Confirming video transmissions

• US 8,032,904 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Ramanathan
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US12/721,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 725/22, 725/32, 725/34, 725/112, 725/136, 348/432.1, 348/434.1, 348/476, 348/477, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 709/231, 709/236, 714/704, 714/774, 714/748
• US Class Current: 725/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/12 Arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]

Abstract

In an interactive broadcasting system, television programming may be broadcast with interleaved web content information. The progress in broadcasting the web content information over one or more transports and over one or more channels within those transports, may be monitored to provide a time based indication of what content has been broadcast. In one embodiment, markers may be inserted into the data transmission flow and a method may be utilized to associate a handle with a particular marker. A method may be called which obtains the handle and another method may be utilized to invoke the handle to obtain current information about broadcast transmissions. This information may be used within a broadcast encoder or may be provided to a content provider, for example, through a log-in server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for tracking in connection with an interactive television transmission;

inserting a first marker in said transmission;

providing an on-going count of bits transmitted and time elapsed from the point in time when the first marker is transmitted;

accumulating transmission information beginning at the point marked by said first marker; and

upon request, reporting accumulated transmission information.

2. The method of claim 1 including receiving web content transmissions and accompanying television broadcasts from a content provider.

3. The method of claim 2 including receiving a web content broadcast with the first marker inserted within the broadcast, combining the web content broadcast with a television broadcast and transmitting the combined broadcast.

4. The method of claim 2 including receiving broadcast content from a content provider, combining the broadcast content with television programming at a broadcast encoder and inserting a marker at the broadcast encoder.

5. The method of claim 1 including invoking a method which provides a handle to said marker.

6. The method of claim 5 including invoking a method which obtains current transmission details using said handle.

7. The method of claim 6 including providing a second marker and associating said second marker with a second handle.

8. The method of claim 7 including calling a method which provides transmission details and terminates the handle.

9. The method of claim 7 including allowing said first and second markers to be accessed separately using separate handles so that transmission details associated with different portions of a transmission can be obtained.

10. The method of claim 1 including providing a log-in server, reporting a transmission to said log-in server and allowing a third party to access said log-in server to receive transmission reporting.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request for tracking in connection with an interactive television transmission;

inserting a first marker in said transmission;

accumulating transmission information beginning at the point marked by said first marker;

invoking a method which provides a handle to said first marker; and

upon request, reporting accumulated transmission information.

12. The method of claim 11 including receiving web content transmissions and accompanying television broadcasts from a content provider.

13. The method of claim 12 including receiving a web content broadcast with the first marker inserted within the broadcast, combining the web content broadcast with a television broadcast and transmitting the combined broadcast.

14. The method of claim 12 including receiving broadcast content from a content provider, combining the broadcast content with television programming at a broadcast encoder and inserting a marker at the broadcast encoder.

15. The method of claim 11 including providing a second marker and associating said second marker with a second handle.

16. The method of claim 12 including calling a method which provides transmission details and terminates the handle.

17. The method of claim 12 including allowing said first and second markers to be accessed separately using separate handles so that transmission details associated with different portions of a transmission can be obtained.

18. The method of claim 11 including providing a log-in server, reporting a transmission to said log-in server and allowing a third party to access said log-in server to receive transmission reporting.

19. A method comprising:

inserting a marker in an interactive television transmission;

providing an on-going count of bits transmitted from a point in time when the marker is transmitted; and

upon request, reporting the on-going count of bits transmitted.

20. The method of claim 19 including providing an on-going count of time elapsed from the point in time when the first marker is transmitted.

21. The method of claim 19 including invoking a method which provides a handle to said marker.

22. The method of claim 21 including invoking a method which obtains current transmission details using said handle.

23. The method of claim 22 including providing a second marker and associating said second marker with a second handle.

24. The method of claim 23 including calling a method which provides transmission details and terminates the handle.

25. The method of claim 23 including allowing said first and second markers to be accessed separately using separate handles so that transmission details associated with different portions of a transmission can be obtained.