Generating control information for use in transmission with a multimedia stream to an audiovisual device

• US 9,560,403 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coherent Logix, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Coherent Logix, Incorporated
• Inventors: McGinn, Colleen J., Shelby, Kevin A., Nysen, Peter J., Doerr, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Ruolei
• Application Number:
  US14/618,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 709/236, 709230-233, 709220-222, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709204-205, 725 39- 55, 725/62, 725 80- 81, 370470-476, 340 11- 161
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1102 Codes on graphs and decoding on graphs, e.g. low-density parity check [LDPC] codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2732 Convolutional interleaver; Interleavers using shift-registers or delay lines like, e.g. Ramsey type interleaver
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/29 combining two or more codes or code structures, e.g. product codes, generalised product codes, concatenated codes, inner and outer codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2906 using block codes H03M13/2957 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2909 Product codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2936 comprising an outer Reed-Solomon code and an inner convolutional code
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2957 Turbo codes and decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/6583 Normalization other than scaling, e.g. by subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23605 Creation or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006

Abstract

Control information for configuring an audiovisual device to present multimedia content according to a first service type may be generated. A first data structure specifying that the first control information is associated with the first service type may be generated. A plurality of packets, including a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the first control information, and the first data structure, may be generated and transmitted. Second control information for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a second service type may be generated. The first data structure may be modified to include information about the second control information. A second plurality of packets, including the modified first data structure, the first control information, a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the second control information, and a multimedia stream according to the second service type, may be generated and transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for generating control information for use in transmission with a multimedia stream to an audiovisual device, the method comprising:

generating first control information, wherein the first control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a first service type;

generating a first data structure, wherein the first data structure comprises information about the first control information, wherein the first data structure specifies that the first control information is associated with the first service type;

generating and transmitting a first plurality of packets, the first plurality of packets comprising a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the first control information, and the first data structure;

generating second control information, wherein the second control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a second service type;

modifying the first data structure to include additional information about the second control information, wherein the modified first data structure specifies that the second control information is associated with the second service type, wherein the modified first data structure retains the information about the first control information;

generating and transmitting a second plurality of packets, wherein the second plurality of packets comprise the modified first data structure, the first control information, a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the second control information, and a multimedia stream according to the second service type;

wherein the first data structure is separate from the first control information.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present the multimedia stream in a first manner;

wherein the second control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present the multimedia stream in a second manner.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first data structure specifies one or more locations in the first plurality of packets where the first control information is located;

wherein the modified first data structure specifies one or more locations in the second plurality of packets where the second control information is located.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information about the first control information specifies one or more types and one or more locations of first commands in the first control information;

wherein the additional information about the second control information specifies one or more types and one or more locations of commands in the second control information.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein said modifying the first data structure comprises modifying a format of the first data structure;

the method further comprising modifying information specifying a format of the first data structure to reflect said modifying the first data structure.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein said modifying the information specifying the format of the first data structure comprises at least one of modifying version information of the modified first data structure or modifying size information of the modified first data structure.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein said modifying the first data structure comprises modifying a format of the first data structure;

wherein the first data structure comprises information specifying a format of the first data structure;

the method further comprising modifying the information specifying the format of the first data structure in the modified first data structure to reflect said modifying the first data structure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating third control information, wherein the third control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream, wherein the third control information is generated according to a third service type;

generating a second data structure to include information about the third control information;

generating and transmitting a third plurality of packets, wherein the third plurality of packets comprise the modified first data structure, the first control information, a multimedia stream specified by the first control information, the second control information, a multimedia stream specified by the second control information, the third data structure, the third control information, and a multimedia stream specified by the third control information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data structure comprises information identifying the first service type of the first control information and a location of the first control information, wherein the information identifying the first service type of the first control information and the location of the first control information is useable by an audiovisual device to ignore the first control information if the audiovisual device is not configured to parse the first service type of the first control information.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first data structure is configured to be extensible to add additional information which relates to additional control information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data structure comprises a plurality of fields, wherein at least one of the fields is extensible;

wherein the at least one extensible field is extended by setting the value of the field to a specific value, wherein the specific value indicates to an audiovisual device that the extensible field is extended.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first data structure is configurable to include additional information which relates to additional control information in subsequently generated packets.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions for generating control information for use in transmission with a multimedia stream to an audiovisual device, wherein when executed by a device, the program instructions cause the device to:

generate first control information, wherein the first control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a first service type;

generate a first data structure, wherein the first data structure comprises information about the first control information, wherein the first data structure specifies that the first control information is associated with the first service type;

generate and transmit a first plurality of packets, the first plurality of packets comprising a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the first control information, and the first data structure;

generate second control information, wherein the second control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a second service type;

modify the first data structure to include additional information about the second control information, wherein the modified first data structure specifies that the second control information is associated with the second service type, wherein the modified first data structure retains the information about the first control information;

generate and transmit a second plurality of packets, wherein the second plurality of packets comprise the modified first data structure, the first control information, a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the second control information, and a multimedia stream according to the second service type;

wherein the first data structure is separate from the first control information.

14. The memory medium of claim 13,

wherein the first data structure specifies one or more locations in the first plurality of packets where the first control information is located;

wherein the modified first data structure specifies one or more locations in the second plurality of packets where the second control information is located.

15. The memory medium of claim 13,

wherein the information about the first control information specifies one or more types and one or more locations of first commands in the first control information;

wherein the additional information about the second control information specifies one or more types and one or more locations of commands in the second control information.

16. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the first data structure comprises a plurality of fields, wherein at least one of the fields is extensible;

wherein the at least one extensible field is extended by setting the value of the field to a specific value, wherein the specific value indicates to an audiovisual device that the extensible field is extended.

17. A device, comprising:

a transmitter;

a memory medium; and

a processor operably coupled to the transmitter and the memory medium;

wherein the processor, memory medium, and transmitter are configured to;

generate first control information, wherein the first control information is for configuring an audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a first service type;

generate a first data structure, wherein the first data structure comprises information about the first control information, wherein the first data structure specifies that the first control information is associated with the first service type;

generate and transmit a first plurality of packets, the first plurality of packets comprising a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the first control information, and the first data structure;

generate second control information, wherein the second control information is for configuring the audiovisual device to present a multimedia stream according to a second service type;

modify the first data structure to include additional information about the second control information, wherein the modified first data structure specifies that the second control information is associated with the second service type, wherein the modified first data structure retains the information about the first control information;

generate and transmit a second plurality of packets, wherein the second plurality of packets comprise the modified first data structure, the first control information, a multimedia stream according to the first service type, the second control information, and a multimedia stream according to the second service type;

wherein the first data structure is separate from the first control information.

18. The device of claim 17,

wherein the first data structure specifies one or more locations in the first plurality of packets where the first control information is located;

wherein the modified first data structure specifies one or more locations in the second plurality of packets where the second control information is located.

19. The device of claim 17,

wherein the information about the first control information specifies one or more types and one or more locations of first commands in the first control information;

wherein the additional information about the second control information specifies one or more types and one or more locations of commands in the second control information.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the first data structure comprises a plurality of fields, wherein at least one of the fields is extensible;

wherein the at least one extensible field is extended by setting the value of the field to a specific value, wherein the specific value indicates to an audiovisual device that the extensible field is extended.