia content; and

at least one client device in data communication with said streaming server and said caption data server, said at least one client device configured to receive said multimedia content directly from said streaming server and said caption data directly from said caption data server, and display said multimedia content and said caption data in a substantially synchronized form;

wherein provision of said multimedia content from said streaming server occurs substantially independent of provision of said caption data from said caption data server; and

wherein said substantial synchronization occurs based at least in part on pre-compensation of predictable delays associated with one or more required functions of said network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said packet-switched network comprises the Internet, and said system further comprises:

a messaging server in communication with said caption data server;

a web server; and

an authentication server;

wherein said at least one client device runs a messaging client application;

said application in data communication with at least said messaging server and said web server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one client device is further configured to run a video player application thereon, said video player application being configured to play at least a portion of said content, and said messaging client application displays at least a portion of said caption data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said caption data comprises vertical blanking interval (VBI) caption data, and said packet-switched network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) transport.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said packet-switched network comprises at least portions of hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network comprising at least one cable modem interposed between said streaming server and said at least one client device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said caption data comprises data related to a context of said multimedia content.

6. A method of delivering caption data to one or more client devices in a packet-switched network, said network comprising at least one multimedia server configured to send one or more multimedia programs, at least one caption data server, at least one authentication server, and a plurality of client devices in direct or indirect signal communication with said servers, said method comprising:

said at least one caption data server sending a message to said at least one authentication server including information identifying one of said plurality of client devices;

receiving a response to said message, said response indicating a service level of said one of said plurality of client devices; and

based at least in part on said service level of said one of said plurality of client devices;

extracting said caption data from said one or more multimedia programs;

buffering said caption data for a first duration;

formatting said caption data in a format suitable for transport over said network; and

delivering said caption data to said one of said plurality of client devices over said network via said at least one caption data server, said at least one caption data server comprising a separate entity than said at least one multimedia server configured to send said one or more multimedia programs;

wherein said response is based at least in part on an authentication message, said authentication message being sent via an instant messaging-based mechanism.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said act of buffering is performed based at least in part on a format of a video codec used to encode or decode said one or more multimedia programs.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said act of formatting comprises creating multiple packet formats for the same data, said packet formats being selected to meet one or more requirements associated with said one of said plurality of client devices.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said act of delivering is performed via an Internet Protocol (IP) transport for said caption data different from that for said multimedia programs.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said act of delivering is performed via an Internet Protocol (IP) transport for said caption data identical to that for said one or more multimedia programs.

11. A network server apparatus for use in an Internet Protocol (IP) delivery network comprising a plurality of client devices, said apparatus comprising:

an extraction unit configured to remove caption data from incoming television signals;

a storage unit configured to buffer said removed caption data;

a formatting unit configured to process said removed caption data; and

a delivery unit configured to;

switch off a broadcast of said caption data when there are no requests to receive said caption data from said plurality of client devices;

broadcast said caption data as a unicast only to said number of said plurality of client devices that request to receive said caption data when a number of said plurality of client devices that request to receive said caption data is below a threshold; and

broadcast said caption data as a multicast to said number of said plurality of client devices that request to receive said caption data when said number of said plurality of client devices that request to receive said caption data meets or exceeds a threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said formatting unit is further configured to:

convert said incoming television signals to a format suitable for transmission over said IP delivery network.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said delivery unit further comprises a server entity separate from said apparatus and in communication with said apparatus, said server entity configured to run a distributed software application.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein if said incoming television signals comprise a digital transport stream, said extraction unit further adapted to extract said caption data from said stream via a separate MPEG program ID (PID), and said formatting unit further adapted to convert said removed caption data to a format suitable for transmission over said IP delivery network.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said extraction unit is further configured to calculate a time reference associated with said caption data in order to permit synchronization of said caption data with an associated video content.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein if said incoming television signals comprise analog signals, said extracting unit being further adapted to extract said caption data into a digital format.

18. A method of delivering caption data to one or more client devices in a packetized delivery network comprising at least one multimedia server configured to send multimedia programs, and at least one data server configured to send said caption data associated with one or more of said multimedia programs, said one or more client devices in direct or indirect signal communication with said servers, said method comprising:

extracting said caption data from said one or more multimedia programs;

formatting said caption data to generate multiple formats for said caption data, said formats comprising exact copies of said caption data generated to meet one or more requirements associated with individual ones of said one or more client devices;

broadcasting said one or more multimedia programs to said one or more client devices over a first transport stream associated with a first process running on said one or more client devices, said first transport stream being generated by said at least one multimedia server;

receiving a selection of at least one of said multiple formats of said caption data from one of said one or more client devices;

broadcasting said caption data in said selected at least one format as a unicast or a multicast to said one of said one or more client devices over a second transport stream different from said first transport stream and associated with a second process running on said one of said one or more client devices on which said first process is running, said second transport stream being generated by said at least one data server; and

causing said caption data to be displayed using at least said second process while one or more of said multimedia programs are displayed using at least said first process;

wherein said at least one data server is further in communication with at least one second network, for delivery of said caption data to said at least one second network as well;

wherein in an absence of said receipt of said selection of said at least one of said multiple formats of said caption data, broadcast of said caption data is switched off; and

wherein said unicast or said multicast is determined based at least in part on a number of said one or more client devices selecting to receive said one of said multiple formats of said caption data.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of said packetized delivery network and said second network comprises a managed content distribution network.

19. A method of delivering media content and caption data to a client device in a packet delivery network comprising at least one media content server, at least one caption server, said method comprising:

receiving a broadcast of said media content at said client device over a first transport associated with a first process running on said client device, said first transport being generated by said at least one media content server;

providing at least information identifying said client device to at least one caption data server, said at least one caption data server providing said information to an authentication entity in communication therewith and receiving in response thereto a response indicating a service level of said client device;

based at least in part on said service level of said client device, receiving from said at least one caption server said caption data over a second transport different from said first transport and associated with a second process running on said client device, said second transport being generated by said at least one caption server; and

causing said caption data to be displayed using at least said second process while said media content is displayed using at least said first process in a substantially synchronized form;

wherein said substantial synchronization occurs based at least in part on pre-compensation of predictable delays associated with one or more required functions of said network.

wherein said first transport comprises a transport carried by a managed content distribution network and said second transport comprises a transport carried via an Internet connection; and

wherein said at least one caption data server is configured to receive said media content and extract said caption data therefrom.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said caption data received from said at least one caption server comprises caption data in a plurality of different formats.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said second transport stream comprises transport associated with instant messaging (IM) technology.