Client Digitial Program Insertion In A Conditional Access Module

• US 20070083754A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacon, Kinney
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for inserting programs into broadcasted primary programs by a conditional access (CA) module that is inserted into a host device, such as a digital-ready television. The CA module utilizes primary and secondary program map tables and/or primary and secondary packet identifiers. A splicer splices the secondary packet identifiers, which is associated with a secondary program, into the primary packet identifiers, which is associated with a program, such as a broadcasted program. Additionally, the CA module may contain memory that is capable of storing the secondary program'"'"'s packet identifiers and/or program map table that can be used for insertion into the primary program.

Claims

1. A communications system for providing a plurality of primary programs and inserted programs to a plurality of host devices, the communications system comprising:

a primary program having primary packet identifiers;

a secondary program having secondary packet identifiers; and

a host device coupled to the communications system, the host device for tuning and demodulating the primary program and the secondary program from the communications system, the host device comprising a socket; and

a CA module for insertion into the socket of the host device, and for receiving the primary program and the secondary program from the host device, the CA module for providing to the host device a spliced program comprising the primary program and the secondary program, wherein the CA module decrypts the primary program identified by the primary packet identifiers and splices in a decrypted secondary program identified by the secondary packet identifiers.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the CA module comprises:

a processor for processing requests included in a transport stream, wherein the transport stream comprises the primary program and the secondary program;

a primary decryptor for decrypting the primary program and the secondary program; and

a splicer controlled by the processor for, when a splice request is received, splicing the decrypted primary program and the decrypted secondary program.

3. The communications system of claim 2, wherein the CA module further comprises a secondary decryptor for decrypting a second program and for providing the decrypted second program to the splicer.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the host device comprises a decoder for receiving the spliced program and for decoding the spliced program prior to displaying.

5. The communications system of claim 2, wherein the primary and secondary packet identifiers comprise audio and video packet identifiers that differ in value, and wherein the spliced program comprises the primary packet identifiers and, when the splice request is received and processed, the primary packet identifiers are not transmitted until a splice complete request is received and processed.

6. The communications system of claim 5, wherein subsequent to the receiving and processing of the splice complete request, the secondary packet identifiers are transmitted.

7. A communications system for providing a transport stream comprising a plurality of programs and inserted programs to a plurality of host devices, the communications system comprising:

a primary and a secondary program map table comprising packet identifiers;

a primary program that is identified by primary packet identifiers located in the primary program map table;

an inserted program that is identified by secondary packet identifiers located in the secondary program map table;

a host device coupled to the communications system, the host device for tuning and decoding the primary program and the inserted program; and

a CA module for insertion into the host device, and for receiving the primary program and the inserted program from the host device, the CA module for providing to the host device a spliced program comprising the primary program and the inserted program, wherein the CA module provides the primary program identified in the primary program map table and splices in the inserted program identified by the secondary program map table.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the CA module comprises:

a processor for processing requests in the transport stream, wherein the transport stream comprises the primary program, the inserted program, and the primary and secondary program map tables;

a primary decryptor for decrypting the primary program and the inserted program; and

a splicer controlled by the processor for, when a splice request is received, splicing the decrypted primary program and the decrypted inserted program.

9. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the CA module further comprises a secondary decryptor for decrypting a second program and for providing the decrypted second program to the splicer.

10. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the host device comprises a decoder for receiving the spliced program and for decoding the spliced program prior to displaying.

11. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the primary program identified by the primary program map table is decrypted until the splice request is received and processed, and subsequently the inserted program identified by the secondary program map table is decrypted.

12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the inserted program is decrypted until a splice complete request is received and processed.

13. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the processor processes the primary packet identifiers associated with the primary program that are identified in the primary program map table until the splice request is received and then swaps the primary program map table with the secondary program map table and subsequently processes the secondary packet identifiers that are associated with the inserted program.

14. The communications system of claim 13, wherein the secondary program map table is processed until a splice complete request is received and processed, wherein subsequently the processor swaps the secondary program map table with the primary program map table.

15. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the primary program is a broadcasted program.

16. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the inserted program is a targeted program identified for at least one, but not all, of the plurality of host devices.

17. A communications system for providing a transport stream comprising a plurality of programs and inserted programs to a plurality of host devices, the communications system comprising:

a primary program that is identified by primary packet identifiers;

at least one inserted program that is identified by secondary packet identifiers;

a host device coupled to the communications system, the host device for receiving the at least one inserted program prior to or concurrently with a tuned primary program, the host device comprising a socket; and

a CA module including memory for storing the at least one inserted program, the CA module for receiving and decrypting the tuned primary program, the CA module for providing to the host device a spliced decrypted program comprising the primary program and the at least one stored program, wherein the CA module provides the primary program and retrieves at least one of the stored programs from memory, decrypts the retrieved at least one stored program, and subsequently splices the decrypted at least one retrieved program in with the primary program.

18. The communications system of claim 17, wherein the CA module comprises:

a processor for processing requests included in the transport stream that is addressed to its coupled host device;

a primary decryptor for decrypting the primary program and the at least one retrieved program; and

a splicer controlled by the processor for, when a splice request is received, splicing the decrypted primary program and the decrypted at least one retrieved program.

19. The communications system of claim 18, wherein the primary and the at least one stored program comprise audio and video packet identifiers that all differ in value, and wherein the spliced program comprises the primary packet identifiers and, when the splice request is received and processed, the primary packet identifiers are not transmitted until a splice complete request is received and processed.

20. The communications system of claim 19, wherein subsequent to the receiving and processing of the splice complete request, the decrypted at least one retrieved program is transmitted to the host device, wherein the at least one retrieved program is identified by the secondary packet identifiers.

21. The communications system of claim 17, wherein the primary packet identifiers are identified in a primary map table, and wherein the at least one stored program packet identifiers are identified in at least one secondary program map table.

22. The communications system of claim 21, wherein the processor processes the primary packet identifiers via the primary map table, and wherein when a splice request is received, the processor swaps the primary map table with the secondary program map table.