Method and apparatus for transmitting enhancement data in data streams

• US 9,451,299 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Bulkowski, Brian, Wales, Carolyn, Hsu, Sam, Helman, James, Decker, Joseph, Wagenaar, Brock, Vickers, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US14/623,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20150229976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 725/60, 725/61, 725/88, 725/102, 725/103, 370/503, 370/535, 370/542, 370/543, 386/324, 375/240.28, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1491 in a hierarchical protection system, e.g. privilege levels, memory rings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/047 Distributors with transistors or integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/0685 Clock or time synchronisation in a node; Intranode synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/12 Arrangements providing for calling or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23602 Multiplexing isochronously with the video sync, e.g. according to bit-parallel or bit-serial interface formats, as SDI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• 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 21/4385 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream decrypting
• 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 21/4627 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 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 : involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus that addresses and resolves the issues currently affecting the ability to offer Enhanced TV, in particular, those issues concerning timing and synchronization, interaction with other modules in the STB, and distribution.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first stream, a second stream and a third stream, the first stream comprising an indication that an enhancement among a plurality of different enhancements is available, the second stream comprising timing information specific to the enhancement for display of the enhancement with a media content item and the timing information being independent of other timing information of other enhancements among the plurality of different enhancements, the third stream comprising the enhancement or a reference for retrieving the enhancement;

determining, by the computing device, that the enhancement is available based on the indication that the enhancement is available; and

in response to determining that the enhancement is to be displayed using the timing information, retrieving the enhancement using the third stream for display with the media content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second stream comprises a plurality of data substreams with each data substream of the plurality of data substreams being specific to a respective enhancement of the plurality of different enhancements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each data substream of the plurality of data sub streams has a virtual time base for the data sub stream that is different from a virtual time base for another data substream of the plurality of data substreams, wherein the timing information specific to the enhancement for display of the enhancement is specified relative to a virtual time base for a data substream specific to the enhancement.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device via one or more time pulses, a current time of the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement; and

generating the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement based at least in part on the current time of the virtual time base for the data sub stream specific to the enhancement.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, one or more different time pulses indicating a time to change the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement and a new time to which to set the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement; and

at the time to change the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement, adjusting a current time of the virtual time base for the data sub stream specific to the enhancement to the new time.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein each data sub stream of the plurality of data substreams comprises triggering data for the enhancement specific to that data substream specified relative to the virtual time base specific to that data substream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stream comprises a table of name-value pairs, wherein a name of a name-value pair specifies one or more attributes of the enhancement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhancement comprises one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to monitor the second stream for the timing information.

9. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a computing device, a first stream for an availability of an enhancement among a plurality of different enhancements;

receiving, by the computing device, timing information specific to the enhancement for display of the enhancement specified relative to a virtual time base for a data substream specific to the enhancement, the timing information being independent of other timing information of other enhancements among the plurality of different enhancements;

in response to determining that the enhancement is available, retrieving, by the computing device, the enhancement using a reference provided in a second stream; and

causing, by the computing device, display of the enhancement with a media content item in accordance with the timing information specific to the enhancement.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a third stream comprising a plurality of data substreams with each data substream being specific to a different enhancement of the plurality of different enhancements and having a virtual time base unique to that data substream.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising advancing the virtual time base in non-real-time.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, time pulses indicating a time to change the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement and a new time to which to set the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement; and

at the time to change the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement, adjusting a current time of the virtual time base for the data sub stream specific to the enhancement to the new time.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the enhancement comprises one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to display an object associated with the enhancement.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, the first stream comprising an indication that the enhancement is available; and

receiving, by the computing device, the second stream comprising the reference, the reference identifying a location of the enhancement for retrieval.

15. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a computing device, a first stream for an availability of an enhancement among a plurality of different enhancements for display with a media content item;

receiving, by the computing device via one or more time pulses, a current time of a virtual time base for a data substream specific to the enhancement, wherein the data substream specific to the enhancement comprises timing information specified relative to the virtual time base, the timing information of the enhancement being independent of other timing information of other enhancements among the plurality of different enhancements;

generating the virtual time base based at least in part on the current time of the virtual time base; and

in response to determining that the enhancement is available, causing display of the enhancement with the media content item in accordance with the timing information specified relative to the virtual time base.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, one or more different time pulses indicating a time to change the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement and a new time to which to set the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement; and

at the time to change the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement, adjusting a different current time of the virtual time base for the data substream specific to the enhancement to the new time.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a second stream comprising a plurality of data substreams with each data substream being specific to a different enhancement of the plurality of different enhancements.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a second stream comprising a reference to a location of the enhancement; and

retrieving, by the computing device, the enhancement using the reference to the location.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first stream comprises a table of name-value pairs, wherein a name of a name-value pair specifies one or more attributes of the enhancement.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the enhancement comprises computer-executable instructions.