System and method for enhanced television and delivery of enhanced television content

• US 9,066,154 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triveni Digital, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Triveni Digital, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chernock, Richard, Simpson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, AN SON PHI
• Application Number:
  US12/617,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725109-110, 725/112
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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

Abstract

Provided is an enhanced television system and method including a television receiver in communication with a broadcast reception tuner. The television receiver is configured to receive and display video data from a video stream and enhancement data from the reception tuner. The video stream includes embedded base programming identification metadata, and the television receiver is further configured to extract a base identification tag from the embedded base programming identification metadata, and combine enhancement data received from the reception tuner associated with the base identification tag with the video stream. The video stream may then be displayed.

Claims

1. An enhanced television system comprising:

a television display in communication with a broadcast reception tuner via a first communication interface of the television display;

the television display, in communication with an HDMI connection via a second communication interface of the television display, wherein the first communication interface is separate from the second communication interface;

the television display receiving and displaying uncompressed video data from a digital video stream carried over the HDMI connection from a set-top box (STB) and enhancement data from the broadcast reception tuner, the digital video stream comprising embedded base programming identification metadata;

the television display further receiving the enhancement data from the broadcast reception tuner without the enhancement data passing through the STB; and

the television display further extracting a base identification tag from the embedded base programming identification metadata, and combining enhancement data received from the reception tuner associated with the base identification tag with the digital video stream,

wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises latency adjustment information, the latency adjustment information being extracted by the television display and used to time-shift use of the enhancement information;

wherein the enhancement data comprises instructions for retuning the broadcast reception tuner to an appropriate frequency for receiving additional enhancement data to be combined with the digital video stream.

2. The enhanced television system according to claim 1, wherein the base programming identification metadata is embedded using steganographic means.

3. The enhanced television system according to claim 1, wherein the base programming identification metadata is embedded using watermarking.

4. The enhanced television system according to claim 1, wherein the associated enhancement data received from the broadcast reception tuner is processed for enhancement information, and one or more appropriate enhancements is rendered on the television display.

5. The enhanced television system according to claim 4, wherein the digital video stream is MPEG-2 TS.

6. The enhanced television system according to claim 5, wherein the digital video stream is broadcast using 8-VSB.

7. The enhanced television system according to claim 1, wherein the enhancement data is first inserted into an ATSC Mobile stream.

8. The enhancement television system according to claim 7, wherein the ATSC Mobile stream is broadcast using the ATSC A/153 Mobile broadcast standard.

9. The enhancement television system according to claim 1, wherein the enhancement data comprises instructions directing combination of the digital video stream with enhancements previously placed in an electronic storage associated with the receiver.

10. The enhancement television system according to claim 1, wherein the enhancement data comprises instructions for accepting user input to an input device associated with the receiver.

11. The enhancement television system according to claim 10, wherein the enhancement data comprises instructions for a user to associate a channel displaying the video stream with another source of enhancement data.

12. The enhancement television system according to claim 11, wherein the instructions for the user to associate a channel displaying the digital video stream with another source of enhancement data are provided as audio.

13. The enhancement television system according to claim 1, wherein the base identification tag from the embedded base programming identification metadata is encoded as an audio watermark.

14. The enhancement television system according to claim 1, wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises program time codes.

15. The enhancement television system according to claim 1, wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises enhancement identifiers.

16. The enhancement television system according to claim 1, wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises one or more Internet address.

17. The enhanced television system according to claim 1, wherein a signature is extracted from the embedded base programming identification metadata, the signature allowing identification of one or more enhancements to be associated with the digital video stream.

18. An enhanced television system comprising:

a television display in communication with a broadcast enhancement pathway via a first communication interface of the television display;

the television display, in communication with an HDMI connection via a second communication interface of the television display, wherein the first communication interface is separate from the second communication interface;

the television display receiving and displaying uncompressed video data from a digital video stream carried over the HDMI connection from a set-top box (STB) and enhancement data from the broadcast enhancement pathway, the digital video stream comprising embedded base programming identification metadata;

the television display further receiving the enhancement data from the broadcast enhancement pathway without the enhancement data passing through the STB; and

the television display further extracting a base identification tag from the embedded base programming identification metadata, and combining enhancement data received from the broadcast enhance pathway associated with the base identification tag with the digital video stream,

wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises latency adjustment information, the latency adjustment information being extracted by the television display and used to time-shift use of the enhancement information;

wherein the enhancement data comprises instructions for retuning the broadcast reception tuner to an appropriate frequency for receiving additional enhancement data to be combined with the digital video stream.

19. The enhanced television system according to claim 18, wherein the broadcast enhancement pathway is Internet based.

20. The enhanced television system according to claim 18, wherein the broadcast enhancement pathway is a cellular data path.

21. The enhanced television system according to claim 18, wherein the broadcast enhancement pathway is a wireless data path.

22. A television enhancement method comprising:

receiving video data from a digital video stream carried over an HDMI connection from a set-top box (STB) via a first communication interface of a television display and enhancement data from a broadcast reception tuner via a second communication interface of the television display, wherein the first communication interface is separate from the second communication interface, and wherein the digital video stream comprising embedded base programming identification metadata, the enhancement data not passing through the STB;

extracting a base identification tag from the embedded base programming identification metadata by the television display; and

combining enhancement data received from the reception tuner associated with the base identification tag with the digital video stream by the television display,

wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises latency adjustment information, the latency adjustment information being extracted by the television display and used to time-shift use of the enhancement information;

wherein the enhancement data comprises instructions for retuning the broadcast reception tuner to an appropriate frequency for receiving additional enhancement data to be combined with the digital video stream.

23. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the base programming identification metadata is embedded using steganographic means.

24. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the base programming identification metadata is embedded using watermarking.

25. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the enhancement data received from the reception tuner is processed for enhancement information, and one or more appropriate enhancements is rendered on a display associated with the television display.

26. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the digital video stream is MPEG-2 TS.

27. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the digital video stream is broadcast using 8-VSB.

28. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the enhancement data is first inserted into an ATSC Mobile stream.

29. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the ATSC Mobile stream is broadcast using the ATSC A/153 Mobile broadcast standard.

30. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the base identification tag from the embedded base programming identification metadata is encoded as an audio watermark.

31. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises program time codes.

32. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises enhancement identifiers.

33. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, wherein the embedded base programming identification metadata further comprises one or more Internet addresses.

34. The television enhancement method according to claim 22, further comprising:

extracting a signature from the embedded base programming identification metadata,

the signature allowing identification of one or more enhancement to be associated with the digital video stream.