Storing and reading multiplexed content

• US 8,959,566 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, WILLIAM JW
• Application Number:
  US13/294,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8211 the additional signal being a sound signal H04N9/835 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for displaying content stored in a block of multiplexed content, the multiplexed content including a plurality of instances of content where each instance of content includes an associated content identifier, the method including receiving, at a content receiver, content identifying information for the content and instructions for displaying the content, determining a selected content identifier based on the content identifying information, selecting the block from one or more blocks based on the selected content identifier, scanning the block for a content identifier and encountering the content identifier, comparing the encountered content identifier to the selected content identifier, and processing an instance of content associated with the encountered content identifier where the encountered content identifier corresponds to the selected content identifier. A system for displaying and a system for storing multiplexed content are also described.

Claims

1. A method for displaying content stored in a block of multiplexed content, the multiplexed content including a plurality of instances of content wherein each instance of content includes an associated content identifier, the method comprising:

receiving, at a content receiver, content identifying information for the content in association with a request to present the content;

determining a selected content identifier based on the content identifying information, wherein the selected content identifier comprises a packet identifier;

selecting the block from a plurality of blocks based on the selected content identifier, wherein selection of the block comprises;

determining which block to select by accessing a block selection module; and

searching a table of the block selection module for the selected content identifier and returning a block identifier, wherein the table relates a plurality of content identifiers with a plurality of block identifiers;

scanning the block for a content identifier and encountering the content identifier;

comparing the encountered content identifier to the selected content identifier; and

processing an instance of content associated with the encountered content identifier where the encountered content identifier corresponds to the selected content identifier, wherein processing the instance of content comprises;

determining a time stamp associated with the instance of content; and

synchronizing the instance of content with other instances of content having a matching time stamp to create a portion of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the instance of content comprises sequencing the portion of content with other portions of content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiplexed instances of content include audio instances of content and video instances of content and the portion of content includes synchronized audio and visual content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content identifiers include packet identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a selected content identifier includes accessing a content identifier selection module.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a selected content identifier further comprises searching the content identifier selection module for the content identifying information and returning the selected content identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the block includes selecting the block based on the block identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the scanning, comparing, and processing operations to assemble the content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating, by the content receiver, the block selection module in response to content stream being stored, such that one or more content identifiers associated with the content stream are added to the table of the block selection module.

10. A system for accessing content stored in a block of multiplexed content, the block of multiplexed content including a plurality of instances of content wherein each instance of content includes an associated content identifier, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a plurality of blocks of multiplexed content stored thereon, wherein the plurality of blocks of multiplexed content comprises the block of multiplexed content;

a processor in communication with the non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

a block selection module accessible by the processor and including block identifiers associated with content identifiers stored in respective blocks of the plurality of blocks of multiplexed content; and

a content identifier selection module accessible by the processor and including content identifiers associated with content identifying information relating to the plurality of instances of content;

wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes computer implemented instructions stored thereon defining operations, the operations comprising;

receiving content identifying information;

accessing the content identifier selection module and using the content identifying information to select a content identifier;

accessing the block selection module and using the selected content identifier to select the block of multiplexed content, wherein accessing the block selection module comprises;

searching a table of the block selection module for the selected content identifier and returning a block identifier, wherein the table relates a plurality of content identifiers with a plurality of block identifiers;

scanning the block identified by the block identifier for content identifiers matching the selected content identifier; and

processing multiple instances of content each associated with the matching content identifiers to assemble the content, wherein said operation of processing multiple instances of content each associated with the matching content identifiers to assemble the content further comprises;

determining a time stamp associated with each instance of content of the multiple instances of content associated with the matching content identifiers; and

synchronizing the instances of content of the multiple instances that have matching time stamps to assemble the content.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the assembled content to at least one presentation device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the block of multiplexed content includes audio instances of content and video instances of content and the content includes synchronized audio and visual content.