Fast stream switching

• US 8,212,944 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Touzni, Azzedine, Zhang, Yunjun
• Primary Examiner(s): NATNAEL, PAULOS M
• Application Number:
  US12/240,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 348/725, 348/705, 348/706, 348/552, 348/553, 348/731, 348/730, 348/732, 725/131, 725/139, 725/104, 725/39, 725/100, 370/487, 370/395.4, 370/347
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64315 DVB-H
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

A method of fast stream switching including receiving at least one first stream at a device corresponding to at least one first program, wherein the device employs dynamic power management and is operating at a first power level; activating a selection panel; receiving a plurality of streams corresponding to a plurality of programs; and adjusting to a second power level. After a stream is selected, the non-selected streams may be deactivated and the device may return to the first power level.

Claims

1. A method of fast stream switching, the method comprising:

receiving at least one first stream at a device corresponding to at least one first program, wherein the device employs dynamic power management and is operating at a first power level;

activating a selection panel that graphically illustrates a plurality of channels, the selection panel comprising a cursor;

while the selection panel is active, receiving a plurality of streams corresponding to the plurality of channels;

while the selection panel is active, operating in a second power level, wherein the second power level is a higher power level than the first power level in order to receive the plurality of streams;

as the cursor moves, activating ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are closer to the cursor and deactivating ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are getting further away from the cursor;

receiving a channel selection corresponding to a second program; and

switching to a second stream in response to receiving the channel selection, wherein the dynamic power management switches the device to operate at the first power level after switching to the second stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second power level is a continuous mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing powergrouping on the plurality of streams.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing powergrouping on the at least one first stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding the second stream and synchronizing the decoding with front-end processing.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing time slicing when operating at the first power level.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a smaller version of a channel highlighted by the cursor in a preview pane of the selection panel.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising while the selection panel is active, activating ones of the channels in a preference list according to priority, and leaving one or more channels open for the channels with icons that are closer to the cursor than other channels.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the preference list based on a user'"'"'s watching habit.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising granting higher priority to a radio frequency which carries most of the channels in the preference list.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising deactivating unselected channels after channel selection is complete.

12. A mobile device configured to perform fast stream switching, the mobile device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of streams corresponding to a plurality of channels;

a selection panel configured to receive a user input, the selection panel graphically illustrating the plurality of channels, the selection panel comprising a cursor;

a multiprotocol encapsulation forward error correction module configured to determine the number of streams to be received by the receiver; and

a power sequencing module configured to perform dynamic power management and adjust the power consumption of the mobile device based on the number of streams being received, the mobile device receiving the plurality of streams while the selection panel is active, wherein as the cursor moves, the mobile device activates ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are closer to the cursor and deactivates ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are getting further away from the cursor.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising:

a multistream transport processor configured to perform powergrouping.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising:

a front-end block configured to perform front-end processing; and

a video decoder configured to perform video decoding, wherein the video decoder is configured to decode in parallel with and synchronize with the front-end processing.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the selection panel includes a preview pane that displays a smaller version of a channel highlighted by the cursor.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is configured to activate, while the selection panel is activated, ones of the channels in a preference list according to priority, and leaving one or more channels open for the channels with icons that are closer to the cursor than other channels.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is configured to generate the preference list based on a user'"'"'s watching habit.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is configured to grant higher priority to a radio frequency which carries most of the channels in the preference list.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is configured to deactivate unselected channels after channel selection is complete.

20. A machine readable storage medium having a stored set of instructions executable by a device, the instructions, when executed are adapted to perform operations comprising:

receive at least one first stream at the device corresponding to at least one first program, wherein the device employs dynamic power management and is operating at a first power level;

activate a selection panel that graphically illustrates a plurality of channels, the selection panel comprising a cursor;

while the selection panel is active, receive a plurality of streams corresponding to the plurality of channels;

while the selection panel is active, operate in a second power level, wherein the second power level is a higher power level than the first power level in order to receive the plurality of streams;

as the cursor moves, activate ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are closer to the cursor and deactivate ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are getting further away from the cursor;

receive a channel selection corresponding to a second program; and

switch to a second stream in response to receiving the channel selection, wherein the dynamic power management switches the device to operate at the first power level after switching to the second stream.

21. A computer-readable storage medium that stores:

instructions executable by a processor to activate a selection panel that graphically illustrates a plurality of channels, the selection panel comprising a cursor;

instructions executable by the processor to receive a plurality of streams corresponding to the plurality of channels while the selection panel is active;

instructions executable by the processor to operate in a second power level while the selection panel is active;

instructions executable by the processor to activate, as the cursor moves, ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are closer to the cursor and deactivating ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are getting further away from the cursor;

instructions executable by the processor to receive a channel selection corresponding to a second program; and

instructions executable by the processor to switch to a second stream in response to receiving the channel selection, wherein the dynamic power management switches the device to operate at the first power level after switching to the second stream.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the second power level is a continuous mode.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to perform powergrouping on the plurality of streams.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to perform powergrouping on the at least one first stream.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to decode the second stream and synchronize the decoding with front-end processing.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to perform time slicing when operating at the first power level.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 further storing instructions executable by the processor to display a smaller version of a channel highlighted by the cursor in a preview pane of the selection panel.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 further storing instructions executable by the processor to activate, while the selection panel is active, ones of the channels in a preference list according to priority, and leaving one or more channels open for the channels with icons that are closer to the cursor than other channels.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 further storing instructions executable by the processor to generate the preference list based on a user'"'"'s watching habit.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 further storing instructions executable by the processor to grant higher priority to a radio frequency which carries most of the channels in the preference list.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 further storing instructions executable by the processor to deactivate unselected channels after channel selection is complete.

32. A mobile device configured to perform fast stream switching, the mobile device comprising:

means for receiving at least one first stream at a device corresponding to at least one first program, wherein the device employs dynamic power management and is operating at a first power level;

means for activating a selection panel that graphically illustrates a plurality of channels, the selection panel comprising a cursor;

means for receiving, while the selection panel is active, a plurality of streams corresponding to the plurality of channels;

means for operation, while the selection panel is active, in a second power level, wherein the second power level is a higher power level than the first power level in order to receive the plurality of streams;

means for activating, as the cursor moves, ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are closer to the cursor and deactivating ones of the channels with icons in the selection panel that are getting further away from the cursor;

means for receiving a channel selection corresponding to a second program; and

means for switching to a second stream in response to receiving the channel selection, wherein the dynamic power management switches the device to operate at the first power level after switching to the second stream.

33. The mobile device of claim 32 comprising means for activating, while the selection panel is active, ones of the channels in a preference list according to priority, and leaving one or more channels open for the channels with icons that are closer to the cursor than other channels.

34. The mobile device of claim 33 comprising means for generating the preference list based on a user'"'"'s watching habit.