Content replacement by PID mapping

• US 20090022165A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brant L. Candelore, Jon D. Garrett, Leo M. Pedlow Jr
• Original Assignee: Brant L. Candelore, Jon D. Garrett, Leo M. Pedlow Jr
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L., Garrett, Jon D., Pedlow, Leo M. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible

Abstract

A method of content substitution involves receiving an ordered stream of packets containing content marked by a first packet identifier (PID) and one or more substitute content portions marked by one or more secondary PIDs, where the number and placement of packets marked by secondary PIDs ahead of packets marked by the first PID in the stream is retained during transmission of the ordered stream of packets; initiating processing for display or storage of content contained in packets having the first PID; initiating processing for display or storage of content contained in packets having a selected secondary PID that meets a substitution criterion; and either deleting or processing the content having the first PID depending upon a number of received intervening packets having secondary PIDs that reside between the packets having the first PID and the packets having the selected secondary PID that meets the substitution criterion. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method of content substitution, comprising:

receiving an ordered stream of packets containing content marked by a first packet identifier (PID) and one or more substitute content portions marked by one or more secondary PIDs, where the number and placement of packets marked by secondary PIDs ahead of packets marked by the first PID in the stream is retained during transmission of the ordered stream of packets;

initiating processing for display or storage of content contained in packets having the first PID;

initiating processing for display or storage of content contained in packets having a selected secondary PID that meets a substitution criterion; and

either deleting or processing the content having the first PID depending upon a number of received intervening packets having secondary PIDs that reside between the packets having the first PID and the packets having the selected secondary PID that meets the substitution criterion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises one of streamed data, a data file and a packaged medium containing a data file.

3. The method according to claim 1, carried out in a decoder forming a part of a television Set-top box.

4. The method according to claim 1, carried out in at least one of a hardware state machine and a programmed processor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of an interactive operator input from an operator viewing said content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one of audio and video content.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of at least one of an operator input, signaling in a program map table (PMT), and signaling in an MPEG adaptation layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content is substituted on a packet for packet basis.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple packets of content are substituted for a single packet.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing comprises playing the content.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substituting comprises selecting a unit of content with the second PID and discarding a unit of content with the first PID.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substituting comprises selecting a unit of content on the second PID while receiving content with the first PID.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substituting comprises selecting multiple units of content with the second PID while discarding units of content with the first PID.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substituting comprises selecting multiple units of content with a second PID while receiving units of content with the first PID.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substituting comprises switching from a mode of selecting multiple units of content with the second PID while discarding units of content with the first PID to a mode of selecting multiple units of content with the second PID while receiving content with the first PID.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substituting comprises switching from a mode of selecting multiple units of content with the second PID and receiving multiple units of content with the first PID to a mode of selecting multiple units of content with the second PID while discarding units of content with the firs PID.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein a unit of content with the second PID is sent before a corresponding unit of content with the first PID.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein a unit of content with the second PID is sent after a corresponding unit of content with the first PID.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein substitution is initiated and terminated by private signaling forming part of an adaptation layer of packets in a data stream.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet with the second PID.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet with the first PID.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet that is neither the second nor the first PID.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing comprises playing back the content.

24. A computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the content substitution method according to claim 1.

25. A method of triggering content substitution, comprising:

receiving an ordered stream of packets containing content marked by a first packet identifier (PID) and substitute content marked by a secondary PID, and where the number and placement of packets marked by secondary PIDs ahead of packets marked by the first PID in the stream is retained during transmission of the ordered stream of packets;

determining if a number of intervening packets having secondary PIDs that reside between the packets having the first PID and the packets having a selected secondary PID is an odd number or an even number;

if the number is a first of either an odd number or an even number of intervening packets having secondary PIDs that reside between the packets having the first PID and the packets having the selected secondary PID is received, interpreting receipt of said number of intervening packets as an instruction that triggers ignoring subsequent packets marked with a primary PID, and mapping the portions of the content having the secondary PIDs to the primary PID and placing the mapped content into the data stream as a substitute for the first portion of the content;

if the number is the other of either an even number or an odd number of intervening packets having secondary PIDs that reside between the packets having the first PID and the packets having the selected secondary PID is received, interpreting receipt of said number of intervening packets as an instruction that triggers processing subsequent packets marked with the primary PID.

26. The method according to claim 25, carried out in a decoder forming a part of a television set-top box.

27. The method according to claim 25, carried out in at least one of a hardware state machine and a programmed processor.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein receipt of the initiation flag is indicative of meeting a substitution criterion, such substitution criteria being met as a result of an interactive operator input from an operator viewing said content.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein receipt of the initiation flag is indicative of meeting a substitution criterion.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the substitution criterion is met as a result of an operator input.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the content is substituted on a packet for packet basis.

32. The method according to claim 25, wherein multiple packets of content are substituted for a single packet.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein the substituting comprises using private signaling to select a unit of content with the secondary PID and discarding a unit of content with the primary PID.

34. The method according to claim 25, wherein a unit of content with the second PID is sent before a corresponding unit of content with the first PID.

35. The method according to claim 25, wherein a unit of content with the second PID is sent after a corresponding unit of content with the first PID.

36. The method according to claim 25, wherein substitution is initiated and terminated by private signaling forming part of the adaptation layer of packets in a data stream.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet with the one of the primary PID and the secondary PID.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the adaptation layer is in a packet that has neither the secondary nor the primary PID.

39. A computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the content substitution method according to claim 25.

40. A content multiplexer which creates an ordered stream of packets with primary and substitute content, comprising:

means for receiving input data representing main content;

means for receiving input data representing substitution content, such substitution content being for replacement of at least a portion of the main content;

a packet identifier (PID) mapper that assigns a primary PID to the main content and assigns a secondary PID to the substitution content; and

means for multiplexing an even or odd number of packets with the secondary PID ahead of packets with the primary PID depending on whether the primary packets are to be ignored or processed by a receiving device.

41. The content multiplexer according to claim 40, implemented using a programmed computer.

42. A decoder, comprising:

a receiver receiving an ordered stream of data that represents content ordered in a first and a second substitutable portion, the data encoded using at least first and second packet identifiers (PIDs) associated with first and second substitutable portions of content;

the receiver receiving an odd or even number of packets with the PIDs after a packet with a primary PID, wherein starting or stopping content substitution is determined by whether the number of packets is an odd or an even number;

a content decoder configured to play content having the first PID;

a controller that determines that a substitution criterion has been met by virtue of receipt of the content having the secondary PID; and

a PID mapper that maps content from said received data content having the second PID to said received data content having the first PID so that the received data content originally having the second PID is played.

43. The decoder according to claim 42, wherein the decoder resides in a television set-top box.

44. The decoder according to claim 42, wherein the substitution criterion comprises an interactive user selection to play the second portion.

45. The decoder according to claim 42, wherein the second portion of content represents one of an alternative advertisement, an alternative view, an alternative ending and an alternative plot.